TODAY: The D-Backs have indeed re-signed Blanco to a new minors deal, per a club announcement. It contains the same terms — a $1MM potential base salary and $2.7MM in available incentives — as the old one, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter).
YESTERDAY, 9:29pm: Arizona would like to re-sign Blanco, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter links). With an oblique injury slowing Blanco, the club wasn’t “comfortable making the call on him for the Opening Day roster tomorrow” (the Article XX(B) deadline), thus leading to tonight’s move.
9:11pm: The Diamondbacks have released veteran outfielder Gregor Blanco, per a team announcement. He’ll return to the open market in search of another opportunity after failing to crack the team’s Opening Day roster.
The 33-year-old Blanco was an Article XX(B) free agent, meaning the club would have had to pay him a $100K roster bonus to keep him in the minors (assuming he’d not have opted out at that point). Though it seemed entering camp that Blanco would have a reasonable shot at making the team, he hit just .225/.295/.400 in spring action.
Blanco’s offensive production tanked last year, as he scuffled to a .224/.309/.311 slash. But he had been quite a steady performer over the four preceding seasons with the Giants, often as a semi-regular player. Blanco slashed a solid .264/.343/.367 with 18 homers and 69 stolen bases in 1,565 trips to the plate from 2012 through 2015.
I’ll try again, Braves?
Literally every guy released someone says “this has Braves written all over it”. I know they suck, but geez.
but its low risk high reward and he can be flipped for a couple of prospects at the deadline.
Nobody is giving up a “couple of prospects” for Gregor “I got cut in Spring” Blanco.
Lol maybe a single A guy that won’t ever make it
Insert a guy that had a high ceiling 30 years old not but never found it
I think you missed ol’ chester’s sarcasm there
That wasn’t sarcasm
so true hahah
It’s embarrassing people, we have become bottom feeders… remember how we use to poke fun of the royals claiming our scraps??? We are the freaking royals when they sucked… stop making it worse salivating over the blancos that r about to be hitting the pavement left and right…and if someone says veteran leadership I will use my particular skills to hunt you, find you, and beat you with JGomes bat! On the bright side we are almost through the tough times… our 40/25 man will be feeling the squeeze this time next year 🙂
I agree. We do need one more platoon outfielder. Great defense and cheap
Tigers? Mets?
Dang!
Always pulling for the Great White Shark!
(Hand on head like a fin)
Good luck to a good guy
I was hoping he’d make the team in Arizona. I guess this means Hazelbaker will be the 4th OFer?
So giants fans, who’d you rather have, blanco or pagan. One of them has to be better than a carrera/Upton platoon in TO.
This reminds me of when people were upset at the Giants cutting Andres Torres–“He had one bad year and we get rid of him??” Correction. He had one GOOD year. That’s the problem.
This move by the D’backs new FO speaks volumes about them, their expectations and the distinctiveness of this FO differentiated from previous D’backs FOs! I thought, and I think many others thought they would keep Blanco. He has a great reputation and proven track record. I’ve always liked and respected his game. But the FO said “I’m not giving anybody anything based on the past. Perform for us right now.” Blanco couldn’t because of his injury, so the FO stuck to their script and cut him. I’m beginning to replace hope, for respect for Hazen, et al.
Considering they just resigned him, I wonder what your views are now.
Shouldn’t change anything. What the FO accomplished by releasing and re-signing him is the flexibility to keep him in the minors while he gets healthy and tries to prove himself without paying him the extra bonus it would cost to add him to the 40 Man roster and place him on the DL, which would require the team to cut loose another player to make room. Smart move by the DBacks
So they are smart for releasing him, but they are also smart for resigning him. Alright….
Lol same old d-bags
Then again, maybe it’s just paying him the $100,000.oo Bonus that was the obstacle, and you’re just reading what you want to read. It does say they are hoping to re=sign him (after avoiding the payout). Is it just me, or does it seem like after teams pay millions to FA’s, when they all pull this stunt with less than star players, they come across as cheap and petty.
Earlier this Spring, Kendrick and Hall said the payroll for the team would be around $102MM this year and there was flexibility to add payroll during the season if the team is competitive and needs another piece or two. So, I don’t think the $100,000 was the critical issue. Money issues are not driving decisions for the D’backs right now. Hazen seems to think what many of us think, that the D’backs have a very competitive core, but vastly underperformed last year. So he’s being careful about building the fringe players around this core, so as not to make mistakes. There just wasn’t enough time to evaluate Blanco.
Athletics need him