Let’s catch up on some of the recent minor moves from around the game:
- Righty Jumbo Diaz is a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment from the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. The bulky 33-year-old had a solid 2016 campaign but scuffled upon arriving in Tampa Bay. In his thirty innings, he was touched for a 5.70 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.
- The Blue Jays have outrighted righty Lucas Harrell to Triple-A, per a club announcement. He’ll have the option of rejecting that assignment. Harrell, 32, turned in six solid starts at Triple-A before earning a call-up, but was knocked around in his four appearances with the Jays.
- Right-hander Tyrell Jenkins has been released by the Padres, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Jenkins, who just turned 25, had a 14-appearance taste of the majors last year with the Braves, but struggled badly. He had generally performed quite well in the upper minors previously, but coughed up 71 earned runs on 111 hits in his 82 1/3 Triple-A frames in the Padres organization this season.
- The Diamondbacks have inked righty David Carpenter to a minors deal, per a club announcement from the indy ball Bridgeport Bluefish. Once a quality MLB reliever, Carpenter washed out of the majors with arm issues. He posted a 1.91 ERA and racked up 45 strikeouts in his 37 2/3 innings on the year.
- Catcher Steve Clevenger has signed with the Atlantic League’s Lancaster Barnstormers, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter link). Clevenger lost his job with the Mariners last year after a Twitter controversy. The 31-year-old will be looking to earn his way back into the affiliated ranks.
- The Twins have added righty Michael Kohn on a minors deal, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports (Twitter links). He’ll continue rehabbing a rotator cuff injury that has kept him off the mound since 2015. Kohn previously turned in 115 innings of 3.52 ERA ball — but with 6.2 walks to go with his 8.7 strikeouts per nine — in parts of five seasons of MLB action.
- Outfielder Michael Choice is heading to the KBO, as the Brewers announced they’ve sold his contract to the Nexen Heroes. Still just 27 years of age, the former top prospect was released by the Orioles after struggling early this year at Triple-A. But he has found his groove at Double-A Biloxi, slashing .272/.349/.503 over 195 plate appearances.
71 EARNED RUNS IN 82-SOME INNINGS, nice, I guess I’m the only one who remembers the Padres highlighting his entire life when they claimed him from whoever it was, sad.
That’s not good is it?
They basically treated him like a blue chip top piece when they acquired him, when he’s simply a AAAA pitcher, probably just a AA pitcher now.
It’s the Padres, they need any hype they can get. Remember, this is the team that drafted Johnny Manziel a few years ago.
Ya but they drafted Matt Bush too, and he’s a beast. Sometimes they hit home runs in the draft.
-Pretty crazy numbers and a seemingly inglorious career for Jenkins, once highly coveted. Gotta love baseball, you never know.
-Welcome to Lancaster Clevenger
Michael Choice was the A’s top prospect at one time then the rangers how they keep fallen from their expectations is amazing
So much power, but his inability to make regular contact killed him.
Not quite ready to give up on Jenkins just yet.
.356 BABIP could have something to do with his struggles in the Pacific Coast League, as well as a lack of durability and ability to control his pitches late in games.
However, given his mid-upper 90’s fastball and ability to induce ground balls at an unbelievable 48.2% for his career, I would love to see a team bring him in and let him try his hand at the bullpen.
Figure the fastball plays up- he could be hitting 98-99.
Just remember- most of the best relievers in history started off as failed starters. Feel like Miami would be a good fit.
That’s not a good groundball percentage
Actually, 48.2% is pretty good. That would be the 22nd best GB% in the majors this season,
Consider me corrected. I generally think of below 50% grounders as a sign of someone as someone who profiles as a “flyball” pitcher. Coupled with the amount of hits he gives up it paints a picture of a pitcher with good velocity but lacking in “stuff” or movement
Well, if a pitcher got zero strikeouts or pop ups then that would be correct. But generally any number higher than 45% on either fly balls or ground balls make a pitcher an outlier in that direction. Groundball pitchers, especially extreme ones like this, tend to get hurt by bad defenses and the normal bad luck on balls in play. Fly ball pitchers tend to have very low BA against, because fly balls are turned into outs much more easily.
I don’t know Jenkins specific issue, but he’s pitching in a terrible park and league and obviously putting the ball in play so much in that environment is a bad idea.
71 runs 82 innimgs. Babip being that high would mean he still pitches with periphials north of 5 easily. So he’d still suck just not as bad.
Yeah, he’s had some bad luck, but that doesn’t hide the fact that he’s still not very good.
Want to hear some other memorable names in the Atlantic League (or at least were at some point this year).
Alfredo Simon, Jerome Williams, Vinnie Pestano, Alberto Callaspo (who’s killing it by the way), Gary Brown, David Aardsma,Manny Corpas and John Lannan.
Its like the island of misfit toys over there.
Oh my god, Nats should bring back Lannan to solve their pen issues!
if I remember correct, Alberto Callaspo was traded to the Dodgers, and then was decent, but never got a chance to play again
Callaspo kind of had the Chase Headley issue; he was a decent hitter who got on base but had no power, so it was hard to justify playing him at third or first. Unlike Headley, Callaspo was not a good defensive third baseman, so there wasn’t much room for him on a major league roster.
Not to say I care that much but why are they allowed to trade choice to the Korean league? Also why is 27 and playing well that bad of a combo?
Usually the Korean team shows interest, the American team asks the player if he wants to go (which Choice probably did, as he has more opportunity to make more money overseas – minor leaguers don’t make very much in the US – and thn the American team wells the contract to the Korean team for a relatively small transaction fee.
and 27 is really old for double-A; Choice has never hit at higher levels. Very few prospects take until age 27 to develop. If you’re not out of the minors by then you’re just an org guy.
Hey, if the KBO worked for Eric Thames and the Brewers, why not try again with Choice?
Thames was eventually signed earlier this year for 3 yrs as a 30 yr old “prospect”.
Only question, do the Brewers get 1st dibs on a potential return trip to MLB?
No. They sold the contract. They no longer have any rights to the player.