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Padres Acquire Dan Straily From Astros For Erik Kratz

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The Padres have acquired righty Dan Straily from the Astros in exchange for veteran catcher Erik Kratz, the clubs have announced. Houston had been searching for another backstop after losing presumed reserve Max Stassi to injury.

Straily, 27, is out of options and did not appear in line for a rotation job with the Astros. He was, however, competing for a spot in the Houston pen. It’s certainly possible he could function in either capacity with the Padres.

It’s been something of an uphill battle for Straily since a promising 2013 season with the Athletics, in which he threw 152 1/3 innings and compiled a 3.96 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9. He’s only made 18 appearances (seven from the pen) since that time, with his earned run average ballooning to 6.42. He’s still young and controllable, but he’s also bounced from the A’s to the Cubs to the ’Stros as a small part of more significant trades.

Meanwhile, San Diego has been rumored to be shopping its catching depth for longer than Houston has even had a need. Derek Norris, Christian Bethancourt, and Austin Hedges look like the top three options for the Padres. Rocky Gale remains in camp, too. More than likely, Kratz — who had a minor league deal with San Diego — wasn’t cracking the MLB roster anytime soon.

The veteran Kratz looks like a true stop-gap for Houston, while the club awaits the return of Stassi. The 35-year-old has spent time in the majors in parts of the last six seasons. He was most active over 2012-13 with the Phillies, and also topped 100 plate appearances in total in 2014, but last year he played in only 16 major league games.

All told, Kratz owns a .218/.270/.397 slash with 23 home runs in 560 MLB plate appearances. That’s quite an impressive power outlay, and Kratz owns an excellent .266/.343/.473 line in his Triple-A career. (That’s not a short sample, either: he’s seen action in ten seasons, and has 1,820 plate appearances on his ledger.)

Of course, striking this deal doesn’t necessarily preclude the Astros from searching for a more significant catching addition, though that seems increasingly unlikely — particularly since the club announced that it has added Kratz to its 40-man roster. Likewise, the Pads could still conceivably deal one of their other backstops. It’s worth noting, too, that adding Straily would help ease the burden if San Diego were to find a trade partner for James Shields, though his presence hardly changes the calculus of such a significant move.

Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle first reported the swap on Twitter, noting that Straily was going and a catcher was involved. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Kratz was involved, on Twitter.

Royals Release Brian Duensing, Peter Moylan, Clint Barmes

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The Royals have released a trio of veterans who were in camp on minor league deals, per a club announcement. Pitchers Brian Duensing and Peter Moylan were let go along with infielder Clint Barmes.

All three players were Article XX(B) free agents, meaning that Kansas City would have had to offer them an active roster spot or pay a $100K retention bonus tomorrow. Instead, the organization obviously elected to cut ties — though it’s worth noting that some such players end up reaching alternative deals to re-join the same organizations they spent camp with.

Duensing had actually exercised an opt-out clause in his deal earlier today as well. The Royals would have owed the southpaw $2MM on the major league roster. The 33-year-old had established himself as a capable LOOGY after failing to stick in the rotation, but had a rough 2015 (4.25 ERA, 4.4 K/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).

The 37-year-old Moylan, a side-arming righty from Australia, had a surprising 2015 with the Braves last year. He had joined the organization as a minor league player-coach, but ended up reaching the MLB pen. Moylan is far removed from his excellent run with Atlanta earlier in his career, but still managed to allow only four earned runs in his 10 1/3 innings last year, while striking out eight and avoiding any walks. (Of course, those frames also came in 22 appearances, as Moylan was almost exclusively allowed to face right-handed batters.)

Barmes, meanwhile, has never shown much with the bat in his thirteen MLB seasons, but still holds some appeal as a utility piece due to his highly-regarded glove — though metrics have soured on his defense of late. It always seemed he’d face long odds in Kansas City, and a healthy spring from the club’s other middle infield options left him without a chair.

 

AL Notes: Panda, Rangers, Sanchez, White, Angels

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The Padres have sent a scout to watch Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. It’s far from clear whether that is an indication of serious interest, of course, let alone whether the scout is watching more than just Sandoval. Regardless, it’s the latest hint that there could be some remaining trade chatter to be held between these organizations, who already struck a significant swap early in the offseason.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

  • The Rangers are not only continuing their search for another catcher, but could look outside the organization for rotation help, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. A.J. Griffin may have the inside track to take the fifth starter’s job at present, says Grant, but there’s some concern about the overall starting pitching depth as camp comes to a close. As for the backstop situation, it doesn’t appear that much has changed, but Texas is still looking to improve upon its reserve options — if not to strike a more significant upgrade. (Grant notes that the club has inquired on Derek Norris of the Padres and Bryan Holaday of the Tigers.)
  • Of course, interest doesn’t always mean that a deal gets done, and significant spring trades are rare. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports also reports that the Rangers have real interest in both areas (Twitter links), but he says the club thinks it has only an “outside chance” at adding a catcher and is “doubtful” to find a new pitcher. All in all, both reports suggest that Texas is looking at its options but is hardly certain to add outside pieces. And still others suggest there’s not much reason to expect movement. Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram tweets that outside inquiries have mostly been tire-kicking exercises, while MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan adds on Twitter that club officials have suggested to him that the final rotation piece will come from inside the organization.
  • Reclamation righty Matt Bush isn’t in the mix for an Opening Day pen spot with the Rangers, Grant also writes, but he has been enormously impressive this spring and could be an option later in the season. Bush’s story is well-known, of course — the former first overall draft pick recently finished a prison term for severely injuring a man in a DUI.
  • Aaron Sanchez has been named as the Blue Jays’ fifth starter, manager John Gibbons told reporters (including John Lott of Blue Jays Nation) this morning.  It won’t be a season-long assignment for Sanchez, however, as the righty seems to be under an innings cap and will eventually be transitioned into the bullpen as he approaches his limit.  The 23-year-old has never thrown more than 133 1/3 innings in a season.  Sanchez and Gavin Floyd emerged as the top two contenders for the fifth starter’s job during camp, and Floyd will join Jesse Chavez in the bullpen while Drew Hutchison has been optioned to Triple-A.  It stands to reason that Floyd, Chavez or Hutchison will all be rotation candidates when Sanchez is moved back to relief pitching.
  • The Astros have decided to give an Opening Day roster spot to young first baseman Tyler White, as Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. Houston’s first-base situation has been in flux all spring, but it appears that the 33rd-round draftee is in line for a significant opportunity to take the position and run with it. He is one of several players in the organization who have impressed this spring; third base prospect Colin Moran has also compiled a 1.000+ OPS in more than thirty plate appearances, though Drellich notes on Twitter that he’s not considered a roster option at this point. The same holds true of A.J. Reed, of course, who could also have a chance to make an impact later in the season.
  • Angels GM Billy Eppler says that he is “not optimistic” of adding to his roster before the season starts, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Gonzalez provides a deep rundown of the club’s remaining roster considerations.

Jamey Wright To Retire

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Veteran righty Jamey Wright, who was in camp with the Dodgers on a minor league deal, is set to retire, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick was among those to tweet. The 41-year-old didn’t appear professionally last season after he was released late in camp by the Rangers.

Wright has pitched in 19 big league seasons over his lengthy career, which was divided roughly into two portions. He entered the league in the rotation and ultimately made just under 250 starts, the vast majority of them coming between 1996 and 2006.

The results weren’t always there, as he ran up a 5.13 ERA and 1.06 K:BB ratio in that role, but it’s fair to note that he spent a good portion of that period working in an inflated run-scoring environment. And, of course, Wright spent six seasons with the Rockies — the team with which he entered the league.

Wright ultimately shifted to a relief role after joining the Rangers in 2007. After that transition year, he went on a seven-year run in which he compiled a 4.03 ERA over 498 frames, with 6.7 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9.

The timeless right-hander turned in a productive campaign as recently as 2013, when he tossed 70 innings for the Rays and carried a 3.09 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 — all career-best single-season tallies (except, of course, the innings). In his final season, with the Dodgers in 2014, Wright again topped 70 frames but fell back to a 4.35 earned run mark.

All told, Wright suited up for ten MLB teams. His longest run was with Colorado, but Wright also spent three years with the Brewers. He appeared in two seasons in Los Angeles and also had repeat appearances for the Royals, Rangers, and Mariners. As if that weren’t enough, Wright enjoyed single-season stints with Tampa Bay as well as the Giants, Indians, and (only briefly) the Cardinals.

MLBTR wishes the respected veteran the best of luck in his future pursuits

Diamondbacks Release Sam LeCure, Wesley Wright

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The Diamondbacks have released relievers Sam LeCure and Wesley Wright after the decision was made that neither would make the active roster to open the year, the club announced.

LeCure, 31, was hoping to get back to his days of being a sturdy pen presence. The righty topped 300 innings between 2010-14 with the Reds, compiling a 3.53 ERA. While he had good results in the majors last season after spending most of the year at Triple-A, he’s continued to see a drop in his velocity and strikeouts per nine.

The left-handed Wright, who’s also 31, was in much the same situation, having thrown less innings but compiled comparable results to LeCure over the four seasons leading up to 2015. But he dealt with shoulder issues last year, limiting his availability significantly.

The veteran southpaw did have a solid spring, at least, allowing only two earned runs and posting eight strikeouts against three walks in 8 1/3 innings. That wasn’t the case for LeCure, who surrendered seven earned and managed only five K’s in his eight frames.

 

 

Brewers Release Franklin Morales, Will Add Chris Capuano To Roster

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The Brewers have released lefty Franklin Morales, per a club announcement. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported on Twitter that Morales had been informed that he would not make the club. As an Article XX(B) free agent, he would be due a retention bonus if not placed on the active roster.

Milwaukee stood to promise Morales $2.3MM if he made the club under the minor league deal he signed over the winter. That contract also included $1.5MM in available incentives.

Morales was coming off of a nice bounceback season last year with the Royals, in which he threw 62 1/3 innings of 3.18 ERA ball with 5.9 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 with a 49.5% groundball rate. While the peripherals suggested that he benefited from some luck (as well as the Royals’ defense behind him), Morales was undeniable excellent against left-handed hitters — who slashed just .194/.250/.320 against him.

The move appears to open the door for fellow southpaw Chris Capuano to make the club, as Haudrcourt notes on Twitter. Indeed, he’s been informed that will be the case, per colleague Todd Rosiak (also via Twitter).

Matt Harvey Questionable For Opening Day With Undisclosed Medical Issue

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Matt Harvey will miss the rest of Spring Training and his status for his Opening Day start is up in the air due to what Mets GM Sandy Alderson described as “a non-baseball medical issue that we have to address.”  Alderson and manager Terry Collins told reporters that (including ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin) Harvey informed the Mets about the problem after some type of symptom developed this morning, and the right-hander will undergo further tests.

A source familiar with Harvey’s condition tells Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links) that the problem “isn’t major” in the sense that it would cause Harvey to miss a lot of time, which is obviously good news on both a personal and professional level for the ace righty.

The Mets were naturally guarded with details out of respect for Harvey’s privacy and possibly due to the fact that his ailment isn’t quite confirmed.  “I think it’s a little early to attach any level of concern.  We need to wait for more medical information before we decide if it’s of concern or grave concern or no concern,” Alderson said.

Collins and Alderson both stressed that the ailment was non-orthopedic in nature, so not related to Harvey’s shoulder or elbow.  Obviously, this was the first thought of many in regards to a Harvey-related injury given how he already missed all of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Harvey returned from that procedure in fine form, posting a 2.71 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 5.08 K/BB rate over 189 1/3 innings in the regular season and then a 3.04 ERA over 26 2/3 innings in the postseason as the Mets advanced to the World Series.

Rangers Release Jeremy Guthrie

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The Rangers have released veteran starter Jeremy Guthrie, as per Rangers executive VP of communications John Blake (on Twitter).  Guthrie was let go by the club after he exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Guthrie, who turns 37 in April, earned a World Series ring with the Royals last season though he didn’t make the club’s postseason roster.  The right-hander suffered through the worst season of his 12-year career, posting a 5.95 ERA, 5.1 K/9, a career-worst 14.1% home run rate and a league-leading 29 homers allowed over 148 1/3 innings.  Kansas City declined its end of Guthrie’s $10MM mutual option for 2016, giving him a $3.2MM buyout instead.

Guthrie has been a reliable innings-eater over the years, and despite his struggles, he could get another look from teams.  The righty told reporters (including Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that he is receiving consideration from two clubs about a new contract.

With Guthrie out of the mix, A.J. Griffin and Nick Martinez are the remaining contenders for the fifth spot in the Texas rotation.  One of those two will hold down the fort until Yu Darvish makes his expected return from Tommy John rehab in late May or early June.

Red Sox Release David Murphy

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The Red Sox have released outfielder David Murphy, the club announced.  Murphy opted out of his minor league deal with the team yesterday, and the Sox had 48 hours to either release him or add him to the 25-man roster.

Murphy, 34, was signed last month to add some left-handed hitting depth to Boston’s outfield.  Murphy’s chance at a roster spot, however, seemed to diminish as the Red Sox seemed to prefer two internal lefty-swingers (Brock Holt and Travis Shaw), and Murphy has no interest in a Triple-A assignment, hinting that he’d consider retiring before going back to the minors.

As Murphy’s release wasn’t unexpected, the Orioles and other teams have already been rumored to be interested in the veteran.  Baltimore has been linked to such left-handed hitting outfield options as Murphy and the Pirates’ Matt Joyce since the O’s already seem disenchanted with Hyun Soo Kim.  Murphy hit .283/.318/.421 with 10 homers over 391 plate appearances with the Angels and Indians last season.  This is just my opinion, but a reunion with either of those teams wouldn’t be out of the question since both L.A. and Cleveland have unsettled outfields.

Orioles Notes: Joyce, Tucker, Gausman

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Here’s the latest from Baltimore…

  • The Orioles are interested in Pirates non-roster outfielder Matt Joyce, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link).  As an Article XX(B) player, Joyce must be informed by tomorrow if he’s making the Bucs’ 25-man roster or else the Pirates will need to pay him $100K to retain his rights on a minor league assignment.  With Hyun Soo Kim’s status in question, Baltimore is clearly looking other left-handed hitting outfield options that could be available.  Aside from Joyce, the O’s have also shown interest in David Murphy.
  • The Orioles talked to the Astros about outfielder Preston Tucker this offseason, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports.  Talks didn’t go anywhere, however, since Houston asked for Kevin Gausman in return.  Gausman was a popular figure in trade demands over the winter, and as you might expect, the O’s had no interest in dealing the former top prospect.  Tucker didn’t have quite the same prospect pedigree (Gausman was selected fourth overall in 2012 while Tucker was a seventh-rounder in that same draft) but the outfielder posted a very strong .867 OPS over 1530 plate appearances in the minors and hit .243/.297/.437 with 13 homers over 323 PA in the bigs last year as a rookie.  Tucker will serve in a backup role with Houston this season, as his path to more playing time may have been blocked when Colby Rasmus accepted a qualifying offer last fall.
  • Speaking of Gausman, the Orioles officially announced to media (including MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli) that the young righty will be placed on the DL to begin the season.  Gausman has been bothered by tendinitis in his throwing shoulder but the injury isn’t thought to be too serious.  Buck Showalter said Gausman could be activated in time for a start on April 10 against Minnesota.

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