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Reds Re-Sign Pedro Villarreal To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have re-signed reliever Pedro Villarreal to a minor league deal, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets.  Villarreal could provide a depth option for a Reds bullpen that figures to look quite different in 2015 after the offseason losses of Aroldis Chapman, Manny Parra and Burke Badenhop.

The Reds non-tendered Villarreal last month after he posted a 3.42 ERA and 2.2 BB/9 in 50 innings last season. That line also included a medicore strikeout rate (5.2 K/9), and that inability to miss bats might have been part of the reason the Reds were willing to part with Villarreal even though he only had 1.034 years of service time and wasn’t yet arbitration eligible. By re-signing him, the Reds will get to keep him in the organization without using a roster spot or paying him a big-league salary, at least not for the time being.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/9/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Royals have agreed to terms with lefty David Huff on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, MLBTR has learned. Huff will receive $1.1MM plus a possible $300K in performance bonuses if he’s in the Majors, and his deal contains opt-outs on May 15 and June 15. Huff appeared briefly with the Dodgers last season, but spent most of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he posted a 2.20 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 over 57 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old has a 5.08 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in parts of seven big-league seasons, which he’s split between starting and relieving.
  • The Padres have selected the contract of lefty Ryan Buchter, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Friars had previously signed Buchter to a minor league deal, but now, before he had even pitched an inning for them, they’ve placed him on their 40-man roster. Buchter had an excellent (if somewhat control-challenged) season at Triple-A in 2015, posting a 1.78 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of relief for two teams, and he has good velocity and is very tough on lefties. Getting him on a minor league deal looked like a small coup for the Padres, and it’s possible they’re adding him to their 40-man roster in order to avoid losing him, maybe to an opt-out clause or an offer from overseas.
  • The Pirates have released righty Casey Sadler, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. Sadler underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2015 season and was subsequently outrighted. The 25-year-old made one strong start with the Bucs in 2015 and spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he posted a 4.56 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 before getting hurt.
  • The Brewers have announced that they’ve signed lefty Pat Misch to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. The 34-year-old Misch appeared in parts of six big-league seasons with the Giants and Mets, but he hasn’t been in the Majors since 2011. He’s had a strange journey since having Tommy John surgery in August 2013, as BA’s John Manuel writes — beginning last winter, he pitched in the Puerto Rican Winter League, then pitched 72 innings in a swingman role with Triple-A New Orleans in the Marlins system (posting a 3.25 ERA, 5.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9), then 64 2/3 with Lamigo in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. That stint finished with a Game 7 no-hitter to end the Taiwan Series.
  • The Yankees have signed infielders Donovan Solano and Jonathan Diaz to minor league deals with Spring Training invites, Eddy tweets. Solano, formerly the Marlins’ semi-regular second baseman, did not hit well in 2015 and bounced back and forth between Miami and New Orleans. He has a career .257/.307/.328 batting line in parts of four big-league seasons. The 30-year-old Diaz has played briefly with the Red Sox and Blue Jays; he spent most of 2015 with the Jays’ Triple-A Buffalo affiliate, where he played shortstop, second base and center field and batted .223/.328/.284.
  • The Braves have agreed to terms with righty Rob Wooten, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. The 30-year-old appeared in the Brewers bullpen in the 2013 through 2015 seasons, posting a combined 5.03 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 and throwing in the high 80s. He spent most of 2015, in a tough pitching environment at Triple-A Colorado Springs, with a 4.67 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 over 52 innings.
  • The Reds have signed infielder Carlos Triunfel to a minor league deal, tweets Eddy. The former top Mariners prospect, now 25, batted .264/.287/.398 in 329 plate appearances with Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants organization in 2015, splitting his time between shortstop, second and third. He has appeared briefly in the big leagues with the Mariners and Dodgers.

Blue Jays Notes: Storen, Osuna, Saunders

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Earlier this afternoon, we checked in with the Nationals to hear about the Ben Revere / Drew Storen trade from their perspective. Also this afternoon, new Jays GM Ross Atkins and Storen spoke to the media about the deal.

  • Atkins says the team will be flexible at closer, Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. The team isn’t yet committing to either Storen or Roberto Osuna to close games. Osuna, of course, was quite successful in his rookie season in 2015, posting a 2.58 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 while saving 20 regular season games.
  • According to Atkins (via Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star on Twitter), one factor in the deal was that it allowed the Jays to “better maximize” their roster. The Jays felt that both Revere and Michael Saunders were “everyday players,” and while they didn’t mind having depth in the outfield (with Revere and Saunders potentially joining a group of outfielders that included Jose Bautista, Kevin Pillar and Dalton Pompey), they felt they could deal an outfielder for additional pitching.
  • The team feels that Saunders, who missed much of the 2015 season with knee trouble, will be ready to go at the beginning of Spring Training, Kennedy tweets. “We feel great about him,” says Atkins.
  • Storen says he would have been fine remaining in Washington, but he’s excited to be headed to Toronto, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. Via John Lott of the National Post (on Twitter), Storen says he struggled down the stretch last season with getting enough rest between outings, and feels he would be fine if placed in a setup role, as long as he has enough days off.

NL West Notes: Guerrero, Rodney, Diamondbacks

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The Dodgers face a tricky situation with 3B/OF Alex Guerrero, Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times writes. Guerrero’s contract has two years and $10MM remaining, and it doesn’t allow the Dodgers to option him to the minors without his permission. That means the Dodgers are effectively stuck with him on their 25-man roster, even though he isn’t an especially good defender at any position and tailed off badly at the plate after a hot start last season. Guerrero also isn’t much of a trade asset due to his contract (which, in addition to the provision about optioning him, also allows him to become a free agent next winter if he’s dealt this season). For a big-market team like the Dodgers, $10MM sure isn’t a huge hindrance, but Guerrero’s presence on the roster currently seems like it could be a minor headache for them. Here’s more from the NL West.

  • A number of teams have been in touch with free agent reliever Fernando Rodney’s representation, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Padres, who previously had been connected to Rodney, do not currently seem to be most likely to sign him. (A previous report had indicated that the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Cubs were involved in his market.) Rodney, of course, struggled in Seattle for most of the 2015 season, but seemed to find new life after an August trade to the Cubs. In Chicago, the 38-year-old struck out 15 batters and walked four in 12 innings.
  • Diamondbacks superstar Paul Goldschmidt is excited about the team’s moves this offseason, writes MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. Goldschmidt says that he new the team would spend if it found an opportunity it liked, but that he was still taken aback when he heard the Snakes had landed Zack Greinke. “I was definitely surprised,” he says. “All of a sudden my phone started blowing up with people texting and calling me. It was exciting.”

Nationals Notes: Storen, Revere, Papelbon

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Here are a few notes out of Washington following the Nationals’ addition yesterday of outfielder Ben Revere and a player to be named for reliever Drew Storen and cash.

  • Nats GM Mike Rizzo says the team hasn’t yet determined what Revere’s role will be, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. It sounds like Revere could be the Nats’ starting center fielder, or he could move around between the three outfield spots. Center fielder Michael Taylor and left fielder Jayson Werth both had underwhelming seasons in 2015; perhaps Revere’s role could depend in part on how former top prospect Taylor develops, and upon whether everyone in the Nats’ outfield can stay healthy.
  • Rizzo says he’s not set on trading closer Jonathan Papelbon unless he can find a suitable trade, tweets Wagner. “We see Papelbon as one of our late-inning relievers,” says Rizzo. (Rizzo previously said something similar about Storen, so it seems unwise to dismiss the possibility of a deal, although Storen’s departure does reduce the Nationals’ bullpen depth.)
  • Rizzo adds (again via Wagner on Twitter) that he feels the Nationals’ roster is fairly complete. “I don’t see any major needs we haven’t addressed,” he says. The Nats’ big additions this winter have included Revere, Daniel Murphy, Shawn Kelley, Oliver Perez, Yusmeiro Petit and Stephen Drew.
  • In an article written before the Storen trade, Wagner wonders whether the Nationals ought to pursue another starting pitcher. The idea is that the Nats can use more depth, and this year’s strong class of free agent pitching might help them compensate for the possible loss of Stephen Strasburg to free agency next winter, much in the same way that Max Scherzer’s addition last year helped them compensate for the impending loss of Jordan Zimmermann. There have also been recent rumors about the possibility that the Nats could trade Gio Gonzalez. Adding another starter via the free agent market (perhaps Wei-Yin Chen, who is represented by Scott Boras, with whom the Nationals frequently do business) would make even more sense in such a scenario.

Blue Jays Could Consider R.A. Dickey Trade

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The Blue Jays could consider trading R.A. Dickey, Jeff Blair of Sportsnet.ca and Sportsnet 590 tweets, citing a scout. Dickey has been a reliable part of the Jays’ rotation over the past three seasons, throwing over 200 innings in each, and the Jays exercised his $12MM option after the season. While Dickey is no longer the ace he was with the Mets, the 41-year-old knuckleballer remains effective in his old age, posting a 3.91 ERA last season.

With the additions of J.A. Happ and Jesse Chavez this offseason, though, the Jays have six potential starting pitchers (also including Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada and Drew Hutchison), and they will also have to decide whether talented 23-year-old Aaron Sanchez has a future in the rotation. “It’s tough because, if he’s in the bullpen this year, it’s tough to turn him back into a starter because he’s really still developing his secondary pitches,” says manager John Gibbons (via Sportsnet’s Nick Ashbourne). Moving Dickey could give the Jays’ rotation a bit more flexibility while allowing them to add talent elsewhere, either through the trade itself or through spending the additional money they would have available with Dickey’s salary off the books.

AL Central Notes: Infante, Tigers, Indians

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The Royals aren’t yet set on Omar Infante at second base and could consider using Christian Colon in a starting role or as part of some sort of time-share, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports. “I don’t know if Omar, at this point, is going to play 162 games,” says Royals GM Dayton Moore. “I just know we’re going to put the best team out there each and every night, and I know Omar is capable of being that guy. But we like Christian Colon, too.” The first two years of Infante’s contract have been disappointing, and the Royals owe him $17.75MM over the next two. Last summer, Infante’s struggles were a key reason for the team’s acquisition of Ben Zobrist, who received a significant amount of playing time at second base down the stretch. Zobrist, of course, signed with the Cubs this winter. As disappointing as Infante has been, it’s possible the 26-year-old Colon won’t be an answer to the Royals’ second-base problems, either — Colon hit .281 and had a .353 on-base percentage at Triple-A Omaha last season, but with virtually no power. Here’s more from the AL Central.

  • The Tigers continue to look for outfielders and relievers, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi report (via Twitter). They’re likely looking for “complementary pieces” rather than major acquisitions. The Tigers acquired Cameron Maybin and Francisco Rodriguez in November to bolster their outfield and bullpen, respectively; in December, they also added relievers Justin Wilson and Mark Lowe. The Tigers do still appear to be somewhat weak in the outfield and had been connected to Yoenis Cespedes this winter, although GM Al Avila has downplayed the possibility that the Tigers could sign Cespedes, and a report in late December indicated the Tigers had already made their key moves for the winter.
  • The opportunity to trade both Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in a single trade was a one-time opportunity that the Indians had to seize, the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes writes. Even though the Indians only acquired infielder Chris Johnson, who was later released, they saved a bit of money and cleared the roster spots of two players who merely would have been very expensive bench options.

Week In Review: 1/2/16 – 1/8/16

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Here’s a look back at the past week at MLBTR.

Key Moves

Trades

Signings / Re-signings

Avoided Arbitration

Claimed

Designated For Assignment

Released

Key Minor League Signings

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Tigers, Indians

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With Scott Kazmir joining some combination of Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu, Brett Anderson and Alex Wood (along with righty Kenta Maeda), the Dodgers’ rotation is strongly left-handed, MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby notes. Historically, Ringolsby argues, there’s been little evidence that relying heavily on left-handed starters is a disadvantage. He notes that the 1965 Dodgers, for example, won the World Series with a team that got 112 starts from lefties. That’s not to say that having a lefty-heavy rotation creates an obvious advantage either, however — the 2004 Royals started lefties 108 times and lost 104 games that season. Here are more quick notes from around the game.

  • The Tigers’ lineup and bench, meanwhile, are heavily right-handed, but they’re designed that way on in order to give Brad Ausmus plenty of late-inning flexibility, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes. Many of the Tigers’ key offensive players (like Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler, all of them righties who hit righties very well last year) are not candidates to be lifted for a pinch-hitter, regardless of the handedness of the pitcher. In fact, the only regular who might be a candidate to be lifted is lefty Anthony Gose, who could be removed if a left-handed reliever is on the hill. That means the Tigers simply don’t need many lefty hitters.
  • Indians manager Terry Francona did not want the team to lose any of its best starting pitching, and the team isn’t close to a significant deal to add a hitter, writes Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer. They will, however, continue to look for relievers. Pluto also notes that the Indians preferred Mike Napoli (with whom they recently agreed to terms) at first base rather than fellow free agent Justin Morneau because Napoli is right-handed.

Poll: The Jeff Samardzija And Mike Leake Contracts

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Early last month, the Giants agreed to terms on a long-term contract with veteran righty Jeff Samardzija. Two weeks later, the Cardinals agreed to terms with another veteran righty, Mike Leake. The two contracts were identical in duration (five years) and similar in value ($90MM for Samardzija, $80MM for Leake). They were also interrelated — the Giants were the team that most recently employed Leake before the Cardinals signed him, while the Cardinals were connected to Samardzija before the Giants signed him. Both pitchers were a tier below David Price, Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann, all of whom received nine-figure deals. Beyond those similarities, however, lie a number of key differences about what, exactly, their contracts attempted to accomplish.

Of the two pitchers, Samardzija is widely perceived as having greater upside — with his mid-90s velocity, tough slider and 6’5″ frame, many of his attributes match those of an ace. He will, however, be 31 this month, and his performances so far in his career have not matched that ace profile. His 2015 season with the White Sox, in particular, was extremely disappointing — he posted a 4.96 ERA, and while ERA estimators suggested that figure could have been somewhat better, his K/9 has plummeted from 9.3 in 2012 to 6.9 last season, while his ground ball rate fell to a mere 39%.

On the bright side, Samardzija has been one of the game’s most durable starters, throwing over 210 innings in each of the past three seasons. And as long as he stays healthy, he seems likely to get at least somewhat better results in the next few years than he got in 2015, when he had to pitch in front of a poor defense and in a tough ballpark in a DH league. Samardzija’s 2015 season wasn’t a good one, but it also represented something of a perfect storm. But the error bar on Samardzija’s future performance is large, and where he lands might depend somewhat on Giants coaches’ ability to help him get back to missing bats, and to inducing ground balls when he doesn’t.

Like Samardzija, Leake has reliably eaten innings. Unlike Samardzija, he’s been very consistent, posting ERAs well below four in each of the last three seasons and regularly inducing ground balls at around a 50% clip. He also limits walks, which prevents opposing batters from doing too much damage against him, and he helps himself by fielding and hitting very well. Leake is also one of the offseason’s youngest free agents — he only turned 28 in November and could well have several prime-era seasons ahead. Also, his contract is worth $10MM less than Samardzija’s (although Samardzija’s limited no-trade clause is preferable to Leake’s full no-trade).

If Samardzija looks like an ace, though, Leake looks like something far less than that. While he isn’t quite a soft-tosser, his stuff isn’t at all overwhelming, and he’s small, at 5’10” — Leake isn’t a lefty, but he’s always seemed like he should be one. Leake has obviously reached the point in his career where it’s wise to judge him more on his performance record than on his profile, but not all the indicators there are positive, either. While Samardzija’s ability to strike batters out has diminished in recent seasons, Leake has never really had that ability, and his K/9 dropped to a mere 5.6 in 2015. Career paths are hard to predict, but it’s difficult to imagine Leake becoming anything close to an ace as he gets older. He does, however, seem more likely than Samardzija to provide league-average innings over the course of his contract.

So which contract do you prefer? Which player’s deal was best for his team?

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