Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Mariners announced that righty Shawn Armstrong has been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. Armstrong, 27, is out of options and obviously was not seen as likely to win a pen job out of camp. Still, he could be a useful depth piece for the M’s. In 43 1/3 MLB frames over three seasons, Armstrong owns a 3.53 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 as well as an 11.3% swinging-strike rate. Armstrong has posted interesting numbers at Triple-A, where he carries a 2.44 ERA with 13.0 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in 133 total innings.
- Lefty Hunter Cervenka has been released by the Marlins, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). Cervenka, who recently turned 28, was outrighted off of the 40-man roster over the winter. He has 48 MLB innings under his belt but has not yet shown an ability to stay in the zone, with 6.8 BB/9 in that span. Cervenka spent the bulk of 2017 at Triple-A, where he worked to a 4.58 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.9 BB/9 over 39 1/3 innings.
Earlier Transactions
- In a minor signing that flew a bit below our radar earlier this winter, the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate announced that they signed former Mets righty Tyler Pill to a minor league pact. Pill, 28 in May, made his MLB debut with the Mets last year and totaled 22 innings of work across seven innings, including three starts. He struggled to a 5.32 ERA with a 16-to-10 K/BB ratio in that time, but Pill posted more encouraging numbers in a very hitter-friendly Triple-A Las Vegas setting. In 80 1/3 frames in the Pacific Coast League, he logged a 3.47 ERA, albeit with a modest 5.6 K/9 mark against 2.5 BB/9. Pill was assigned to Reno, per the announcement, and hasn’t logged an inning with the D-backs this spring, so it seems he was not invited to Major League camp. He’ll presumably be on hand as a depth option in Triple-A this season.
- Jumping further back into Mets history, right-hander Vic Black has signed on with the independent New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian-American Association (h/t: Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, on Twitter). Now 29 years of age, the Mets hoped at one point that Black could be a long-term piece in their bullpen. He turned in a 2.96 ERA in 51 2/3 MLB innings from 2013-14 between the Pirates and Mets, but shoulder issues slowed his career before New York eventually cut him loose. Black struggled between A-ball and Double-A with the Giants organization in 2017 and will hope to use the indy circuit as a platform to get his career back on track.
- Sticking with former big leaguers joining the independent leagues, the Long Island Ducks announced yesterday that they’ve signed former Braves All-Star Jair Jurrjens. Back in 2008, a 22-year-old Jurrjens finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting with the Braves and went on to earn All-Star honors as a 25-year-old in 2011. However, a series of knee injuries torpedoed his promising career, and he hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since totaling 16 2/3 innings for the Orioles and Rockies from 2013-14. Jurrjens did toss 54 1/3 innings with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2017, and he turned 32 years of age just five weeks ago, so he could still work his way back into affiliated ball with a strong showing in the Atlantic League.
How did Mr Pill total 22 innings across 7 “INNINGS” including 3 starts? LOL!
Typos can be fun!! :)
One would assume he meant 7 appearances.
well yes we know that but it still makes a funny read. :)
Jair Jurrjens suspended for 80 games last season for failing PED test.
Jair Jurrjens is awsome and I bet he will pitch in MLB in the next 2 years at some point!!
or get suspended trying.
I hope so, I always liked him. He was so good before he started getting hurt
I’m pulling for Victor Black. Really good guy.
Not seeing Pill associated with the Reno Aces on any level; roster or transactional. Last transaction was 11/06/2017 where he elected Free Agency (from Las Vegas). (?)
Found this: twitter.com/Aces/status/953100766222454784
But he’s not listed anywhere on their roster.
Tyler posted about it on his own personal twitter as well.
Possibly still on the shelf after his Sept (?) elbow surgery
Can find couple mid-Jan articles mentioning the signing, despite the lack of transaction record. And his Twitter feed is pretty convincing, lol. So thinking maybe the injury is why there’s some screwyness
I always wondered why the Netherlands wore orange in international events such as the WBC and Olympics. I still have no idea. Their flag is red white and blue.
Not sure what the history is behind it but orange is a big deal in the Netherlands. They have a big orange festival/party thing every year.
Did some research… orange is the color of the royal family (The House of Orange-Nassau).
Great move by the Mariners. Chase De Jong is going to kill it this year. He is a hard workers and very competitive. Watch out!
You get a like, just because of your profile name
Thank you! Im actually a diehard Padre fan and a recent grad of SDSU so I appreciate your name as well.
Cervenka is so awful.