Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Braves have signed right-hander Chris Volstad to a minor league deal, tweets David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They’ve also inked indy ball pitchers Bryan Morgado and Connor Little. Volstad, the most notable of the bunch, spent nearly all of the 2015 season with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate, working to a 3.18 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 155 2/3 innings. The former first-round pick has a lifetime 4.92 ERA in 705 2/3 innings and was a mainstay in the Marlins’ rotation from 2009-11. As O’Brien notes in a second tweet, Baseball America ranked Little as the No. 8 prospect on the independent circuit this year.
- Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets that Twins catcher Eric Fryer has elected free agency after being outrighted by the club. Fryer, 30, batted .227/.370/.318 in 27 PAs for Minnesota this season and has a career .243/.329/.336 slash line in 158 big league PAs. The minor league veteran had a nice year at Triple-A Rochester, hitting .293/.367/.360 for the Twins’ top affiliate.
If Volstad could ever get full command of that big curve of his, he’d be a really nice pitcher, but that’s always been his problem since he was in the minors.. Control of that looping.. 12-6 curveball. He just ain’t got enough of it, unless the batter does him a favor and goes chasing.
Look on the stuff on Connor Little. His 68 IP for Evansville: 7-5, 1.19 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 11.9 SO per 9 IP. Keep it up!
It sounds silly to say this, but the Twins seriously need to upgrade at backup catcher.
They need to upgrade at starting catcher first. Suzuki should be the backup next year and he isn’t even a great option as a backup.