Here are the most recent minor moves of note from around the game:
- Righty Jair Jurrjens has agreed to a minor-league pact with the Dodgers, Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America reports on Twitter and PG Sports first tweeted. The 31-year-old, who once seemed like a budding ace, last threw in the bigs in 2014 and did not pitch last year after a rough Triple-A stint the season prior. But Jurrjens reappeared in the World Baseball Classic, throwing 11 1/3 innings of 2.38 ERA ball for the Netherlands, and earned another shot at a comeback.
- Speaking of former Braves standouts, the Rays have brought back lefty Jonny Venters on a minors deal, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. The 32-year-old finally threw his first competitive pitches last year in the Tampa Bay organization, but again stalled out in his attempt to return from three Tommy John surgeries. The once-excellent southpaw hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2012.
Best of luck to Venters.
Good luck to both JJ and JonnyV. Jurrjens pitched quite well in the WBC, perhaps he has gotten things back together. Venters has just had horrible issues with his health that derailed what started as a very good career as a reliever.
I hope they can get back to the bigs. They were good for the Braves
I think the Dodgers now have at least 12 legitimate starters between AAA and the majors. They’re obviously banking on injuries!
Every year Friedman signs the tired, injured, and ineffective. Sometimes it works often it does not. I just don’t like when signing people like J.J. and Masterson interfere with the opportunity that should be give afforded someone like Wood, etc.
I’d move Wood if they can get something. Useable. I’m just not sold on him.
Rest assured these signings have no barring on anything except AAA. I’ve long not understood why people get so freaked out about MiLB deals. These two are pretty easy to understand right now. The only AAA starter penned in that’s a prospect, of any sort, is Oaks. That’s soon to change when Stewart and Sborz work their way back. That being said I’m not sure I want Font and Castillo trying to eat up innings and destroying the AAA pen, especially if that’s going to be a taxi group. There are MiLB deals because teams still have to compete at AAA, AA, so on so on.