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Archives for December 2013

Rockies Acquire Franklin Morales

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The Rockies have acquired left-hander Franklin Morales from the Red Sox in exchange for infielder Jonathan Herrera, according to Ian Browne and Thomas Harding of MLB.com (Twitter link). In a second tweet, Harding adds that minor league right-hander Chris Martin is also headed to the Rockies.

The Red Sox acquired Morales from the Rockies in exchange for cash considerations in May 2011. With Boston, the now-27-year-old Morales pitched to a 3.90 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 134 innings. Though he did not pan out as a starter, Morales has held left-handed hitters to a .194/.286/.301 batting line in his career.

The Rockies added left-hander Boone Logan last week on a three-year deal, which led to them dealing Josh Outman to Cleveland for Drew Stubbs just less than an hour ago. However, Morales will now give manager Walt Weiss another lefty option to pair with Logan in the bullpen. Though Morales is a fly-ball pitcher, homers haven't been a problem for him in his career with the Rockies. He averaged 0.9 HR/9 as a member of the Rockies and has matched that rate at Coors Field, allowing seven homers in 70 1/3 career innings there.

Martin, 27, posted a 2.25 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 72 innings of relief between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Martin was actually drafted by the Rockies in the 21st round of the 2005 draft but did not sign. He went on to pitch in independent ball, where Red Sox scouts noticed him and signed him as an amateur free agent prior to the 2011 season.

The 29-year-old Herrera has batted .276/.326/.357 for the Rockies over the past two seasons in 466 plate appearances. The bulk of his work in the Majors has come at second base, where he has outstanding marks of +5.2 UZR/150 and +15 Defensive Runs Saved. Herrera also has experience at third base and shortstop, making him a versatile addition to manager John Farrell's bench.

Rockies Acquire Drew Stubbs For Josh Outman

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12:41pm: Cleveland will receive left-hander Josh Outman from the Rockies in the trade, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

Outman, 29, pitched to a 4.33 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 51.3 percent ground-ball rate in 54 innings for the Rockies this past season. Formerly a starting pitcher, Outman converted to the bullpen on a full-time basis for the first time in 2013. Outman averaged 92.4 mph on his heater and held lefties to a minuscule .198/.278/.261 batting line.

MLBTR's Matt Swartz projects Outman to earn $1.4MM in 2013. He will give new manager Terry Francona a second left-handed option in the bullpen along with Marc Rzepczynski.

12:14pm: The Rockies are acquiring Drew Stubbs from the Indians, sources tell Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link) and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Tribe can afford to part with Stubbs thanks to their outfield surplus, which includes Michael Bourn, Michael Brantley, David Murphy, and Ryan Raburn.

We heard back in November that multiple teams approached Cleveland with interest in Stubbs.  The 29-year-old hit just .233/.305/.360 in 2013 but is projected to earn $3.8MM in arbitration this offseason by MLBTR's Matt Swartz.  Still, Stubbs offers quality defense, power and speed, and  he's capable of handling all three outfield positions.

Stubbs, like the newly-acquired Brandon Barnes, is better versus lefties than righties, Rosenthal notes (link).  The plan is still for Carlos Gonzalez to go to center field but the Rockies are collecting athletic outfielders that should give them a solid supporting cast in 2014.

Astros Claim Collin McHugh

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The Astros have claimed right-hander Collin McHugh off waivers from the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link). The Rockies designated the 26-year-old McHugh for assignment earlier in the week to make room on the 40-man roster for lefty Boone Logan.

Acquired from the Mets over the summer in exchange for Eric Young Jr., McHugh didn't pan out in Colorado any more than he had in his previous auditions in New York. He allowed four homers and 21 earned runs in 19 innings for the Rockies, bringing his ERA on the season to 10.04. McHugh has allowed 47 earned runs in 47 1/3 career innings at the big league level.

However, McHugh has a strong 3.58 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 173 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level. The Astros appear to be betting on that upside with this claim.

Phillies Sign O’Sullivan, Sappelt, Gwynn, Marson

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The Phillies announced that they've signed right-hander Sean O'Sullivan, outfielders Dave Sappelt and Tony Gwynn Jr. and catcher Lou Marson to minor league deals with invitations to Spring Training.

O'Sullivan, 26, posted a 3.96 ERA in 25 innings (three starts, four relief appearances) for the Padres last season. However, the former Angel and Royal also walked more batters (14) than he struck out (12) in that time. O'Sullivan has struggled overall at the Major League level, pitching to a 5.89 ERA with 4.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 218 2/3 innings. The former third-round pick has a 4.40 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 486 1/3 career innings at Triple-A.

Sappelt, 27 in January, batted .240/.269/.280 in 78 plate appearances for the Cubs in 2013. One of three players acquired by Chicago in the trade that sent Sean Marshall to the Reds (the others were Travis Wood and Ronald Torreyes), Sappelt is a career .251/.301/.343 hitter in 274 big league plate appearances. He's been much better at Triple-A, batting .279/.332/.402 in 1356 PAs.

Gwynn spent the bulk of the 2013 campaign with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, where he batted .300/.393/.384 with a pair of homers and 12 steals in 391 plate appearances. The 31-year-old is an outstanding defender in center field, making him a nice depth piece for the Phils.

Marson, 27, was drafted by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. Philly traded him to the Indians along with Jason Knapp (who is attempting a comeback), Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald in the 2008 blockbuster that netted Cliff Lee. Marson spent most of the 2013 season on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. Yan Gomes' breakout with the Indians displaced Marson as the team's backup catcher. He is a .219/.309/.299 career hitter in 882 Major League PAs.

Choo Turned Down Seven-Year Offer From Yankees

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While the market for Shin-Soo Choo has been slow to develop, he could have already found a home had accepted a lavish offer from the Yankees. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that even after signing Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153MM contract, the Yankees offered Choo a seven-year, $140MM contract. Agent Scott Boras reportedly countered by asking for Ellsbury money, and the Yankees instead elected to sign Carlos Beltran to a much cheaper three-year, $45MM pact.

With Choo no longer a fit in New York, Boras will have to look elsewhere to try to top that $140MM figure. The Rangers are one team that has been said to be interested in Choo, but reports have indicated that they prefer him on a five-year deal. Beyond that, according to Passan's report, Texas has instead turned its focus to Masahiro Tanaka.

Passan also adds that multiple teams, including the Astros, have offers on the table to Choo at this time. It's not clear how much Houston has offered, but as Passan notes, an outfield of Choo, Dexter Fowler and top prospect George Springer would be an excellent trio. The Astros, however, aren't big fans of the idea of surrendering their second-round pick to sign Choo, writes Passan, especially considering that NC State lefty Carlos Rodon — a Boras advisee — is the favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Astros. Rodon would command a significant chunk of Houston's draft budget, which would shrink were the team to forfeit its second-round selection.

Phillies Sign Roberto Hernandez

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The Phillies added to their rotation on Wednesday by officially announcing the signing of right-hander Roberto Hernandez to a one-year, $4.5MM contract. In addition to that base salary, Hernandez can earn $1.5MM via incentives. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned that Hernandez will earn $200K for reaching 140 and 155 innings pitched, $300K for reaching 170 and 185 innings pitched, and $500K fo reaching 200 innings pitched. Hernandez is represented by Charisse Espinosa-Dash and Jorge Brito of Draft Pix Sports.

Hernandez-Roberto

On the morning that the agreement was reported, GM Ruben Amaro Jr. told reporters that he had an agreement in place with a starter but didn't wish to disclose the pitcher's name until a deal was finalized.

Formerly known as Fausto Carmona, the 33-year-old Hernandez pitched to a 4.89 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a healthy 53.2 percent ground-ball rate in 151 innings, marking his first full season since 2011. Hernandez will join a rotation that is fronted by Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels and also figures to include Kyle Kendrick and Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez as well.

Though his ERA wasn't all that impressive, Hernandez was primarily done in by the fact that 20.9 percent of his fly-balls left the park — a rate that is nearly twice as high as his career mark. Assuming that trend was an anomaly, it could be reasonable to expect a 2014 ERA that more closely resembles Hernandez's 3.60 xFIP or 3.66 SIERA — both of which reward him for solid command and a plus ground-ball rate.

Hernandez's best season came in 2007 when he finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting after posting a 3.06 ERA in 215 innings for the Indians. A hip injury derailed his 2008 campaign and likely impacted his 2009 season as well, but he came back strong with Cleveland in 2010, posting a 3.77 ERA in 210 1/3 innings and earning his first All-Star selection.

A move to the National League for the first time in his career will likely benefit Hernandez, and his career 57.8 percent ground-ball rate will play well in the small dimensions of Citizens Bank Park. Dierkes reports (on Twitter) that the Cubs were also very competitive on Hernandez, but Hernandez really wanted to pitch in Philadelphia.

Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly first reported the agreement with Hernandez (on Twitter). MLBTR's Tim Dierkes was the first to report the terms of the contract and the incentives structure (via Twitter).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Phillies Designate Sebastian Valle For Assignment

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The Phillies announced that they have designated catcher Sebastian Valle for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Roberto Hernandez, whose one-year contract with the team is now official.

The 23-year-old Valle ranked among the Phillies' top 10 prospects heading into each of the 2010-12 seasons, per Baseball America, but his performance has slipped in recent seasons. Valle followed up a lackluster .253/.271/.428 performance in 2012 with a .203/.245/.359 performance in 379 Double-A plate appearances last season. Following that 2012 campaign, BA said that he should end up as at least an average defender behind the plate, praising his lateral movement, receiving skills and strong arm.

Talks Heating Up Between Benoit, Padres

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Talks are heating up between right-hander Joaquin Benoit and the Padres, reports ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).

Reports last week indicated that the Padres and Indians were competing for Benoit's services on a two-year deal in the $14MM range. Since that time, Cleveland has inked John Axford, so it's unclear if they're still in on Benoit. The 36-year-old Benoit posted a 2.01 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 with 24 saves in 67 innings for the Tigers in 2013. He's also drawn interest from the Rockies, but he was said to be too expensive for Colorado's tastes, as he's seeking $7-10MM annually.

Quick Hits: Morales, Tanaka, Dodgers, Giants

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Kendrys Morales is being pursued by National League teams as well as American League teams, agent Scott Boras tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Boras describes Morales as a "first baseman who can DH" but Morosi thinks that the draft pick compensation issue will hurt his value.  More from around baseball..

  • One GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) that he doesn't think there's any doubt that Masahiro Tanaka will get more than $100MM.
  • The Rakuten Golden Eagles can only take in $20MM under the new posting system, but Ben Badler of Baseball America came up with a sneaky way for the club to make more off of the superstar pitcher.
  • The Rangers are doing significant background work on Tanaka, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.  Texas has room for just one significant expenditure, which could slow their movement on Shin-Soo Choo, Passan adds.
  • It's odd to see setup men Boone Logan and Joe Smith get more guaranteed money than established closer Grant Balfour, even if it's over three years rather than two, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Balfour agreed to a two-year, $15MM deal with the Orioles earlier today.
  • The Yankees' last couple of signings would suggest that they seriously intend to get under the $189MM threshold, so a surprise victory for Alex Rodriguez in his battle would hurt the club quite a bit, Heyman tweets.
  • The Rockies are looking for a bench player, but it's not a priority, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Sulia link).

Rosenthal On Red Sox, Butler, Rangers, Angels

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Some say that the big-money closer is becoming extinct, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that reports of the species' demise might be premature since the supply is overwhelming demand this offseason, depressing some free agent prices.  While Grant Balfour's two-year, $15MM was surprisingly low to some, Joe Nathan netted a two-year, $20MM deal at age 39.  Here's more from Rosenthal's latest column..

  • A trade remains possible for the Red Sox, who are checking in with teams that need starters, sources say.  Jake Peavy and Ryan Dempster appear the most expendable, but the Sox could get a bigger return if they moved John Lackey or Felix Doubront.
  • The Royals seem unlikely to trade designated hitter Billy Butler or any of their relievers after signing free-agent second baseman Omar Infante.  Royals GM Dayton Moore wants to pounce after adding Infante, left-hander Jason Vargas and outfielder Norichika Aoki and would love a shot at re-signing free agent Ervin Santana if his market somehow collapses.
  • The Rangers do not appear seriously involved in trade discussions for Rays ace David Price at the moment.  If they strike out on Shin-Soo Choo, Masahiro Tanaka, and Price, they simply would preserve their prospects and financial resources for later moves.
  • The Angels seem to be holding off on a DH like as Raul Ibanez until they know how much they will spend on a pitcher. That pitcher could be right-hander Matt Garza as they have heavy interest in him, sources say.  That pitcher could also be Tanaka.
  • The Rockies got more trade inquiries on Jordan Lyles than any player at the winter meetings and Brandon Barnes was a popular target, too, according to a source.

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