Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- Phillies outfield prospect Andrew Pullin has retired, reports Matt Gelb (Twitter). Pullin, 22, tied for the Florida State League lead with 14 home runs last season. A 2012 fifth round pick, Pullin had experience in parts of four professional seasons. No reason was cited for his retirement.
- The Angels have optioned hard throwing reliever Cam Bedrosian to the minors, the club reports. In a corresponding move, A.J. Achter has been promoted to the major league roster. Achter, 27, is a soft-tossing righty with an extreme fly ball tendency. In 13 major league innings last season, he allowed four home runs. Achter does have good command with a history of solid strikeout rates. Bedrosian continues to struggle with commanding his 95 mph fastball. The club likely hopes a stint in the minors can help him to locate better.
- Blue Jays starter Scott Copeland has reportedly been sold to a Korean team, tweets Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. Copeland, 28, made his major league debut last season, pitching to a 6.46 ERA with 3.52 K/9 and 1.17 BB/9. He’s a command and control righty whose stuff works best in a Quad-A role.
- The Brewers have announced that they’ve outrighted righty Ariel Pena to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Pena has three days to decide whether to accept the assignment. Pena opened the season in Milwaukee’s bullpen, but the Brewers designated him for assignment this week when they acquired Sam Freeman. Pena split the 2015 season between Colorado Springs and Milwaukee, posting a 4.28 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in six outings (including five starts) with the big club.
- The Dodgers will sign veteran lefty Sean Burnett to a minor-league deal with a May 1 opt-out date, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes (Twitter links). As Rosenthal notes, the Dodgers only have one lefty (J.P. Howell) in their current bullpen. Burnett pitched well for the Nationals this spring, but ultimately exercised his opt-out and was released. He last appeared in the Majors in 2014, and it’s been since 2012, when he pitched 56 2/3 innings with a 2.38 ERA with Washington, since he’s been a significant contributor. Since then, he’s struggled with elbow trouble.
- The Reds will select the contract of righty Tim Melville tomorrow so that he can make a spot start in place of Anthony DeSclafani, who’s dealing with an oblique injury, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. The Reds say that DeSclafani hasn’t had a setback, but isn’t quite ready to pitch. The Reds signed Melville to a minor-league deal in November after he posted a 4.63 ERA, 6.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 for the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in Toledo.
Blue Jays minor league pitcher, Scott Copeland, just signed with the KBO league team LG Twins today for 750,000 USD on a one year deal, will join the team sometime next week. Via SK Naver sports.
More retread relievers. Sure, that will work.
Burnett was lights out this year in spring training and excellent with the Nationals before his unfortunate health issues. He’s not a LOOGY, either. If the Dodgers do bring him up before his May 1 opt-out, they will not be disappointed.
The Dodgers’ pen is a disaster again this year. This team is in desperate need of a steady presence, not somebody who maybe might be able to pitch as well as he did three years ago. But this is exactly the type of cost-benefit analysis player this FO loves.
Granted, I don’t know much about the Dodgers’ bullpen, but Burnett could be exactly what they’re looking for. The ONLY reasons he didn’t make the Nats’ pen out of spring training was they already had two lefties and Dusty Baker gave the last spot to one of his pitchers from his days with the Reds, Matt Belisle.
Burnett may not be a flame-thrower anymore, but he can absolutely be that steady, veteran presence the Dodgers seem to need. I hope he gets the chance.
Buffalo News did not have Copeland first. They just did not cite anyone even though only two people had it, the Korean outlet previously mentioned and myself. I was in Pawtucket, where the Bisons are playing on assignment to interview Copeland and spoke to manager Gary Allenson himself. No one from Buffalo News was there so not sure how they would have “broke it”
A bit early to call the Dodger pen a “disaster.” I do like the Burnett signing.
Who retires from baseball at 22 w no injuries announced and it wasn’t like he was terrible… I know minors salaries are not huge but still now he actually has to go to college and pay for it bc he cant get a scholarship having played professionally.