Archives for 2014

Minor Moves: Tuiasosopo, Beal, Partch

By charliewilmoth | December 17, 2014 at 8:44pm CDT

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

The Orioles have announced the signings of outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo and righty Jesse Beal to minor league deals. (They also formally announced the signing of reliever Chaz Roe, which we already noted last week.) Tuiasosopo, 28, was a productive role player with Detroit in 2013, but he spent all of 2014 in the minors, batting .240/.357/.379 in 487 plate appearances for two International League teams. Beal, 24, is re-signing with the Orioles after posting a 3.48 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 41 1/3 innings for Class A+ Frederick in 2014.
The Cubs and Athletics have completed the summer’s Jeff Samardzija / Jason Hammel / Addison Russell trade between the clubs with the Athletics sending cash instead of a player to be named later, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat tweets.
The Giants have signed reliever Curtis Partch to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. The Reds non-tendered the 27-year-old Partch earlier this month after he posted a 4.75 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 47 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville last season. Partch’s fastball regularly sat in the mid-90s in parts of two seasons with the Reds, but he’s never had sustained success at the big-league level.

AL Notes: Hamilton, Cabrera, Toritani

By charliewilmoth | December 17, 2014 at 8:10pm CDT

The Angels have discussed potential trades involving Josh Hamilton with the Rangers and Padres this offseason, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports. That might not mean much right now — MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets that the conversation between the Angels and Rangers lasted two minutes, and today’s Wil Myers deal would seem to rule out the possibility of a trade sending Hamilton to San Diego. Rosenthal himself describes recent Hamilton trade talks as merely “exploratory,” and quotes Angels GM Jerry Dipoto asserting his faith in Hamilton. “We do believe in Josh,” says Dipoto. “We’ve seen him hit balls that humans shouldn’t hit. What he does, 99 percent of the players can’t do.” There’s also, obviously, the problem of Hamilton’s trade value being down significantly right now after a mediocre 2014 season. But the possibility of the Angels trading Hamilton (who has a full no-trade clause and is owed $83MM over the next three years) could be worth keeping an eye on in the coming years. Here are more notes from the American League.

The White Sox are “comfortable” with Melky Cabrera’s past troubles with PEDs, J.J. Stankevitz of CSNChicago.com writes. “Obviously we’re aware of what happened in the past and no one condones what he did,” says GM Rick Hahn. “But we are talking about an instance where there was a mistake he made and took ownership for and showed honest remorse.” Another PED suspension would cost the White Sox an entire year of Cabrera’s three-year deal, but the White Sox are confident that Cabrera’s PED issues are in the past.
GM Alex Anthopoulos confirms that the Blue Jays have interest in Japanese infielder Takashi Toritani, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes. “We’ve scouted him quite a bit,” Anthopoulos said to Jeff Blair on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. “We have some scouts that like him and he’s someone that we’ve certainly talked about internally. Beyond that I probably wouldn’t get into anything else, but certainly a guy like that would fit.” The 33-year-old Toritani, who hit .303/.406/.415 for Hanshin in 2014, could be an option at second base for the Jays.

Athletics Designate Jorge De Leon

By Jeff Todd | December 17, 2014 at 7:46pm CDT

DECEMBER 17: The Athletics have released De Leon, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.

DECEMBER 9: The Athletics have designated Jorge De Leon for assignment, MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets. His departure opens a 40-man spot for the pieces coming back in exchange for Jeff Samardzija.

Claimed by Oakland in early October, De Leon has a live arm that has seen little MLB action. The 27-year-old has thrown just 17 1/3 MLB innings, allowing ten earned runs and both striking out and walking ten batters. He was much better over 68 2/3 frames in the upper minors this year, however, posting a 3.01 ERA and posting 8.0 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9.

Padres Likely To Keep Trading, Could Deal Seth Smith

By charliewilmoth | December 17, 2014 at 6:54pm CDT

After reaching agreement on their deal to acquire Wil Myers, the Padres are likely to keep trading, and Seth Smith is one player who might be moved, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. As Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan notes, the Padres have a huge number of outfielders, with Myers, Smith, Matt Kemp, Will Venable, Cameron Maybin, Abraham Almonte, Rymer Liriano and Carlos Quentin.

Assuming the Kemp trade goes through as planned (which doesn’t appear entirely certain at this point), Smith’s role with the Padres, in particular, would seem to be open to question. Smith and Myers are almost exclusively corner outfielders, and while Kemp is nominally a center fielder, he is very weak defensively there, so an outfield headlined by those three players would leave the Padres vulnerable. Smith, though, was one of the Padres’ few effective offensive players last season, hitting .266/.367/.440 in 521 plate appearances and earning a two-year extension in July. Following that extension, Smith faded in the second half, hitting .243/.340/.346 after batting .283/.387/.508 in the first.

Marlins, Braves, Giants Interested In Jake Peavy

By charliewilmoth | December 17, 2014 at 6:01pm CDT

The Marlins, Braves and Giants are interested in free agent starting pitcher Jake Peavy, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets. Rosenthal notes, however, that the Marlins are only candidates to sign Peavy if newly acquired starter Dan Haren either retires or is dealt.

There haven’t been many reported rumors on Peavy this offseason, although he’s been connected in passing to the Dodgers and Twins as well as the Marlins and Giants. Peavy, 33, had an uneven 2014 season, struggling in 20 starts with Boston before heading to Giants in a July trade and getting great results down the stretch in San Francisco. He then pitched well in two postseason starts before struggling in two World Series outings. Still, he could be in line for a multi-year deal. As a scout told ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick earlier this month, “[I]f you have a deep team and you can give him a [Tim] Hudson type of deal and plug him into the 4 or 5 spot, I think he’s worth that.“

David Hernandez, Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration

By charliewilmoth | December 17, 2014 at 5:29pm CDT

Righty David Hernandez and the Diamondbacks have struck a one-year, $2MM deal to avoid arbitration, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Hernandez has 5.095 years of service time, and MLBTR projected he would receive $2.1MM in his last season of arbitration eligibility.

Hernandez also received $2MM in 2014, but he won’t get the typical arbitration raise after missing the entire 2014 season with an elbow injury. Before that, he was a mainstay in the Arizona bullpen for three years after arriving from Baltimore in the Mark Reynolds trade in late 2010. In 2013, Hernandez posted a 4.48 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 62 1/3 innings.

Padres, Rays, Nationals Nearing Agreement On 3-Team Deal

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | December 17, 2014 at 4:41pm CDT

Reports emerged yesterday that the Padres and Rays were discussing a deal that would send outfielder Wil Myers to San Diego. Subsequent reports greatly expanded the possibilities of that deal, including multi-team concepts, different packages from San Diego, and spin-off deals. If you would like to catch up on the earlier rumors, follow the page break link.

Various reports have indicated that a deal is close but that multiple different permutations are still in play. Here’s the latest, from this morning on:

Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports on Twitter that the deal is done, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that it is nearing the finish line. No draft choices will be moved in the deal, says Sherman.
The Rays are down to two possible scenarios, and are waiting to hear whether the Nationals are in or out, Topkin tweets. Regardless, Tampa is set to move Myers, Hanigan, and two lower-level minor league players. On its end, San Diego would send Rivera, Smith, and Bauers, as well as Ross and Turner. It appears that Tampa would either keep the latter two players or flip them to D.C. for Souza and an A-ball lefty. (Twitter links.) Turner, of course, was taken 13th overall in last year’s draft and would therefore need to be included as a player to be named later.
Lefty Jose Castillo is one of the other players that would move from Tampa, ESPN.com’s Keith Law hears (Twitter link). Since signing to a $1.55MM bonus, the 18-year-old Venezuelan has spent each of the last two years with the Rays’ Rookie league affiliate, mostly as a reliever. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs recently gave an update on Castillo in his Rays prospect breakdown, noting that the projectable hurler has a big fastball and has returned to health after sitting out much of 2014 with a tender arm.
Another young lefty, Travis Ott, appears to be the final name in this potential scenario, according to a report from Rosenthal (Twitter links). Rosenthal cautions that this is not a final agreement, but the scenario a source outlined for him, and adds that competitive balance picks could also be a component. (The Padres have the fifth competitive balance Round A choice, which is currently the 41st overall choice.)

Earlier Updates

The Rays are interested in San Diego’s first-round pick from last year, shortstop Trea Turner, according to Heyman (Twitter link). It is not clear that the young N.C. State product is in play, however, Heyman adds.
Another element of the deal being discussed is a swap of catchers Ryan Hanigan and Rene Rivera, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The primary deal under contemplation includes 19-year-old first baseman Jake Bauers, right-handed pitching prospect Joe Ross, the fellow young righty Burch Smith, and two other players from San Diego’s side, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com tweets. A draft comp pick may also be involved in the swap, but prospects Matt Wisler and Austin Hedges are not believed to be, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post indicates in a tweet that the Nationals and Rays have an agreement in place involving outfielder Steven Souza in the event that the primary deal is consummated. He says that Tampa “will spin players” to D.C. if the Myers trade goes down. Earlier reports from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter) and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) connected the teams on that player, after Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweeted that the Nats had become involved.
Ben Zobrist is not expected to be part of the potential deal between the Nationals and Rays, Sherman tweets. Indeed, neither Zobrist nor Evan Longoria are involved in any of the scenarios under consideration, Topkin tweets.

12:02am: A big deal is in the works between San Diego and Tampa, but it will not go through until the morning at the earliest, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com tweets.

YESTERDAY, 10:19pm: A Padres official says the club is “still working,” Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets.

8:40pm: Passan tweets that there’s a chance that the players acquired in a potential Myers deal could be flipped to another club. While the deal currently being discussed only involved Tampa and San Diego, he gets the sense that the situation could mirror the Dodgers’ acquisition of Andrew Heaney (who was, of course, flipped to the Angels just hours after being acquired). While Passan doesn’t specify, I’d imagine that the Padres are more apt to hang onto Myers than flip him.

Topkin tweets, however, that it’s possible that a third team is indeed in the mix, further complicating the picture.

7:12pm: Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets that there is “significant optimism” that a trade sending Myers to San Diego will be completed. A deal is said to be very close, according to Passan. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports hears the trade is “said to have a chance,” and he’s also heard Smith’s name as a potential component (Twitter link).

6:45pm: The Rays and Padres have discussed a number of possibilities, but nothing is close enough regarding Myers for a deal to get done tonight, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Bowden tweets that the Padres are not yet out on Upton either.

5:52pm: Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio tweets that Padres catching prospect Austin Hedges’ name has also come up in trade talks surrounding Myers.

5:48pm: The Rays have recently been inquiring about Padres farmhands Matt Wisler, Burch Smith and R.J. Alvarez recently, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, who adds that the trio has likely come up in Myers trade talks.

4:56pm: The Padres and Rays are in discussion on a significant trade that would send Wil Myers to San Diego in exchange for some of the Padres’ better young prospects, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Rosenthal notes that it’s not certain whether a trade is particularly close at this time, but an acquisition of Myers would likely take the Padres out of the running for Atlanta’s Justin Upton.

San Diego GM A.J. Preller has taken a dogged approach to acquiring bats this offseason, casting a wide net and touching base on a number of players including Pablo Sandoval, Yasmany Tomas, Jay Bruce and Upton. Of course, Preller’s club has an agreement to acquire Matt Kemp from the division-rival Dodgers as well.

A deal for Myers may be more pragmatic than an acquisition of Upton, who is under team control for only the 2015 season at a not-insignificant price of $14.5MM. Myers, on the other hand, is under control for another five seasons. The 2013 American League Rookie of the Year missed much of the 2014 season with a broken wrist, which is a large part of the reason that he batted just .222/.294/.320 when on the field. However, when he was fully healthy a year prior, Myers posted an outstanding .293/.354/.478 triple-slash to go along with 13 homers in 373 plate appearances. He, of course, was the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade that sent James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City.

Blue Jays Sign Ryan Kalish

By Jeff Todd | December 17, 2014 at 3:27pm CDT

The Blue Jays have announced a minor league deal with outfielder Ryan Kalish. The 26-year-old gets an invitation to big league camp this spring.

Kalish spent most of last year with the Cubs after making the roster out of camp, putting up a .248/.295/.347 line in 130 plate appearances at the major league level. He carried a .726 OPS in 319 Triple-A plate appearances on the year. While neither of those batting lines looks to be a huge endorsement for Kalish’s future prospects, it is important to bear in mind that Kalish was working back from serious shoulder and back surgeries and did prove that he could return to a high level of play.

The Jays will presumably consider Kalish in a reserve outfield role, perhaps expecting that he will ultimately serve as minor league depth.

Marlins Sign Michael Morse

By Jeff Todd | December 17, 2014 at 2:11pm CDT

The Marlins have announced the signing of free agent Michael Morse to a two-year deal that brings his power bat back to the division in which it was established. Morse will receive a guaranteed $16MM over the two years, along with various additional incentives. He gets a $1MM signing bonus, along with $7MM (2015) and $8MM (2016) salaries, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter.

Presumably, Morse will step in at first base for the Fish, where he could be a primary option or a platoon mate for Garrett Jones. Then again, perhaps a platoon is unnecessary. Morse posted a .803 OPS against right-handers last year, roughly 50 points better than did Jones, and has historically carried minimal platoon splits. There is no denying his bat, at least when healthy. Last year, he slashed .279/.336/.475 and added 16 long balls.

Though he does have one thirty-home run season to his credit, Morse is far from a fly-ball hitter (33% last year), and gets much of his power output from hard-hit line drives. The lumbering slugger carries a lifetime .333 BABIP, an indication of the solid contact he makes and his batted ball profile. Outfielders will have their hands full chasing down balls into the gap at spacious Marlins Park.

Thankfully, perhaps, Morse himself will not be running down the gappers struck by opposing batsmen. As I wrote in my free agent profile of Morse, the 32-year-old has played primarily in the outfield in recent seasons, but he is in truth a poor fit there. He does, however, have a background as a shortstop, so perhaps he may turn into a serviceable-to-average first baseman with an entire spring to devote to the position.

In that regard, it is perhaps not entirely surprising to see him stay in the National League, though surely the DH option would be a good way to find him additional plate appearances and some rest. Morse has had some injury issues, including nagging leg muscle ailments, and could benefit from at least shifting to the infield.

At $16MM, Morse falls a fair bit shy of the $22MM guarantee that I had predicted for him. That expectation seemed good after seeing the market’s early developments: Adam LaRoche got a $25MM guarantee despite his added age, though he is also more durable and defensively established. And significant cash was also thrown at Billy Butler ($30MM) and Kendrys Morales ($17MM). In spite of his risks, Morse looks to be a solid bet for Miami at the promised rate, particularly since the team will be able to install him at first rather than exposing him in the outfield.

Morse would make up only one of several notable additions for a Marlins team that obviously feels ready to contend. The speedy Dee Gordon has already been added on top of the order, while Mat Latos and possibly Dan Haren are slated for the rotation. The biggest commitment, of course, was made to in-house star Giancarlo Stanton.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that the sides were nearing agreement on Twitter, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reporting via Twitter that the deal was done. Rosenthal also tweeted the financial terms.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mariners Designate Logan Bawcom

By Jeff Todd | December 17, 2014 at 11:38am CDT

The Mariners have designated righty Logan Bawcom for assignment, the team announced via press release. His 40-man spot will go to the just-acquired Justin Ruggiano.

Bawcom, 26, worked to a 4.93 ERA in 45 2/3 Triple-A innings last year, with 6.3 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9. Of course, he was throwing in the notoriously hitter-friendly PCL, but he was coming off a year in which he had put up a 2.91 earned run mark in the same league, with better strikeout (8.9 K/9) and walk (3.3 BB/9) numbers.

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