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Archives for May 2014

Rangers Promote Sardinas, Odor; Designate Baker, Wilson

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The Rangers will execute a series of roster moves, the club announced. Texas will designate righty Scott Baker and infielder Josh Wilson to help create roster space for the call-up of top prospects Luis Sardinas and Rougned Odor.

In the aggregate, the moves represent a fairly substantial re-working of the club’s roster as the injuries continue to mount. Also involved in today’s moves were infielder Donnie Murphy, who was placed on the DL, and righty Justin Germano, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A.

Baker, 32, made just one appearance for Texas, throwing 5 1/3 innings and allowing just two earned runs. The veteran had decided not to exercise his opt-out clause with the team, and was rewarded at the time with a call-up. The 33-year-old Wilson had taken 72 plate appearances with the team, putting up a .224/.257/.269 triple-slash.

Both Odor and Sardinas are 20-year-old middle infielders out of Venezuela — though the latter is actually nearly a year older — who have consistently been ranked among the team’s top prospects by evaluators. Baseball America put Odor at 42nd on its top 100 list, while predicting a 2015 arrival. Other observers, such as ESPN.com’s Keith Law (64th) and MLB.com (54th) roughly concurred with that placement. Sardinas, who already received a cup of coffee in 2014, landed at the 70th overall slot on MLB.com’s rankings, though he did not appear it the top 100 of either of the other two.

Before the season, BA called Odor the club’s top prospect. In that publication’s view, while he is somewhat undersized, Odor’s raw tools play up due to an outstanding swing and approach, strong baserunning instincts, and overall positive intangibles. While Odor is heralded mostly for his bat, Sardinas is a glove-first prospect. Speed, range, arm strength, and contact at the dish are the calling cards for the youngster.

The pair of middle infielders entered the year without any MLB service time. Were they to stick on the active roster from this point forward, both players would stand to pick up 143 days of service and position themselves as fairly sure bets to achieve Super Two status. (As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently noted with respect to the call-up of Marcus Stroman, the highest level of service required for Super Two status in recent years has been two years and 146 days. This year, it projects to land at just 2.128.) On the other hand, given their youth and the presumptive return of Jurickson Profar and Murphy, this call-up may not be permanent.

Braves Expect Major Revenue Boost From Reworked TV Deal

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While prior reports have indicated that the Braves re-negotiated aspects of their oft-bemoaned television rights package, the magnitude of the impact remained unknown until today, as Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media (the Braves’ publicly-held corporate owner), said on a quarterly conference call today that the renegotiated contracts would add “probably in the order of $500MM of incremental revenue over the life of the contracts of value to us.”

The original set of contracts was never fully publicized, but were often referred to — even by team executives — as sub-market in comparison to the more recent mega-deals being locked up around the league. “They were at-market deals when they were done, but the market has changed,” team chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said in early 2012. “We will have to look elsewhere for the increases that we will need in revenue to continue to build this franchise. It’s what the owners at the time decided to do, so we have to live with it.” While the situation may not have been crippling, it imposed an obvious limitation on the team’s spending capacity.

It now appears that the Braves will not have to live with those out-of-date TV revenue streams — for the most part. Maffei noted in his remarks that the original contracts ran through 2027, but did not specify the timeline of the reworked terms. A key aspect of the ultimate, bottom-line impact of the renegotiation thus remains unknown; as Maffei said, the estimated $500MM revenue boost is a sum that will be spread across the still-unreported “life of the contracts.” Much as in the case of a pre-arb player giving up future free agent seasons, it seems implicit that the Braves may have sacrificed some future years to find relief from a set of deals that reportedly included no mechanisms to force a renegotiation.

For some context, consider that the Phillies’ recent TV deal came in at $2.5B over 25 years (and also gave the Phils certain equity and ad revenue rights). As I explained at the time, that contract (unsurprisingly) did not spread that revenue evenly, but rather increased it year-over-year. From a present-value perspective, of course, the greater future annual payouts would take a larger hit. Likewise, in the Braves case, Maffei hinted at a similar situation. Calling the reworked rights situation “very positive,” he noted that it “adds a lot of value even on a present value basis to the Braves.”

Even if the down-the-line earning potential is not a full half-billion dollars in today’s money, though, it is clear that the impact on the club’s bottom line is substantial. If nothing else, that $500MM figure represents a solid 20% of the total rights fees achieved in the Phillies deal, which seems impressive given the limitations facing the organization.

And, of course, we know that Atlanta has already embarked on a rather remarkable extension spree. In the first five months of 2014, Atlanta has guaranteed over $300MM to six already-controlled players over a total of 30 seasons. Prior to this run of new deals, the Braves had not extended a player with less than five years of service during the six-year term of GM Frank Wren. The team also paid up for Ervin Santana at the last minute after an early spate of pitching injuries threatened the chances of contention this year.

It would appear, then, that at least some payroll impact has already been felt. The club had carried a payroll in the low-to-mid $90MM level since breaking nine figures back in 2008, but that mark jumped to over $112MM for 2014. And the team’s future salary obligations, which stood at 24th in the league heading into the offseason, have increased more than five-fold in the meantime. (As I noted at that time, the Braves had among the lowest ratios of future commitments to recent high payroll.)

Of course, the television component is only part of the overall picture. When Atlanta’s recent spending began, it seemed that the primary driver was the recently-announced Cobb County ballpark and development project. Maffei acknowledged the role of that deal as well, saying that “the new stadium and the complex around it … are going to create a lot of value for the Braves.” With management having “created a great product with a controlled payroll,” said Maffei, the Braves “have been a profitable team” and are an “asset [that] has gone up quite nicely in value over the last several years.”

Minor Moves: Raul Valdes, Nik Turley, Ryan Searle

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • Astros lefty Raul Valdes has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A rather than electing free agency, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. Valdes was designated and then outrighted after an ugly eight-appearance stint in Houston this year (five earned in 3 2/3 with four strikeouts and three walks).
  • The Yankees have agreed to re-sign lefty Nik Turley to a minor league deal, reports Cotillo (Twitter link). The 24-year-old was recently released to clear a 40-man roster spot. Turley has dealt with arm issues and is yet to throw a competitive pitch this year, but has posted intriguing strikeout totals across his time in the minors since being taken in the 50th round of the 2008 draft. Last year, working mostly as a starter at the Double-A level, Turley threw to a 3.79 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 over 145 innings.
  • Australian righty Ryan Searle has been given his release by the Cubs, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports on Twitter. The 24-year-old had been working at the Double-A level this year, pitching to a 6.63 ERA in 19 innings with 8.1 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9.
  • As reflected in MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, the following players remain in DFA limbo: Elliot Johnson (Indians), Heath Bell (Rays), Xavier Nady (Padres), George Kottaras (Indians), and Omar Quintanilla (Mets). Joining that group today is Buddy Boshers of the Angels.

Amateur Notes: Top Picks, Gordon, Zimmer, Hoffman, Nola

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Baseball’s amateur talent season is in full swing, even if it generates less national hype than the football version. (Of course, if you follow the NFL, you’ll want to pay close attention today to MLBTR’s sister site, ProFootballRumors.com, for the latest draft news and rumors.) The Rule 4 amateur draft is set to begin on June 5, with the July 2 international amateur signing period just behind it. Here’s the latest:

  • Despite some recent questions, N.C. State lefty Carlos Rodon still lands atop the first mock draft of Baseball America’s John Manuel. While the Astros will surely be tempted by an attractive group of prep arms that includes Tyler Kolek and Brady Aiken, says Manuel, Rodon’s two primary offerings are good enough to make him a big league pen option right now, though obviously he’ll be taken as a starter. Ultimately, his “combination of stuff, physicality and track record” makes Rodon the most likely pick for Houston, in Manuel’s estimation. The first position player off the board in the mock is high school shortstop Nick Gordon, who Manuel has going to the Twins fifth overall.
  • Aiken takes top billing in the top 100 draft prospect list produced by ESPN.com’s Keith Law (Insider link), based upon his wide arsenal of offerings and lofty ceiling. One of the largest gaps among the top potential choices (as between Law’s ranking and Manuel’s draft projection) belongs to University of San Francisco outfielder Bradley Zimmer. Law places him at fifth overall, citing his size, athleticism, and projectable power, while Manuel believes he could fall into the second half of the first round.
  • It was recently reported that Jeff Hoffman, who had been viewed as a top-five choice, will undergo Tommy John surgery. While that surely bumps him down the board, Law still has Hoffman as the 25th-best player available, while Manuel thinks the Blue Jays will take a chance on his rehab with the second of the team’s two early-round choices (9th and 11th overall).
  • In response to reader questions, MLB.com prospect guru Jim Callis joins the consensus holding Rodon, Kolek, and Aiken as the three top players available. While the White Sox may hope to get a college arm, says Callis, Chicago will probably take whoever is left from that trio (even if it is not Rodon) with the third choice in the draft.
  • Profiling Louisiana State righty Aaron Nola, Callis says that Reds hurler Mike Leake is a good comp as a command-first, quick-to-the-bigs arm. But Callis opines that Nola has somewhat more upside than Leake, who was the most recent player to jump straight to MLB out of the draft.
  • After recently discussing the set of international players expected to be signed to cap-busting bonuses, Ben Badler of Baseball America profiles five other July 2 prospects who are making waves. Leading the pack is Venezuelan outfielder Brayan Hernandez, who Badler says could near the $2MM level in his contract. According to Badler, Hernandez is both well-rounded and projectable, and could be headed to the Mariners.

Angels Designate Buddy Boshers For Assignment

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The Angels have designated lefty Buddy Boshers for assignment, the club announced. The move was made to clear space for fellow southpaw Brooks Raley, who was just claimed off waivers from the Twins.

Like Raley, Boshers is a 25-year-old with only minimal MLB exposure. In 15 1/3 relief innings last year, he worked to a 4.70 ERA with 7.6 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9. Boshers had put up consecutive strong seasons in the upper minors, but is off to a tough start in 2014. Through 13 innings at Triple-A this year, Boshers has a 6.23 ERA with 8.3 K/9 but a startling 9.0 BB/9.

Angels Claim Brooks Raley Off Waivers From Twins

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12:58pm: Berardino updates things from the Twins’ side (Twitter links), writing that Raley was actually designated earlier in the week and put on outright waivers on Tuesday. Thinking through the reasons that the move was kept under wraps, Berardino posits that the club may have hoped to maintain leverage with Guerrier’s agent as the parties discussed the reliever’s opt-out date. (The club ultimately purchased Guerrier’s contract after he made clear he would not extend the opt-out date.)

12:34pm: The Angels have claimed southpaw Brooks Raley off waivers from the Twins, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on Twitter. Raley, 25, was apparently exposed to outright waivers to create 40-man space for Matt Guerrier.

This marks the second time in 2014 that Raley has been nabbed via waiver claim; Minnesota acquired him from the Cubs by that mechanism back in February. As Berardino notes in another tweet, it is not yet clear why the Twins placed Raley right on the waiver wire rather than first designating him for assignment.

Raley had been working at the Twins’ top affiliate this year, throwing 14 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball while generating a promising 11.7 K/9 against a less-stellar 6.8 BB/9. After spending most of his professional life as a starter, Raley worked primarily as a reliever this year, though he just received his first start of the season. Across two brief stints with the Cubs — first in a starting role (in 2012) and then from the pen (2013) — Raley has accumulated a 7.04 ERA in 38 1/3 MLB frames.

East Notes: Knuckle-Curve, Roberts, Strasburg

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In an interesting piece for FOX Sports, Dan Rozenson of Baseball Prospectus looks at the increasing proliferation of knuckle-curveballs around the game, and suggests that the pitch could be a better weapon than a traditional hook — especially for hard throwers — due to its more fastball-like release point and typically greater speed. While A.J. Burnett of the Phillies is one of the game’s better-known practitioners of the pitch, many others are less well-publicized and have only recently been identified in the PITCHf/x system.

Here are a few more brief notes from the game’s eastern divisions to start off the morning …

  • When Brian Roberts joined the Yankees as their starting second baseman, he not only left the only organization he had known (the Orioles) but stood to replace one of the game’s best players in Robinson Cano. Adapting to his new environs and dealing with that pressure may have explained some of Roberts’s early-season struggles, writes Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. “I think it was more self-inflected than anything,” Roberts said of his slow start. “You try hard, I think. I’ve always said it’s got to be hard for guys to switch teams all the time. I was always so comfortable. It was like riding a bike every year.”
  • The Nationals are increasingly setting loose ace Stephen Strasburg, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. “I mean, he’s our horse,” said manager Matt Williams. “He’s a guy that can go 120 [pitches].” While Strasburg’s fastball velocity is down and his results have lagged somewhat in the early going — thanks in large part to giving up lots of early runs — he is striking out batters at a ridiculous 12.2 K/9 rate and advanced metrics love his work. Strasburg has thrown 47 1/3 frames through his first eight starts, which lags Adam Wainwright’s league-leading 58 innings in as many outings. But if the 25-year-old can continue working late into games, he could well make his first push past 200 innings. That could deliver a big bump in arbitration earnings for Strasburg, who netted a relatively modest $3.975MM in his first trip through the process.

Quick Hits: Drew, Morales, Nelson, Taveras, Bukauskas

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With Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales still unsigned with less than a month to go before the amateur draft, it is looking increasingly plausible that the pair will wait to shed their accompanying draft pick compensation before finding a new club. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter, teams will be able to ink either of the two free agents without giving up a pick as soon as the first day of the draft is completed on June 5. Of course, that is also the point at which their former clubs — the Red Sox and Mariners, respectively — would no longer stand to gain a compensatory choice should they sign elsewhere after declining qualifying offers.

Here’s more from around the league …

  • Reds third baseman Chris Nelson will not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract that came due today, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. The 28-year-old will continue on with Triple-A Louisville for the time being, though his deal includes another opt-out date a month from now.
  • A rival talent evaluator tells ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Insider link) that the Cardinals’ decision on the promotion of star prospect Oscar Taveras is complicated by the team’s defensive issues. In that source’s estimation, Taveras is better suited to the corner outfield than center. The team’s best method of creating space, he opines, would be to deal first baseman Matt Adams and put Allen Craig back in the infield. As Olney notes, Adams would figure to draw plenty of trade interest given his solid bat (career .803 OPS) and lengthy team control (through 2018).
  • 17-year-old high-school hurler Jacob Bukauskas, a potential first-round choice in the upcoming draft, has notified scouts that he plans to attend the University of North Carolina, according to John Manuel of Baseball America. The hard-throwing righty had pitched himself into consideration for selection in the late first or early second round, though some scouts believe he may not be able to stick as a starter. As Manuel notes, the Stone Bridge High School product will not be eligible for the draft again until 2017 if he matriculates at UNC.

Twins To Purchase Contract Of Matt Guerrier

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The Twins will purchase the contract of reliever Matt Guerrier after today’s game, reports LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Young lefty Logan Darnell will be optioned to create room on the active roster.

Guerrier had a May 8 opt-out clause and was reportedly unwilling to extend it. Faced with the possibility of the 35-year-old righty testing the open market, Minnesota decided to give him a big league job. In 42 2/3 innings last year with the Dodgers and Cubs, Guerrier threw to a 4.01 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 and a 42.7% ground ball rate, all of which were in line with his career marks over 595 big league frames.

As the club’s 40-man roster is full, a corresponding move will need to be made to create space for Guerrier. As Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com noted earlier today on Twitter, Chris Nelson of the Reds had an opt-out clause that came due today, while Randy Wolf of the Diamondbacks and Adam Moore of the Padres both have upcoming dates.

Mets To Designate Omar Quintanilla For Assignment

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The Mets will designate 32-year-old shortstop Omar Quintanilla for assignment tomorrow, the club announced. The move will clear space for an as-yet unannounced active roster addition, which Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com tweets will come via internal promotion.

Quintanilla has seen just 31 plate appearances on the year, putting up a .207/.258/.241 line. With a career .582 OPS, of course, his calling card has never been offensive firepower. Quintanilla was non-tendered by the Mets last year, but made the club out of the spring after being re-signed to a minor league deal.

While nothing is official, the strong indication is that Wilmer Flores will get the call from New York, according to a tweet from Rubin. Presumably, he will take at least some playing time from incumbent shortstop Ruben Tejada, who has struggled to a .188/.309/.213 triple-slash in 96 plate appearances. (Alongside his poorly-rated defense, that has left Tejada with among the worst fWAR tallies in the game thus far in 2014.) Flores, 22, has continued to impress with the bat at Triple-A, though questions persist as to whether he can handle shortstop defensively.

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