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Archives for July 2014

Rangers Sign Jerome Williams

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3:35pm: Williams’ contract contains an out clause that allows him to opt out within two weeks if he’s not added to the Major League roster, reports Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (Twitter link)

3:20pm: The Rangers have signed Jerome Williams to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Round Rock, senior vice president of communications John Blake announced (on Twitter).

Williams, a client of Full Circle Sports Management, signed a one-year, $2.1MM contract with the Astros this offseason but found himself released earlier this week after posting a 6.04 ERA in 47 2/3 frames with Houston. The veteran swingman is plenty familiar with the AL West, as prior to his time in Houston, he had some success with the 2012-13 Angels, notching a 4.57 ERA in 307 innings (40 starts, 29 relief appearances).

The 32-year-old Williams has seen time with the Giants, Cubs, Nationals, Angels and Astros to this point in his career, and given the outbreak of injuries among Rangers pitchers this year, it seems likely that he could get a crack in the big leagues with Texas as well. The Rangers have lost Derek Holland, Matt Harrison and Martin Perez for the season, while Tanner Scheppers, Nick Martinez and Alexi Ogando are currently on the disabled list. Veteran lefty Joe Saunders, who made eight starts for the Rangers, was just released and hooked on with the Royals. All told, the Rangers have played 92 games this season and deployed 12 different starting pitchers.

Williams has a career 4.45 ERA with 5.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent ground-ball rate in 824 innings of work at the Major League level.

Giants Sign Tyler Beede

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FRIDAY: The Giants have officially announced Beede’s signing via press release.

TUESDAY: Mayo clarifies that Beede actually received the slot value of $2,613,200 (Twitter link). The additional $36,800 that he originally reported was included to go towards Beede’s completion of his college education. That money, therefore, does not count toward the Giants’ bonus pool.

MONDAY: The Giants have agreed to terms with first-round pick Tyler Beede, reports MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo (on Twitter). The Vanderbilt right-hander will receive a signing bonus of $2.65MM, which is slightly higher than the $2,613,200 slot value for the No. 14 overall selection.

Tyler Beede

Beede was drafted in the first round by the Blue Jays back in the 2011 draft but turned down a $2.4MM bonus to attend Vanderbilt rather than begin his pro career out of high school. Mayo and MLB.com colleague Jim Callis ranked Beede 12th among draft prospects, while he ranked 15th on Baseball America’s Top 500 list and 15th on the Top 100 of ESPN’s Keith Law as well.

Mayo and Callis note that Beede has three above-average pitches, with a fastball that sits 92-94 mph and touches 97 mph. However, Beede also has had some well-documented command issues in the past and doesn’t always repeat his delivery. BA notes that his changeup is his best secondary pitch, but calls his 80-81 mph curveball a plus pitch as well, noting that Beede throws it harder than most other curveballs in this year’s draft class. Law offers a similar take — excellent stuff with command issues and enough problems with his delivery that some have wondered if he has some structural damage in his shoulder.

Beede’s stuff is better than his numbers with Vanderbilt this year; the right-hander posted a 4.05 ERA with 116 strikeouts and 53 walks in 113 1/3 innings. He also hit 18 batters and uncorked eight wild pitches, though he he did hold opposing hitters to a meager .223 batting average.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mets Sign Michael Conforto

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The Mets have officially announced the signing of first-round pick Michael Conforto (Twitter link). The Scott Boras client had previously been reported to have agreed to terms at a $2.97MM bonus (per MLB.com’s Jim Callis), but reports over the past few weeks indicated that the two sides were hung up on a few non-financial details.

Michael Conforto

All of that is worked out now, and Conforto can get a start on his professional career. An outfielder out of Oregon State, he was widely considered to be one of the best bats in the draft. Conforto ranked as the No. 8 prospect in this draft by ESPN’s Keith Law and Baseball America while Jonathan Mayo and Callis of MLB.com ranked him 17th.

Conforto batted a whopping .345/.504/.547 with seven homers, 16 doubles and a pair of triples in 59 games for Oregon State in 2014 — his junior season. Law praised Conforto’s power to his pull side, also noting that he works counts well and is able to hit the ball to the opposite field. Law expressed concerns about Conforto’s defense, however, questioning his range and his throwing arm in left field. BA offered a bit of a different take, writing that he improved his previously fringy defense and is now adequate, and their scouting report projected him as a 20-25 homer hitter down the road. MLB.com shared some of the defensive concerns and worried that he might swing and miss too much, however that scouting report also projected him to hit 25-plus homers with regularity at his peak.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Moves: Julio DePaula, Mark Lowe

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Here are today’s outright assignments and minor transactions from around the league…

  • Orioles right-hander Julio DePaula has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Double-A Bowie, according to Baltimore’s transactions page. DePaula didn’t appear in a game with the Orioles after his brief promotion and was designated for assignment when Bud Norris returned from the DL earlier this week.
  • Right-hander Mark Lowe has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment with the Indians, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports (on Twitter). The hard-throwing Lowe has a career 4.16 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 281 1/3 innings of relief work at the Major League level.

Yankees Acquire Jeff Francis

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1:50pm: The A’s have now released a correction that lines up with the Yankees’ announcement (hat tip: MLB.com’s Jane Lee). Francis and cash considerations are indeed heading to the Yankees for a player to be named later.

1:17pm: The Yankees, however, have announced that they will be receiving Francis and cash considerations in exchange for a player to be named later. The discrepancy is puzzling, but it appears Oakland could be receiving what would likely be a marginal player to be named later in the deal.

1:03pm: The A’s have announced the trade of Francis to the Yankees in exchange for cash considerations.

12:39pm: The Yankees have acquired veteran lefty Jeff Francis from the A’s, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Francis was designated for assignment last week.

Francis, 33, has pitched 18 1/3 innings this season for the A’s and Reds, allowing 12 runs (5.89 ERA) with a 14-to-3 K/BB ratio. Formerly the ninth overall pick in the draft (2002), it’s been awhile since Francis enjoyed success as a member of a big league rotation. He posted a 4.19 ERA in 414 1/3 for the 2006-07 Rockies — no small feat in Coors Field, as evidenced by his park-adjusted 116 ERA+ — but it’s been a struggle since that time for the Canadian hurler. Francis owns a 5.22 ERA in 632 2/3 innings since that time.

The Yankees are undoubtedly on the lookout for pitching depth with yesterday’s news that Masahiro Tanaka has a slight tear in his right elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament. Francis has pitched well over the past three seasons in Triple-A, registering a 3.75 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 163 1/3 innings between the Reds and Rockies organizations.

Marlon Byrd Reveals Four-Team No-Trade Clause

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1:12pm: Byrd has revealed to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he has a small, four-team no-trade clause which includes the Mariners, Royals, Blue Jays and Rays.

While that news doesn’t do any favors for Seattle’s chances of acquiring Byrd should their interest escalate, it doesn’t rule the possibility out entirely. Byrd explains to Salisbury that he signed a two-year deal with the Phillies for a reason — to retire in Philadelphia — but he would consider waiving his no-trade protection if the team asked him to do so for the future good of the club: “There would have to be a conversation with me, my agent and Ruben (Amaro Jr., the Phillies’ GM) if it gets to that point,” said Byrd.

Byrd adds that he included Toronto and Tampa on his list because of the artificial turf and the risk that poses to him as an aging player (especially one with a vesting option based on plate appearances). As for Seattle and Kansas City, he told Salisbury: “Those really are things that were just put on at the time being.”

11:18am: In search of a much-needed right-handed bat for their lineup, the Mariners have been scouting Marlon Byrd recently, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter).

The connection is logical for the Mariners in many ways. Firstly, their outfielders have hit a combined .246/.291/.354 this season — good for the second-worst wRC+ mark in all of baseball. Seattle outfielders have hit just 16 homers this season — a collective total that ranks lower than every team in baseball, aside from the Royals and Red Sox (who had 14 each). Beyond that, just four of the Mariners’ 13 hitters are right-handed, with struggling catcher Mike Zunino and struggling DH/outfielder Corey Hart representing the team’s only right-handed power threats. The other two, backup catcher Jesus Sucre and utilityman Willie Bloomquist, are light hitters that don’t see regular at-bats. As such, Seattle has been one of baseball’s worst clubs against left-handed pitching, hitting just .248/.295/.349 as a team.

Byrd is in the first season of a two-year, $16MM contract signed with the Phillies this past offseason. While the commitment raised some eyebrows, Byrd has followed up an unexpectedly excellent season with the Mets and Pirates with a solid campaign in his return to Philadelphia. He’s hitting .261/.313/.481 with 18 homers and passable defense in right field (Ultimate Zone Rating feels he’s slightly below average, while Defensive Runs Saved thinks he’s been slightly above). Perhaps more importantly to Seattle, he’s mashing lefties to the tune of a .313/.353/.613 batting line, which would give the team some much-needed thump against opposing southpaws.

The main deterrent for teams interested in Byrd may be his contract. He’s owed a perfectly reasonable $3.5MM through season’s end before being guaranteed $8MM in 2015. That may not scare off potential suitors, but his deal also contains an $8MM club option for 2016 — Byrd’s age-38 season — which will automatically vests with 600 PA in 2015 or a combined 1100 PA from 2014-15.  That’s a very attainable number, and other teams may be skeptical that Byrd can maintain solid production into his late 30s.

Yankees Designate Jim Miller For Assignment

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The Yankees announced that they have designated right-hander Jim Miller for assignment to make room on the roster for the newly acquired Jeff Francis.

Miller, 32, pitched 2 2/3 innings for the Yanks this season, surrendering six runs on seven hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts. He has fairly limited Major League experience, but he did total 48 2/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball for the A’s in 2012 (albeit with 5.0 BB/9 and a 4.74 FIP). Outside of that season, he’s never totaled more than 7 2/3 big league frames in any given year, but he has nice Triple-A numbers: a 3.75 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 412 2/3 innings.

Cardinals Claim George Kottaras

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The Cardinals have claimed catcher George Kottaras off waivers from the Indians, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Kottaras was recently designated for assignment by Cleveland.

It’s not surprising to see St. Louis pursuing catching depth after yesterday’s news that Yadier Molina will miss the next eight to 12 weeks in order to have a torn ligament in his thumb surgically repaired. The 31-year-old Kottaras has long been known to have an excellent eye at the plate and some power. The career .216/.326/.415 hitter has 14 percent walk rate in 847 Major League plate appearances, and his .199 isolated power mark (slugging minus batting average) is well above-average for any hitter, let alone a catcher.

This, of course, doesn’t preclude the Cardinals from pursuing further upgrades behind the dish as the summer wears on. For the time being, however, he should be able to provide a solid OBP if the Redbirds prefer him to one of Tony Cruz or Audry Perez, neither of whom offers much with the bat.

White Sox Sign Carlos Rodon

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FRIDAY: The White Sox have officially announced the signing of Rodon for a $6.582MM bonus (Twitter link).

THURSDAY: Rodon will receive a $6.582MM bonus, reports John Manuel of Baseball America. That figure represents the largest bonus in the draft, as even the previously agreed upon $6.5MM bonus between the Astros and Aiken would fall shy (of course, the two sides in those negotiations have hit a snag due to a rumored injury, and Houston is now seeking a discounted bonus).

WEDNESDAY: The White Sox have agreed to terms with No. 3 overall pick Carlos Rodon on a bonus north of $6.45MM, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The slot value of the No. 3 overall pick is $5.7215MM, so his bonus will be more than $700K over slot. Jeff Gravley of WRAL-TV tweeted earlier today that Rodon is traveling to Chicago today for a physical, which will take place tomorrow. He is expected to join the Class-A Advanced Winton-Salem Dash, according to Gravley. Rodon is advised by Scott Boras.

Carlos Rodon

Rodon, a left-hander out of N.C. State, was long considered a possibility to go first overall, but he slipped to the No. 3 pick behind prep lefty Brady Aiken and prep righty Tyler Kolek. Rodon ranked third on Baseball America’s list of Top 500 draft prospects, while MLB.com and Keith Law of ESPN both ranked him second.

Rodon’s fastball sits comfortably in the low 90s and touches 96-97 mph when he’s at his best, writes Law in his scouting report. Law called Rodon’s slider the best breaking pitch in this year’s draft class due to “ridiculous movement that will give both left and right-handed hitters fits.” Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com call Rodon the best college lefty since David Price, noting that his changeup can become an average third pitch. All three publications feel that Rodon can become a true No. 1 starter, though he showed some command issues this spring that will need to be ironed out for him to reach that potential.

Rodon posted a 2.01 ERA with 117 strikeouts and 31 walks in 98 2/3 innings this season with N.C. State. In addition to those 31 walks, he threw five wild pitches and hit 15 batters. Rodon’s teammate, shortstop Trea Turner, went with the 13th overall pick to the Padres, and the White Sox took his catcher, Brett Austin, in the fourth round.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blue Jays Designate Bobby Korecky For Assignment

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The Blue Jays announced that they have designated right-hander Bobby Korecky for assignment. The move clears roster space for first baseman Dan Johnson, whose contract will be purchased from Triple-A in the wake of Adam Lind’s injury.

The 34-year-old Korecky yielded three runs in 3 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays this season, striking out two and walking one. A seasoned veteran of the minor leagues, Korecky has seen brief time in the Majors with the Twins, D’Backs and Jays, pitching to a 7.39 ERA in 28 innings. He’s been excellent throughout his career at Triple-A, however, notching a 3.04 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 444 innings.

Johnson, also 34, is a lifetime .236/.337/.411 hitter in 1556 big league plate appearances, but he was enjoying a solid season at Triple-A Buffalo. The former seventh-round pick was hitting .248/.402/.471 with 17 homers in 403 trips to the plate. Johnson is perhaps best known for a pair of dramatic home runs with the Rays in 2008 and in 2011 — the first a game-tying shot in a game that ultimately gave Tampa the division lead, and the second a two-out, two-strike game-tying shot in the ninth inning of the season’s final game (Tampa would go on to beat the Yankees in extra innings and advance to the postseason).

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