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Angels, Chris Okey Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have signed catcher Chris Okey to a minor league contract, as noted by Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. According to the transactions tracker at MLB.com, he’s been assigned to the club’s Arizona complex. It stands to reason he’ll report to an upper minors affiliate in the coming weeks.

Okey, 28, had previously spent his entire career with the Reds. Cincinnati selected him in the second round back in 2016, signing him for $2MM out of Clemson. He played six seasons in their system, appearing in exactly 400 minor league games. The right-handed hitter put up a .208/.282/.329 line in a little more than 1400 plate appearances. He’s fared a little better against Triple-A pitching specifically, posting a .219/.292/.347 mark over parts of three seasons at the top minor league level.

The Reds gave Okey his first brief crack at the major league level last summer. They selected him onto the MLB roster in early June. He got into seven games as a depth catcher before being designated for assignment the following month. Okey went unclaimed on waivers, spent the remainder of the year in their system, and hit minor league free agency at the end of the season.

Now that he’s in the second organization of his career, Okey will try to work his way back to the highest level. The Halos have top prospect Logan O’Hoppe, Matt Thaiss and the currently injured Max Stassi on the 40-man roster. Chad Wallach is also in the organization as a non-roster veteran at Triple-A Salt Lake. Okey figures to slot in behind that group on the organizational depth chart and adds some insurance in the event of further injuries at the position.

Brewers Have Shown Interest In Zack Britton

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The Brewers are among the teams that have shown interest in free agent reliever Zack Britton, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman also reiterates the Mets’ long-standing ties to the two-time All-Star.

Britton is one of the more notable unsigned players. Heyman indicates the 12-year MLB veteran is being patient with his decision as he looks for opportunities with a contender. Both the Mets and Brewers expect to battle for a playoff spot this year, though there are presumably other competitive clubs that also have some level of interest.

The 35-year-old can no longer reasonably be expected to pitch at his peak level. Perhaps the best reliever in the game during his prime, Britton posted five sub-2.00 ERA seasons between 2014-20. He induced grounders on over 70% of batted balls in each of those years, handily topping the league in that regard annually.

Since the start of 2021, Britton has been sidetracked by elbow issues. He allowed 14 runs in 18 1/3 innings for the Yankees during the ’21 campaign, twice landing on the injured list. The second of those stints resulted in a Tommy John procedure that wiped out almost all of the following year. Britton improbably returned at the tail end of last season but walked six of nine batters faced before being shut back down. He’s held multiple showcases since the offseason began but has yet to settle on an opportunity.

The Brewers are a little light on left-handed relief options. Hoby Milner is the only southpaw in the big league bullpen. He’s started the year with five scoreless innings and posted a decent 3.76 ERA across 64 2/3 frames last season. There’s little question that Milner’s spot in the bullpen is secure. There’d presumably be some appeal in adding a second southpaw, though the Brewers could have a hard time finding room on the roster.

Milwaukee has eight relievers on the MLB roster. Milner and closer Devin Williams have spots locked down. Rule 5 draftee Gus Varland — who’s off to an impressive start — has to stay in the majors or be placed on waivers and subsequently offered back to the Dodgers. Meanwhile, each of Bryse Wilson, Matt Bush, Javy Guerra and Joel Payamps has exhausted their minor league options. They all have to remain on the MLB roster or be made available to other teams. That’d leave just one spot barring injury and Peter Strzelecki has opened the year with five scoreless innings of his own.

Former first-round pick Ethan Small and recent trade pickup Bennett Sousa are the top left-handed depth options in the bullpen. Each occupies a spot on the 40-man roster and is on optional assignment to Triple-A Nashville.

Anthony Bemboom Accepts Outright Assignment

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The Orioles announced this evening that backstop Anthony Bemboom has gone unclaimed on waivers. He’s accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and will remain in the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.

Baltimore just announced this morning that Bemboom had been designated for assignment as the corresponding move to select Ryan O’Hearn onto the 40-man. It appears he’d hit the waiver wire before the official announcement and the DFA was resolved quickly when he cleared waivers this afternoon.

It’s the second time in the past six months the O’s have outrighted Bemboom. Baltimore added him to the roster at the start of the offseason, with the sides agreeing to a split contract that likely pays him higher than the typical salary for a Triple-A player. Bemboom has had the right to refuse the outright assignments. Doing so, however, would mean forfeiting his salary. It’s not surprising he accepted an assignment over the winter and will do so again after a brief return to the majors to start the season.

Bemboom got into two games this year. He’s now played at the major league level in five consecutive years, though his cumulative playing time (78 games, 206 plate appearances) is still less than half a season’s worth of work. The 33-year-old is a .158/.233/.262 hitter at the major league level. He carries a .247/.340/.392 line over parts of six Triple-A seasons and the O’s are clearly comfortable with his work with their pitching staff.

Baltimore has one of the game’s top catchers in Adley Rutschman. Veteran James McCann returned from the injured list over the weekend and will serve as Rutschman’s backup.

The Rangers’ Options At Shortstop

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The Rangers were dealt one of the more notable early-season injuries. Star shortstop Corey Seager pulled up on a double during Tuesday’s night matchup in Kansas City. He was diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring. That’ll cost him a month at minimum.

Seager had been off to a .359/.469/.538 start. Texas won’t be able to replace that kind of offense — Seager himself wasn’t going to keep hitting at that rate — but it’s an obviously tough blow for a team that projects as a fringe playoff club.

Manager Bruce Bochy quickly shot down the notion of sliding Marcus Semien over to shortstop (via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). The All-Star infielder has plenty of experience from his time in Oakland, but he’s primarily played second base over the past two-plus seasons. With Seager expected to return at some point during the season’s first half, the Rangers don’t seem keen on disrupting Semien’s rhythm at the keystone only to move him back there a few weeks from now.

Instead, it seems the Rangers will turn to a combination of less proven options to cover the position. Let’s take a look at the candidates.

The Favorites

Josh H. Smith

Smith picked up the first shortstop start last night, plugging right into Seager’s customary No. 2 spot in the lineup versus Royals’ righty Brad Keller. As a left-handed hitter, he could pick up the bulk of the work against right-handed pitching.

A second-round pick of the Yankees in 2019, Smith landed in Texas via the Joey Gallo trade (which’ll come up again shortly). He made his MLB debut last season, appearing in 73 games. Smith struggled through his looks at big league pitching, hitting .197/.307/.249 over 253 trips to the plate. He demonstrated a very patient approach, walking 11.1% of the time while keeping his strikeouts to a lower-than-average 19.8% clip. Yet he didn’t do much when he put the ball in play, only picking up two home runs with a well below-average 28.6% hard-contact percentage.

Smith was much better in Triple-A. He’s been a productive hitter throughout his minor league career. That continued in 2022, when he put up a .290/.395/.466 line with six homers, a 12.6% walk rate and a 20.7% strikeout percentage over 55 contests for the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock. Baseball America’s pre-2022 scouting report on Smith praised his exit velocities in the minor leagues, which he’ll need to carry over more effectively to be a productive MLB hitter.

Ezequiel Durán

Durán, a right-handed hitter, also began his career in the Yankees’ system. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2017, he joined Smith as part of the package sent to Texas for Gallo. (Glenn Otto and Trevor Hauver were also included.) Like Smith, Durán made his big league debut last season but didn’t perform well in his first crack, albeit with a different profile.

The 23-year-old Durán hit .236/.277/.365 in 220 MLB plate appearances. He was among the game’s most aggressive hitters, chasing nearly half the pitches he saw outside the strike zone and whiffing at more than 14% of total offerings. Durán walked at a meager 5.5% rate while punching out 24.5% of the time. He did more damage than Smith when he made contact, connecting on five home runs, ten doubles and a triple. However, he’ll need to rein in his approach to keep his on-base percentage at a suitable level.

Durán was better in Triple-A, hitting .283/.316/.531 in 33 games. His strikeout and walk rates there (27.7% and 4.5%, respectively) remained concerning, but he connected on nine long balls. Durán was a highly-regarded prospect — perhaps even more so than Smith — based on his power potential but he’s faced more questions about his swing decisions and ability to handle shortstop defensively. Durán spent most of his time at second base in the minors and played primarily third base at the big league level. He’s yet to log a single major league inning at shortstop, though Bochy named him as an option there after Seager’s injury.

Other Possibilities

There aren’t many alternatives for Texas at the moment. Brad Miller hasn’t regularly played shortstop since 2016. Prospects Luisangel Acuña and Jonathan Ornelas are on the 40-man roster but don’t seem on the radar for an immediate call. The 21-year-old Acuña has barely played above High-A and isn’t likely to play in the majors at all this season. Ornelas, 23 next month, could be a more realistic option for a midseason promotion after hitting .299/.360/.425 with Double-A Frisco last year. He has all of nine games of Triple-A experience, though.

Perhaps the Rangers will look to fortify the depth in the coming weeks. Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons are still unsigned and would have to take a minor league deal if they wish to continue playing. Even then, neither would be ready to step right into a big league lineup. Maybe the Marlins would part with José Iglesias, who’s at Triple-A Jacksonville after signing a non-roster deal in Spring Training. Iglesias can opt out of that contract if he’s not in the majors by May 1; it’s not uncommon for teams to grant players in his position an early release or cash trade if another club is willing to give them an immediate MLB roster spot.

The Rangers aren’t going to make any kind of impact outside acquisition at this time of the year. That’s not necessary with Seager likely returning in late May or early June. Barring a veteran depth pickup, Texas looks set to rely on a pair of young players to man shortstop for the next few weeks.

Twins Select Kyle Garlick

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April 13: The Twins have made this official today, selecting Garlick and moving Celestino to the 60-day IL. A spot on the active roster was opened by placing Farmer on the 10-day IL with a facial laceration.  The club’s communications director Dustin Morse relayed last night on Twitter that Farmer had successful surgery on his lower lip and bottom four teeth.

April 12: The Twins are expected to select Kyle Garlick onto the big league roster, tweets Dan Hayes of the Athletic. Doing so would require a 40-man roster spot, which Hayes indicates would likely be achieved by transferring Gilberto Celestino from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Garlick has appeared at the big league level for Minnesota in each of the past two seasons. He’s combined for a .233/.283/.446 line in 269 plate appearances over that stretch. Garlick has popped 14 home runs in less than half a season’s worth of playing time, though his on-base percentage has been deflated by few walks and a strikeout rate pushing 30%.

The right-handed hitter has gotten nearly equal run in his career against left and right-handed pitching alike. He’s been far more productive with the platoon advantage, hitting .251/.301/.538 against southpaws but limping to a .203/.258/.324 line against righties. The 31-year-old is best deployed in the lesser half of a corner outfield platoon, where his power against left-handed pitching has played.

Minnesota and Garlick agreed to $750K contract at the start of the offseason to avoid arbitration. The Twins nevertheless ran him through waivers over the winter, though he accepted a minor league assignment to hold onto that guaranteed salary. He’s picked up eight hits (including two homers and a double) over seven games this year with Triple-A St. Paul.

The Twins could find themselves down a right-handed bat in the next couple weeks. Utilityman Kyle Farmer was hit in the face by a Lucas Giolito offering during this afternoon’s win over the White Sox. He walked off the field with a towel pressed up against his face. Hayes notes that initial indications are that Farmer fortunately avoided a fractured jaw, though he has a laceration around his mouth. It seems likely he’ll require a stint on the 10-day IL.

Celestino, meanwhile, underwent thumb surgery during Spring Training. That initially came with a recovery timetable in the six to eight week range. Celestino lost most of exhibition play and will have to work back into game shape. A transfer to the 60-day IL could be backdated to Opening Day and would keep him out until at least late May.

Latest On Orioles’ Rotation

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The Orioles haven’t gotten much production from their rotation through the first couple weeks. Baltimore starters entered play Wednesday with a 6.23 ERA that ranked 26th in the majors, while their strikeout and walk rates are middle-of-the-pack.

Top prospect Grayson Rodriguez has been part of those struggles, allowing seven runs in 9 1/3 innings in his first two MLB starts. While the results haven’t been great, the highly-touted righty has shown the high-octane stuff that has intrigued evaluators and fans for years. He’s averaging 97 MPH on his heater and has gotten swinging strikes on an excellent 13.2% of his pitches.

After Rodriguez’s start against the A’s on Tuesday, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters the rookie would get another turn through the rotation (relayed by Roch Kuabtko of MASNsports.com). Assuming the club stays on schedule, Rodriguez is lined up to take the ball against Dylan Cease and the White Sox on Sunday.

The O’s didn’t break camp with Rodriguez in the rotation. Baltimore called him up last week after losing Kyle Bradish to the 15-day injured list because of a right foot contusion. Bradish’s injury was never expected to be serious and he’s already set for a rehab assignment. Hyde told reporters the righty will take the ball for Double-A Bowie on Friday (via Andy Kostka of Baltimore Banner). That’d seemingly put Bradish on track to be reinstated when first eligible on April 19.

Hyde downplayed the possibility of rolling with a six-man rotation. If the O’s want to stick with a five-man starting staff, they’d have to make a decision once Bradish is activated from the IL (barring an intervening injury). Kyle Gibson and Cole Irvin are locks to hold jobs, which would seemingly squeeze one of Bradish, Rodriguez, Tyler Wells or Dean Kremer out of the group.

Kremer, in particular, is off to a rough start. The 27-year-old has been tagged for 13 runs in 12 1/3 innings across three appearances, surrendering five home runs in that limited stretch. Kremer had been one of Baltimore’s most effective starters last year, when he posted a 3.23 ERA in 125 1/3 frames. Dan Connolly of the Athletic wrote last night that Kremer’s hold on a rotation spot could be tenuous if he continues to scuffle. That came before the righty surrendered four runs and allowed homers to Brent Rooker and Carlos Pérez in 4 1/3 frames during tonight’s loss to Oakland.

Rockies Notes: Rotation, Senzatela, Rolison

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The Rockies were dealt a hit to their rotation this week. Germán Márquez left Monday’s start with a forearm strain that necessitated a 15-day injured list placement. While he and the club have downplayed their concern based on an MRI that didn’t reveal any significant structural issues, they’ll have to plug a short-term vacancy in the starting five.

Manager Bud Black addressed the situation with reporters this afternoon (relayed by Patrick Lyons of DNVR). Black pointed to righties Noah Davis, Peter Lambert and Karl Kauffmann as candidates to assume the vacant spot. All three are currently in Triple-A Albuquerque. Lambert and Davis were optioned there to start the season, while Kauffmann was assigned there as a player who is not currently on the 40-man roster.

Davis made his MLB debut last season with one relief outing. He spent the bulk of the year starting for Double-A Hartford, where he put up a 5.54 ERA over 26 starts. The 25-year-old struggled with walks and home runs but punched out more than a quarter of opponents at the level. He’s walked seven and struck out six over three starts in Albuquerque.

Lambert, also 25, logged 95 big league innings between 2019-21. The former second round pick was once a reasonably promising prospect. He struggled to a 7.48 ERA in his first 21 MLB starts, though, and injuries have robbed him of most of the last three seasons. Lambert has allowed three runs with three strikeouts and walks apiece in 4 1/3 Triple-A innings this year.

Kauffmann has yet to make his big league debut. He split last year between Hartford and Albuquerque, pitching to a solid 4.06 ERA over 15 starts at the former stop. He allowed more than six earned runs per nine innings over 13 outings upon being bumped up to the top minor league level. The 25-year-old has allowed eight runs in nine frames there this year.

Rotation depth has been a concern for the Rockies since the season opened. Beyond Márquez, only Kyle Freeland was an established member of the season-opening starting five. José Ureña and Austin Gomber posted middling numbers last year, while the Rockies turned to Ryan Feltner in the fifth spot. That’s in part because Antonio Senzatela is still rehabbing from the ACL tear he suffered last summer, though he’ll take a notable step forward this week.

Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette tweets that Senzatela will make his first rehab start on Friday. He’s scheduled to toss two innings in a complex league game. The Rockies have maintained they expect Senzatela back on the Coors Field mound sometime in May and it seems he’s still on track for that target.

Meanwhile, left-hander Ryan Rolison threw a side session yesterday without issue, as reflected on the MLB.com injury tracker. He’s progressing towards game action. Colorado’s first round draftee in 2018, the southpaw is on the 40-man roster but hasn’t yet reached the majors. Rolison underwent shoulder surgery last June. He could be in line for his MLB debut at some point this season after starting ten games in Triple-A last year.

White Sox Sign Daniel Ponce de Leon To Minor League Contract

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The White Sox have signed right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon to a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (Twitter link). He’ll head to Triple-A Charlotte as rotation depth.

Ponce de Leon has pitched in parts of four big league seasons. All of his MLB experience has come in St. Louis. A Cardinal draftee, the right-hander debuted in 2018. He remained with the Cardinals through 2021, working to a 4.33 ERA over 147 2/3 innings in a swing capacity. Ponce de Leon punched out a solid 23.2% of opposing hitters but had trouble throwing strikes consistently. He walked batters at a 12.7% clip overall and doled out free passes nearly 14% of the time in his final two seasons there.

Since being cut loose by St. Louis, the 31-year-old has bounced around the league. He signed minor league deals with four different teams last season. Ponce de Leon initially caught on with the Angels but was released in Spring Training. He bounced to the Mariners, Nationals and Tigers to close out the year. He had a tough season at the top minor league level, allowing a 6.52 ERA in 116 innings between those three affiliates. He struck out more than a quarter of opponents but walked 11.4% of batters faced and was quite homer-prone.

Rough 2022 season aside, Ponce de Leon brings a fair amount of upper level experience to the Chicago system. He misses a decent number of bats and can operate in a long relief or starting capacity if the Sox need to call upon him. They haven’t had to dip beyond their top five of Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Michael Kopech and Mike Clevinger to this point in the offseason. The depth behind that group is questionable, though, with Davis Martin, A.J. Alexy and non-roster players like Ponce de Leon and the recently outrighted Jonathan Stiever among the potential considerations.

Bryce Harper Preparing For Work At First Base

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The Phillies are likely to be without Bryce Harper for most of the first half of this season. The two-time MVP continues to rehab from last November’s Tommy John surgery. His recovery timetable isn’t entirely clear, though it seems he’s likely to be on the injured list at least until well into May.

Because the surgery was on Harper’s throwing elbow, his hitting is further along than his defense. He’s already progressed to taking batting practice but hasn’t been cleared to throw. Harper is certain to return as a designated hitter before he can play defense but the Phils are considering one course of action that potentially could allow him to don a glove sooner than anticipated.

Matt Gelb of the Athletic reports that Harper is preparing to work at first base. The primary benefit is that it may expedite his ability to take the field by reducing the amount of stress he’ll put on his throwing arm. Corner outfield work involves more high-effort throws than Harper would have to make at first base. He wouldn’t be able to entirely avoid throwing at any position, of course, but there’d be a lower frequency and reduced intensity on most throws Harper would have to make compared to the outfield.

Some increased flexibility from Harper could also address a position that has surprisingly become a weak point in the Philadelphia lineup. The Phils lost Rhys Hoskins for what appears to be the entire season after a Spring Training ACL tear. Darick Hall, Hoskins’ replacement, tore a ligament in his right thumb last week. He underwent surgery this morning, with the Phils estimating a two-month recovery timetable. That pushed utility player Kody Clemens into the lion’s share of first base reps, with Alec Bohm expected to take some playing time against left-handed pitching.

Harper has logged one third of an inning at first base in his MLB career. He’s otherwise exclusively been an outfielder as a professional. There’s risk of growing pains with any player moving to a position with which he’s completely unfamiliar, though it’s hardly uncommon for outfielders to factor in at first base on occasion. Harper has been taking some ground balls — without making overhand throws — in recent days, Gelb notes.

Regardless of how well he takes to drills, he’ll return to the lineup as a DH before he’s cleared to defend. If he’s able to factor in at first base closer to the All-Star Break (before he’d theoretically be able to play the outfield), that’d afford the front office and coaching staff some flexibility. While Harper’s at DH, the Phils are set to pencil in Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos into the corner outfield positions regularly. Barring a breakout from Clemens, they’d perhaps have perhaps been looking to the trade market for first base help.

If Harper covers that position and vacates the DH spot for one of Schwarber or Castellanos, the Phils could broaden their search for outfield upgrades. Vacating DH would also allow manager Rob Thomson more freedom to rotate regulars through the position as quasi-rest days. It’s to be determined whether Harper will find success in that role, but the seven-time All-Star is going to try to expand his defensive flexibility over the coming weeks.

Marlins, Archie Bradley Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Marlins have signed reliever Archie Bradley to a minor league contract, tweets Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Bradley had lingered in free agency all offseason. The former seventh overall pick has played parts of eight seasons at the big league level. He moved to the bullpen full-time with the Diamondbacks in 2017, posting a 1.73 ERA over 73 innings that year. While Bradley has never quite recaptured that level of success, he allowed fewer than four earned runs per nine every season between 2018-21.

Two winters ago, the Oklahoma native inked a $3.75MM free agent deal with the Angels. His stint in Orange County didn’t go according to plan. Bradley threw 18 2/3 innings over 21 outings, allowing 13 runs (10 earned). He punched out only 19.2% of opposing hitters while generating whiffs on a well below-average 8.1% of his offerings. Bradley induced ground balls at a huge 57.1% clip but the lackluster strikeout tallies contributed to a 4.82 ERA that was his worst since moving to relief.

His season came to an unceremonious end in late June. Bradley fractured his throwing elbow when he slipped while trying to hop the dugout railing during a bench-clearing brawl. He’d been set to return at the tail end of the season but was diagnosed with a forearm strain.

On the heels of that rough platform showing, it’s not surprising Bradley had to settle for a minor league pact. He’ll surely need some time to build into game shape but could factor into the Miami bullpen during the year. The Marlins’ relief corps has struggled in the early going, allowing a 6.02 ERA that’s fourth-highest in the majors. Miami’s 38.8% grounder rate is 25th in MLB, so Bradley’s high-grounder profile could complement the group once he’s ready to go.

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