Notable Opening Day Roster Decisions
With Opening Day fast approaching, and a variety of deadlines hitting clubs around the league, we’re seeing plenty of final roster and initial playing time decisions being made. While many don’t necessarily implicate control rights or other contractual matters, some are particularly noteworthy. Among them:
- Ricky Nolasco has won the Twins‘ final rotation spot, with the club optioning Tyler Duffey to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger tweets. The 25-year-old Duffey had an impressive ten-game debut last year, but was outperformed in camp by the high-priced veteran Nolasco, who struck out 14 in his 13 1/3 innings. Duffey, meanwhile, surrendered a 7.30 ERA in 12 1/3 innings, with six walks to go with just six strikeouts. Minnesota also seems to have set its pen and the rest of its 25-man Opening Day roster, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune tweets, by reassigning Logan Darnell to minor league camp. It appears that Fernando Abad will function as the sole lefty middle reliever on the club.
- It appears that reliever Craig Breslow has made the Marlins‘ roster, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets. Breslow inked a minor league deal with Miami this winter and will earn $1.5MM in 2016 if he makes the roster.
- The Giants have optioned catcher Andrew Susac and will go with Trevor Brown in the reserve role to open the season, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area was among those to report on Twitter. Susac has dealt with injuries this spring and could certainly stand to receive more steady playing time. That creates a nice opportunity for the 24-year-old Brown, a glove-first receiver who has a lot to prove with the bat.
- The Brewers will go with Yadiel Rivera and Rule 5 pick Colin Walsh as bench infielders, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. That leaves Hernan Perez without an apparent role. He’s out of options, so a roster move could be coming for the 25-year-old. Meanwhile, Walsh will get a chance to stick in Milwaukee, which is obviously intrigued at the idea of keeping his future rights.
Angels Acquire Chris Jones From Orioles
The Orioles announced that they have acquired minor league outfielder Natanael Delgado and infielder Erick Salcedo from the Angels in exchange for right-hander Chris Jones.
Jones, 27, was designated for assignment less than a week ago. Now, he has been traded for the third time in his career. As Tim Dierkes noted on Wednesday, Jones was sent by the Indians to the Braves in October 2011 in the Derek Lowe trade. In April 2013, he was traded from Atlanta to the Orioles for Luis Ayala. Last year, Jones made 22 starts and eight relief appearances for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate. In that span, he posted a 2.94 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9. Jones will help provide rotational depth in Triple-A, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (on Twitter).
Delgado, 20, was ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the Angels’ system after the 2014 season by Baseball America. Delgado signed with the Angels for $280K in 2012 and has tacked on muscle mass and strength since then, per BA. Blessed with “extremely strong hands and above-average bat speed,” Baseball America believes that he’ll have to improve his hitting in order to have value going forward.
Salcedo, 23 in June, has seen time at shortstop, second base, third base, center field, and right field in the minors. The Orioles’ press release indicates that his future will be in the infield, however. Salcedo was ranked as the Angels’ No. 27 prospect after the 2013 season by BA.
Rangers Acquire Bryan Holaday From Tigers
The Rangers announced that they have acquired catcher Bryan Holaday from the Tigers in exchange for right-hander Myles Jaye and catcher Bobby Wilson. In a related move, the Rangers have designated left-handed pitcher Sam Freeman for assignment.
The Rangers have been on the lookout for a catcher this offseason and it appears that the asking prices for their more ambitious targets were too high. Texas was connected to Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy as well as Padres catcher Derek Norris. A little over a week ago, however, Rangers GM Jon Daniels said that he was prepared to go into the season with the catchers he already had in camp.
“At this point I anticipate both our catchers are in camp,” Daniels said. “We are open if there is a true improvement to the team, but we’re not going to change for change’s sake.”
Now, Daniels has found what he perceives to be a better understudy for Robinson Chirinos. The Rangers will presumably use Holaday as their No. 2 catcher instead of Chris Gimenez, Michael McKenry, or 2010 sixth-round pick Brett Nicholas, who was said to be having a strong spring. Holaday is not as big of a name as Lucroy, but he came at a much lower cost than the Brewers catcher would have and is also more affordable (Lucroy will earn $4MM in 2016).
Holaday was out-of-options and didn’t have a spot in Detroit with James McCann and Jarrod Saltalamacchia ahead of him. The 28-year-old TCU product has appeared in the majors in each of the last four seasons for the Tigers. Over a combined 282 plate appearances, he owns a .251/.283/.340 slash line. In parts of three Triple-A seasons, he has slashed .245/.305/.339.
Wilson, 32, spent time with the Rays and Rangers in 2015 and didn’t do much with his bat in 147 plate appearances (.189 /.255/.250). Of course, Wilson isn’t known much for his offense and instead has built his reputation as an excellent defensive catcher.
Jaye is a 24-year-old right-handed starter. A former 17th round pick of the Blue Jays in 2010, Jaye pitched to a 3.29 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 26 Double-A outings last year.
Freeman is out-of-options and the Rangers did not have a spot for him on their 40-man roster. The 28-year-old seems likely to get picked up by a team in need of relief help. For his career, Freeman owns a 3.23 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 across four big league seasons.
AL & NL East Roster Decisions
The Red Sox intend to use Brock Holt as their primary option in left field against left-handed pitching, Ian Browne of MLB.com tweets. That means that high-priced Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo will be battling with Chris Young for playing time against righties. While both could certainly be in the lineup at the same time, manager John Farrell suggested that he sees both Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts as more or less everyday options, as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. That certainly could leave few options for Castillo, who is looking to make good on the big contract he signed as a free agent out of Cuba.
Here’s a look at more notable roster moves to come from the East divisions:
- It’s “a given” that Juan Lagares and Yoenis Cespedes will both be in the Mets‘ lineup against left-handed pitching, ESPNNewYork.com’s tweets. It’s not yet clear whether Michael Conforto or Curtis Granderson will see the lion’s share of time in right field when a southpaw is on the mound, he adds, but the scenario figures to cut into their time. As for Alejandro De Aza, it’s unclear when and how he’ll get action, though a late-spring trade still seems possible.
- Meanwhile, the Mets appear not to have any cause for concern with righty Matt Harvey, who is dealing with blood clots in his bladder but is expected to open the season on the active roster, according to WFAN’s Ed Coleman (h/t to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, via Twitter). Alarm bells were rung after the team announced an undisclosed medical issue for the star hurler, but it seems he’s still in line to take the ball on April 3rd.
- Erasmo Ramirez will start out in the pen for the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). He’ll presumably move back into the rotation when the need for a fifth starter arises, but Tampa Bay is set to use four starters for most of the first five weeks of the year.
AL West Roster Decisions: Rangers, Angels, A’s
Hanser Alberto, Ryan Rua, and Justin Ruggiano will all make the Rangers‘ roster, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was among those to tweet. Ruggiano, 34 in April, inked a one-year, $1.65MM major league deal with the Rangers in December. Even though the late-February addition of Ian Desmond has made Ruggiano’s presence something of a luxury, it sounds like Texas will hang on to the veteran to start the year.
Here’s a rundown of some of the more important roster decisions to take place in the AL West today:
- Nick Martinez has been optioned by the Rangers, which will likely make A.J. Griffin the team’s fifth starter, as The Associated Press writes. Griffin, 28, has not pitched in a major league game since 2013 thanks to a Tommy John operation in the spring of 2014. In 47 starts between 2012 and 2013, Griffin pitched to a 3.60 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.
- Veteran righty Al Alburquerque has been optioned by the Angels, per a club announcement. That may line up Cam Bedrosian for the final pen spot. He’s rung up an impressive number of opposing hitters via strikeout this spring. Alburquerque had a rough year in 2015, but he chalked up his struggles to an offseason battle with the Chikungunya virus. Last year, the 29-year-old (30 in June) pitched to a 4.21 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.
- The A’s have optioned Jesse Hahn, as MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets. The move likely means that Felix Doubront will serve as Oakland’s fifth starter. The A’s acquired Doubront from the Blue Jays at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for cash. The left-hander went on to make eight starts and three relief appearances for Oakland and posted a 5.81 ERA.
Diamondbacks Release Matt Reynolds
The Diamondbacks announced that they have unconditionally released left-hander Matt Reynolds.
Reynolds, 31, agreed to an arbitration-avoiding deal with Arizona back in November which gave him a $675K salary for 2016. He also could have added $25K to that sum with 55 appearances. The southpaw spent the bulk of 2015 in Triple-A Reno where he pitched to a 5.58 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 across 50 innings. He also spent the last five weeks of the season with Arizona where he allowed seven earned runs while striking out 18 batters with seven walks across 13 2/3 innings.
Back in November, MLBTR’s Steve Adams identified Reynolds as a potential non-tender candidate. The D’Backs retained the reliever for less than his projected $800K arbitration salary, but his improved value apparently did not sell the team on keeping him. Reynolds is a client of agent John Shinn, as shown in the MLBTR Agency Database.
MLBTR Live Chat: 3/29/16
Click here to read a transcript of today’s live chat with host Jeff Todd.
Article XX(B) Free Agents Update: Tuesday
Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement contains a provision that allows certain free agents who are signed to minor league contracts to receive a $100K retention bonus if they are not on the team’s 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list five days prior to the season.
Free agents who qualify for this distinction are those who have at least six years of Major League service time and had a Major League contract expire at the end of the previous season, but signed a minor league deal ten or more days prior to Opening Day.
The deadline for teams to decide on these players is today at 11am central time. By the deadline, teams with these players in camp need to decide whether to:
- Add the player to their 25-man roster or Major League disabled list (or agree to do so in writing).
- Grant the player his outright release from the minor league contract so that he may pursue opportunities with other teams.
- Pay the player a $100K retention bonus to keep him in the organization beyond the deadline and send him to the minors.
Here’s the latest news from around the league on Article XX(B) signees and their roster statuses with their respective teams (newest updates on top):
- Matt Thornton has been told that he’ll break camp with the Padres, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). The veteran southpaw signed fairly late in camp after failing to find a big league deal, ultimately reaching a minor league pact that will pay him $1.6MM at the MLB level. He can also take home up to $1.9MM in incentives depending upon how many appearances he makes.
Earlier Updates
- Outfielder Ryan Raburn will be added to the Rockies‘ 40-man roster, Nick Groke of the Denver Post clarifies (Twitter links). He figures to play an important part-time role on the club, which features three left-handed outfielders in its regular lineup.
- The Braves have announced that outfielder Jeff Francoeur has made the Opening Day roster, with the team purchasing his contract. He’ll play a reserve role in his return to Atlanta, where he once featured as one of the most exciting young players in baseball.
- The Padres appear set to pay Brandon Morrow the $100K retention bonus to remain with the organization, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Morrow, 31, still needs to stretch out after getting a late start this spring.
- The Nationals have officially added righty Matt Belisle to the club’s 40-man roster and will be active on Opening Day, the team announced. He represents a somewhat surprising victor in the pen battle, and his addition seemingly leaves the organization with just one open job to give to minor league free agent lefty Sean Burnett or optionable righties Trevor Gott and Blake Treinen.
- Veteran outfielder Matt Joyce has made the Pirates‘ Opening Day roster and will be added to the 40-man, GM Neal Huntington told reporters including Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). He had a forgettable 2015, but put up strong numbers in camp.
- Likewise, the Indians announced yesterday that southpaw Tom Gorzelanny will remain in the organization in the minor league system. He’ll be due a $100K bonus for the privilege.
This post originally incorrectly listed Alex Torres as an Article XX(B) free agent.
Cubs Release, Re-Sign Victorino, Parra, Kawasaki
1:55pm: The team has indeed reached new contracts with all three players, ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers reports on Twitter.
10:43am: The Cubs have released Shane Victorino, Manny Parra, and Munenori Kawasaki, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports (Twitter links). Chicago has interest in reaching new deals with all three, but obviously wasn’t willing to add them to the active roster or pay the $100K roster bonuses that each would have commanded as an Article XX(B) free agent.
Victorino had already been told he wouldn’t make the active roster, and is reportedly taking an opportunity to rehab his injured calf before moving onto the Triple-A roster. The other two players also seemed like longshots to crack a deep Cubs roster coming into the spring. Parra, 33, has had his moments as a southpaw pen piece, but was looking up at Travis Wood and Clayton Richard in the organization’s pecking order. Things were even tougher for the defensive-minded Kawasaki, who was buried behind multiple infielders.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/29/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Padres righty Philip Humber has decided to retire after learning he wouldn’t make the club, A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. Now 33, Humber was once the third overall pick in the amateur draft, but never was able to consistently deliver results at the MLB level and will end his career with a 5.31 ERA in 371 innings. He last cracked the majors back in 2013 with the Astros. Of course, Humber also twirled an exceedingly rare perfect game for the White Sox in 2012, giving him quite a notable place in the history books.
- Shane Robinson has requested and been given his release by the Indians, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports on Twitter. Robinson had been on the fringes of the Cleveland outfield competition, but the club was set to go with other options and he exercised the opt-out clause that MLBTR recently reported. The 31-year-old is valued more for his glove than his bat; he owns a .237/.302/.313 batting line in 649 career plate appearances over parts of six seasons.
- As expected, Roberto Hernandez has officially exercised his opt-out clause and requested that he be released by the Blue Jays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. The 35-year-old is hopeful of finding a major league opportunity elsewhere after Toronto decided not to add him to the active roster (and take on what would have been a $1.25MM salary). In 84 2/3 innings last year, Hernandez worked to a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
- Lefty Caleb Thielbar is headed to the indy league St. Paul Saints, Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com tweets. The former Twins southpaw, who’s just 29, played a bit role in Minnesota’s pen over 2013-14 but only got five innings in the majors last year. He had good run prevention numbers at Triple-A, but uninspiring peripherals may have tamped down interest from major league teams.