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Archives for June 2019

Francisco Rodriguez Signs With Mexican League Team

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Right-hander Francisco Rodriguez has signed with Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League, according to The Athletic’s Robert Murray and Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link).  The man they call K-Rod hasn’t pitched in the Major Leagues since 2017, though he tossed 42 1/3 innings for the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks in 2018.

The veteran reliever is still hopeful of returning to the big leagues, and it was only back in 2016 that Rodriguez recorded 44 saves for the Tigers while posting an impressive 3.24 ERA, 8.0 K/9, and 2.48 K/BB over 58 1/3 innings.  That strong year gave way to a rough 2017, however, that saw him post a 7.82 ERA for the Tigers before being released, and then failing to earn another ticket to the Show after signing minor league contracts with the Nationals and Phillies that same year.

Rodriguez is now 37, and looking for one final encore in what has been an outstanding career.  After making an immediate impact as a rookie to help the Angels win the 2002 World Series, K-Rod has been an effective late-game weapon for five different teams over 16 MLB seasons.  His 62 saves in 2008 is still the league’s all-time single-season record, and Rodriguez’s 437 saves places him fourth on the all-time list, behind only Hall-of-Famers Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and Lee Smith.

Rangers Release Nick Gardewine

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The Rangers have requested unconditional release waivers on right-hander Nick Gardewine, according to multiple reports (including this tweet from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News).  Gardewine had been designated for assignment earlier this week.

A seventh-round pick for Texas in the 2013 draft, Gardewine posted a 3.71 ERA, 3.12 K/BB rate, and 8.8 K/9 over 323 minor league innings, pitching exclusively as a reliever since the start of the 2016 season.  He received a couple of looks at the big league level in the form of 15 total games for the Rangers in 2017-18, though he missed much of 2018 recovering from a forearm injury. Gardewine was on the minor league injured list at the time of his DFA, which helps to explain his release; injured players cannot be put through outright waivers. It’s common in these situations for players to re-sign with the organization on a minor league deal, though Gardewine of course has the option to pursue a new opportunity if he chooses.

Mark Trumbo Has Setback In Rehab Process

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Mark Trumbo has been shut down for the next seven-to-ten days after receiving a PRP injection in his right knee, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com).  Trumbo has yet to play this season after undergoing knee surgery last September, and between his 60-day injury list placement and maximum injury rehab period, Trumbo was on pace to return to the roster this weekend.

Instead, however, the veteran slugger will continue to rest his knee, and “there’s not a real timetable” on when Trumbo could make his 2019 debut, according to Hyde.  “It was progressing well and is progressing well. He just felt some soreness yesterday, but he was running better and he was playing in the field and swinging the bat pretty well. Just felt some soreness yesterday, so we got him an injection and he’s going to be out a little while longer,” the manager said.

After a rough 2017 season, Trumbo provided above-average (107 wRC+, 108 OPS+) production in hitting .261/.313/.452 with 17 homers over 358 plate appearances for the Orioles in 2018.  A quicker return from knee surgery and a repeat of that performance could have created a slim chance that the Orioles would’ve been able to move Trumbo at the trade deadline and get a little of his $13.5MM salary for 2019 off the books.  Now, however, it doesn’t seem too likely that Trumbo will be back in Baltimore’s lineup before July, giving him little time to audition both his bat and his health for any interested teams.

When Trumbo is able to play, it’s also unclear as to how much time he’ll see in the lineup.  The Orioles already have Chris Davis obligated to receive some first base/DH at-bats, and the rebuilding team would obviously prefer to give Trey Mancini, Dwight Smith Jr., and Renato Nunez continued playing time in the corner outfield and DH spots, respectively.  With Trumbo set for free agency this winter, he isn’t a part of the Orioles’ long-term plans.

Astros Notes: Bullpen, James, White, Draft

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The latest out of Houston…

  • It has widely been expected that the Astros will target rotation help at the deadline, though Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle wonders if the club could also look at acquiring a reliever.  There isn’t much wrong on paper with the Astros’ relief corps, as they rank first in the league in bullpen WHIP, second in hits/9, and third in bullpen ERA, though there is some uncertainty at the back end.  Josh James has been inconsistent this season, while Rome notes that Hector Rendon didn’t pitch well down the stretch in 2018.  There also isn’t much left-handed depth beyond Cionel Perez and reverse-splits specialist Will Harris.
  • Speaking of James, he left last night’s game for what he described as “a precautionary move” due to lat tightness, Rome tweets, and James didn’t consider the issue to be serious.  The 26-year-old has a stunning 14.4 K/9 this season, usually operating as a multi-inning weapon out of Houston’s pen, though James has had troubles with the long ball (1.7 HR/9) and his control (5.9 BB/9).  As a result, James only has a 4.71 ERA to show for all his missed bats.
  • The Astros are close to getting a lot of notable stars back from the injured list, which Rome feels could lead to something of a roster crunch.  Tyler White could be the odd man out, as he hasn’t hit this season and offers little defensive value apart from his current status as the Astros’ only backup first baseman.  These issues also make the out-of-options White difficult to trade, though given his strong minor league numbers and the .888 OPS he posted for the Astros over 237 PA just last season, one would think another team would make a claim if White was indeed designated for assignment.  Tony Kemp is another player whose role could be diminished once Houston’s regulars are healthy, though Kemp’s on-base ability and defensive versatility seemingly give him the leg up on White if a choice had to be made.
  • In a separate piece from Rome, he writes about the Astros’ attempts to free up enough room within their $5,355,100 draft bonus pool to sign fourth-round pick Colin Barber.  The 136th overall pick has a $410.1K slot price, though Barber reportedly wants more to break his commitment to the University of Oregon.  Barber’s asking price isn’t known, though Houston has already carved out approximately $645K in pool space thanks to a few below-slot signings, much of which ($507.3K) came from first-rounder Korey Lee’s contract.  Of course, not all of that extra money is earmarked for Barber, given that the Astros have also gone above-slot to sign a couple of their other picks.

Cubs Place Carl Edwards Jr. On 10-Day Injured List

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The Cubs have sent right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. to the 10-day IL due to a left thoracic strain, according to several reports.  Edwards’ 25-man roster spot will be filled by southpaw Tim Collins, who is being called up from Triple-A.  The placement is retroactive to June 10, with ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers noting that Edwards hasn’t pitched since reporting the discomfort on that date.

After an ugly start to the season that led to a minor league demotion for almost a month, Edwards has pitched much better since returning to Chicago’s bullpen.  Edwards has a 2.03 ERA over 13 1/3 innings since rejoining the big league roster, with opponents hitting a measly .094 against him.  Without getting too carried away by a small sample size, Edwards’ three walks over 13 1/3 frames is also a positive sign, given the career 4.9 BB/9 rate the righty carried into the 2019 season.

Collins joined the Cubs on a late-spring signing, and is back up on the big league roster for the third time this season, giving Chicago a third left-handed relief option alongside Mike Montgomery and Kyle Ryan.  Collins has seen action in five MLB games this year, with a 3.86 ERA over 4 2/3 innings of work.

Phillies Acquire Brad Miller

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The Phillies have announced that they have acquired veteran utilityman Brad Miller from the Yankees for cash considerations.

Miller will be joining his fourth different team of the 2019 season, following an offseason minor league contract with the Dodgers, and then subsequent minors pacts with the Indians and Yankees.  Miller appeared in 13 big league games for the Tribe, and has been tearing up Triple-A pitching in the Yankees’ farm system, with a massive .994 OPS over 163 PA for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

While he did hit 30 homers for the Rays in 2016, Miller hasn’t been able to provide much consistency over 2545 career plate appearances for Seattle, Tampa, Milwaukee, and Cleveland.  His career .240/.313/.409 slash line grades him as an exactly league-average 100 OPS+ for his career, though he’s had notably more success against right-handed pitching.  This will provide Philadelphia with a sorely-needed left-handed bat for their bench mix.

Miller isn’t known as much of a defender no matter the position, though he has experience at all seven infield and outfield positions over his seven-year career.  He has exclusively worked in the infield over the last three seasons, however, so Miller could handle those duties while Jay Bruce and Scott Kingery see more time in the Phils’ troubled outfield.

With Miller now in the fold and Roman Quinn returning from the injured list this weekend, the Phillies are looking at a significant shakeup of their bench.  Miller’s presence could make one of Sean Rodriguez or Phil Gosselin redundant, while Quinn could supplant Nick Williams as the primary backup outfielder.

MLB Draft Signings: 6/13/19

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Let’s catch up on the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the latest moves at the top of the post.  Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500, Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….

Latest Signings

  • The Twins reached a deal with second-rounder Matt Canterino, Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News tweets.  Canterino’s $1.1MM bonus is less than the $1,338,500 slot price associated with the 54th overall draft position.  Canterino was ranked 34th on Baseball America’s list of draft prospects, described as “one of the funkier pitchers in this year’s draft class” due to an unusual delivery that has proven to be consistently repeatable.  A right-hander out of Rice University, Canterino has a plus slider and a fastball that can hit 95mph though is most often thrown in the 90-91mph range.
  • The Mariners have signed second-round pick Brandon Williamson, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (via Twitter).  The TCU left-hander will get a $925K bonus, so Seattle will save some money given the 59th pick’s recommended $1,185,500 bonus price.  Both MLB.com (which ranked Williamson 83rd on their prospect list) and Baseball America (which had him 86th) see a bit of hidden-gem potential in Williamson, given his 6’5″ frame and a promising four-pitch array, though BA’s scouting report doesn’t feel he currently has a true plus pitch.
  • The Rays have agreed to a deal with second-rounder John Doxaxis, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link).  Doxaxis signed for the full slot price of $1,129,700 recommended for the 61st overall pick, as per Callis.  A left-hander out of Texas A&M, Doxaxis received his highest prospect ranking from MLB.com, which rated him 44th and praised his ability to throw strikes with all three of his pitches.  With Doxasis now signed, the Rays have reached agreement with all four of their top draft picks.

Earlier Today

  • The Reds have agreed to an above-slot deal with second-round pick Rece Hinds, as per MLB.com’s Jim Callis.  Hinds will receive a $1,797,500 bonus, a nice bump up from the $1,507,600 slot price attached to the 49th overall pick.  Baseball America gave Hinds the highest ranking (39th) of any of the draft pundits, noting that the 18-year-old has a very strong throwing arm and “easily has 70-grade raw power currently, and you don’t have to look far to find scouts who will put 80-grade power on Hinds’ bat.”  There isn’t yet much overall hitting polish behind this power, however, and though Hinds was drafted as a shortstop, he’ll very likely be moved to third base or potentially the corner outfield in his future.
  • The Giants have agreed with fifth-rounder Garrett Frechette, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (Twitter link).   The deal will pay Frechette an $800K bonus, well over double the $371.6K slot value attached to the 146th overall pick.  It’s a sizable commitment to the high school outfield/first baseman, who had committed to attend San Diego State.  Frechette’s selection spot also outpaced his status in the eyes of pre-draft pundits, as MLB.com had him as the 196th-best prospect in the draft while Baseball America ranked him 214th.  This could be due to an injury-filled senior season for Frechette, who displayed some intriguing left-handed power potential when he did take the field.
  • The Cardinals have inked second-rounder Trejyn Fletcher to an above-slot deal, Callis reports. Fletcher’s pick (No. 58) had a $1.22MM slot value, but the Redbirds gave the high school outfielder $1.5MM. Callis and Mayo ranked Fletcher as the 87th-best player available entering the draft, owing to the 18-year-old’s “tantalizing combination of plus raw power, speed and arm strength.” If all goes well, Fletcher could evolve into a 20-20 center fielder in the majors, Callis and Mayo write, though they note his development will require a large amount of patience.

Blue Jays Acquire Nick Kingham

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The Blue Jays have acquired right-hander Nick Kingham from the Pirates for cash considerations, as announced by both teams.  Ryan Tepera has been shifted to the 60-day injured list to create room on Toronto’s roster.

Kingham was designated for assignment this week, effectively ending almost a full decade in Pittsburgh’s organization for the righty.  Kingham was a fourth-round pick in the 2010 draft and has long been considered one of the more promising arms both in the Bucs’ farm system and in baseball as a whole, appearing on top-100 prospect lists prior to both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.  Tommy John surgery in 2015 delayed his progress, though he still amassed a 3.46 ERA, 3.17 K/BB rate, and 7.7 K/9 over 766 1/3 career innings in the minors, starting 142 of his 147 games.

As a big-leaguer, Kingham flirted with history when he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning during his MLB debut back on April 29, 2018.  Overall, however, Kingham has struggled to find consistency in the Show, posting a 6.67 ERA that has been boosted by 25 homers allowed over 110 2/3 innings, though he has a higher strikeout rate (8.2 K/9) in the majors than in the minors, albeit over a much smaller sample size.

Though the Pirates are far from deep in starting pitching options, it seems like they were simply ready to move on from the 27-year-old Kingham, who now gets a chance on a Blue Jays team that is in even more desperate need of rotation help.  The Jays rank at or near the bottom of the league in most starting pitching categories, and will need even more starters on hand to fill the void if/when Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez are both moved before the July 31st trade deadline.  Kingham could get a shot in the rotation immediately (which could mean the end of struggling veteran Edwin Jackson’s time in Toronto) or he could throw out of the bullpen as a long man until a trade or until the Jays decide a change needs to be made.

Astros To Promote Rogelio Armenteros, Derek Fisher Optioned To Triple-A

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The Astros are calling up right-hander Rogelio Armenteros for his big league debut, according to the Pelota Cubana blog (hat tip to Las Mayores’ Francys Romero).  Outfielder Derek Fisher is headed back to Triple-A as the corresponding move, as per several outlets.  The move will be made official prior to tomorrow’s game.

Signed out of Cuba in 2014, Armenteros has a 3.35 ERA, 3.08 K/BB rate, and a 10.0 K/9 over 475 career innings in Houston’s minor league system (85 of 98 games as a starter).  He hasn’t been as sharp at Triple-A this season, with a 5.00 ERA over 45 frames, though it could just be a short-term promotion.  GM Jeff Luhnow said (via Mark Berman of FOX 26 News in Houston) that Armenteros is being recalled to give the Astros some extra pitching depth after going to extra innings in three of their last six games, including a 14-inning affair on Wednesday.

MLB.com rates Armenteros as the 22nd-best prospect in the Astros’ farm system, with a “tumbling changeup” that rates as his only plus pitch.  Armenteros has hit 95mph on his fastball on occasion, though generally throws in the 88-92mph range, relying more on disguising his four-pitch arsenal.  “He has little margin for error and survives by not making many mistakes,” as MLB.com’s scouting report puts it.

Fisher heads back to Triple-A after his latest brief stint in the majors, as he was recalled back on May 25 when George Springer hit the IL.  Formerly a top-100 ranked prospect, Fisher has yet to deliver much in parts of three MLB seasons (.201/.282/.367), though with just 312 total plate appearances to his name in the big leagues, he has hardly received much of an extended opportunity to prove himself.  It remains to be seen if such a chance, however, will ultimately come given the Astros’ crowded outfield picture when everyone is healthy.

Dodgers Place Corey Seager On 10-Day Injured List

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The Dodgers have placed star shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain, as per a club announcement.  Seager’s placement is retroactive to June 12.  Taking Seager’s place on the roster is Matt Beaty, who has been activated from his own injured list stint.

Seager suffered the injury on Tuesday while running the bases, and an MRI revealed (as reported by J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group) that the strain “is either a particularly bad Grade 2 or a more mild Grade 3.”  The issue is severe enough that Seager is currently projected to miss four-to-six weeks of action.

The news puts a damper on what had been a successful comeback season for Seager, who missed all but 26 games of the 2018 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.  He also underwent hip surgery last August, though Seager didn’t look any worse for wear in his return to the field in 2019, hitting .278/.359/.468 with eight homers over 270 plate appearances.

Losing Seager is a blow to even the deep and versatile Dodgers lineup, though Chris Taylor is a capable fill-in while Seager is out of action.  Enrique Hernandez also has experience at shortstop, and even backup catcher Russell Martin could play the position in a pinch.

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