Minor MLB Transactions: 8/10/16
Wednesday’s minor transactions from around baseball:
- The Orioles have released right-hander Sam Deduno, reports FanGraphs’ Brad Johnson, who adds that the 33-year-old is now healthy after rehabbing from a hip injury (Twitter links). Deduno, whom the Orioles signed to a minor league deal in February, hasn’t gotten past Rookie ball this year because of his hip ailment. That issue limited Deduno to just 22 combined innings with the Astros and their Triple-A affiliate in 2015. Prior to posting a 6.86 ERA in 21 major league frames last season, Deduno combined for 287 2/3 innings between the Twins and Astros from 2012-14. In that time, he logged a 4.22 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and an excellent 57.2 percent ground-ball rate.
- The Braves have signed free agent left-hander Brian Moran to a minor league contract, per a team announcement. Moran’s entire pitching resume with major league organizations has come as a member of the Mariners, though the Blue Jays selected the reliever in the fifth round of the 2013 Rule 5 draft and then traded him to the Angels for an international bonus slot. However, the Halos returned Moran to the Mariners a few months later after learning that he needed Tommy John surgery. Moran missed all of 2014 while recovering from the procedure, but he returned last year to log a total of 33 1/3 minor league innings with the Mariners. Most of those innings (30 1/3) came at the Double-A level, where Moran recorded a 3.56 ERA, 8.6 K/9 and 5.04 BB/9. The 27-year-old (and the brother of Astros third baseman Colin Moran) has pitched this season with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.
- The Angels have announced the release of shortstop Ryan Jackson, who has divided his season between their Triple-A affiliate and Philadelphia’s. Jackson, a Cardinals fifth-round pick in 2009, debuted briefly in the majors with St. Louis in 2012 and reentered the big leagues last year with the Angels. The 28-year-old garnered just 39 combined plate appearances in those two call-ups, however. In 1,809 Triple-A PAs, Jackson has hit .274/.352/.356.
Braves Claim Wilfredo Boscan From Pirates
The Braves have claimed right-hander Wilfredo Boscan off waivers from the Pirates, who released the 26-year-old last Thursday. Boscan joins Chaz Roe as the second righty Atlanta has plucked from the waiver wire since Sunday.
After spending parts of nine seasons in the minor leagues with the Rangers, Padres, Red Sox and Pirates, Boscan finally cracked the majors this year in Pittsburgh and tossed 15 1/3 innings in six appearances (one start), yielding 11 earned runs on 15 hits and seven walks. While those numbers are unsightly, Boscan has shown promise in the upper minors, including a 3.07 ERA in 126 Triple-A innings last year. Boscan has been effective in 84 Triple-A frames this year, too, with a 3.75 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9. Overall, he has amassed 58 Triple-A appearances (45 starts) and registered a 3.86 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Rangers Designate Kyle Kubitza For Assignment
The Rangers have announced third baseman Kyle Kubitza‘s designation for assignment. Texas acquired Kubitza from the AL West rival Angels for cash considerations on June 21.
In his nearly two-month stint with the Rangers organization, Kubitza has logged 187 plate appearances at Triple-A Round Rock and batted .182/.290/.340 with four home runs. He fared better with Angels’ Triple-A affiliate, Salt Lake, with whom he hit .253/.349/.366 in 215 PAs. Kubitza also spent last year with the Angels organization and saw his only major league action with them, albeit over just 39 trips to the plate. The 26-year-old was previously with the Braves, who picked him in the third round of the 2011 draft.
Athletics Designate Patrick Schuster For Assignment
The Athletics have designated left-hander Patrick Schuster for assignment, per a club announcement.
Schuster joined the A’s on a minor league contract during the offseason and has spent the majority of the year with their Triple-A affiliate, Nashville. As a member of the Sounds, the 25-year-old has recorded tremendous numbers (1.16 ERA, 9.08 K/9, 2.79 BB/9) over 32 appearances and 38 2/3 innings. Schuster wasn’t nearly as successful this season in his 6 2/3 big league innings, though, with eight earned runs allowed on nine hits and six walks. That stint represents the only major league time for Schuster, who was previously with the Diamondbacks and Reds organizations. In 446 2/3 minor league innings, Schuster has put up a 3.26 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
Royals Release Edward Mujica
The Royals have released right-handed reliever Edward Mujica, according to a team announcement. Mujica joined the Royals organization less than a month ago, signing a minor league deal July 15. Notably, that pact included an Aug. 7 opt-out.
The 32-year-old Mujica threw 12 innings and struck out an impressive 14 batters for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, but he proved eminently hittable, yielding 11 earned runs on 17 hits. Mujica was previously far stingier as a member of the Phillies’ Triple-A club earlier this season, logging a 3.04 ERA and .92 BB/9 during a 39-inning stint with Lehigh Valley.
Mujica, who has pitched in each of the prior 10 major league campaigns, has compiled a 3.85 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 over 546 2/3 big league innings. However, the well-traveled veteran scuffled to a combined 4.75 ERA with the Red Sox and Athletics in 47 1/3 frames in 2015 and hasn’t gotten back to the majors since.
Mets “Open” To Adding Carlos Gomez
The Mets nearly acquired center fielder Carlos Gomez from the Brewers prior to last summer’s trade deadline, but New York backed out thanks to concerns over Gomez’s hip. Gomez ended up with the Astros, who designated him for assignment Wednesday after he hit a shockingly ineffective .221/.277/.342 with nine home runs in 486 plate appearances dating back to last year’s trade.
Now that Gomez will likely be available for the prorated league minimum soon, the Mets could once again have interest in the services of a player whose professional career began when they signed him as a 16-year-old in 2002.
“We always have an open mind,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson told Howie Kussoy of the New York Post.
Despite his woes at the plate, the 30-year-old Gomez remains a threat on the bases and would add some speed to the Mets, who have the third-fewest steals in the majors (27) and have been among the worst base-running teams in the sport this year, according to FanGraphs. He’d also provide another option in center field to a club in need of one at the moment. With Juan Lagares recovering from thumb surgery, the Mets’ primary choices in center are Yoenis Cespedes, Alejandro De Aza, Michael Conforto and Curtis Granderson. Those are all less-than-ideal fits, as Cespedes – who has spent the lion’s share of the season in center – would much rather play left field; De Aza is amid a miserable year; Conforto has little experience in center; and Granderson, 35, is a defensive liability. Unfortunately, Gomez has endured an uncharacteristically subpar season in the field, posting negative figures in Defensive Runs Saved (minus-6) and UZR/150 (minus-4.7).
Offensively, the right-handed hitting Gomez could conceivably serve in a platoon with the lefty-swinging Conforto, who has hit a terrible .133/.185/.150 against southpaws since his promotion to the majors last season. That’s over an admittedly microscopic sample size of 65 plate appearances, though, and the only way the 23-year-old Conforto will eventually become an everyday player is by adjusting to same-handed pitchers. For his part, Gomez (.221/.275/.326 in 95 PAs) hasn’t inspired versus lefties this year, either. Nevertheless, at 57-55 and two games out of a Wild Card spot, the reigning National League Champions haven’t ruled out reuniting with Gomez.
Yankees Release Ike Davis
The Yankees have announced the release of first baseman Ike Davis, who inked a major league deal with the organization June 12 after opting out of his minor league contract with the Rangers.
Upon signing with the Yankees – with whom his father, Ron Davis, pitched from 1978-81 – the lefty-swinging Davis hoped to provide a first base solution to a team that was without starter Mark Teixeira because of a knee injury. Instead, Davis racked up just three hits – all singles – in a mere 15 plate appearances with New York, which outrighted him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 27. As a member of the RailRiders, Davis batted .217/.318/.391 with five home runs in 107 trips to the plate. Previously in 2016, he registered a .268/.350/.437 line with four long balls in 163 PAs as part of the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate.
Davis saw extensive major league action as recently as last year, when he logged a subpar .229/.301/.350 showing with three HRs in 239 PAs as a member of the Athletics. Davis’ best seasons came as a Met, with whom he swatted a career-best 32 homers in 2012 and combined to bat an above-average .241/.334/.433 with 68 HRs in 1,741 PAs from 2010-14.
Mariners Designate Luis Sardinas For Assignment
The Mariners have designated infielder Luis Sardinas for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link).
Sardinas, whom the Mariners acquired from the Brewers for outfielder Ramon Flores in November, collected 77 plate appearances with Seattle prior to his designation and hit just .181/.203/.264. The 23-year-old added to his struggles by striking out in nearly a third of PAs (25) while walking only once. Notably, Sardinas has lined up at six different positions – including pitcher – this year. During his one-inning mound stint on July 29, Sardinas retired the vaunted Cubs in order on a mere eight pitches. Unfortunately, that has been the highlight in an otherwise disappointing season for Sardinas, who previously garnered a combined 230 trips to the plate with the Rangers and Brewers from 2014-15. In total, Sardinas has batted an ugly .218/.257/.268 with two homers in 307 big league PAs.
Blue Jays Place Jose Bautista On 15-Day DL
The Blue Jays have placed right fielder Jose Bautista on the 15-day disabled list with a left knee sprain and recalled outfielder Junior Lake from Triple-A Buffalo to take his roster spot, according to Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star (Twitter link). Bautista is the second full-time Jays outfielder to hit the DL this week, joining Kevin Pillar (thumb).
This is the second DL stint of the year for Bautista, who previously missed over a month on account of a sprained toe. Bautista just returned from that ailment July 25 before suffering his latest injury Tuesday. In the 80 appearances Bautista has made this year, he has hit a disappointing .222/.349/.444 in 355 plate appearances, though he has added 15 home runs while continuing to show mastery over the strike zone (16.3 percent walk rate versus a 17.7 percent strikeout rate). Still, combining the decline in Bautista’s 2016 numbers – which are well below the figures he has posted since breaking out in 2010 – with his age (36 in October) and two DL placements doesn’t seem to bode well for the impending free agent’s earning power during the upcoming winter.
From a team standpoint, losing Bautista is clearly a notable blow for playoff-contending Toronto, which carries a 64-50 record into Tuesday and is mere percentage points behind AL East-leading Baltimore. Without Bautista and Pillar, the Jays’ outfield alignment will consist of recent pickup Melvin Upton Jr. in center field, Michael Saunders in right and Darrell Ceciliani in left, as their depth chart shows.
Padres Request Release Waivers On Hector Olivera
The Padres have requested release waivers on infielder Hector Olivera, per a club announcement. He had been formally designated for assignment back on Aug. 2, and his release will become official in 48 hours once he clears said waivers.
San Diego acquired Olivera’s contract from the Braves in exchange for Matt Kemp prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, but the acquisition was a formality. The Padres very clearly wanted nothing to do with Olivera, who was finishing up an 82-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy at the time, and only agreed to take on his contract as a means of off-setting some of the money they were sending to Atlanta in the form of Kemp’s salary. Ultimately, the trade will save San Diego about $25.5MM, and Olivera will never suit up in a Padres uniform.
The 31-year-old Olivera’s future in Major League Baseball is questionable at best, from this point forth. Neither Atlanta nor San Diego even feigned interest in having Olivera join their active rosters following his suspension, and it stands to reason that others throughout the league will take a similar approach. Olivera was arrested at a Washington D.C.-area hotel back in April and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery of a woman who was reportedly hospitalized and had visible bruising.
While the 2016 season has seen both Aroldis Chapman and Jose Reyes land new jobs after serving suspensions under the same policy, neither wound up going to trial — Chapman was never even arrested — which very likely helped their cases. Furthermore, Olivera has never been a productive player at the minor league or Major League level. And while on-field success would in no way excuse the heinous actions for which he was arrested and charged, his chances of finding additional employment within a Major League organization would be greater had he in any way justified the ill-fated six-year, $62.5MM contract to which he was signed by the Dodgers.
If, for some reason, another club does decide to take a chance on Olivera with what would assuredly be a minor league contract, that club would be responsible only for the pro-rated portion of the league minimum for any time he spends in the Majors. (That sum would be subtracted from the remainder of what he is owed by San Diego.) However, it also seems possible that Olivera’s career in Major League Baseball has come to an abrupt end.