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Archives for February 2021

Angels Sign Jon Jay To Minor League Contract

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The Angels announced that they have signed veteran outfielder Jon Jay to a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp. Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported earlier that Jay was close to a deal with a club.

Jay, 36 next month, has appeared with six different teams since he first entered the majors as a Cardinal over a decade ago. His finest years came from 2010-14, all in St. Louis, as Jay overcame low power to post above-average batting averages and on-base percentages en route to a .295/.359/.396 line (112 wRC+) in 2,424 plate appearances.

Jay struggled during his final year as a Cardinal, 2015, but rebounded to log league-average numbers in the ensuing two seasons with the Padres and Cubs (Angels manager Joe Maddon was the Cubs’ skipper then). Since 2018, though, Jay’s output has fallen off a cliff. In a combined 1,258 PA with the Royals, White Sox and Diamondbacks, he batted an underwhelming .272/.337/.347 (86 wRC+). Last season was especially tough for Jay, who hit by far a career-worst .160/.211/.240 as a D-back, though that came over just 57 trips to the plate.

Jay, despite his difficulties in 2020, did parlay a minors deal into a big league roster spot then. He’ll hope to do the same this year as outfield depth for the Angels. The fact that Jay has extensive experience at all three outfield positions surely appealed to the Halos.

Giants Outright Luis Alexander Basabe

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FEB. 11: Basabe cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.

FEB. 4: The Giants have designated outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe for assignment, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to infielder Tommy La Stella, whose three-year deal with the Giants has now been officially announced.

Basabe, 24, was originally signed by the Red Sox but flipped to the White Sox as one of the secondary pieces — behind Michael Kopech and Yoan Moncada — in the blockbuster that brought Chris Sale to Boston. Basabe struggled at Class-A Advanced in 2017 and bounced back with a nice showing between High-A and Double-A in 2018, but he slumped again at those same levels in 2019.

The Giants picked up Basabe in exchange for cash during the 2020 season and afforded him the opportunity to make his MLB debut late in the year. He appeared in nine games and went 2-for-14 with four walks, five strikeouts and a pair of stolen bases.

Basabe was at one point a rather well-regarded prospect — a potential regular in center field who was seen as having a high floor due to above-average range and a strong throwing arm. Another club in need of some center field depth could give him a look based on that defensive prowess, though Basabe is also out of minor league options, so a new team would need to either carry him on the Opening Day roster or again designate him for assignment. A rebuilding club willing to take on a center field project could make some sense, but it’s also possible that the Giants will be able to retain Basabe by passing him through waivers. They’ll have a week to either go that route or trade him now that he’s been removed from the 40-man roster.

Report: No Negotiations Between Yankees, Brett Gardner

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FEB. 11: Gardner’s “definitely” planning to play in 2021, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets.

FEB. 10: A report last month indicated the Yankees and free-agent outfielder Brett Gardner had resumed discussions on a contract, but that may not be the case after all. Rather, according to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, the Yankees and Gardner have not even begun talks this offseason. New York has not “addressed Gardner’s status since last Halloween,” Miller writes.

The 37-year-old Gardner is a career-long Yankee who began in 2008 and who remained productive last season, but the team declined his $10MM option for a $2.5MM buyout at the end of October. The move did not come as a surprise when considering Gardner’s age and the crowded outfield picture in New York, which boasts Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier as starters and Mike Tauchman as a backup. The Yankees added further outfield depth when they acquired Greg Allen in an early January trade with the Padres. Allen’s production pales in comparison to Gardner’s, but for at least the time being, Allen is on the Yankees’ 40-man roster.

Gardner is coming off a year in which he registered a a career-worst .223 batting average, but he still finished with a solid 110 wRC+ (his career mark is 104) in 158 plate appearances on the strength of a .354 on-base percentage and a .392 slugging percentage. He drew walks at a personal-high 16.5 percent rate, hit five home runs, stole three bases and added double-digit appearances in left and center, where he combined for one Defensive Run Saved and a 1.1 Ultimate Zone Rating.

While it appears the respected Gardner still has more to offer, whether as a Yankee or with another team, it’s unknown whether he’d want to continue his career anywhere but the Bronx. Gardner ranks third all-time among Yankees in steals (270), 16th in games played (1,548), 17th in position player bWAR (43.0), 19th in runs scored (896) and 27th in hits (1,384), to name just some key categories.

Dodgers Announce Trevor Bauer Signing, Designate Josh Sborz

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The Dodgers have announced the signing of top-ranked free agent Trevor Bauer and designated fellow right-hander Josh Sborz for assignment, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets.

Bauer, fresh off a National League Cy Young-winning 2020 with the Reds, should slot in near the front end of a loaded Dodgers rotation this year. The reigning World Series winner further loaded their roster when they agreed to sign him to a three-year, $102MM guarantee last week.

Sborz has been part of the Los Angeles organization since it used the 74th overall pick on him in the 2015 draft, but this designation could prove to be the end of the line. Now 27 years old, Sborz debuted in the majors in 2019 and has since thrown 13 1/3 innings of nine-earned run ball with eight strikeouts against five walks. However, Sborz does average upward of 95 mph on his fastball, and he has another minor league option remaining. Sborz has also pitched to a respectable 3.53 ERA in 367 1/3 innings at the lower levels. Considering those facts, some other team could take a chance on Sborz in the coming days.

Twins Claim Kyle Garlick, Designate Brandon Waddell

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The Twins have claimed outfielder Kyle Garlick off waivers from the Braves, per a team announcement. Left-hander Brandon Waddell was designated for assignment in order to open a space on the 40-man roster.

It’s the latest stop in a growing list of organizations for Garlick, 29, whose stay with the Braves will only prove to last for a few days. Garlick was the Dodgers’ 28th-round pick back in 2015, but in the past calendar year he’s been traded to the Phillies, claimed by the Braves and now claimed by the Twins.

Minnesota still needs a 40-man spot to make Alex Colome’s one-year deal final, so it’s far from a sure thing that Garlick will last on the roster for too long. It’s fairly common for clubs to claim a player and then try to pass him through outright waivers shortly thereafter — thus allowing the team to retain him without committing a 40-man roster spot.

Garlick spent most of the 2020 season at the Phillies’ alternate site in Lehigh Valley, though he did appear in a dozen games at the MLB level. He went just 3-for-22 with a double and seven strikeouts in that time, however. Garlick showed a bit of promise with the Dodgers in 2019 when he made his big league debut and hit .250/.321/.521 with three long balls and four doubles in a small sample of 53 plate appearances. He’s a career .281/.332/.568 hitter in 645 Triple-A plate appearances and does have a minor league option remaining as well.

As for the 26-year-old Waddell, he was a 2015 fifth-rounder by the Pirates out of Virginia. He made his MLB debut last year with Pittsburgh and tossed 3 1/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts and walks apiece. The Twins claimed him off waivers back on Oct. 30.

Waddell has a strong track record up through the Double-A level and was solid at Triple-A in 2018 as well. Like most Triple-A pitchers in 2019, however, his season was an unmitigated disaster as offensive levels spiked to all-time highs in that league amid the widely held belief that the ball was juiced. (Triple-A adopted the same ball used in MLB that season.) Even after being clobbered for 59 runs in 61 innings of Triple-A ball that year, Waddell has a 4.12 ERA in 478 minor league frames with a 20.4 percent strikeout rate and a 9.8 percent walk rate. He’s not a huge strikeout pitcher but induces grounders at an above-average clip and has two minor league options remaining.

Rockies, Greg Bird Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rockies have agreed to a minor league contract with free-agent first baseman Greg Bird, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com (via Twitter). He’ll be in Major League camp this spring.

Bird, 28, had a promising rookie debut with the Yankees back in 2015 when he hit .261/.343/.529 with 11 homers in 178 trips to the plate. Injuries have torpedoed his career since that showing, however, as he’s undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and to remove bone spurs in his ankle. It’s hard to believe that five seasons have elapsed since Bird first broke into the Majors, but that is indeed the case, and he’s batted just .194/.287/.388 in 522 plate appearances since that time.

Bird spent much of the 2020 season with the Rangers organization, but he didn’t play in a big league game with Texas. Bird does carry a career .296/.370/.528 batting line in parts of three Triple-A seasons, and first base has been a problematic position for the Rockies in recent years. Colorado doesn’t have a set option at first base currently. Veteran Ian Desmond seems the likeliest candidate, but he’s also played outfield and bounced around the infield, so he could play elsewhere should Bird, Ryan McMahon or Josh Fuentes seize an opportunity at first base.

Indians Sign Ben Gamel

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The Indians have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, per a club announcement. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman first reported the deal. Gamel is represented by Jet Sports.

The 28-year-old Gamel will vie for playing time in an overcrowded outfield jumble that is lacking in proven players. Eddie Rosario is the only lock to see time in the Cleveland outfield this year after agreeing to a one-year deal worth $8MM not long ago. Oscar Mercado will surely get a chance to put his awful 2020 season behind him, and if he looks anywhere near his excellent 2019 form, he should be the everyday center fielder.

Other options on the 40-man roster for Cleveland include Jordan Luplow, Jake Bauers, Bradley Zimmer and Daniel Johnson. Luplow, as the only right-handed hitter of the bunch (including Gamel) may have the inside track based on handedness and the fact that he decimated left-handed pitching at video-game-esque levels in 2019 before a 2020 decline.

Gamel brings a knack for drawing walks (10.8 percent over the past three years) to the competition, and he has experience at all three outfield slots. He’s best deployed in a corner, however, and his bat has tailed off considerably since a solid 2017-18 showing in Seattle that saw him bat .274/.335/.398 (102 wRC+). The Mariners traded Gamel to the Brewers after the 2018 campaign, and his strikeout rate in Milwaukee has soared as his overall production has waned

In 483 plate appearances as a Brewer, Gamel batted .245/.331/.381. The batting line looks somewhat similar to his Seattle output, but it came in a more hitter-friendly setting at a time when offense was on the rise throughout the league. Gamel’s strikeout rate also ballooned from 21 percent in Seattle to just shy of 30 percent in Milwaukee, which surely didn’t leave the Brewers feeling great about giving him a raise via arbitration.

If Gamel wins a spot on the Indians’ roster this spring, he’ll remain controllable through the 2022 season via arbitration.

Reds Sign Shane Carle To Minor League Deal

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The Reds announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Shane Carle to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Carle last appeared in the big leagues with the Braves in 2019. The 29-year-old righty enjoyed strong results out of the Atlanta bullpen in 2018 when he notched a 2.86 ERA in 63 1/3 frames, but that impressive mark appeared unlikely to be sustained for a number of reasons. Carle punched out just 16.6  percent of opponents that year, against a 10.4 percent walk rate that was north of the league average. He also benefited from a .258 average on balls in play and a home-run rate so low it’d have been nearly impossible to repeat. Carle’s 4.59 SIERA told a much different story than that bottom-line ERA.

Regression was swift in 2019, as Carle allowed more home runs (three) in 9 1/3 innings than he did throughout the entire 2018 season. He was tagged for 10 runs in those 9 1/3 frames while walking more hitters than he struck out. Carle’s Triple-A work wasn’t much better (5.13 ERA), and he eventually was bounced from Atlanta’s 40-man roster, landing with the Rangers, where his Triple-A struggles continued.

In all, Carle has a 3.89 ERA in the Majors thanks to that 2018 season, but the rest of his numbers aren’t nearly as encouraging. He’s also been tagged for a 5.49 ERA in 221 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball, but the Reds will likely try out a new plan of attack to help him maximize his strengths. Carle did average better than 95 mph on his heater in 2018, he gets ground-balls at an average clip, and opponents have put up pitiful numbers in plate appearances ending with his slider (.203/.260/.319) and curveball (.108/.175/.216).

Blue Jays Sign David Phelps

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The Blue Jays and right-hander David Phelps are in agreement on a Major League contract, reports MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). The Jet Sports client has already passed his physical, Feinsand adds. ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that Phelps will earn $1.75MM on the deal and can make another $750K via incentives.

David Phelps | Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Phelps, 34, will return to the Jays for a second time in his career after a mixed bag of a 2020 season. He was excellent in 13 innings with the Brewers last year before being torched for 11 runs in 7 2/3 innings following a trade to the Phillies. Phelps missed the 2018 season due to Tommy John surgery but was effective with the Jays and Cubs in his 2019 return. Toronto flipped him to Chicago at the ’19 deadline and received righty Tom Hatch in return.

Despite that ugly finish in 2020, Phelps posted a career-high 36.5 percent strikeout rate against a career-low 5.9 percent walk rate last year. That’s reason for encouragement moving forward, and Phelps’ general track record at the MLB level is a good one. He oscillated between the rotation and bullpen for the Yankees early on but has taken off since moving to the ’pen on a full-time basis.

From 2016-20, Phelps has tossed 197 1/3 innings with a 3.24 ERA, a 3.47 SIERA and a 29.6 percent strikeout rate that sits well above the league average. His 10.6 percent walk rate is a tick above par and could stand to come down, so the Jays will surely look to help him continue last year’s strides in that regard (while leaving behind the home-run woes that plagued him in Philadelphia).

Phelps becomes the third veteran addition of the offseason for a Toronto bullpen that previously was lacking in experience. The Jays already added Kirby Yates on an incentive-laden deal, and they also bought low on righty Tyler Chatwood with the intent of moving him from a starting role to the bullpen. That trio will be joined by Jordan Romano, Rafael Dolis and likely Ryan Borucki, though the final few ’pen spots and specific roles (beyond Yates, who is expected to close) will need to be sorted out in camp.

Pirates, Brian Goodwin Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Pirates have agreed to a minor league deal with outfielder Brian Goodwin, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter). He’ll be invited to Major League Spring Training. Goodwin will earn a $1.6MM salary with up to $900K in bonuses if he earns a roster spot, according to Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (on Twitter).

Goodwin, 30, was the No. 34 overall pick in the 2011 draft but never cemented himself with his original organization, the Nationals, despite a few productive stints. He was eventually traded to the Royals and later claimed by the Angels off waivers — enjoying a fair bit of success in both spots. The Angels traded him to the Reds at last summer’s deadline, however, and Goodwin’s bat cratered in Cincinnati, where he batted just .163/.236/.357 in a tiny sample of 55 plate appearances. The Reds non-tendered him in December.

Setting aside that ugly stint in Cincinnati, though, Goodwin has been a productive big league hitter more often than not. He’s a .250/.317/.455 hitter overall, and as recently as 2019 he slashed .262/.326/.470 in near-regular playing time with the Angels (136 games, 458 plate appearances).

Goodwin doesn’t have particularly strong defensive ratings and probably won’t be seeing much (if any) time in center field with the Bucs. He’s best deployed in a corner, which the Bucs can certainly accommodate. Bryan Reynolds, Anthony Alford, Cole Tucker and Gregory Polanco are the likeliest names to vie for outfield time in Pittsburgh at the moment, though the Pirates will jump at any chance they’re provided to shed the remainder of Gregory Polanco’s contract. Alford has yet to establish himself at the MLB level, while Reynolds will be seeking a rebound after a disastrous follow-up to his brilliant rookie showing. Tucker, meanwhile is a converted shortstop who’ll need to earn a job as himself.

Based on his track record and the dearth of established outfield talent on the rebuilding Pirates’ roster, Goodwin seems to have a good chance at both cracking the roster and earning a fair bit of playing time. If he does indeed make the roster, the Pirates would be able to control him through the 2022 season via arbitration. Of course, if he makes the team and rebounds at the plate, he’ll immediately become a potential summer trade piece for a Pirates club that will be looking to move any and all short-term assets for additional prospect depth.

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