This time of year, plenty of teams have a need for gap-filling players — some of whom can end up with more expansive opportunities. Sometimes clubs go with younger options, but there’s often good reason to go with a familiar player who has already spent ample time at the game’s highest level. Of course, you’ll also prefer a player who is active and performing well against the next-best thing to MLB pitching.
I thought it’d be interesting to round up some hitters who could be considered by their own teams or others over the coming weeks and months. Each of these 14 players has at least two years of MLB service but was forced to settle for a minor-league deal over the offseason. They’re also each turning in better-than-league-average production, though you’ll want to bear in mind that the outwardly gaudy numbers were logged in exceedingly hitter-friendly offensive environments.
Abraham Almonte, OF, Diamondbacks: The journeyman is one of several Arizona outfielders to warrant placement on this list. Indeed, his performance is arguably the most surprising and interesting of all. Almonte isn’t just on a hot run with the stick. He’s showing impeccable plate discipline (43 strikeouts vs. 41 walks) and heretofore unseen power (ten home runs, .279 ISO). Almonte has also swiped eight bags. Not a bad stat line for a center-field capable player.
Brandon Barnes, OF, Indians: Though he has seen just 21 MLB plate appearances since the end of the 2016 season, the former Astros and Rockies outfielder is clamoring for attention right now at Triple-A. He’s off to a .297/.352/.581 slash with 15 homers and five steals through 256 plate appearances. He was similarly impressive last year at the highest level of the minors, albeit in a very different offensive environment.
Andres Blanco, INF, Braves: Blanco’s late-career renaissance with the Phillies faded in 2017, but he has been turning in strong offensive numbers at Triple-A ever since. He didn’t earn a call-up despite a nice showing last year with the Brewers’ top affiliate. This year, Blanco owns a .261/.371/.450 slash with tetn long balls through 294 plate appearances. Perhaps his luck will be different this time around, though it’s tough to see a path up in Atlanta.
Drew Butera, C, Rockies: He has already been up and down to the majors this year, accepting an assignment back at Triple-A after clearing waivers. Nobody really thinks the veteran backstop — 36 in August — is a sudden offensive powerhouse. But hey, it’s a nice to see the glove-first performer enjoy a good run at this late stage of his career. He’s drawing walks at a 16.1% clip against a 17.9% strikeout rate and carries an appealing .311/.429/.467 batting line through 112 plate appearances at Albuquerque.
Danny Espinosa, INF, Mets: Espinosa had his moments over the years with the Nats, but there were times when his plate discipline reached untenable levels. It seemed he was all but done for after a brutal run over the past two years. But the switch-hitting middle infielder is showing new life at Syracuse, where he carries a .256/.340/.462 slash along with 11 home runs and eight steals. He’s striking out at a pleasing 21.1% rate while walking 10.5% of the time.
Ryan Flaherty, INF, Indians: Flaherty never turned the corner for the Orioles and couldn’t sustain a hot start last year with the Braves. Now, he’s turning in solid work at Triple-A with the Cleveland org. His .265/.370/.455 batting line is only good for a 108 wRC+, but that’s a notable enough showing for a guy who was valued a fair bit for his versatile glovework.
Ryan Goins, INF, White Sox: Say it with me, Jays fans: “I told you so!!!” Many of the Toronto faithful were sad to see Goins depart, though he was never much of an offensive performer. Now? He’s walking (12.9%) and slugging (.503) at personal-high rates. He’s now through 224 plate appearances of .314/.404/.503 hitting (133 wRC+) for the Sox’ top affiliate.
Logan Morrison, 1B, Yankees: It’s not clear whether there’s any chance the Yankees can shoehorn LoMo into their roster, but if not he might well end up elsewhere. Morrison is showing some signs that his power stroke could be back; through 120 plate appearances, he has recorded nine long balls and sports a .318 ISO/.564 SLG. He isn’t getting on base as much as one might like, but he isn’t striking out much either.
Chris Parmelee, 1B/OF, Dodgers: He didn’t even appear with an affiliated team last year, but the former Twins and O’s big leaguer is back in action at the Double-A level for the Dodgers. He’s striking out at a 27.2% clips but drawing walks at an even more robust rate (16.0%) and driving the ball (eight home runs, .239 ISO).
Jace Peterson, INF, Orioles: Peterson has appeared with four MLB organizations in his five seasons of action. He’s currently busy tamping down on the strikeouts that crept into his game (13.7% strikeout rate vs 11.9% walk rate) and showing a bit of a power boost (six homers, .178 ISO) at Triple-A with the O’s.
Rob Refsnyder, INF/OF, Reds: Though he couldn’t stick with the Yankees and Rays, Refsnyder is making another bid for the majors after an early season trade sent him from the D-Backs’ top affiliate to that of the Cincinnati organization. Refsnyder is a bit BABIP-reliant (.410) but is obviously making good contact, as he’s through 233 plate appearances of .325/.395/.522 hitting.
Travis Snider, OF, Diamondbacks: It seems hard to believe that Snider is still just 31 years of age and hasn’t sniffed the big league since way back in 2015. He’s edging back on the map now with an interesting return to the affiliated ranks after a year away. Through 232 plate appearances, the left-handed hitter has drawn 39 walks against 49 strikeouts while also managing to put the ball over the fence six times.
Matt Szczur, OF, Diamondbacks: Now a month away from his 30th birthday, Szczur is showing newfound power — albeit in a fairly small sample. Through 112 plate appearances with the Snakes’ top affiliate, he has a whopping .303 isolated power mark and seven dingers.
Ruben Tejada, INF, Mets: The 29-year-old is back with the Mets organization after a fairly memorable career opening there. He hasn’t touched the majors since 2017 but is busy raising eyebrows at Triple-A. Through 109 plate appearances, Tejada has as many walks as strikeouts and a cool .359/.450/.576 batting line.
A few other interesting or notable minor-league hitters who are performing well but did not quite meet all the list’s specifications: Dilson Herrera & Arismendy Alcantara (only 1+ years MLB service); Mikie Mahtook & Yasmany Tomas (not on minor-league deals); Yadiel Hernandez (signed a minor-league deal out of Cuba but has yet to debut in majors)
The thing about all these guys is this: we already know they can hit minor league pitching. If not, they’d never have reached the big leagues to begin with. But the thing about minor league pitching is that it’s far inferior to major league pitching. That’s why it’s minor league pitching.
That’s not quite the thing, in my view. First, it says something about where they are at right now. Not all former big leaguers perform well in the upper minors. Second, in some cases there are some potentially interesting developments (plate discipline or power or both).
I’m obviously not sitting here arguing that these guys are going to break out as soon as they get a shot. The point is only that, as stated in the intro to the post, that some of them could get a look in the near term. As much as that, this was designed to serve as a bit of a “where are they now.”
In some ways, in his first (last?) season as GM, BVW has tried to emulate what Sean Marks has done as Nets GM by compensating for a weak farm system/draft haul in creative ways. Marks relied more on playing the RFA system the NBA has. BVW is using minor league deals for players who had some success in the past at the MLB level. I think he’s also relying on “special assistant” Terry Collins’ experience with former Mets’ organization players that were available, like Herrera, Tejada, and Gomez. Omar could play a role here too.
Just to play devil’s advocate, don’t all teams attempt to sign players that have had some sort of success at the mlb level and store them at AAA?
Not to mention the “super ball” has found its way into AAA, making the IL and PCL (especially) arena baseball. Veteran hitters can make adjustments, and most of those guys were around ‘The Show” long enough to know how to take advantage.
Also noted in the intro. All these guys are hitting above league-average, with league context accounted for.
How about Rusney Castillo?
Not on a minors deal either. And he’s kind of captured at Triple-A because of an old luxury tax loophole that is now closed.
Refsnyder may still be Cooperstown bound yet.
Ref !!!
Don’t forget Adam Duvall. He’s got 19 Jack’s and . 902ops
Francisco Pena also
He’s not forgotten. I put him on the top 50 trade list. But he’s not on a minor-league deal.
Ahh ok
After what happened with Leonis Martin in the field first (pitiful), then in the dugout, going at Lindor after getting his butt chewed the team leader, the Tribe needs to cut him loose and bring up Barnes.
He should’ve been let go long ago.
Cubs fan s loved Matt Sczur
True. The smart ones just never wanted to see him on the field.
Thanks Jeff, fans enjoy reading about players doing well. Even if it’s in the minors.
Vaunted scrap heap picker Farhan Zaidi has no finds on the list. Just Andres Blanco whom he cut at the end of March.
Sogard. End of story. He is the greatest minor league deal ever signed regardless of your ridiculous criteria.
Great signing and leader. Like you said though, doesn’t meet criteria. It is kind of sad that he’s probably our most worthy all-star among position players.
Thanks Jeff for the interesting read. Teams are just strapped to bring a lot of these guys back onto the 40-man rosters, unless they find those 10-day ILs that they can turn into 60-day ILs. It is guys like Rajai Davis or Rene Rivera, both solid if unspectacular at Syracuse, that would be the first in line when someone goes down long term.
The proverbial “minor league depth” signings
And i wish you could do a story about the guys trying to get back in Indy Ball, say the Atlantic League. But then it would be more like Minor League Trade Rumors, not Major League Trade Rumors.
Or a quick story on how MLB ex-pats are doing in Japan, Korea, Mexico. It would have to be an off-season story, though, since there isn’t much pull back to the bigs until their seasons are over. A la Mikolas and Thames.
Yeah, indy ball guys are still a few steps from the majors. It’s much more about scouting looks than numbers so there generally isn’t much to cover unless/until there’s a signing.
Japan and Korea are a different story, though that’s more offseason-oriented, as you suggest. I haven’t checked over there recently but may have a look later this summer.
What about Trayce Thompson (Cleveland)?
Considered him, but he’s getting on base at a .300 clip and striking out in over a third of his plate appearances. Hard to put too much stock in the home run numbers given that and the broader league context.
I watched Dilson Herrera last night for Syracuse and this guy has 16 HRs already this season… I’m not sure what he did to reinvent himself but he looks like a legit hitter
“Say it with me, Jays fans: “I told you so!!!”” Really? He is doing well in the minors, not the majors.
Don’t forget Adam Duvall with the Gwinnett Stripers. Braves AAA
The D-backs players offensive stats should be taken with a grain of salt. Okay, probably a 2-ton boulder of salt. Those guys are playing in arguably the most hitter friendly environments in baseball and the PCL as a whole isn’t exactly pitcher friendly.
Logan Morrison has been doing well for the rail riders but, with Luke Voit batting 270 with 17 homeruns and 46 RBIs with a 390 on base and 500 slugging barring an injury I don’t see Morrison making up to the big club.
Daniel Palka currently in the White Sox top affiliate Charlotte has hit 15 HR’s this year. Last year the rookie clubbed 27 HR’s for the White Sox. Palka was slowed this spring with an injury and was optioned to the minors to get back on track. If a team needs a power left handed bat he’s worth a look see.