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Archives for July 2014

Minor Moves: Cleto, Pineiro, Janish, Resop, Peterson, Boggs, Rodriguez, O’Sullivan

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

  • UPDATE: Maikel Cleto has not, in fact, been released by the White Sox, according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin (via Twitter). The International League transactions page indicates that the righty has been released, apparently erroneously. Cleto, 25, has seen his most extended MLB time this year after enjoying cups of coffee in each of the last three seasons. But he has not taken advantage, and owns a 5.14 ERA through 14 frames with an ugly 6.4 K/9 against 9.6 BB/9. Cleto’s 20 2/3 innings in Triple-A have not been much better, as he has worked to a 6.53 mark, though he has managed 12.2 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.
  • Righty Joel Pineiro, recently released by the Angels, has been hit with a 50-game PED suspension, reports MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter). The prohibited substance at issue was heptaminol, reports Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (tweet in Spanish). The 35-year-old, who had been attempting a comeback, owns a 5.93 ERA through 44 innings in the upper minors on the year.
  • Shortstop Paul Janish has been released by the Rockies, according to the PCL transactions page. Janish opted out of his minor league pact, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). The 31-year-old has spent the entire year at Triple-A, putting up a .234/.284/.301 slash in 226 plate appearances.
  • Righty Chris Resop has opted out of his contract with the Red Sox, tweets Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. The 31-year-old owns a 4.42 ERA through 38 2/3 frames at Triple-A. He has made MLB appearances in eight of the last nine seasons.
  • The Dodgers have acquired first baseman Brock Peterson from the Nationals in exchange for cash considerations, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Peterson, 30, owns a .250/.332/.367 line through 301 plate appearances at Triple-A this year. He has, however, shown much more power in recent seasons in the high minors with the Cardinals.
  • The White Sox have released righty Mitchell Boggs from Triple-A, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). The move will clear space for the addition of fellow reliever Henry Rodriguez, who signed a minor league deal recently, as Scott Merkin of MLB.com reported on Twitter. Boggs struggled to a 9.50 ERA in 36 innings with the Sox’ top affiliate this year, while Rodriguez was utterly unable to throw strikes consistently during his tenure with the Marlins.
  • The Phillies announced that right-hander Sean O’Sullivan has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 26-year-old allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings in his lone start of the year with the Phillies and has a career 5.90 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 224 1/3 innings of work. O’Sullivan has been outrighted in the past and has the option to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Cubs, Arrieta, Pirates

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For those weighing a foray into baseball operations, the Brewers have posted two opportunities that may be worth a look: baseball systems developer and baseball systems architect. Here’s the latest out of the NL Central:

  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that the club is not looking to make any significant acquisitions, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “Right now, if we stay healthy, I don’t see a major need,” said Melvin, who said that there has been “very minimal activity” around the league to this point. McCalvy says that the bullpen seems the most likely area for an upgrade, though even that is far from a certainty. Otherwise, Melvin downplayed the likelihood of action, even for a veteran bench piece: “I don’t know what you would do. You’re not going to change Rickie [Weeks] and Scooter [Gennett]. You’re not going to change [Lyle] Overbay [and Mark] Reynolds. One piece, maybe, but it’s got to be somebody who can play center field. I don’t know where [a player in the mold of 2011 acquisition Jerry Hairston] would play if we had him now.”
  • The Cubs may be closer to contention than was once thought, thanks to a surprisingly promising set of current MLB starters, writes Rob Neyer of FOX Sports. With an emergent Jake Arrieta — who once again made a serious go at a no-hitter last night — and a host of hitting prospects knocking on the door, Neyer wonders whether Chicago might be better off holding onto Jeff Samardzija and aiming to enter 2015 as a dark-horse contender.
  • Whatever the Cubs do with Samardzija and Jason Hammel — the latter of whom seems particularly likely to be dealt — there is little chance that they will part with Arrieta, who has blossomed in his new environs. As Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com writes, Chicago looks to have done well to add Arrieta (along with Pedro Strop and cash) in exchange for Scott Feldman one year ago tomorrow. For his part, the righty says (in colorful terms) that he is just happy to be throwing well after a difficult stretch with the Orioles, as Paul Folkemer of PressBox notes on Twitter.
  • Two of the game’s most promising second-half turnaround possibilities play for the Pirates, according to Dave Szymborski of ESPN.com (Insider link). Szymborski names Francisco Liriano and the recently-acquired Ernesto Frieri in listing the players most likely to turn it on after the All-Star break.

AL East Notes: Rays, Price, Yankees, Headley, Refsnyder

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Here is the latest out of the American League East …

  • The Rays may be more likely to hold off on making decisions on possible deals given the team’s recent run of success, club owner Stuart Sternberg tells Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link). A 7-3 stretch has brought the club to within ten games of the top of a division that still looks very much up for grabs.
  • Of course, Tampa’s most notable potential trade chip is ace David Price, who said yesterday the he expects to stay with the team if it can maintain its current play (via Andy Martino of the New York Daily News). If he is ultimately dealt, though, the team figures to have little trouble finding suitors. ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden (Insider link) broke down the trade packages that the Rays might command from hypothetical trade partners (the Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, and division-rival Blue Jays).
  • The Yankees have had interest in Padres’ third baseman Chase Headley in the past, but “aren’t strongly pursuing” him right now, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. A report yesterday indicated that the club is, however, scouting the third bagger.
  • While the Yankees’ underwhelming array of infielders has led to strong suggestions that the club could shop for help, David Lennon of Newsday writes that the club has an internal option worth trying in Rob Refsnyder. The 23-year-old second baseman has been strong in his first stints at both Double-A (.342/.385/.548) and Triple-A (.364/.494/.606) this season. One issue is that Refsnyder is still learning the keystone after converting from the outfield, but GM Brian Cashman indicated that the club is quite high on him. “He’s moving himself very fast,” said Cashman. “It’s been pretty impressive. No doubt he’s forcing us to pay attention.”

Rangers Designate Joe Saunders For Assignment

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The Rangers have designated lefty Joe Saunders for assignment, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Righty Miles Mikolas will be called up to start tomorrow for Texas.

Saunders, 33, owns a 6.13 ERA through 39 2/3 innings after a tough outing last night against the Orioles — the club with whom he last found sustained success. The veteran has struck out just 5.0 batters per nine while maintaining a troubling career-worst 4.54 BB/9. Those peripherals do not leave much room for putting a positive spin on his struggles; Saunders owns a 6.20 FIP, 5.16 xFIP, and 5.21 SIERA.

Astros Sign Derek Fisher

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2:07pm: Fisher will receive a full-slot bonus, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com.

1:56pm: The Astros announced that they have signed No. 37 overall pick Derek Fisher (Twitter link). Terms have yet to be disclosed, though the University of Virgina outfielder’s slot comes with a value of $1,534,100.

Fisher ranked 15th among draft prospects according to ESPN’s Keith Law, while MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo ranked him 26th, and Baseball America ranked him 31st. He was originally selected in the sixth round by the Rangers in 2011 but reportedly turned down a seven-figure offer to attend UVA. Fisher was thought to be a potential Top 100 pick at one point, Law notes, but a broken hamate bone caused his stock to drop a bit.

Law, however, cautions that his average speed and defensive question marks likely limit Fisher to left field as a pro, meaning he will have to hit to provide significant value. It appears there’s a good chance of that happening, though, as Law praises his left-handed swing which comes with “very little wasted movement” and good bat speed. Callis and Mayo project him as a plus hitter in terms of both average and power, and BA notes that scouts have given him 70-grade raw power (which would line up with Law’s assertion that he could hit 30-plus homers if everything breaks right).

Angels Acquire Rich Hill

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1:37pm: The Red Sox announced that they have received cash considerations from the Angels in exchange for Hill.

1:29pm: The Angels announced that they have acquired southpaw Rich Hill from the Red Sox and selected his contract (Twitter link). Michael Kohn has been optioned to Triple-A to create room for Hill on the Major League roster. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish noted earlier today (on Twitter) that Hill had a July 1 opt-out in his minor league deal with Boston.

The 34-year-old Hill, signed by Boston to a minor league deal this offseason, has pitched well in his time with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in 2014. In 39 innings for Pawtucket, Hill has posted a 3.23 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9. He’s dominated opposing left-handers, holding them to a .196/.302/.196 batting line, and he’s been tough on righties as well. Opposing right-handers are batting just .211/.296/.274 against Hill this year.

Of course, Hill does come with a spotty track record, as he posted a 6.28 ERA in 38 2/3 innings with the Indians last season and has a lengthy injury history. Since a strong showing with the 2007 Cubs, Hill has had difficulty sticking in the Majors as he’s battled shoulder and elbow problems, including surgery to repair a torn labrum and Tommy John surgery.

Red Sox Release Chris Capuano

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JULY 1: The Red Sox announced that Capuano has cleared waivers and been released. Boston is on the hook for the remainder of Capuano’s contract (roughly $1.18MM), and he is free to sign with any team.

JUNE 25: The Red Sox have designated left-hander Chris Capuano for assignment, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The move makes room for right-hander Clay Buchholz to be activated from the 15-day disabled list.

Capuano, 35, signed a one-year, $2.25MM deal with the Red Sox this offseason that included up to $2.75MM worth of incentives. The veteran southpaw pitched 31 2/3 innings for the BoSox and posted a 4.55 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 36.2 percent ground-ball rate. Capuano posted a bizarre reverse-platoon split in Boston, holding right-handed hitters to a .217/.337/.348 batting line but struggling against lefties to the tune of a .333/.367/.509 triple-slash.

Capuano started the year well, pitching to a 1.95 ERA through the first two months, but he’s fallen on hard times in June. He’s appeared in five games this month, totaling just four innings while serving up a total of 10 runs on 14 hits and four walks.

Orioles Return Michael Almanzar To Red Sox

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TUESDAY: The Red Sox have announced that Baltimore has returned the former Rule 5 pick Almanzar to Boston.

MONDAY: The Orioles announced that they have reinstated Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar from the 60-day disabled list and designated him for assignment.  The corner infielder was plucked from the Red Sox back in December.

Almanzar, 23, saw just nine games of action in 2014 in the O’s farm system.  In the year prior for the Red Sox’s Double-A club, the 6’3″, 190 pound athlete slashed .268/.328/.432.

Almanzar is now one of six players in DFA limbo as shown in MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.

2014-15 International Signing Period Primer

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Tomorrow marks the launch of the 2014-15 international free agent signing period. Beginning tomorrow and ending June 15, 2015, amateur players outside of the United States (including Puerto Rico) and Canada will be eligible to sign contracts with any Major League club, so long as they turn 17 years of age by Sept. 1, 2015 (the completion of their first minor league season). In other words, any players that are already 16+ years of age or will be 16 by Sept. 1, 2014, will be eligible to be signed.

Under the current collective bargaining agreement, players with at least three years of professional experience that are 23 years of age or older have been considered professionals and been exempt from international bonus pools. That will change with this year’s signing period, as players must now have a prerequisite five years of pro experience in addition to being 23 years of age or older in order to be exempt from those spending limitations.

Baseball America’s Ben Badler reported each team’s designated bonus pools and the values of each team’s international bonus slots back in April. It should be noted that while teams such as the Cubs and Rangers have fairly large bonus pools, they won’t be able to sign any big-name prospects; each club incurred significant penalties in the 2013-14 signing period after exceeding its international bonus pool by more than 15 percent and, as such, will not be allowed to sign a player in this year’s signing period for more than $250K. Their bonus slots, however, retain their value, which could mean they will come into play as trade chips this summer.

A team can acquire up to 50 percent of its original draft pool, though the funds must be acquired via slots. For example, the White Sox ($4.273MM pool) can acquire roughly $2.1MM, but the Cubs cannot simply trade them that amount. They must trade the full value of their international bonus slots, which are $2.288MM, $458K, $309K and $207K. In this hypothetical example, the Cubs’ top bonus slot would be too large for the White Sox to acquire, unless the Sox were to send back a slot of smaller value.

International bonus pools are determined based on the reverse order of the previous year’s standings, meaning that the Astros have the largest budget ($5,015,400) while the Cardinals have the lowest ($1,866,300). The Yankees have drawn a great deal of attention for their reported plans to shatter their spending limitations, but reports have also indicated that the Rays and Red Sox are willing to incur the maximum penalties as well. This year, penalties for exceeding bonus pools has changed slightly from previous signing periods. Here’s the breakdown:

  • All overages are taxed at 100 percent.
  • Exceed bonus pool by 5 to 10 percent: Team is not allowed to sign a player for more than $500K in the following international signing period.
  • Exceed by 10 to 15 percent: Team is not allowed to sign a player for more than $300K in the following international signing period.
  • Exceed by more than 15 percent: Team is not allowed to sign a player for more than $300K in the following two international signing periods.

So then, who are the players to watch for on the international circuit, and where might they be signing? Baseball America’s Ben Badler and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez each have Top 30 rankings posted. Scout.com’s Kiley McDaniel also has a Top 30 list, though his is a bit different, as he’s ranked the international prospects in the order of his projected bonus for each (along with a prediction for where each will sign). Badler also projects landing spots (subscription required) and provides scouting reports (likewise) for his Top 30 along with some other names to watch. Subscribers to Scout.com can see McDaniel’s full scouting reports on each player as well as video footage of most of the top names in the class. Sanchez’s list contains video and scouting reports that are free to the public.

Tomorrow figures to feature many reports on international prospects signing (or agreeing to terms), as many clubs have verbal agreements in place already and are merely waiting for the signing period to officially begin. Last year a significant portion of the Top 30 international amateurs had an agreement reported on the first day, so those who are interested in the international prospect scene will have no shortage of transaction news to keep up with tomorrow. We’ll track all of the international signing news using the 2014-15 International Prospects tag here on MLBTR.

Reactions To The Astros’ Data Leak

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Yesterday’s leak of roughly 10 months worth of Astros trade notes and discussions made plenty of headlines around the nation. Not only was information that was sensitive to the Astros revealed, but other teams found their own executives and trade discussions included in the data. Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle has a full transcript of GM Jeff Luhnow’s response to the situation. Luhnow says that he’s been on the phone with other clubs since the information leaked and said that “in general, they’re understanding and supportive,” though he added that he’s sure other clubs aren’t happy to have seen their names in place. Luhnow mentions multiple times that not all of the info in the data leak is accurate, adding that the team is working with the FBI to determine who stole the information and will press criminal charges. He also says that the Astros have since upgraded the security on their databases, but he still used a pencil and paper to take notes in all conversations he had yesterday. “I think we were prepared,” Luhnow told Drellich after being asked if the Astros should’ve been better prepared. “We had security in place, and when you’re talking about criminals we just never know if we have enough. I think we were prepared as we could have been.”

Here are some reactions from around the baseball world…

  • Jim Margalus of SB Nation’s South Side Sox looks at the mentions of the White Sox within the leak and makes some educated guesses as to how the team’s offseason trade talks played out. He points back to a December comment from Sox GM Rick Hahn in which Hahn noted that the club almost swapped one of its pitchers for a position player before the other team decided it preferred a position player from another club. Margalus speculates that, based on data leaked yesterday and Hahn’s prior comments, that a Hector Santiago/Peter Bourjos swap (or a different three-team deal involving those players) may have been in play at one point.
  • Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports that the Blue Jays will review the safeguards on their own proprietary database — entitled “The BEST.” He describes the system as a “one stop catch-all for scouting reports, video, medical records, analytics and dialogue with various clubs.”
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan tells Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he’s thankful to have escaped from the situation unscathed, as he’s “certainly talked to the Astros about various things.” The Twins have had internal discussions about communications security since the breach.
  • George Springer, whose name appeared in supposed trade talks in the leaked information, offered little comment when asked by Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “I’m just here to play baseball. That’s it,” Springer said.
  • MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reminds that the Marlins made it clear prior to last offseason’s GM Meetings that Giancarlo Stanton wasn’t on the market. Still, he continues, teams commonly throw out feelers, but that hardly means the noted discussion of Stanton for Springer and Carlos Correa ever had any real legs to it. Marlins GM Dan Jennings dismissed the information yesterday, calling it “laughable.”
  • Rob Neyer of FOX Sports writes that he simply doesn’t believe Jennings’ claim that the two sides never discussed anything involving Stanton. Neyer points out that it does behoove Jennings and the Marlins to deny the report in an effort not to upset fans or Stanton himself, but the better route to take would be to simply acknowledge that he’d have been doing the Marlins a disservice not to float the idea of two elite prospects as headliners for a Stanton trade package.

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