Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around baseball…
- Righty Joan Gregorio has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Giants, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). The 26-year-old was once regarded as a quality prospect but needs to regain his trajectory after a 2017 season marred by a PED suspension. He did work to a 3.04 ERA in 74 Triple-A innings over 13 starts, but managed only 7.4 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 on the year.
- Southpaw Casey Crosby has signed on with the Twins on a minor-league deal, as Seth Stohs of TwinsDaily.com pointed out today on Twitter. Rick Armstrong of the Aurora Beacon-News had the story a few weeks back, charting Crosby’s quiet exit from the sport and his decision to attempt a comeback. The lefty briefly appeared with the Tigers in 2012 but has not returned to the majors since. Indeed, Crosby last recorded time in affiliated ball with Detroit in 2014, with elbow pain contributing to his departure. The 29-year-old, a former fifth-round draft pick, returned to indy ball late last year and is hoping that an improved diet and revamped mechanics will lead to a remarkable rebound.
Earlier Updates
- Former big league outfielder Jose Tabata has signed with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League, the team announced today. Tabata, 29, once looked like a building block for the Pirates after hitting .299/.346/.400 with four homers, 19 steals and terrific outfield defense as a 21-year-old rookie back in 2010. Pittsburgh was bullish enough on the former top prospect that they inked him to a six-year, $15MM contract extension that offseason, but even that modest guarantee proved to be a misstep, as Tabata’s production declined in the coming years. The outfielder went on to hit .267/.333/.369 with diminishing value on the basepaths and in the outfield in 407 games over the next five seasons. He hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2015 and hasn’t performed well in Triple-A in recent seasons, either. He’ll now look to follow in the footsteps of dozens of other big leaguers who have used the independent circuit (the Atlantic League, in particular) as a stepping stone back into affiliated ball.
I hate Jose Tabata
Well thank you for your useless, non-value added insight. Do you really think anyone else cares what you hate?
I care
I care! Clicky here cares !
Hey Teddy Padilack! What have you got in a push button mini?
I hate this comment.
Didn’t he intentionally get hit by a pitch to ruin a scherzer perfect game? I don’t blame anyone for hating him. Poor sport
Lmmfao
I think Tabata was older than his papers said he was.
Probably why he married a 50 year old woman.
Facts
Tabata is not Dominican. That only happened with Dominican players. You can’t blame the guy for taking a favorable contract.
Where in my comment does it say anything about him taking a contract? Living in Pittsburgh and seeing his decline made me think he was older than believed. And please stop with it only happened with Dominican players. It will happen any where that players and their handlers think they will get an edge
the infamous lean in on the scherzer perfect fame…..what a guy
game*
you understand why I hate him.
Jose Tabata once asked the Pirates to let him wear Clemente’s retired #21 for a game.
Jose. Tabata.
Obviously, they said no.
Tabata always put up good average numbers, and had good speed- but from everything I’ve heard about him, he seems like a crappy dude.
Jose Tabata was the baseball version of D. B. Cooper.
Made me laugh
Twas a very empty batting average at that, even moreso as his speed tended to decline..
I’m not really sure I’ve seen a players’ skills decline so rapidly over such a short period of time. It was like one year he’s a 21-year old rookie, with great speed, a little bit of pop, and above average defense, with plenty of room to improve…Then, ONLY three years later, he quickly turned into an empty .260 hitter, his speed on the base paths disappeared, and his speed and range in the outfield declined to that of a player in his mid 30’s with knee troubles…
What in God’s name happened!?!?…I know the comment above was most likely joking, when he stated his birth certificate was incorrect, but seriously, has anyone seemingly aged so quickly, without any serious injuries??
This is also one of the main reasons why looking at a players batting average alone, can be a very misleading statistic, especially when it comes to evaluating production, making comparisons, and considering a players relative worth…
He hit below .266 ONCE. His career AVG is .275. Yes, there was not much power, but to say he was a .260 hitter is not accurate.
.299
.266
.243
.282
.282
.289
his highest SlG was in his 4th year. His HR/PPA stayed virtually the same or ticked sightly upward throughout his career, until his final season
He was what he was, from the 1st season on.
If he wasn’t any good he would never of gotten drafted and he did so he is at least somewhat good.
Yankees once saw him as another Bernie Williams.
Dynamite drop in, Monty
If someone gave me $15M when I was 21-years-old I would have a triple .000 slash line cause I’d be dead, or at least suspended 50 games over and over again.
If you were suspended im pretty sure you would never see a penny of that contract.
Bummer that Tabata fractured his hamate bone in one of his wrists not long after signing his deal with the Pirates. I always felt that that is what ruined his career. He had line drive power to begin with. It seemed after the surgery, what power he did have was gone. No more line drive homers, just long outs.
Giants should have traded Gregorio and another piece for Dickerson. Missed out on an All Star for almost nothing.
They don’t have the room to take on Dickerson’s salary without breaking the tax threshold.
How did Gregorio clear? You’re telling me that with all the teams out there in need of some extra pitching depth, nobody was willing to even take a shot on a kid who posted a 3.04 ERA in the PCL as a starter last year?
I know he’s out of options, but the Orioles, Reds, Phillies, Padres, heck even the Brewers didnt even want to let him try to earn a spot?
Giants dodged a bullet on that one.
I agree, before last season writers were saying Gregorio was a “can’t miss.” Obviously, things have changed.
I was at the game in 2011 where Tabata hurt his quad, paving the way for Alex Presley’s MLB debut.
Yeah but how about that Jose Guillen..