Archives for January 2023

Guardians Promote JT Maguire To Coaching Staff

By Mark Polishuk | January 28, 2023 at 2:16pm CDT

The Guardians have named JT Maguire as their new outfield coach, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Maguire has been working in Cleveland’s organization for the last five years, and this will be his first official role with the big league team.

The 36-year-old Maguire spent six years in the college coaching ranks before making a relatively quick rise through the Guardians’ system. First hired as a bench coach for Cleveland’s rookie league club in 2019, the canceled 2020 minor league season saw Maguire coach at the Major League alternate training site before moving onto a bench coach role with Triple-A Columbus in 2021. The Guardians then shifted Maguire to a coordinator role, overseeing the organization’s outfield and baserunning efforts.

This experience made Maguire a logical choice to step into the Guards’ outfield coaching role left vacant when Kyle Hudson left the club in December to become the new Red Sox first base coach. Given the number of homegrown products in Cleveland’s outfield mix, Maguire is already quite familiar with such players as Steven Kwan, Oscar Gonzalez, Will Benson, and the next wave of prospects who might receive more MLB exposure in 2023.

Mariners Release Jason Vosler

By Darragh McDonald | January 28, 2023 at 2:15pm CDT

TODAY: The Mariners have released Vosler, in the latest update to his MLB.com page. The circumstances behind the abrupt release aren’t known, though in some similar instances with other players, the move indicates that the player has instead agreed to a guaranteed deal with a team overseas.

JANUARY 25: The Mariners have signed infielder/outfielder Jason Vosler to a minor league contract, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Volser will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training.

Vosler, 29, has been an up-and-down player with the Giants for the past two years. In 2021, he got into 41 games and hit .178/.256/.356 for a wRC+ of 63. He was much better in 72 Triple-A games, with a line of .295/.385/.529, 125 wRC+. In 2022, that split was bizarrely reversed, as he produced a .242/.311/.433 line in the minors but hit .264/.342/.469 in the big leagues. The former line led to a wRC+ of 82 whereas he had a 127 wRC+ in the majors. Defensively, Vosler has played all over, having lined up at all four infield positions and the outfield corners. Despite that versatility and some positive results at the plate, the Giants non-tendered him at season’s end.

For the Mariners, their infield will likely consist of Eugenio Suárez, J.P. Crawford, Kolten Wong and Ty France from left to right on most nights. Tommy La Stella is sort of in the mix but he’s coming off an injury-plagued year where he hardly took the field. The outfield will have Julio Rodríguez, Teoscar Hernández and AJ Pollock, as well as young players that aren’t yet established like Jarred Kelenic and Taylor Trammell.

Vosler will likely be competing with Dylan Moore and Sam Haggerty to serve in a bench/utility role, with injuries possibly opening a path to get onto the roster as the season rolls along. Vosler hits from the left side and has a noticeable platoon split in his limited big league time so far, 102 wRC+ against righties but a 78 otherwise. He could potentially be used situationally since the club has a bunch of righties set to be in their regular lineup. If Vosler does get selected to the roster, he still has an option year remaining and less than a year of service time, allowing the M’s to cheaply retain him for the foreseeable future if they so choose.

AL East Notes: LeMahieu, Yankees, Orioles, Bello

By Mark Polishuk | January 28, 2023 at 1:09pm CDT

DJ LeMahieu continues to make progress in his recovery from a foot fracture, and based on the infielder’s offseason workouts, “it looks like there was never a problem,” Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson said. Though LeMahieu has yet to face live pitching, Lawson told the New York Post’s Dan Martin that the infielder is “able to do everything he needs to do, whether [the pitch] is inside, outside, up or down,” whereas when LeMahieu was battling his injury late last season, “sometimes when he came out there for batting practice, he’d have to come off his back side and couldn’t really rotate into the ball.”

Assuming LeMahieu is healthy and productive, the Yankees will pencil him into the lineup every day, whether at third, second, or first base. It is also possible that if the team is entirely confident LeMahieu is healthy, another infielder might be traded to make some extra space in the infield picture. Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that in addition to trying to trade Josh Donaldson and his hefty contract, the Yankees also at least explored trying to move Gleyber Torres or Isiah Kiner-Falefa, though obviously no deals transpired. Kiner-Falefa is expected to compete with star prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe for everyday shortstop duty, while Torres is expected to be the starting second baseman. If Torres was dealt, New York could cover second base with some combination of LeMahieu, Peraza, Volpe, Kiner-Falefa, and Oswaldo Cabrera.

NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines Sign Hirokazu Sawamura

By Mark Polishuk | January 28, 2023 at 10:31am CDT

The Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball have signed right-hander Hirokazu Sawamura, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). Sawamura pitched with the Red Sox in 2021-22 and was reportedly looking to sign on with another MLB team earlier this offseason, but he’ll now instead back to Japan.

Sawamura started his career in NPB, pitching mostly with the Yomiuri Giants from 2011-20 before being dealt to the Marines during the 2020 season. The righty’s first four seasons were spent mostly as a starter, as he delivered some quality numbers and helped the Giants win the 2012 Japan Series, though a full-time move to the bullpen in 2015 turned Sawamura into one of NPB’s best closers. While his effectiveness had a few injury-related ups and downs over the years, and Sawamura was moved to a setup role, Sawamura’s first stint in Nippon Professional Baseball resulted in an impressive 2.77 ERA, 22.1% strikeout rate and a 7.3% walk rate over 868 1/3 innings.

Exploring a move to North America after the 2020 campaign, Sawamura signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox for $3MM in guaranteed money — $1.2MM in salary in both 2021 and 2022, plus a $600K buyout of a $3MM club option for 2024. The contract also contained incentive clauses and a player option for Sawamura, though that became a moot point after he asked to be released in September in order to pursue opportunities with other teams. The Sox obliged, and Sawamura hit the open market after taking a $1MM buyout.

Though Sawamura had a 3.39 ERA and 50.9% grounder rate over his 103 2/3 Major League innings, other statistics weren’t nearly as flattering. Sawamura had a solid 26.3% strikeout rate in 2021 that plummeted to 18.1% last season, and control was consistent problem in both seasons, with a 13% total walk rate. With batters also consistently generating hard contact, Sawamura’s ability to keep the ball on the ground (and a .276 BABIP) might have saved him from more serious damage on the scoreboard. The Red Sox designated Sawamura for assignment and then outrighted him off their 40-man roster in August.

Sawamura turns 35 in April, and he’ll now make his return to NPB for what might be the final act of his baseball career. His brief time with the Marines in 2020 yielded a lot of success, as Sawamura had a 1.71 ERA over 21 1/3 innings.

Blue Jays Announce Rogers Centre’s New Outfield Dimensions

By Mark Polishuk | January 28, 2023 at 9:53am CDT

Reports surfaced last week that the Blue Jays’ renovations to Rogers Centre would involve some changes to the playing field, and those changes were confirmed yesterday when the team officially announced the dimensions of the newly-reconfigured outfield. Rogers Centre had previously had uniform dimensions in terms of wall size and relative distances from home plate, but now many aspects of the outfield will play a bit differently in 2023. (MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson has a visual aid of the new dimensions within his piece on the outfield changes.)

Formerly a standard size of 10 feet tall, the outfield wall’s size will now be staggered, ranging from eight feet in straightaway center field to 14 feet and four inches for the walls in right-center field and down the left field line. The wall down the right field line will also grow to 12 feet and seven inches, and the wall in left-center will be 11 feet and two inches high. The power alley walls will be heightened as well, but to differing heights — 10 feet and nine inches in right-center, and 12 feet and nine inches in left-center.

As for distances, no changes were made in center field or down the left field/right field line, as those will respectively remain at 400 feet and 328 feet. However, in left-center, the wall will move in slightly to 368 feet (from 375 feet) and the power alley to 381 feet (from 383 feet).

In right-center, there is an even more drastic move to 359 feet (again down from 375) with power alley of 372 feet (from 383). The changes in right field are due to two of the renovation’s most prominent new features — a large fan pavilion and dining area, providing spectators with a new views of both the field and a newly-designed visitors’ bullpen.

Last winter’s renovations at Camden Yards are a recent example of how a ballpark can be significantly altered by a dimension change, as one of baseball’s more hitter-friendly stadiums became a lot more pitcher-friendly once the left field wall was heightened and pushed back almost 30 feet. Rogers Centre has also traditionally been somewhat more favorable to hitters, and in theory, the generally shorter dimensions might further help batters (particularly left-handed hitters), while fly-ball pitchers could see a few more home runs sail out of the yard on balls that would’ve previously been caught. That said, the larger walls should also curb a true offensive explosion.

“It was critical to understand how any modifications would impact play, so where the walls come in, heights go up to offset significant changes,” Marnie Starkman, Blue Jays executive VP of business operations, said in a statement to media. “Our team modelled these adjustments, and we anticipate they will create a similar neutral environment while providing a modernized experience for our fans.”

As Matheson notes, the Jays’ acquisitions of Daulton Varsho and Kevin Kiermaier this offseason were surely influenced by the outfield’s different look. The Blue Jays already wanted to upgrade its glovework in general this winter, but having two excellent defensive outfielders in this newly-shaped outfield should help the club as it figures out exactly how these new dimensions will translate to on-field action.

Rangers Re-Sign Elier Hernandez To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | January 28, 2023 at 7:50am CDT

The Rangers re-signed first baseman/outfielder Elier Hernandez to a minor league deal earlier this month, as per Hernandez’s MLB.com profile page. The 28-year-old received an invitation to the Rangers’ big league Spring Training camp.

Since first signing with Texas during the 2020-21 offseason, Hernandez has played primarily at Triple-A Round Rock, and he hit a strong .298/.356/.524 with 13 homers and 21 doubles over 351 plate appearance at the Triple-A level in 2022. This performance resulted in Hernandez making his Major League debut, though he hit a modest .182/.200/.242 in 35 PA over 14 games with Texas last season. The Rangers designated the outfielder for assignment in August and then outrighted him off their 40-man roster.

After electing to become a minor league free agent, Hernandez will now return to the Rangers organization for another season as a depth option. Hernandez has experience at all three outfield positions and has also seen some action at first base over the last two seasons, increasing his versatility. His chances of winning an Opening Day roster spot might depend on who stays healthy in the camp, but the Rangers’ left field situation is still unsettled (barring an acquisition of a veteran player), so there’s some opportunity for Hernandez to carve out a platoon role if he has a big spring.

Hernandez is a veteran of 10 pro seasons, mostly in the Royals organization. He made his debut at age 17 in 2012, after signing as an international free agent the previous summer for a sizable $3.05MM bonus. Over 981 games and 4018 plate appearances in the minor leagues, Hernandez has a .261/.310/.387 slash line and 67 homers.

Orioles Sign Curtis Terry To Minor League Contract

By Anthony Franco | January 27, 2023 at 10:19pm CDT

The Orioles announced this morning they’ve added first baseman Curtis Terry on a minor league deal. The team did not indicate he’s receiving an invitation to big league camp.

Terry, 26, has 13 games of MLB experience under his belt. That came with the Rangers two seasons ago, when the right-handed hitter posted an .089/.146/.133 line through his first 48 plate appearances. It wasn’t a strong MLB debut but came on the heels of a .275/.349/.533 showing with 22 longballs through 99 games with their top affiliate in Round Rock.

Texas outrighted the former 13th-round pick off their roster at the end of the 2021 campaign. Terry signed a minor league deal with the Twins and spent the entire 2022 season at Triple-A St. Paul. He had a solid if unspectacular showing, posting a .250/.348/.429 line with 10 homers in 342 plate appearances. He walked in 11.7% of those trips while only striking out 16.4% of the time. That wasn’t enough to get an MLB look from the Twins and he returned to minor league free agency this offseason.

Baltimore has made an effort to stockpile first base depth. They acquired Ryan O’Hearn from the Royals to promptly run him through outright waivers. The O’s also succeeded on their second attempt to pass Lewin Díaz through the wire unclaimed. Both players figure to have priority over Terry on the first base/designated hitter organizational depth chart given their lengthier MLB résumés and left-handed bats that better complement righty-swinging starter Ryan Mountcastle. Terry figures to open the season with either Triple-A Norfolk or Double-A Bowie as upper minors depth.

Trio Of Free Agent Pitchers Work Out For Clubs

By Anthony Franco | January 27, 2023 at 9:10pm CDT

A handful of free agent hurlers threw for scouts this afternoon in Arlington, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Cole Hamels, Derek Holland and Kyle Crick each worked out for clubs in search of an opportunity.

Hamels, who turned 39 last month, is obviously the highest-profile of the bunch. One of the top pitchers in the game during his peak with the Phillies, Hamels is a four-time All-Star and former World Series MVP. He was an exemplar of durability throughout his peak, starting 30+ games each season from 2008-16. Hamels missed a bit of time with the 2017 Rangers and 2019 Cubs but still topped 140 innings in both years, with a 32-start showing sandwiched in between.

Unfortunately, the veteran southpaw has had virtually nothing go his way the past few seasons. Signed to a one-year deal by the Braves in 2020, Hamels was limited to just one appearance by shoulder issues. He lingered in free agency until August of the following season, when he caught on with the Dodgers on a $1MM contract. Hamels’ first comeback attempt was derailed within weeks by renewed shoulder discomfort, and he returned to the open market over the 2021-22 offseason.

The 15-year MLB veteran required surgery on his shoulder and didn’t sign for 2022. While initial reports last offseason suggested he could factor into the mix by the end of the summer, he eventually turned his attention to the upcoming season. Throughout the process, Hamels has maintained interest in a comeback, even as he told the Associated Press last month he’s also undergone operations on his right knee and left foot. It seems he’s now healthy enough to get back on a mound, where clubs will evaluate whether his current form warrants a minor league contract.

Holland also has over a decade of MLB experience. The 36-year-old has played for six different clubs over a 13-year big league career. He had some success as a starter early on with the Rangers and committed to a full-time bullpen role in 2019. The southpaw soaked up plenty of innings out of the ’pen for the Giants, Cubs, Pirates and Tigers from 2019-21 but allowed nearly six earned runs per nine altogether in that stretch. He spent last season in Triple-A in the Red Sox and Blue Jays organizations, combining for a 5.77 ERA with a 22.8% strikeout rate in 39 innings at the top minor league level. Released by Toronto around the All-Star Break, he didn’t pitch during the season’s second half.

Crick has the most recent big league experience of the group. The 30-year-old righty has pitched in the majors in each of the last six seasons, including 14 outings with the White Sox last year. His final outing came in mid-June, though, as he was placed on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing elbow. He hit minor league free agency at season’s end once Chicago ran through waivers. Crick had a couple excellent seasons to start his career with the Giants and Pirates in 2017-18; he owns a 4.47 ERA in exactly 100 big league outings since the beginning of the 2019 campaign.

Guardians’ Prospect George Valera Recovering From Hand Surgery

By Steve Adams | January 27, 2023 at 7:43pm CDT

Top Guardians outfield prospect George Valera will likely be behind schedule this spring after recently undergoing surgery on the hamate bone in his right hand, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The 22-year-old Valera has ranked among Cleveland’s top prospects for several years and has landed among the game’s top 100 prospects on rankings at Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus in each of the past two offseasons. Valera appeared in the 2022 Futures Game and climbed as high as Triple-A last season, making him a relatively near-term option for the Guardians — though this surgery will slow that trajectory a bit.

Valera split the 2022 season between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .264/.367/.470 (129 wRC+) in 387 plate appearances at the former and batting .221/.324/.448 (103 wRC+) in 179 trips to the plate with the latter. He was playing in the Dominican Winter League this summer, but the hand has been problematic — evidenced by a tepid .171/.244/.220 output in 11 games there.

The Guardians haven’t formally announced Valera’s surgery, nor has the team provided an update on his expected recovery period. Hamate fractures and the subsequent surgeries typically sideline hitters for at least four weeks but can require an absence upwards of two months in length.

There’s no immediate spot in the Cleveland outfield for Valera, though with a full, healthy and productive spring he’d have had a chance to force his way into the mix. Third-place Rookie of the Year finisher Steven Kwan has left field locked down, and while Myles Straw’s bat left plenty to be desired in 2022, his elite defense and the contract extension he inked last spring both make him the clear option in center field. In right field, 25-year-old Oscar Gonzalez figures to get the nod after surprising with a .296/.321/.461 batting line and 11 home runs in 382 trips to the plate as a rookie in 2022.

Valera secured a spot on the Cleveland 40-man roster over the 2021-22 offseason once he’d have become eligible for the Rule 5 draft. He’ll be going into his second minor league option year and seems likely to start next season in Triple-A if he’s ready for Opening Day.

Brewers Sign Skye Bolt, Colin Rea To Minor League Contracts

By Anthony Franco | January 27, 2023 at 7:17pm CDT

The Brewers have signed outfielder Skye Bolt and right-hander Colin Rea to minor league deals, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Both players will get non-roster looks in major league camp.

Bolt joins the third organization of his professional career. He’s spent most of the last eight years with the A’s, joining the pro ranks as a fourth-round draftee in 2015. Bolt debuted with Oakland briefly in 2019, getting into five games. He didn’t appear in the big leagues in 2020, then split the 2021 campaign between Oakland and the Giants. Returning to the A’s late in that season via waiver claim, he held his 40-man roster spot until last September.

The 29-year-old has played in 81 major league games in his career. More than half came last season, as he tallied 116 plate appearances over 42 contests with Oakland. After missing the first couple months of the season thanks to an oblique strain, he got some run as the A’s primary center fielder. The switch-hitter managed only a .198/.259/.330 line with four homers and a slightly elevated 25.9% strikeout rate before being outrighted off the 40-man roster.

Bolt hasn’t hit well in limited MLB time thus far. The UNC product owns a .313/.399/.526 line through parts of three Triple-A campaigns, and while that’s no doubt aided by the Pacific Coast League’s favorable hitting environment, that’s still above-average production at the top minor league level. Bolt’s a quality runner who can play all three outfield positions, so he doesn’t need to make a huge offensive impact to carve out a depth role.

Milwaukee has Christian Yelich locked into left field, while top prospect Garrett Mitchell is the favorite for center field run. Tyrone Taylor is the top right fielder, with recent signee Brian Anderson set to bounce between third base and right field. Jesse Winker is the primary designated hitter but could see some corner outfield action, while Blake Perkins secured a major league contract this offseason despite having no prior MLB experience. Top prospect Sal Frelick doesn’t seem far off MLB readiness after reaching Triple-A last season, though he’s not yet on the 40-man roster.

Bolt will try to crack the group in exhibition play but could open next season with Triple-A Nashville as a depth option. He’s out of minor league option years, so the Brewers would have to keep him in the big leagues or designate him for assignment if he earns a promotion at any point.

Rea has some familiarity with the Milwaukee organization. His most recent big league appearance was a six inning relief outing for the Brew Crew in 2021. The 32-year-old has pitched for four different clubs over parts of four big league campaigns. His most extended work came in a 2016 season divided between the Padres and Marlins, where he pitched to a 4.82 ERA through 102 2/3 innings.

An Indiana State graduate, Rea has just 20 big league frames since the conclusion of that 2016 season. He made seven starts in Nashville during the 2021 campaign, posting a 2.27 ERA over 35 2/3 innings. Last year, Rea pitched for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan, logging an even 100 innings through 23 outings. He allowed just fewer than four earned runs per nine with a fairly modest 19.6% strikeout rate but a solid 7.8% walk percentage. He’ll offer some rotation or multi-inning relief depth in camp.

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