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Archives for June 2015

Mets Sign Desmond Lindsay, Max Wotell

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The Mets have announced the signings of the team’s top two selections in this year’s draft. New York sacrificed its top selection to sign outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who had declined a qualifying offer from the Rockies.

Second-rounder Desmond Lindsay inked for a full-slot value of $1,142,700, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. And third-round selection Max Wotell has agreed to a payday of $775K, also per Callis (Twitter link). The 88th slot with which he was taken came with a $666,500 value, meaning that the Mets went over $100K above slot to draw him from the University of Arizona.

Lindsay, a high school outfielder out of Florida, was limited by injury this year but shows a nice overall blend of tools, per Baseball America. He rated 102nd on BA’s board, which credited his hands and bat speed at the plate, plus running ability, and potential to play center field as a pro. ESPN.com’s Keith Law had the highest grade on Lindsay, ranking him 72nd among draft-eligible prospects. Law does note that the youngster’s “plate discipline is still an open question.”

Wotell placed as high as 140 on pundits’ lists, with that slot awarded by Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs. The high school southpaw “has exceptional projection,” per Baseball America, which notes his “wiry frame and loose arm.” Per that report, Wotell will need to develop his change to throw along with his low-to-mid-90s fastball and solid breaking ball.

Minor Moves: Wang, Wilson, Ramirez, Crabbe

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • Brewers lefty Wei-Chung Wang cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to the club’s Class-A affiliate, the team announced. Milwaukee carried Wang all last year on its major league roster to keep him trough the Rule 5 process, but needed a 40-man spot when third baseman Matt Dominguez himself became a 40-man casualty of the Astros. Wang’s struggles at the High-A level (5.93 ERA in 60 2/3 innings) led the club to expose him to an outside claim.
  • Rays backstop Bobby Wilson has accepted an assignment with the club after being outrighted, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The veteran defensive stalwart played in 24 games for the big league club earlier this year, and figures to be a good bet to return at some point. He has never produced much at the plate, and this year was no different: Wilson has slashed just .145/.203/.145 in 59 plate appearances.
  • Right-hander J.C. Ramirez cleared outright waivers after being designated for assignment and has been outrighted to Triple-A Reno by the Diamondbacks, tweets Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic. Removed from the roster to create a spot for Allen Webster, the 26-year-old Ramirez had worked to a 4.11 ERA with an 11-to-4 K/BB ratio out of the Arizona bullpen this season. This marked his second stint with the big league club and his first since 2013. In 39 1/3 career innings at the Major League level, Ramirez has a 6.18 ERA. He’s worked to a 3.82 ERA in 125 Triple-A innings.
  • The Diamondbacks also dealt righty Tim Crabbe to the White Sox for cash or a player to be named later, the club announced (via MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert, on Twitter). Crabbe, 27, has spent all of the past three years in the upper minors and has recently converted to relief pitching exclusively. He owns a 5.50 ERA over 34 1/3 innings this year at Triple-A, with 8.7 K/9 but a rough 6.0 BB/9.

Maicer Izturis Likely Out For Year After Shoulder Surgery

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Blue Jays infielder Maicer Izturis has undergone a surgical procedure on his right shoulder, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. That will likely bring an end to the year for Izturis, per the report.

Of course, an end to the year would also mean that the book is closed on a disappointing tenure in Toronto for Izturis. All said, he’s contributed just a .240/.291/.310 slash over 437 plate appearances since joining the Jays before the 2013 season.

The Blue Jays originally added Izturis by promising him $10MM over three years. While it wasn’t a major price to pay, Toronto has scuffled along with virtually no production from the second base position since making the move (at least until Devon Travis showed up).

That contract includes a $3MM club option for next year, but that seems a virtual lock to be bought out (for $1MM). Izturis, now 34 years of age, has suffered a variety of ailments in recent years and has not been a productive player since 2011.

Braves To Sign Austin Riley

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The Braves have agreed to a $1.6MM bonus with supplemental first round pick Austin Riley, a client of MVP Sports, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. Riley’s payout is a shade under $100K north of the $1,506,400 slot allocation for the 41st pick.

Riley offers two-way potential out of high school, profiling as a third baseman on the position side. It appears that Atlanta will utilize him at the hot corner, though it’s always nice to have some down-the-line pitching potential if things don’t work out.

The Braves obviously viewed Riley more favorably than did most draft observers. The highest grade placed on Riley came from MLB.com, which rated him the 106th-best player available while noting that his ability to hit pro-level fastballs is a question mark. Baseball America had Riley in the 164th slot, crediting his power upside (and bat speed) while noting that he’ll have work to do to boost his standing in the field.

Riley becomes Atlanta’s earliest  selection to sign. The club has yet to agree to terms with first-rounder Kolby Allard and comp pick Mike Soroka.

Indians Designate Shaun Marcum For Assignment

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The Indians have designated veteran righty Shaun Marcum for assignment, the club announced. Fellow right-hander Jeff Manship will be called up, taking Marcum’s 40-man spot. Southpaw Kyle Crockett has been recalled from Triple-A as well, with infielder Zach Walters headed to Columbus in his place.

This is the second time that Marcum has been put into DFA limbo by Cleveland this year. He accepted an outright assignment the last time around. A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Marcum had not thrown at the big league level since 2013.

The 33-year-old has worked to a 5.40 ERA this year with 7.7 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 over 35 innings. He’s been hurt by the long ball, permitting 2.3 long balls per nine on a 20% homer-to-flyball rate. But at least some indicators show promise: Marcum does carry a 4.22 xFIP and 3.97 SIERA.

White Sox Designate Hector Noesi For Assignment

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The White Sox announced today that they have designated right-hander Hector Noesi for assignment and recalled fellow righty Scott Carroll from Triple-A Charlotte to fill his spot on the roster (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old Noesi soaked up 166 innings in the White Sox rotation in 2014 after Chicago claimed him off waivers from the Rangers, but he’s struggled greatly this season. In 32 2/3 innings, Noesi has produced a 6.89 ERA with 22 strikeouts against 16 walks. His spot in the rotation has been taken over by Carlos Rodon, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2014 draft.

Carroll, 30, has been up and down with the White Sox over the past two seasons, totaling 129 1/3 innings last season and 17 2/3 innings this year. His 2015 efforts at the Major League level have yielded a 3.12 ERA, although he’s fanned just seven hitters against seven walks in that time. Carroll has notched a 2.37 ERA with 5.3 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 in 30 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season and could serve as swingman in the Chicago bullpen.

Jhoulys Chacin Opts Out Of Indians Contract

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Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin has opted out of his minor league contract with the Indians, the team announced. The former Rockies rotation stalwart was surprisingly released late in Spring Training and inked a minors pact with Cleveland in April.

Still just 27 years of age, Chacin pitched relatively well with Cleveland’s top minor league affiliate, posting a 3.21 ERA in 42 innings out of the Columbus rotation. However, he also continued a trend of diminished strikeouts, averaging just 5.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 with the Clippers. Chacin at one time looked to be a budding strikeout artist, whiffing 138 batters in 137 1/3 innings of 3.28 ERA ball with the Rockies’ big league club in 2010. Since that time, he’s averaged just 6.2 K/9 in the Majors.

All that said, Chacin would seem to represent a reasonable gamble for a club looking for options at the back end of its rotation. He’s been relatively successful at Triple-A this year and could be controlled for the 2016 season via arbitration in the event that he experiences a turnaround at the Major League level. (Chacin entered the season with five year, 12 days of big league service, so even jumping directly onto a big league roster would leave him about 50 days shy of six full years of MLB service time.)

It’s easy to say that a contending club in need of a fourth or fifth starter might prefer a more certain option than Chacin, but in a market with few sellers, that’s not necessarily something that one can easily acquire. Buyers are at a disadvantage on the current trade market, with only the Phillies and Brewers looking like definitive sellers. The A’s, White Sox and Reds may eventually join that group of clubs, but Cincinnati seems likely to wait until after it hosts the All-Star Game, and the Sox and A’s have seemingly yet to throw in the towel despite lackluster starts.

That lack of selling teams stands to benefit Chacin, in my eyes. As a pitcher with a reasonably sound Major League track record and some recent success at the Triple-A level, I’d think Chacin will draw some interest from contenders as well as rebuilding clubs like the Phillies that are simply looking to plus some quality innings into their rotation.

NL East Notes: Hamels, MacPhail, Mets, Fister

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The Phillies announced today that a “mild” strain of his right hamstring will prevent Cole Hamels from making his scheduled start tomorrow. Right-hander Phillippe Aumont will be promoted from Triple-A to take Hamels’ place, which will necessitate a 40-man and 25-man roster move, per the team. That’s interesting in its own right, as the DFA of Dustin McGowan today should have opened a 40-man spot for Aumont, though perhaps the team has a different player in mind for that spot. (GM Ruben Amaro stated specifically yesterday that Aaron Nola would not join the team this weekend, ruling him out.) On a larger scale, any injury to Hamels is extra noteworthy as the trade deadline approaches. The Philadelphia ace will be among the most coveted trade chips on the market this July, if healthy. The ailment seems relatively minor at this time, but his health will be a situation to monitor in the coming days, as anything more serious could have serious ramifications.

Here’s more from the NL East…

  • If the Phillies are serious about adding Andy MacPhail as their new club president, the team needs to make the hire sooner rather than later, opines Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Brookover notes that acting president Pat Gillick was unavailable for comment yesterday when he tried to reach him and calls it “reasonable to believe” that Gillick was in the process of negotiating with MacPhail at the time. Brookover points out that both assistant GM Scott Proefrock and director of player development Joe Jordan worked for MacPhail in Baltimore, so he does have some connections within the current front office. An expedited hiring process would maximize the amount of time for MacPhail or any other new president to evaluate the organization, top to bottom.
  • Though a great deal of focus has been directed at the Mets’ need to add another bat to the lineup, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes that the need to acquire a reliable setup man is perhaps just as important. Injuries to Vic Black and Rafael Montero have thinned out the team’s options, and Bobby Parnell’s velocity is nowhere near its previous heights. Recent discussions about possibly moving Noah Syndergaard to the bullpen for 2015 ended with the conclusion that the promising rookie should remain in the rotation. Jenrry Mejia will soon return from his 80-game suspension, though even he is an imperfect option, because he’ll be ineligible for the postseason, should the Mets make it there. Martino notes that GM Sandy Alderson has been reluctant to trade for short-term upgrades in the past but wonders if the win-now nature of the current club makes someone like Tyler Clippard more realistic than he would have been in previous years.
  • Doug Fister will return to the Nationals’ rotation today, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. While a healthy Fister should be a boon for the club, his return creates some questions in the rotation. Both Tanner Roark and Joe Ross have been in the rotation while Fister and Stephen Strasburg have been shelved, and it’s unclear which will be bumped to accommodate Fister. Skipper Matt Williams called those “good decisions” to have to make and said he couldn’t rule out Ross getting another turn, although Strasburg, too, is said to be nearing a return. A free agent at season’s end, Fister has extra incentive to rediscover his previous success. As Janes notes, his ground-ball rate is down nearly 10 percent from its career mark in 2015, and I’d add that his velocity has been a big concern as well. Fister has averaged just 86.1 mph on his heater this season, which is probably a factor in his rapidly declining strikeout rate (4.1 K/9).

Draft Signings: Nash Walters, Cody Poteet

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Here are today’s notable mid-round signings (slot values courtesy of Baseball America)…

  • Brewers third-round pick Nash Walters received an over-slot $800K signing bonus, tweets MLB.com’s Jim Callis. The prep righty out of Texas has an 88-93 mph sinker and a projectable 6’5″ frame, per Callis. Walters rated as the 332nd-best prospect in the 2015 draft on Baseball America’s Top 500, and their scouting report notes that he didn’t begin pitching until 2014, making him quite raw but full of athleticism and potential on the mound. BA felt that Walters might’ve been best-served to honor his commitment to Texas A&M but added that a team might pay for his upside, which the Brewers have done, going $136K over-slot on him.
  • Right-hander Cody Poteet signed for the full slot value of $488.7K of the No. 116 slot at which the Marlins selected him, Callis tweets. BA ranked Poteet 190th in the draft, labeling him as an enigmatic prospect due to being used in a variety of roles. The scouting report from BA says Poteet has starter stuff, with two usable breaking balls when he’s pitching well. He doesn’t always control them well though, and his 90-92 mph fastball played up in a relief role, hitting 94.

Phillies Designate Dustin McGowan For Assignment

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The Phillies announced today that they have designated right-hander Dustin McGowan for assignment and recalled left-hander Jake Diekman from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The 33-year-old McGowan has already been outrighted off the 40-man roster once this season but remained with the organization after he cleared waivers. He’ll have the option o elect free agency once again, if he is ultimately exposed to waivers and clears for a second time. The veteran swingman has struggled with his control this season, leading to a 6.94 ERA in 23 1/3 innings. McGowan’s 21 strikeouts in that time are a solid mark, but he’s also walked 20 hitters, and his ground-ball rate is down significantly from its peak — a trend that began last year in Toronto and has continued in 2015.

Diekman, 28, entered the season as one of the more intriguing arms in the Phillies’ bullpen mix but struggled to a 6.75 ERA through 21 1/3 innings before being optioned to Triple-A earlier this month. His brief trip to the minors was as encouraging as Phillies’ decision-makers could possibly have hoped, as he fired seven scoreless innings, allowing just five hits and a walk while punching out seven batters. Diekman whiffed 100 hitters in just 71 innings last year and posted FIP, xFIP and SIERA marks between 2.64 and 2.85, suggesting that he had performed much better than his 3.80 ERA otherwise indicated. He’ll likely rejoin Ken Giles as a setup option for closer Jonathan Papelbon, though he could move into a more prominent role in the Philly bullpen if Papelbon is ultimately traded.

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