Minor MLB Transactions: 1/11/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Brewers announced today that the minor league contract of southpaw Nick Hagadone has been voided. The live-armed lefty is trying to return from an elbow fracture, which was obviously known beforehand. But “significant issues” arose when his physical was conducted, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, and that scuttled the deal.
- The Phillies have brought back lefty Anthony Vasquez on a minor league pact, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Vasquez, 29, hasn’t seen the majors since a seven-start debut back in 2011. He threw 134 innings last year in the Philadelphia organization, including twenty starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and ended the year with a 4.10 ERA with 5.1 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9.
- Outfielder/first baseman Matt McBride has joined the Athletics on a minor league deal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America notes in his rundown of recent minor moves. McBride has 158 big league plate appearances on his ledger, though he hasn’t done much in his limited opportunities. The right-handed hitter did put up a healthy (albeit park-inflated) .328/.380/.549 slash last year in 337 Triple-A plate appearances.
Gerardo Parra Seeking Three-Year Deal; Rockies, Two Others In Mix
7:43pm: The Angels are not one of the three finalists in on Parra, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. But Parra’s destination still has an impact for Los Angeles, per the report, as the team would have interest in Blackmon if he becomes available.
1:01pm: The Rockies are among three teams currently in the mix for free-agent outfielder Gerardo Parra, his agent, Jose Mijares(not to be confused with the pitcher of the same name) of Octagon tells MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Parra hopes to reach a decision within the “next couple days,” his agent added when speaking to Harding. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post adds that Mijares said Parra is seeking a three-year deal.
Colorado has been connected to Parra on multiple occasions over the past week, with Jon Heyman originally indicating that the Rox were a “serious” suitor for the 28-year-old outfielder. It’s not certain which other teams are in the mix at this point, though Parra has also been prominently linked to the Angels and Nationals recently. The Nationals have long been seeking a left-handed-hitting outfielder, but they may have satisfied that need with the weekend addition of Ben Revere (who came over in a swap that sent Drew Storen to Toronto). The Royals were also said to have interest at one point, although Kansas City re-signed Alex Gordon last week. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that the Padres aren’t in the mix for Parra despite a potential opening in left field.
Parra is coming off a season that featured mixed results. He opened 2015 in Milwaukee and was on pace for a career year, slashing .328/.369/.517 in 351 plate appearances for the Brewers. That excellent production led the Orioles to part with one of their top pitching prospects, right-hander Zach Davies, in order to acquire Parra prior to the non-waiver trade deadline. Parra maintained his brilliant offensive production through his first two weeks with Baltimore, logging an .840 OPS and cracking three homers in 66 trips to the plate. His season went into a swan dive from that point on, however, as he batted a meager .215/.237/.307 over his final 41 games/172 plate appearances. While a notable BABIP spike (.372) inflated his numbers with the Brewers, he fell victim to the opposite swing of the pendulum down the stretch, BABIPing just .243 over the life of that slump. His overall batting line still represented the best of his career, although declining defensive metrics have dragged down his WAR totals despite increased production at the dish.
At one point this offseason, Parra was reported to have received multiple three-year offers, though that came more than a month ago, and it’s not clear to what degree his asking price and/or the offers he has received have changed (if at all). Parra’s ultimate landing spot holds a fair amount of intrigue given the potentially broad range of ramifications his addition could have.
If, for instance, the Rockies’ interest is earnest and the team does end up landing its former division rival (Parra spent parts of six seasons with the D-backs), one would have to imagine the agreement would increase the likelihood of a trade in Denver. The Rockies, after all, already have three left-handed-hitting outfielders in the form of Corey Dickerson, Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez, leaving them without the opportunity to deploy Parra as a platoon mate for any of the three. Gonzalez is the most frequently mentioned trade candidate of the bunch in large part because he’s controllable for a shorter period of time (two years) than either Blackmon (three years) or Dickerson (four years). With $37MM owed to Gonzalez over the span of those two seasons, he’s also far and away the most expensive asset the Rockies currently have in the outfield.
The Angels, on the other hand, currently project to utilize a combination of Craig Gentry and Daniel Nava in left field, giving them room for an upgrade of their own. Anaheim has, in the past, been frequently linked to left-handed bats, and Parra would fill that need for the team. However, signing Parra would almost certainly put the Angels over the luxury tax threshold, barring some form of trade, and owner Arte Moreno reportedly does not wish to exceed that $189MM capacity. (Remember, too, that luxury tax penalties are calculated based on the average annual value of a contract and not the yearly payroll, so heavily backloading a deal would not spare the Halos of that consequence.)
Of course, other teams do make varying degrees of sense as theoretical destinations. The Orioles still have a need in the corner outfield, though they previously were said to prefer a two-year deal. The Indians could certainly use an upgrade in the outfield corners, particularly with Michael Brantley slated to open the season on the disabled list. Likewise, the White Sox have been tied to upgrades but have been reluctant to go near the asking prices set forth by Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes. The Cardinals made a strong run at retaining Jason Heyward, so one can assume they have at least an openness to corner outfield additions, even if it’s not a pressing need. And the Tigers, too, have been tied to left-field upgrades, though Parra wasn’t listed earlier today in a report indicating many of the names they’ve discussed.
Cardinals Sign Seung-Hwan Oh
6:34pm: The deal would max out at $11MM — $5MM in 2016 and $6MM in 2017 — if Oh triggers all available incentives and the team picks up its option, per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (Twitter links).
1:40pm: The Cardinals have officially signed star Korean reliever Seung-hwan Oh to a one-year deal with a club option that reportedly guarantees him about $5MM. Oh, who is represented by Chip Sloan of Pryor Cashman LLP, did not require a posting fee to sign because he was a free agent.
Known by the nicknames “Stone Buddha” and “Final Boss,” Oh is perhaps the most celebrated Korean closer with 498 games finished over an 11-season career split between Korea and Japan. The right-hander has a career 1.81 ERA, 10.7 K/9, and 2.1 BB/9 over 646 1/3 innings between the two countries. In 2013, after nine seasons in the hitter-friendly KBO, Oh made the transition to the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and continued his success, including a 2015 campaign that saw him post a 2.73 ERA, 8.6 K/9, and 2.1 BB/9. A two-year old scouting report credits him with a mid-90s fastball, hard slider, and slow curve. MLBTR’s Steve Adams spoke to a pair of scouts earlier this offseason that praised Oh’s fastball and labeled his slider as at least an average offering. As Han Lee of Global Sporting Integration tweets, Oh would become the fourth Korean reliever to jump from NPB to the Majors, joining predecessors Sang-Hoon Lee, Dae-Sung Koo and Chang-Yong Lim. (None of the three pitched more than a season in MLB, though none came with Oh’s track record in Asia, either.)
Oh won’t be the “final boss” of the St. Louis bullpen, given Trevor Rosenthal‘s firm hold on the closer’s job, though he will add some much-needed depth to a back-end bullpen trio that saw a lot of action in 2015; setup man Kevin Siegrist appeared in a league-high 81 games, with Seth Maness (76 games) and Rosenthal (68) also seeing a lot of work. The additions of Oh (if completed) and the re-signed Jonathan Broxton will give manager Mike Matheny more flexibility in deciding his late-game options.
Daniel Kim of KBSn first reported that the sides were close to agreement (via Twitter). Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the deal was nearing finalization, pending physical, and reported the contract value.
Jocketty: No Deal Between Reds, Alfredo Rodriguez
6:43pm: Cincinnati president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty said that team and player “do not have a deal,” as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. As Rosecrans adds, though, that doesn’t necessarily mean an agreement isn’t in place, as most executives would decline to confirm such an agreement before it’s final. And Jocketty did admit that Rodriguez “is a player of interest.”
6:11pm: The Reds have struck a deal with Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez that will pay him $6MM, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Rodriguez, 21, left Cuba back in May in hopes of pursuing a career in the major leagues.
Importantly, as Sanchez, explains, the signing will put Cincinnati into the max penalty for international bonus spending. The club had been just within its allotment after its prior signings, but is now set not only to pay a 100% tax on its overages but also to lose its ability to sign an international player for over $300K for the next two signing periods. With that bullet bitten, it’s fair to wonder whether the Reds will pursue additional players before this July 2 period closes.
Ben Badler of Baseball America provided an explanation of the youngster’s abilities when he left Cuba. The key takeaway is that Rodriguez is a polished defender who has a long way to go with the bat.
Rodriguez won the Rookie of the Year award in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, based largely on his impeccable glovework (and the defection of leading candidate Yusnier Diaz). Indeed, he hit just .265/.301/.284 over 304 plate appearances on the way to earning the award. Rodriguez also has good wheels, according to Badler, which certainly could boost his odds of eventually cracking the majors.
MLB Declares Randy Arozarena Free Agent
Cuban infielder/outfielder Randy Arozarena has been declared a free agent, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 20-year-old joins fellow standout Lazaro Armenteros as intriguing prospects who are now free to join an MLB organization.
According to Badler, Arozarena will hold a showcase in Mexico on January 22. Expectations appear to be that he’ll sign in relatively short order after that occurs. Notably, Arozarena will be subject to international bonus limitations.
In its last ranking of young Cuban talent, BA listed Arozarena as the ninth-best prospect who was (then) still on the island. Calling him a “quick-twitch athlete,” Badler praises Arozarena for his speed and says he could play up the middle and feature at the top of a big league lineup — if he reaches his potential.
While it doesn’t seem as if there’s a lot of power projection for the youngster, Badler does say he’s got enough pop to be a double-digit home run threat despite generally featuring a “line-drive approach.” And he’s said to have good contact skills, bat speed, plate discipline, and pitch recognition, making for an appealing overall package.
Defense remains something of a question, as Arozarena has moved around quite a bit in recent years. He has a history at shortstop and has featured there in showcases, but as Badler explains he has also been utilized quite a bit in the outfield in recent years. It’s not clear yet where Arozarena will end up, but it appears likely that he has a good shot at being able to handle a challenging defensive assignment in the long run, adding to his value.
Though he’s a fair bit older than Lazarito, Arozarena is still not a player who’ll be pursued for his immediate impact. Badler guesses that he’d be likely to open at the High-A level to start the 2016 campaign, suggesting it could be a few years until he factors at the major league level.
Cuban Prospect Lazaro Armenteros Declared Free Agent By MLB
Sixteen-year-old Cuban phenom Lazaro Armenteros — more commonly referred to simply as “Lazarito” — has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Armenteros will be eligible to sign beginning on Feb. 10. Because he is just 16 years of age, Armenteros will be subject to international spending limitations. Any club that has already exceeded its budget — or any club that exceeds its budget to sign the infielder/outfielder — will be required to a pay a 100 percent luxury tax on the amount by which the pool has been exceeded.
Armenteros hosted a open showcase for interested clubs at the Padres’ facility in the Dominican Republic last Friday, as Ben Badler of Baseball America wrote a week ago (Badler’s piece also includes video footage of Armenteros, and Badler further noted on Twitter that the location of his showcase was not an indicator of a team having the inside track on signing him). In a subscription-only scouting report from November, Badler called Armenteros one of the most promising players in Cuba, noting that he has “good bat speed, a strong frame and a chance to hit for big power.” Armenteros is “much more well-rounded” than Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who signed with Toronto for a $3.9MM bonus last summer, per Badler.
Both MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale have profiled Armenteros relatively recently as well. One AL scouting director told Sanchez that Armenteros is a “front-line guy” that possesses “lots of tools, size, strength and potential.” Sanchez interviewed Armenteros himself about his decision to pursue a Major League opportunity and leave his native country behind. As he explained to Sanchez, Armenteros was sanctioned by the Cuban government and not allowed to return to his 15U team in Cuba at the beginning of last season, which helped him to make the decision. Armenteros rejected the notion that he was sanctioned due to anti-government sentiments by others in his family, telling Sanchez that he doesn’t know why he was sanctioned, as the government would not give his father a good answer.
Within Nightengale’s profile, he gives an idea of how well-regarded Armenteros is not just among MLB clubs but worldwide. Per Nightengale, a Japanese team has shown a willingness to pay Armenteros upwards of $15MM to play in Nippon Professional Baseball, although the specific term and details were not included alongside the base sum of the reported offer. Nightengale chronicles Armenteros’ journey to Haiti and eventually establishing residency in the Dominican Republic, where he now resides and works out six days a week.
Because he’s eligible to sign this winter, Armenteros will be available to clubs that have already exceeded their international bonus pool during the 2015-16 signing period. That includes the Dodgers, Cubs, Royals and Giants, each of whom has already been subjected to luxury tax penalties on international prospects (particularly the Dodgers). Teams that exceeded their 2014-15 pools and are limited this offseason, however, will not be able to sign Armenteros, as they’re prohibited from exceeding $300K on a single signing bonus for an international prospect. That restriction rules out the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Angels and Diamondbacks from making a run at the raw but highly touted Armenteros.
Orioles Interested In Minors Deal With Gavin Floyd
Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters, including Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun, that the team has invited right-hander Gavin Floyd in for a tryout at their mini-camp. Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com adds (also via Twitter) that Baltimore is considering a Spring Training invite for the Maryland native and Moye Sports Associates client, should the audition go well. The O’s have long been interested in the local product, having been connected to him in multiple offseasons prior to this one. As MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko notes in writing about Showalter’s comments, the O’s made a two-year offer to Floyd prior to the 2014 season.
Floyd, who turns 33 later this month, spent the 2015 season in the Indians organization. He’s been largely out of action across the past three seasons due to a slew of injuries, beginning with Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2013 season. Floyd returned strong with Atlanta in 2014 and hurled 54 1/3 innings of 2.65 ERA ball, but he fractured the olecranon bone on the tip of his right elbow and was forced to miss the remainder of the season after that promising start. Incredibly, after inking a one-year deal with Cleveland last winter, Floyd suffered the exact same injury in Spring Training — an olecranon fracture — that cost him the bulk of the 2015 campaign.
Floyd did surface with the Indians in the season’s final month, throwing 13 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA, seven strikeouts and four walks out of the Cleveland bullpen. Late in the season, Floyd told reporters that he because he enjoyed the city of Cleveland and loved how he was treated by the organization, he’d be interested in re-signing. However, the resurgence of Josh Tomlin and the emergence of young right-hander Cody Anderson left the Indians pretty well stocked with rotation depth.
The Orioles, on the other hand, could very much use some depth pieces for the rotation. Baltimore stands to lose left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, its most consistent starter, to free agency this offseason. That would thin out what was already a very underwhelming group of starters in 2015. The collective unit took a step backwards in large part due to struggles by stalwart Chris Tillman and his fellow right-hander, Miguel Gonzalez. In addition to that duo, the Orioles have the unproven-but-promising Kevin Gausmann as well as newcomer Vance Worley and the inconsistent Ubaldo Jimenez. Right-hander Mike Wright, too, is in the rotation picture, although he posted a 6.04 ERA in 44 2/3 innings last season in his Major League debut.
Diamondbacks Sign Wesley Wright
The Diamondbacks signed left-handed reliever Wesley Wright to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, according to a tweet from the team’s Triple-A affiliate. The Reynolds Sports client, presumably, will compete for a bullpen job in Spring Training with the D-backs.
Wright, 31 later this month, totaled just 7 1/3 innings in the Majors last season between the Orioles and Angels, as a shoulder strain kept him on the disabled list for more than three months. While 2015 was somewhat of a lost season for the lefty, Wright had put together a solid track record across the four prior seasons when he worked to a combined 3.25 ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 166 1/3 innings between the Astros and Cubs.
Wright yielded a huge number of fly-balls in last season’s small sample of work, but he’s historically been more of a ground-ball pitcher, as evidenced by the 52.7 percent ground-ball rate that he recorded during that strong run from 2011-14. Wright doesn’t throw particularly hard, but his 90 mph fastball has enough life considering his handedness, and he’s held left-handed batters to a .237/.313/.334 batting line across parts of eight Major League seasons. Of course, on the flip-side of that equation, he’s yielded a .263/.353/.476 batting line to right-handed batters, so the D-backs would likely need to be cognizant of playing matchups in most situations were Wright to make the club.
The Diamondbacks have a number of right-handed arms that will compete for spots in the bullpen, but there’s a lack of left-handed options for manager Chip Hale in the bullpen. Andrew Chafin enjoyed a strong season in 2015 due in large part to his impressive ground-ball rate, but Matt Reynolds is the only other lefty relief option with notable Major League experience, and he struggled quite a bit in his return from 2014 Tommy John surgery. Elsewhere on the 40-man roster, Keith Hessler struggled in his big league debut last year, and Will Locante needs more minor league time before being a realistic option for the MLB club.
Giants Designate Cody Hall For Assignment
The Giants have designated right-hander Cody Hall for assignment, per MLB.com’s Chris Haft (Twitter link). The move creates a roster spot for the newly-signed Denard Span.
Hall, who just turned 28 earlier this week, made his Major League debut in 2015, posting a 6.48 ERA over 8 1/3 relief innings for San Francisco. Hall was a 19th-round draft pick for the Giants in 2011, and he’s pitched exclusively as a reliever over the course of his pro career. In 254 1/3 minor league frames, Hall has a 2.62 ERA, 10.4 K/9 and 3.26 K/BB rate. Baseball America ranked Hall as the Giants’ 19th-best prospect prior to the 2015 season, although this past year wasn’t his best. Hall worked to a 3.46 ERA with 7.3 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He also made his big league debut, tossing 8 1/3 innings for the Giants but yielding six runs on 10 hits and four walks for a 6.48 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in that brief sample.
Hall joins five other players in DFA limbo according to the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker.
AL Central Notes: Tigers, McDonald, Chen, Indians, Twins
The Tigers have discussed signing a variety of bats in an effort to bolster their production from left field, including Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes and Dexter Fowler, reports Jon Heyman (links to Twitter). Detroit has even talked about Chris Davis and Ian Desmond as possible options in left field, Heyman adds. However, there’s also the possibility that the Tigers simply go a more affordable route, adding a platoon bat such as Ryan Raburn to pair with the left-handed-hitting Anthony Gose. (Raburn represents a highly familiar name for Detroit, as he spent parts of seven seasons in a Tigers uniform.) Any additions made by the Tigers will come down to the financial requirements, Heyman notes, as money is a “real question” for the Tigers. Of course, earlier this winter, owner Mike Ilitch flatly told reporters that he “[doesn’t] care about spending money,” so agents may be hoping to pitch directly to Ilitch as opposed to GM Al Avila, who has preached a more measured approach to spending thus far.
Here’s more from the AL Central…
- Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press also weighs in on Detroit’s outfield search (Twitter link). Fenech hears that the Tigers would need an impact outfielder to settle for a short-term deal in order for said player to be a realistic option at this point. Raburn, Fenech reports, is indeed in play for the Tigers at this time, however.
- The Indians have added a pair of recent big leaguers to their player development staff, naming defensive wizard John McDonald their new minor league infield coordinator and lefty Bruce Chen their cultural development coordinator (hat tip: MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, on Twitter). McDonald spent seven seasons playing for the Indians, batting just .229/.268/.305 but playing brilliant defense, as was his calling card over the life of his 16-year career. Chen logged just 6 1/3 innings in an Indians uniform at the end of his career, but the veteran was long praised for his clubhouse demeanor. Chen appeared on the MLBTR Podcast to discuss his retirement as a player last May and was an excellent guest with many fascinating stories for those who are interested.
- The Royals‘ decision to re-sign Alex Gordon is the exact type of move that the Indians should have made (or should still make) this offseason, opines Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hoynes writes that the Royals have made a statement by exceeding their comfort levels to not only retain Gordon but bring Joakim Soria back into the fold on a three-year contract. Meanwhile, Cleveland has operated on the fringes of the market, adding Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis on one-year deals. Hoynes feels that while ownership has every right to be a bit hesitant after the Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn contracts turned into busts, it’s difficult to construct a team capable of making a deep playoff run with this approach to the offseason. Hoynes argues that Cleveland should be taking advantage of the AL’s top rotation, the league’s second-best bullpen ERA and a markedly improved defense by aggressively pursuing their greatest need: a run-producing outfielder to slot into the middle of the lineup.
- After years of struggling, the Twins received respectable, albeit unspectacular results from their rotation in 2015 (16th in the Majors in ERA) and now have depth heading into Spring Training, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. Per Bollinger, Ervin Santana, Kyle Gibson, Phil Hughes and Tyler Duffey can probably be penciled in for rotation spots. Competing for the fifth spot will be Tommy Milone, Trevor May, Ricky Nolasco and top prospect Jose Berrios. While Berrios isn’t expected to open the year in the Majors, he should debut at some point this season, Bollinger notes. He also adds that returning to the rotation is May’s preference, but his excellence in transitioning to a bullpen role out of necessity last season has manager Paul Molitor leaning toward keeping May in the bullpen. Nolasco is still owed $25MM through 2017 and will have every opportunity to earn a rotation job this spring, but he could end up as a very expensive long reliever as well, Bollinger adds.