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Archives for August 2013

Placed On Waivers: Rafael Betancourt

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Here's a look at players who have been placed on revocable waivers today…

  • The Rockies have placed closer Rafael Betancourt on revocable waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Rosenthal notes that the Rockies fully plan on exercising their $4.25MM club option on the 38-year-old right-hander, so they'd need to receive a good offer to move him. Betancourt recently returned from a month-long stretch on the DL with a groin injury but has a solid 3.54 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 28 innings. Since joining the Rockies in 2009, Betancourt has a 3.02 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 and an even 1.00 WHIP to go along with 57 saves. He'd be a welcome upgrade to any bullpen, but it seems unlikely that the Rockies would part with him after they held onto all of their trade chips prior to the non-waiver deadline.

For a reminder on how revocable trade waivers and August trades work, check out MLBTR's August trades primer. You can see who is available to be traded to any team by checking MLBTR's list of players who have cleared waivers.

Rays Sign Delmon Young To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have signed Delmon Young to a minor league, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Young will head to Double-A Montgomery as opposed to Triple-A Durham for the time being, based on his own personal preference (All Twitter links). The 27-year-old was released by the Phillies last week and will now return to the organization that selected him first overall in the 2003 draft. Young is represented by Joel Wolfe of the Wasserman Media Group.

Young batted .261/.302/.397 in 291 plate appearances for the Phillies this season before being released. Originally drafted by Tampa Bay, Young played just one full season there before being traded to the Twins in a trade that brought Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett to the Rays. Young enjoyed one strong season in Minnesota, but has failed to translate the tools that made him the No. 1 overall pick into consistent Major League production. In parts of eight big league seasons, he's a .283/.316/.423 hitter but also grades out as one of baseball's worst defenders in the outfield.

Mets To Sign Daisuke Matsuzaka

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The Mets have agreed to a Major League deal with right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The 32-year-old Matsuzaka, who asked for his release from the Indians on Tuesday, will go directly to the big leagues with New York, Heyman adds.

Matsuzaka, who is represented by Scott Boras, posted a 3.92 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 103 1/3 innings for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers this season. Prior to his release, he'd been particularly effective, pitching to a 2.17 ERA with a 39-to-8 K/BB ratio in 49 2/3 innings in seven starts. The Mets have recently lost Jeremy Hefner and Jenrry Mejia to injuries, so taking a flier on Matsuzaka makes sense for GM Sandy Alderson.

Highest Ground-Ball Rates Among 2014 Free Agents

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Earlier in the season, I took a look at the highest ground-ball rates among free agent pitchers. That came several months ago, and over the course of the season the numbers have changed a bit. With nearly a full season under their belts, let's see which qualified pitchers out of this year's crop of free agents has done the best at keeping the ball on the ground (keeping in mind that the league-average ground-ball rate is currently 44.6 percent)…

Starting Pitchers

  1. A.J. Burnett — 56.3 percent
  2. Tim Hudson — 55.8 percent
  3. Roberto Hernandez — 52.9 percent
  4. Joe Saunders — 49.9 percent
  5. Scott Feldman — 49.4 percent
  6. Edinson Volquez — 48.2 percent
  7. Hiroki Kuroda — 48 percent
  8. Ervin Santana — 47.7 percent
  9. Jorge De La Rosa — 47.4 percent
  10. Andy Pettitte — 46.4 percent

Relief Pitchers

  1. Chad Qualls — 66 percent
  2. Matt Albers — 62.8 percent
  3. J.P. Howell — 57.4 percent
  4. Matt Lindstrom — 54.7 percent ($4MM club option)
  5. Jamey Wright — 52.7 percent
  6. Matt Belisle — 51.4 percent ($4.25MM mutual option)
  7. LaTroy Hawkins — 49.7 percent
  8. Fernando Rodney — 49.6 percent
  9. Darren Oliver — 48.7 percent
  10. Jason Frasor — 48.5 percent

Pitchers with strong ground-ball rates will often appeal to teams in smaller ballparks, and oftentimes a lofty ground-ball rate can get a pitcher paid in spite of mediocre strikeout rates. Santana figures to sign the biggest contract of this bunch due to his age and performance, but De La Rosa has quietly enjoyed a 3.1 fWAR season and should be in line for a solid payday as well as he enters his age-33 season.

Jake Westbrook (56.1 percent), Jason Marquis (52.3 percent) and Paul Maholm (50.7 percent) all deserve mention as well, but they don't have enough innings to qualify for the ERA title. Marquis also has little free agent value, as he recently underwent Tommy John surgery.

Quick Hits: Biogenesis, Abreu, Mariners, A’s

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Major League Baseball considers the Biogenesis investigation closed in terms of looking into players, but they're still investigating the possible involvement of some agents, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Speaking of Biogenesis, MLB released a statement saying that Miguel Tejada did not warrant any discipline based on what they uncovered in the investigation, tweets Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  Of course, Tejada will still have to serve his 105-game suspension for amphetamine use.
  • Jose Dariel Abreu is working on establishing residency in Haiti and there isn't an open showcase scheduled yet, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (on Twitter).  Abreu has drawn interest from several clubs so far including the Red Sox, Orioles, Pirates, and White Sox.  
  • The status of Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is expected to be updated if not entirely clarified within the next few days, people familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  When asked about speculation that the M's could make a play for Brian Cashman, club president Chuck Armstrong spoke positively of the Yankees GM but wouldn't discuss him in context.
  • The Athletics continue to look for catching help as they have been for the past couple of weeks or so, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • In retrospect, the Cardinals really could have used Kyle Lohse this season, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Rangers Sign Brendan Harris

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The Rangers announced that they have signed Brendan Harris to a minor league contract.  The veteran infielder had a cup of coffee in the Yankees' system before signing with Texas today.  Harris will help provide extra infield depth for the Rangers who have been thin since Leury Garcia was traded to the White Sox in the Alex Rios trade.

Harris, who celebrates his 33rd birthday on Monday, signed with the Yankees on July 26th and hit just .233/.356/.315 with one homer in 22 games.  Prior to that, Harris was batting .206/.252/.355 in 117 plate appearances this year for the Angels.  The veteran has big league experience at all four infield positions with the bulk of it at shortstop.  Harris, who last saw regular action in 2009 with the Twins, is a career .256/.314/.381 hitter. 

Badler On Posting System, Tanaka, Maeda

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This offseason could see revisions of the posting system that allows players in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league to jump to MLB, Baseball America's Ben Badler reports. A memo from the commissioner's office earlier this year informed MLB clubs the two leagues were discussing possible changes to the system. Sources tell Badler that one potential new provision could be a cap to the posting fee, which could see more money funneled to players rather than the Japanese team and would also allow MLB to count more dollars against the luxury tax. Overall, however, it's not really clear what direction the posting system is headed in. “We’re just operating under the idea that everything’s going to be the same way it was last year," an international director told Badler. “That’s the same as everyone else I talked to.”

Several clubs expect that pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will look to join an MLB team this offseason, according to Badler, which confirms what we've heard in recent months. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder has put together a sterling season this year for the Rakuten Golden Eagles, compiling a 1.20 ERA across 158 innings with 130 strikeouts and just 22 walks. With an arsenal that includes a low-90s fastball and two plus secondary offerings – including a splitter that grades out at a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale – some scouts project him as a potential No. 2 starter that could help a team immediately, Badler reports.

Badler's article reveals that both the Rangers and Yankees have sent top scouts to Japan to watch the 24-year-old pitch, and could be the favorites to sign him.  However, they're not the only teams keeping tabs on the righty as the Red Sox and Twins have also been connected.

Some scouts believe Kenta Maeda, another Japanese righty, could attempt to migrate to the majors this offseason, though the majority believe there's less than a 50 percent chance of that happening, Badler adds. Maeda has a 2.26 ERA in 123 2/3 innings this year, but at just 6 feet and 160 pounds, he probably doesn't have the frame that projects to consistently hold up for 200 innings a season. Maeda might best be served by waiting a year to avoid being posted at the same time as Tanaka. However, several scouts tell Badler they see the 25-year-old as a back-end starter in the majors, and given his smaller size, that isn't likely to change.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Details On Francisco Liriano’s Contract

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Last December, prior to suffering a broken right (non-throwing) arm, Francisco Liriano agreed to a two-year, $12.75MM contract with the Pirates. After his injury, the two sides worked out a new contract that guaranteed Liriano just $1MM in 2013 but contained $3.75MM worth of incentives and a vesting option that could be worth either $5MM, $6MM or $8MM, depending on time spent on the DL with the right arm injury.

Liriano's 2014 option officially vested when the left-hander reached 90 days not spent on the DL due to the right arm injury. He is currently guaranteed a $5MM salary for 2014, but that figure will jump to $6MM once he reaches 120 games not spent on the DL with his right arm injury. It has currently been 103 days since his activation, meaning his 2014 salary will jump by $1MM on Saturday, Sept. 7.

As far as this season is concerned, MLBTR has also learned Liriano's 2013 bonus structure, which is as follows:

  • 60 days not on DL with right arm injury: $250K
  • 75 days not on DL with right arm injury: $250K
  • 90 days not on DL with right arm injury: $750K
  • 120 days not on DL with right arm injury: $750K
  • 135 days not on DL with right arm injury: $125K
  • 150 days not on DL with right arm injury: $750K
  • 165 days not on DL with right arm injury: $125K
  • 180 days not on DL with right arm injury: $750K

It's not quite as simple as that would seem, though. These bonuses are not standard roster bonuses that are awarded for being on the 25-man roster for a certain number of days, but rather bonuses relative to Liriano's health and ability to help the club. Because of that, it's possible that Liriano could make the case that he was ready to return to the club sooner than he did, which could entitle him to additional bonuses.

Liriano's minor league rehab stint lasted five starts, which could impact his earnings. He missed the season's first 41 days due to his right arm injury, which means that he will max out at 142 days on the 25-man roster. The eight days that separate that mark from the 150-day cutoff carry significant financial implications. Not only would they earn Liriano an additional $750K in 2013, they would also boost the value of his vesting option to its maximum level of $8MM next season. That $8MM salary would come with an additional $500K worth of incentives, which MLBTR has also learned:

  • $150K for 180 innings pitched in 2014
  • $200K for 190 innings pitched in 2014
  • $150K for 200 innings pitched in 2014

Should Liriano's option vest for only $6MM, those incentives still remain in the contract, and he would be able to earn an additional $2MM based on his number of starts made. In that instance, MLBTR has learned that he would receive $400K for reaching five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 starts in 2014.

In either scenario, the maximum that Liriano could earn next year would be $8.5MM. As far as this year's bonuses are concerned, he's already pocketed an additional $1.25MM. He currently stands to receive an additional $750K on Sept. 7 and $125K more on Sept. 22.

In the end, Liriano has proven to be perhaps the biggest bargain of the 2012-13 offseason, regardless of what his salary ends up being. His 2.53 ERA (2.66 FIP, 2.99 xFIP), 9.4 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and 52.7 percent ground-ball rate in 121 innings this season are statistics worthy of a true "ace" label, but his contract paid him less than pitchers like Joe Blanton and Brandon McCarthy.

Red Sox Notes: Dempster, Belt, Cherington, Bogaerts

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Ryan Dempster began serving his five-game suspension for throwing at Alex Rodriguez yesterday, and as MLB.com's Ian Browne writes, off-days on Thursday and Monday will allow the Red Sox to juggle their other four starters without forcing them to find a replacement starter. Of the suspension, Dempster said: "It [stinks], any time you get suspended. I've never been suspended in my career so it's not a fun feeling to have, but [I'll] start serving, be done with it on Sunday and get back to trying to help my team." Here's more on the Red Sox…

  • Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes that the Red Sox selected Brandon Belt out of high school as a pitcher back in the 11th round of the 2006 draft, but the team didn't see enough in his mound potential to buy him out of his commitment to the University of Texas.
  • MassLive.com's Evan Drellich spoke with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington, assistant GM Mike Hazen, manager John Farrell and Dodgers president Stan Kasten about last August's blockbuster that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto to Los Angeles. It's a lengthy piece that does a terrific job of illustrating the number of people involved in making the trade a reality and also explaining how technology has impacted trade negotiations over the years. Cherington said that he wasn't nervous to take the plunge and make a trade of historic proportions.
  • Within the same piece, Farrell notes the differences between the Blue Jays, whom he calls a scouting-based organization, and the Red Sox, whom he calls a player-development-based organization.
  • Xander Bogaerts' debut as a 20-year-old shortstop puts him in elite company, writes Marc Hulet of Fangraphs. Red Sox director of player development told Hulet that he's not worried about Bogaerts spending time at third base despite his lack of professional experience at the position: “Xander shows enough athleticism to play third base despite his limited reps, but will continue to get better the more he plays.”

Phillies Sign Roger Bernadina

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The Phillies announced that they have signed outfielder Roger Bernadina, who was released by the Nationals on Monday, to a Major League contract. In order to clear a spot on the 25-man roster, the team has optioned infielder Michael Martinez to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. We heard earlier today that Bernadina had officially cleared release waivers and expected to sign with a new team shortly.

Bernadina, 29, was released after the Nats acquired David DeJesus from the Cubs. In 167 plate appearances this season, the Curacao native batted .178/.247/.270. Those numbers represent a sharp drop-off from the .252/.320/.373 career batting line that Bernadina carried into the 2013 campaign. He's capable of playing all three outfield positions, though advanced defensive metrics peg him as a below-average center fielder.

Bernadina, a client of Lapa/Leventhal, can be controlled through the 2015 season as an arbitration-eligible player, should he impress the Phillies in the final weeks of the season.

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