Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for March 2016

Mets Seeking Backup Catcher

By | at

MARCH 27th: The Mets are leaning towards having Plawecki open the season as the backup catcher on the big league roster, Rubin writes.  However, they have told scouts to keep their eyes peeled for an available backup catcher.  Rubin adds that the Mets are not all that interested in out-of-options Tigers catcher Bryan Holaday.

MARCH 13th: The Mets are telling teams that they are looking to land a backup catcher, a source tells Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. As it stands, the Mets have Kevin Plawecki slotted in as the backup for starter Travis d’Arnaud.

If Plawecki were to remain on the big league roster, he wouldn’t see a whole lot of playing time with d’Arnaud serving as the team’s primary backstop.  Team officials are mulling the idea of putting the 25-year-old in Triple-A to get some at-bats and, if they go that route, they feel it is necessary to go out-of-house to get a new understudy for d’Arnaud.  The source tells Rubin that the team is not happy with its other internal catching options, including Johnny Monell.

Over the weekend, Mets manager Terry Collins was asked where Plawecki could open the season and he indicated that things are fluid:

“We haven’t had that discussion as to where he’s going to fit the best, or what we think is the best for everyone involved. That has not taken place. What we’ve got to do is take what we think are the best 25 and get out of the gate and go from there. If the conversation goes to, ’Hey, look, we need to have this guy ready to be an everyday guy,’ he may have to go play [in Las Vegas]. If we think we’re better off being able to get him two to three games a week at times [backing up d’Arnaud], then he’s got a good chance of making the club.”

Plawecki, a first-round pick in the 2012 draft, saw 258 plate appearances for the Mets last season and slashed just .219/.280/.296 with three homers.  In parts of two seasons at Triple-A, the catcher hit .262/.318/.392.

Orioles Eyeing David Murphy

By | at

Red Sox outfielder David Murphy can opt-out of his contract with the Red Sox today.  If he does, he might not be unemployed for long.  Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe expects Murphy to get calls from multiple teams and he hears from one major league source that the Orioles are among the clubs with interest.  Cafardo adds that Murphy is “likely” to exercise his opt-out clause today.

Murphy, 34, inked a minor league deal with Boston in late February, bringing him back to the organization that drafted him in the first-round of the 2003 draft.  The veteran’s big league journey took him to Texas for parts of seven seasons before he inked a two-year, $12.5MM contract with the Tribe.  That deal didn’t quite go as planned and last season, the Indians shipped Murphy to the Angels.  Between the two stops, he posted a combined .283/.318/.421 slash line with 10 home runs.

So far this spring, Murphy has looked solid and he feels as though he’s done enough to make a big league team.

“I feel I’ve had a decent camp and shown the Red Sox what I can do,” Murphy said. “I just want to end up in a major league uniform.”

By the same token, Murphy says that he would rather retire than play the 2016 season in the minors.  For his career, Murphy owns a .274/.333/.432 big league slash line over ten seasons with the Red Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Angels.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Sunday

By | at

As Opening Day approaches, teams will be making tough roster decisions involving their veteran players.  Some of these decisions pertain to Article XX(B) free agents who have their opt-out date on Tuesday, though other players have opt-outs that fall on Sunday or Monday.  We’ll keep track of the players who make the big league roster cut here:

  • The Mariners confirmed that Dae-Ho Lee has been added to the 40-man roster, as Bob Dutton of The News Tribune tweets.  Lee had the ability to opt out of his minor league deal today if he did not make the 40-man cut.  Per the terms of his deal, the Korean first baseman will earn a $1MM base salary with $3MM in possible bonuses.
  • Mariners right-handed reliever Joel Peralta has been told he’ll be added to the 40-man roster, Greg Johns of MLB.com tweets.  However, nothing is official yet since the 40-man roster is currently full.  It’s possible that a move involving Jesus Montero could free up a spot for the reliever.
  • The Brewers have added Blaine Boyer to their 25-man roster, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter). Boyer, 34, posted a 2.49 ERA in 65 games for the Twins last season, but that was offset by a sub-par 4.6 K/9.  Now that Boyer’s fate has been decided, Milwaukee must figure out what to do with Franklin Morales and Chris Capuano who have opt outs on Monday and Tuesday (respectively).
  • Brewers outfielder Ramon Flores will make the Brewers’ big league roster, as Todd Rosiak of the Journal-Sentinel tweets.  Flores was out-of-options, so the team did not have the option of sending him down to the minors.
  • Left-hander Ross Detwiler has been told he’ll be on the Indians’ Opening Day roster, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets.  Per the terms of his deal, Detwiler will earn a $1MM base salary with the opportunity to add another $1.5MM in performance bonuses.  The former No. 6 overall draft pick spent last season with the Rangers and Braves but struggled with both teams.

Indians Release Will Venable, Joe Thatcher

By | at

The Indians have released outfielder Will Venable and left-hander Joe Thatcher, as Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets.

Venable, 33, was traded from the Padres to the Rangers in August of last year.  After hitting .258/.318/.378 in 308 plate appearances for San Diego, Venable’s slash line dropped to .182 .325 .227 in 82 plate appearances for Texas.  In total, Venable slashed .244/.320/.350, numbers that were a step up from 2014 but not in step with his previous Padres seasons.  The Turner Gary Sports client would have received a $1.5MM base with up to $2MM in incentives had he made the Indians’ roster.

Thatcher was informed on Saturday that he would not be making the team.  Thatcher could have accepted a minor league assignment with a June 1st opt-out date, but he apparently requested his release instead.  The 34-year-old pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 across 43 appearances last season.  Those 43 outings came across two separate stints for the Astros as he was designated for assignment in July and re-signed in August.  In a small sample size of 3.2 IP, Thatcher allowed just two hits, fanned four, and walked only one batter in his second turn with Houston.

Braves Acquire Eric O’Flaherty From Pirates

By | at

10:15am: The Pirates have confirmed the swap via press release.  In exchange for O’Flaherty, the Bucs will receive cash considerations.

9:50am: The Braves have acquired left-hander Eric O’Flaherty from the Pirates, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). O’Flaherty inked a minor league deal with the Pirates in February and, roughly six weeks later, his Pittsburgh stint is over.  There is no word yet on what the Pirates will receive in return.  However, Atlanta probably didn’t give up much in the deal as they satisfied their need for a southpaw in the bullpen. Eric O'Flaherty (vertical)

The deal brings O’Flaherty back to the organization where he has enjoyed his best seasons.  From 2009 through 2013, the reliever posted a stellar 1.99 ERA, though it came with less impressive rates of 7.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.  In a limited sample size of 20 innings in 2014, the lefty posted a 2.25 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9.  Could a return to Atlanta mark a return to strong pitching for the 31-year-old?  He’s hoping that will be the case after a turbulent 2015, his first full season back from Tommy John surgery.

The veteran began the 2015 season with the A’s before an August trade shipped him to the Mets.  In 25 games for Oakland, O’Flaherty pitched to a 5.91 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9.  Things dipped even further from there in his 8 and 2/3 innings for the Mets as he allowed 13 runs with only 6 strikeouts and 5 walks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Orioles Have Discussed Releasing Hyun Soo Kim

By | at

Roughly three months after signing outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, the Orioles are already having some buyer’s remorse on the deal.  The Orioles have internally discussed buying out Kim in a deal that would rid them of some of money owed to the player while allowing him to potentially return to the Korean Baseball Organization, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes.

Late last year, the Orioles inked Kim to a two-year pact worth $7MM.  That deal, as it turned out, had a pair of unique quirks.  First, Kim’s deal allows him to become a free agent upon completion rather than entering the arbitration process.  The contract also prohibits the Orioles from sending him to the minor leagues without his consent.  At the time of the deal, the Orioles probably didn’t think much of that second clause, but it has become quite relevant as Kim struggles in spring training.

Roughly one year ago, the Orioles and pitcher Suk-min Yoon tore up their three-year, $5.575MM deal, allowing him to return to the Kia Tigers of the KBO on a record-breaking four-year, $8.2MM pact.  When asked by Rosenthal over the weekend if he would consider such a move, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette said “I don’t know if we’re there yet.”

When the O’s signed Kim, they hoped that the KBO sensation would step in as their everyday left fielder.  However, Kim does not appear to be major league ready and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard has been excelling in recent weeks.  Rickard is raking in spring and also offers solid defense, leading many within the club to favor him as the choice in left field, though one O’s official expressed concern that the team is putting too much stock into spring training performances.  Despite Rickard’s promise and Kim’s struggles, however, Duquette noted that he is not ready to give up on the 28-year-old Korean.

“These transitions, they take a while,” Duquette said. “You’ve got the language. You’ve got the culture. The baseball is a little different. There are better pitchers here.”

Chris Denorfia Opts Out Of Yankees Deal

By | at

The Yankees announced that outfielder Chris Denorfia has exercised his opt-out clause.  Denorfia signed a minor league pact with the Yankees in early March that allowed him to exit the contract by the end of the month.

Denorfia, 36 in July, inked a one-year deal worth $2.6MM with the Cubs prior to the 2015 season.  The veteran turned in a .269/.319/.373 slash line with three homers across 231 plate appearances, numbers that weren’t in line with the best work of his career.  Still, he offers solid hitting against lefty pitching with a career .285/.353/.419 line in those situations.

Prior to his slide in 2014, Denorfia had a run of four solid seasons at the plate, and he was hoping to return to that form for the Bombers.  Instead, he’ll presumably seek employment elsewhere with an eye on turning things around.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Belisle, Phillies, Hunter, Francouer

By | at

Over the years, we’ve heard much about the Cardinals Way – an organization-wide process credited with developing several untouted prospects into major league regulars. More recently, the Pirates Way of developing pitchers has been mentioned more and more frequently. The Nationals have developed their own Way, writes Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Janes goes into the details of a system that depends on consistency from the minor league coaching staff. Catchers are a lynchpin in helping pitchers to develop. Coordinators rove between the affiliates as pseudo-quality control officials. The details provide an interesting glimpse under the hood of the Nationals minor league system.

Here’s more from the NL East:

  • Nationals reliever Matt Belisle may decide to opt out of his contract tomorrow afternoon, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. Belisle inked a minor league contract with the Nationals earlier in the winter. His opt out day is tomorrow. To this point, he’s allowed three runs in five and one-third innings. Washington does appear to have a full bullpen in place without Belisle, making it hard to see a spot for him on the 40-man roster. Belisle himself is unsure if he’ll exercise the opt out. His best years came in Colorado from 2011 through 2013.
  • The Phillies still have two or three unclaimed spots in their bullpen, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Manager Pete Mackanin said the club may add an arm via trade or waivers. There’s also “a good possibility” the team will roll with three left-handed relievers. Dailer Hinojosa, Jeanmar Gomez, David Hernandez, and Brett Oberholtzer are the four guys with relative secure jobs. Salisbury believes veteran Edward Mujica is likely to make the team too, while Andrew Bailey has fallen off in recent outings. Rule 5 pick Daniel Stumpf may be at an advantage if the organization wants to keep him. He would be one of the lefties. Salisbury has a full account of the 12 relievers still in the mix.
  • Injuries to the Phillies outfield could open an opportunity for minor league journeyman Cedric Hunter, writes Salisbury. The 28-year-old received five plate appearances from the Padres in 2011. The rest of his career has been spent in the minors. Hunter hit .283/.331/.420 in 515 Triple-A plate appearances with the Braves last season. He also hit 12 home runs with 11 stolen bases. Mackanin is impressed with Hunter’s work in camp, saying “he’s looked good all spring. He’s squared the ball up as well as anyone all spring and he’s shown a good arm. I like him a lot.” The lefty could make for a useful platoon option with Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel.
  • Updating a report from yesterday, Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur is likely competing with Emilio Bonifacio and Michael Bourn for one of two spots, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Bowman suggests the club is set to either trade or release Nick Swisher, but their plans for Bonifacio and Bourn are less certain. Last season, Francouer drew praise from Phillies players and coaches for his role as a mentor. The Braves are in a similar rebuild, adding value to mentor-type veterans.

Dale Thayer Opts Out Of Orioles Contract

By | at

Veteran right-handed reliever Dale Thayer has opted out of his minor league deal with the Orioles, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has learned. Thayer is now a free agent. He allowed three runs and struck out six batters in six spring innings.

Thayer had an uphill battle for a roster spot in a relatively well-defined Orioles bullpen. Top candidates for relief jobs include Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Mychal Givens, Brian Matusz, Brad Brach, Vance Worley, T.J. McFarland, Odrisamer Despaigne, and out-of-options prospect Dylan Bundy. Those names only represent the most established options, making Thayer a long shot to crack the roster. For example, Zach Phillips was recently signed as an insurance policy to banged up southpaw Matusz.

Thayer struggled to a 4.06 ERA with 5.97 K/9 and 3.58 BB/9 with the Padres in 2015. He was remarkably better in previous seasons including a 2.34 ERA with 8.54 K/9 and 2.20 BB/9 in 2014. Over the course of his career, he’s posted respectable rates – a 3.47 ERA, 7.62 K/9, and 2.36 BB/9 over 251 innings.

Diamondbacks Notes: Window, Goldschmidt, Pollock

By | at

The Diamondbacks front office has repeatedly drawn flak for unusual trades and signings under GM Dave Stewart’s leadership. Club executives are unconcerned by the outside chatter, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The most often critiqued moves include the trades for Shelby Miller (full post), Jean Segura (post), and the salary dump of Bronson Arroyo (post). Many industry observers believe Arizona received terrible value on their young talent in these swaps. Executive Tony La Russa views the deals an instance of zigging while the rest of the industry zags. La Russa may be correct to view prospects as over-appreciated these days but part of a successful “zig” involves taking advantage of market inefficiencies. Arizona has seemingly ignored the current market for prospects.

  • Of course, there’s more to it than just prospects. Since Arizona has to somehow beat the big payroll Dodgers, they have to pick their windows to contend, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The team has a window over the next few years while Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock are exceptionally inexpensive and in their primes. The club believes they have enough middle infield depth, explaining their willingness to part with Dansby Swanson and Isan Diaz for major league upgrades. They also believe pitching prospect Touki Toussaint is four to five years from major league ready – outside of their current window.
  • DBacks executives compare Goldschmidt to former Cardinals star Albert Pujols, writes Scott Bordow of the Arizona Republic. Goldschmidt is coming off a vintage Pujolsian season with 33 home runs, 21 stolen bases, and a .321/.435/.570 slash. He also earned a Gold Glove award. La Russa, who managed Pujols, is among those to make the comparison.
  • Star outfielder Pollock remains questionable for Opening Day, writes Chris Gabel of MLB.com. Pollock has been held out of game action since March 8 due to right elbow soreness. The club may look to play him only in minor league contests for the remainder of Spring Training so they can backdate a potential stint on the disabled list.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top