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Archives for February 2014

Minor Moves: Santos, Heath, Teaford

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Here are today's minor moves and outright assignments from around the league…

  • Catcher Omir Santos has signed a minor league deal (that contains an invite to Major League Spring Training) with the Pirates, the team announced via press release. The 32-year-old spent the 2013 campaign with the Indians organization, batting .248/.285/.354 with three homers in 222 plate appearances at Triple-A Columbus. Santos, who went hitless in one at-bat with the Indians' Major League club last year, is a career .248/.280/.363 hitter in 349 big league PAs.
  • The White Sox announced that they've outrighted right-hander Deunte Heath to Triple-A in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Mitchell Boggs, whose deal is now official. Heath, 28, has yielded 11 runs in 9 2/3 big league innings but owns a career 3.70 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 233 1/3 Triple-A innings.
  • The Royals announced that left-hander Everett Teaford has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. The 29-year-old southpaw was designated for assignment when the team acquired outfielder Carlos Peguero from the Mariners in late January. Teaford has a career 4.25 ERA with 5.3 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and a 43.8 percent ground-ball rate in 106 big league innings to go along with a solid track record at the Triple-A level.
  • With Teaford's outright, there are only two players that are currently in DFA limbo: Brett Wallace of the Astros and Emilio Bonifacio of the Royals.

White Sox Sign Mitchell Boggs

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The White Sox have added some low-cost, controllable upside to their bullpen, as they officially announced on Friday the signing of right-hander Mitchell Boggs to a one-year, $1.1MM contract. The former Cardinals setup man is represented by CSE. Because he only has four years, 34 days of Major League service time, Boggs will remain arbitration eligible following the 2014 season and is now controlled by the White Sox through 2015.

Boggs, who turns 30 next week, found himself in the closer's role in St. Louis last season after Jason Motte underwent Tommy John surgery. However, despite a strong track record as a setup man, Boggs struggled in his small sample as the Cardinals' closer. The former fifth-round pick allowed 18 earned runs on 21 hits and 15 walks in just 14 2/3 innings for the Redbirds before being designated for assignment and picked up by the Rockies.

He struggled greatly through the summer months in Colorado's minor league system, posting an 8.27 ERA in 16 1/3 Triple-A innings, but Boggs righted the ship (to an extent) upon a promotion to the Majors in September. In 8 2/3 big league innings to close the season, he allowed three runs on seven hits and five walks.

None of those struggles are characteristic of Boggs, who prior to 2013 had posted a combined 3.08 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 201 innings from 2010-12. Boggs had two large problems last season — a career-worst 7.7 BB/9 and an unnaturally high 26.3 percent homer-to-flyball ratio. The latter of those two marks seems to be particularly fluky, especially considering the fact that Boggs entered the season with a career mark of just 8.5 percent in that regard.

Boggs will join a White Sox bullpen that has said goodbye to closer Addison Reed this offseason and also parted with mainstays Jesse Crain and Matt Thornton in July trades. He'll add to a group that figures to consist of some combination of Nate Jones, Daniel Webb, Matt Lindstrom, Ronald Belisario, Scott Downs and Donnie Veal.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (on Twitter), and Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted the $1.1MM guarantee.

Rangers, Tommy Hanson Progressing Toward Deal

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FRIDAY: The Rangers and Hanson are making progress on a deal, tweets Morosi.

THURSDAY: The Rangers are engaged in talks with free agent starter Tommy Hanson, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Morosi reported earlier today that Hanson had received multiple offers.

Hanson, 27, was non-tendered by the Angels just one year after being acquired from the Braves in exchange for Jordan Walden. The 6'6" righty has struggled over the last two years, posting a combined 4.76 ERA in 247 2/3 innings. But Hanson was quite productive over 2009-11, posting a 3.28 ERA in 460 1/3 innings. With just four years and 97 days of service time, any club signing Hanson would control him for at least one more season through arbitration.

Nationals, Luis Ayala Closing In On Agreement

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The Nationals are closing in on a deal with right-hander Luis Ayala, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Ayala is represented by Boston Sports Counsel's Daniel Rosquete.

The 36-year-old Ayala posted a 2.90 ERA in 31 innings for the Braves last season after being traded over from the Orioles in the first couple weeks of the season (April 10). With Atlanta, Ayala averaged 5.8 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 to go along with a strong 59.6 percent ground-ball rate.

Ayala's future in the Majors was in doubt following a brutal stretch from 2009-10. He signed with the Twins heading into the '09 campaign but posted a 4.18 ERA before getting released, and he allowed 10 runs in 7 2/3 innings after being picked up by the Marlins that season. The end result was a 5.63 ERA, and he didn't fare any better in 2010 when he posted a combined 6.42 ERA at the Triple-A level between three different organizations.

Since that pair of difficult seasons, however, Ayala has revitalized his career with a rock-solid 2.58 ERA, 6.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 164 innings for the Yankees, Orioles and Braves.

Latest On Joel Hanrahan

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Recent reports indicating that right-hander Joel Hanrahan will host a showcase for multiple teams today are not accurate, agent Mike Dillon of Reynolds Sports Management tells MLBTR:

"Reports of a showcase workout with Joel Hanrahan are inaccurate. Teams that have been interested in watching his light bullpens have been welcome and the Mets are watching him today. We do not anticipate Joel throwing for multiple clubs in a 'showcase' type of workout until early March when he will be closer to 100%. Having said that, we are excited and very encouraged with Joel's progress."

Hanrahan underwent Tommy John surgery last May and also had the flexor tendon in his right elbow repaired. The 32-year-old pitched just 7 1/3 innings for the Red Sox in his lone season with Boston, and the eight runs he allowed on 10 hits (four homers) and six walks were proof that something wasn't right with his health. The two-time All-Star had posted a 2.59 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 229 1/3 innings for the Pirates in three-and-a-half seasons leading up to 2013, saving 82 games along the way.

In addition to the Mets, Hanrahan has also been connected to the Orioles in recent weeks. Baltimore has been eyeing free agents with closing experience and recently watched as Fernando Rodney signed a two-year deal with the Mariners.

Cardinals To Sign Pat Neshek

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FRIDAY: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Neshek will earn $1MM if he makes the big league club (Twitter link).

THURSDAY: The Cardinals have agreed to a minor league deal with right-handed reliever Pat Neshek, reports Keith Olbermann of ESPN.com (via Twitter) (hat tip to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). The 33-year-old gets a Spring Training invitation.

Neshek threw 40 1/3 innings last year for the Athletics, posting a 3.35 ERA. He elected free agency after the season, after accepting an outright assignment earlier in the year. The side-armer has been devastating against righties over his career, facing 555 batters and limiting them to a .181/.257/.315 mark. Opposite-handed hitters, however, have fared much better: in 326 plate appearances, lefties have put up a .237/.328/.432 mark against Neshek.

Mets Notes: Kiner, Drew, Hanrahan, Alderson, Wilpon

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Longtime Mets broadcaster and Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner passed away today at the age of 91. Kiner made his Major League debut with the Pirates in 1946 and proceeded to lead the Majors in home runs in each of his first seven Major League seasons. Injuries limited his outstanding career to just 10 seasons, but in that decade of work he batted .279/.398/.548 and belted 369 homers. Kiner joined the Mets broadcast team in its inaugural season of 1962 and continued working games until 2013. He went into the Hall as a Pirate in 1975. 

MLBTR sends its condolonces to his family, friends and all of the people whose lives Kiner touched. Here is a look at some transactional news relating to the Mets …

  • Stephen Drew's agent, Scott Boras, is seeking an opt-out clause after the first year of a deal, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin. Though the Mets are willing to consider guaranteeing two or even three years to the free agent shortstop, says Rubin, they view the opt-out as a "deal-breaker."
  • After watching Fernando Rodney sign with the Mariners, the Mets remain interested in adding a late-inning arm to their pen, reports Rubin. The team hopes it can land a solid option on a minor league deal, Rubin adds.
  • The Mets are among the teams that will watch reliever Joel Hanrahan throw in a showcase tomorrow, GM Sandy Alderson said in an appearance today (as reported by Michael Baron of MetsBlog.) We heard earlier today that the Orioles could also be interested in Hanrahan, who figures to appeal to many clubs if he can prove his health.
  • In an interview with ESPN.com's Keith Law (audio link), Alderson explained that the club has been prioritizing upside in its player acquisitions. The club has gone after high-ceiling high schoolers in the draft while employing what Alderson terms non-traditional methods of evaluation. Likewise, Alderson said, the team has gone against convention by pursuing relatively older players in the international market. The whole interview is well worth a listen for anyone interested in prospect acquisition and development.
  • Meanwhile, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon spoke with Mike Lupica of ESPN New York 98.7 FM (audio link), telling him that he expects the club to be in the mix for a Wild Card this year. Wilpon explained that the club will stick with Alderson's long-term plan, but hopes to stay competitive without Matt Harvey by relying on the organization's wealth of young arms. 

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Brian Bixler, Matt LaPorta

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Here are the day's minor moves:

  • Utilityman Brian Bixler has agreed to a minor league deal with the Phillies, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. The 31-year-old has seen time at the MLB level with the Pirates, Nationals, and Astros, but spent last season with the Mets' Triple-A affiliate. His career big league line is a modest .189/.249/.269 in 356 plate appearances, and he slashed .259/.323/.372 in 345 plate appearances in the upper minors last year. Bixler's calling card is versatility: he has played every field position but pitcher and catcher at the MLB level, and in fact appeared everywhere but the battery and at first during his 2013 stint at Las Vegas.
  • The Orioles have signed 29-year-old outfielder Matt LaPorta to a minor league deal that does not include an invite to major league camp, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). LaPorta was the 7th overall pick of the 2007 draft and twice a Baseball America top-30 prospect, but has managed only a .238/.301/.393 line in 1,068 MLB plate appearances between 2009-12. With unfavorable defensive ratings, he graded out as a sub-replacement-level player for most of his time in the bigs. At Triple-A last year with the Indians organization, LaPorta slashed .238/.310/.476 with ten home runs in 185 plate appearances. LaPorta was the key piece in the deal that shipped C.C. Sabathia out of Cleveland, but became a minor league free agent this year.
  • Checking in on the MLBTR DFA Tracker, three players sit in DFA limbo: Brett Wallace of the Astros and Emilio Bonifacio and Everett Teaford of the Royals.

Ryan Spilborghs To Retire

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Longtime Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs will retire, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter). The 34-year-old, who will join ROOT Sports as an analyst, wrote about his decision in a blog post. 

Spilborghs spent time at all three outfield positions during parts of seven seasons in Colorado, playing an important reserve role in the club's 2007 and 2009 playoff runs. His career line stands at a sturdy .272/.345/.423 in 1,769 trips to the plate. In his best season at the plate, 2008, Spilborghs slashed .313/.407/.468 in 275 plate appearances. 

After spending 2012 in the upper minors, Spilborghs headed to Japan last season. He saw 246 plate appearances for the Saitama Seibu Lions, slashing a disappointing .210/.283/.305.

Twelve Teams Have Asked Nationals About Espinosa

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FEBRUARY 6: At least twelve teams have inquired with the Nationals about Espinosa's availability, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. However, the team remains unlikely at present to deal Espinosa, Ladson says.

Though Anthony Rendon has the inside track at the starting gig at second, Espinosa will have a shot at taking his job back. Alternative outcomes include Espinosa making the club as a reserve or starting out in Triple-A on optional assignment. But Espinosa represents important middle infield depth and still has tantalizing upside at age 26, leaving the Nats uninterested in selling low.

DECEMBER 10: The Nats are balking at moving Espinosa despite interest from the Yankees, among other clubs, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

DECEMBER 9, 6:29pm: One Nationals executive told Kilgore that the Nats aren't shopping Espinosa. Beyond that, GM Mike Rizzo plainly stated that he expects Espinosa to be his team's utility infielder in 2014, noting that despite a lack of experience at the hot corner, Espinosa has the tools to play third base. Kilgore writes that Espinosa has a big proponent in Rizzo, and the Nationals are determined not to sell low on the switch-hitter.

4:25pm: The Nationals are shopping Danny Espinosa in trade talks, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Passan adds that if the Nats are unable to find a deal they like for Espinosa, the infielder could fill the utility role vacated by Steve Lombardozzi.

After a couple solid seasons in Washington, Espinosa saw his production fall off a cliff in 2013 due in part to injuries. In 2011 and 2012, he was an everyday player for the Nats, hitting 38 homers with a .727 OPS in over 1300 plate appearances.

GM Mike Rizzo told reporters today, including Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link), that the Nats will be "open-minded" and won't be afraid to make a trade. However, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post says (via Twitter) that he'd be surprised if the team moves Espinosa, having already rebuffed teams like the Rays and Cardinals, who have tried to buy low.

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