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Braves To Sign Kris Medlen

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The Braves have struck a minor-league deal with righty Kris Medlen, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links). Once a key member of the Atlanta organization, Medlen will now have to earn his way into MLB camp, as his deal doesn’t include an invite.

If Medlen does make the MLB roster, he’ll earn at a $1MM annual rate, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He can also achieve up to $2MM in incentives, based upon what role he might occupy (games started or total appearances).

Medlen, now 31, last appeared for the Braves in 2013, when he turned in 197 innings of 3.11 ERA ball with 7.2 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9. His career was knocked off course the next spring, however, when he tore his UCL during Spring Training and ultimately required Tommy John surgery.

Atlanta ultimately elected not to tender him a contract before the 2015 season, leaving Medlen to explore the open market. He landed with the Royals on a two-year deal that promised $8.5MM, but never really made good on the contract in Kansas City.

Medlen was able to return to action and provide 58 1/3 innings in 2015 — including eight starts and seven relief appearances. While his 4.01 ERA wasn’t exactly sparkling, Medlen did return to his typical ~90 mph fastball velocity and show that he could pitch competently at the major league level.

While there was some hope for a greater resurgence this past season, that wasn’t to be. Medlen dealt with shoulder injuries and wasn’t effective when he was available. He ended up handling only 24 1/3 MLB innings, posting a 7.77 ERA while uncharacteristically walking more batters (20) than he struck out (18).

Still, it’s an easy risk for Atlanta to take on a pitcher who is still relatively youthful and remains popular with the fanbase. Whether or not he can crack the roster remains to be seen, though the lack of a camp invite suggests that the team isn’t expecting it. Odds are, then, that Medlen will need to attempt to work his way back to the bigs with a stint in the upper minors at least to open the season.

Cubs Sign Brett Anderson

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4:10pm: FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Anderson will earn $500K for in his 11th start; $750K for his 14th and 17th starts; $1MM for starts 20, 23 and 26; and $1.5MM for reaching 29 starts.

3:50pm: The Cubs on Thursday formally added another arm to their rotation mix, announcing a one-year contract with left-hander Brett Anderson. The contract reportedly guarantees the oft-injured Anderson a relatively modest $3.5MM but has incentives that can boost its value to $10MM. Anderson is represented by the Legacy Agency.

Brett Anderson | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Anderson, who’ll turn 29 on Feb. 1, made just four major league starts last year after missing the bulk of the season due to back surgery. He had accepted the Dodgers’ one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer over the winter, but went down during Spring Training. Though it’s promising that Anderson was able to work back to the hill, he was roughed up in limited action.

That said, Chicago liked what it saw in a recent look at the southpaw per Rosenthal’s report, and perhaps can look to utilize him the same way they had intended with Tyson Ross — who was hotly pursued before signing with the Rangers. Both pitchers are looking to return to health and reestablish their trajectories.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Anderson seemed to have turned a corner. When he joined the Dodgers before the 2015 season, he hadn’t surpassed 100 innings in a single year since 2010. However, he went on to provide Los Angeles with 180 1/3 innings of 3.69 ERA ball with 5.8 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9, leading to the qualifying offer.

That sort of output likely represents the upside scenario for the Cubs, who have been looking to bolster their rotation depth. As things stand, Anderson and fellow lefty Mike Montgomery could battle it out for the fifth starter’s job, with the other perhaps heading to the pen for long relief and spot start duties.

The Cubs have also expressed interest in using a sixth starter more frequently as the season wears on, and that type of arrangement could help to keep Anderson healthy while also limiting the innings of fellow starters Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and John Lackey, each of whom is coming off a significant workload thanks to the Cubs’ World Series run in 2016.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports first reported the agreement (Twitter links). Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported the terms of the deal (via Twitter). ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted that Anderson had passed his physical.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Braves Claim Adam Walker

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The Braves have claimed outfielder Adam Walker off waivers from the Orioles, Baltimore announced. He’ll take the roster spot just vacated by catcher Tuffy Gosewisch, filling Atlanta’s 40-man.

Walker has moved around quite a bit already this winter. He started with the Twins, stopped off with the Brewers, and then landed in Baltimore before being designated for assignment.

[Related: Updated Atlanta Braves Depth Chart]

A free-swinging slugger, Walker belts plenty of long balls and also whiffs at an equally impressive rate. Over the past two years, he has been retired by strikeout in over one-third of his plate appearances. The 25-year-old ended with a .243/.305/.479 slash and 27 homers at Triple-A in 2016 and has launched a total of 58 homers in 265 games across the past two seasons.

The Braves’ outfield looks mostly full, with Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis currently set to line up as starters. The Braves are lacking in options beyond that starting trio following the recent trade of Mallex Smith, so Walker could conceivably get a look in a reserve role. However, he’s limited to the outfield corners, and the Braves would likely prefer their fourth outfielder to be someone capable of stepping into center field.

Mariners Claim Tuffy Gosewisch, Designate Jonathan Aro

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The Mariners have claimed catcher Tuffy Gosewisch off waivers from the Braves, per a club announcement. To clear roster space, Seattle designated righty Jonathan Aro for assignment.

Gosewisch comes with a $635K arbitration salary that he already agreed to with Atlanta. He’ll add a defensively solid, experienced veteran to the Mariners’ catching mix. But Gosewisch has never done much with the bat at the MLB level. Over 416 career plate appearances, he owns a .199/.237/.286 batting line. He did turn things around last year at Triple-A, though, slashing .342/.399/.553 over 219 trips to the plate.

Aro came to Seattle from the Red Sox in the Wade Miley deal. The 26-year-old made a single MLB appearance and pitched to a 2.48 ERA over 36 1/3 Triple-A frames in 2016.

Indians Claim Richie Shaffer, Designate Jesus Aguilar

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The Indians have claimed corner infielder/outfielder Richie Shaffer off waivers from the Reds, per a club announcement. Presumably, he lost his roster spot in Cincinnati to clear space for the signing of righty Scott Feldman. Cleveland designated first baseman Jesus Aguilar to free its own 40-man spot for the claim.

Shaffer has made the rounds this winter, at least on paper. He entered the offseason with the Rays before bouncing to the Mariners, moving to the Phillies and then to the Reds before landing with Cleveland.

As ever, that sort of movement reflects the fact that there’s plenty of interest in the 25-year-old, but also questions about just what kind of contributions he’ll make in the near term in the majors. He owns a .213/.310/.410 batting line in his 142 MLB plate appearances, all of which came over the last two years in Tampa Bay. But the righty hitter owns a solid .243/.338/.445 slash with thirty long balls over 778 total Triple-A plate appearances.

The 26-year-old Aguilar hasn’t hit much in scattered MLB time over the past three years, and has burned through his options in the process. But he, too, has shown more in the upper minors. In his 1,647 trips to the plate at Triple-A, the right-handed-hitting Venezuelan carries a .271/.346/.472 batting line and has swatted 68 home runs.

Rays Looking To Add A Bat After Trading Forsythe

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1:21pm: Tampa Bay does have at least some interest in Butler, Topkin tweets.

12:27pm: The Rays are looking at adding a bat after trading Logan Forsythe, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets, but they aren’t locked in to another second baseman. Tampa Bay is said also to be considering first base and DH candidates.

A right-handed bat would be preferred, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggests on Twitter. The Rays have apparently cast a few lines in the water, with top remaining free-agent slugger Mike Napoli among the players being contacted. He might be too expensive, though the Rays did move $7MM off of their 2017 payroll in dealing Forsythe.

Presumably, Tampa Bay will also at least give consideration to Chris Carter, who’s perhaps the next-best power-hitting righty still available. Whether or not there’s any possibility of a trade remains unknown. Other defensively limited bats on the market include Mark Reynolds and Billy Butler, with Aaron Hill arguably representing the most appealing remaining right-handed-hitting player with substantial experience at second base.

Clearly, there’s some flexibility here for the Rays given their remaining roster alignment. Brad Miller is currently penciled in at first, but has ample experience playing up the middle and could step into the mix there. Tim Beckham and Nick Franklin are also options.

Nationals Re-Sign Stephen Drew

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The Nationals have announced a deal to bring back free-agent infielder Stephen Drew, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post first reported (Twitter links). Drew, a client of the Boras Corporation, will be guaranteed $3.5MM and can earn up to $1.2MM more in incentives, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (Twitter links).

Drew, 33, enjoyed a strong bounceback year in 2016 after a pair of subpar offensive campaigns. Over 165 plate appearances, he slashed .266/.339/.524 and drove eight home runs. A bout with vertigo kept him out for a lengthy stretch, but he made it back in early September.

[RELATED: Updated Nationals Depth Chart]

Having traded Danny Espinosa,while shifting Trea Turner back to his natural shortstop, the Nats were arguably in need of another middle infielder for depth purposes. Though youngster Wilmer Difo could certainly fill a utility role, he might be better-served receiving regular time at Triple-A. Plus, Drew brings a lengthy history of solid glovework, pop from the left side, and that fabled veteran presence.

It’s reasonable to expect that the southpaw-swinging Drew will spend most of his time filling in at short, second, and third. But perhaps the most interesting dimension of this signing is what it could mean for the team’s setup at first base. If Ryan Zimmerman can’t turn things around as an everyday player, then Drew could step in at second with the defensively challenged Daniel Murphy sliding over to first against tough right-handed starters. Then again, the Nats do still have left-handed-hitting slugger Clint Robinson available as an option behind Zimmerman, and he wouldn’t have much roster function if Murphy spends time there. All said, then, while Drew will obviously take one bench spot, there remains plenty left to sort out in D.C.

Pitching Notes: Diekman, Imhof, Mets, Jays, Reds/Arroyo, Marquis, Urias, Nats, Harris

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Rangers lefty Jake Diekman underwent successful surgery to remove his colon, with several more procedures to come as he battles ulcerative colitis. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News has the latest, including video diary entries from Diekman himself. It’s well worth a watch to learn more about the unfortunate affliction and Diekman’s fight. We hope to see him back on the mound as soon as possible.

There won’t be a return in the offing for Phillies lefty Matt Imhof, who lost his eye in a terrible accident involving exercise bands. As Imhof himself writes in a moving piece for ESPN.com, he’s returning to finish his degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and will retire from the sport. He says it’s not just due to the injury, though; as he writes, “the truth is I need a change of pace after 20 years of doing the same thing.” You’ll want to give a full read to the southpaw’s powerful story of coming to grips with — and not being defined by — his injury.

As we wish the best to Diekman and Imhof, here’s the latest on the market for pitching:

  • As the Mets look to bolster their bullpen, the team is still weighing a variety of free agents, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). In addition to keeping open the possibility of a reunion with lefty Jerry Blevins, the Mets are also considering righties Sergio Romo and Joe Smith.
  • The Blue Jays are also keeping in touch with Blevins, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto’s search for a southpaw reliever has also led it to consider Craig Breslow, per the report. The team was among those to check out his new mechanics recently.
  • The Reds are exploring a reunion with former starter Bronson Arroyo, as Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). Unsurprisingly, the team is not interested in guaranteeing him a roster spot, as Arroyo is two full years removed from appearing in the majors and has dealt with significant arm issues of late. GM Dick Williams confirms that the team has watched Arroyo throw and is weighing a signing, per MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter links). Beyond a move on Arroyo or other candidates for minor-league deals, Cincinnati is done with its free-agent signings, Williams adds.
  • Speaking of longstanding veterans weighing returns, righty Jason Marquis suggested in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link) that he’s open to reviving his career. The 38-year-old last appeared in a nine-start stint with Cincy in 2015, but he’s set to pitch for Team Israel in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
  • While Dodgers lefty Julio Urias showed plenty in 2016 to warrant a rotation spot in the coming season, innings considerations may hold him back to start the year. As Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets, skipper Dave Roberts says that the organization may keep him in extended Spring Training at the beginning of the 2017 campaign. Such an approach would not only ensure that Urias is available for good once he does make it up, but would afford more opportunities for the organization to see what it has in its variety of interesting, injury-plagued arms. Over at Fangraphs, Craig Edwards takes a look at what’s shaping up to be a fascinating staff.
  • There’s an argument to be made that the Nationals not only need to address their closer situation, but also ought to bolster their rotation depth, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes. While the team’s five-man starting unit is likely set, which perhaps limits their ability to promise opportunities to free agents, a swingman could make sense. Janes mentions Travis Wood as at least a hypothetical match, and he would indeed seem to make a sensible fit.
  • 31-year-old Cardinals reliever Mitch Harris is hoping to join former teammate Seth Maness in bouncing back from a “primary repair” procedure to his right elbow, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Harris last pitched competitively in 2015, but will be ramping up for a full spring after undergoing the surgery last summer. Because his surgeon was able to attempt that less-invasive approach, as opposed to a full UCL replacement, there’s a possibility of a much swifter return to the hill — though Harris will first need to earn his way into MLB camp after failing to receive an invite.

Hyun-Jin Ryu Says He’s Pain-Free, Ready For Camp

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Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu says he’s confident that he can finally return to health in 2017, Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency reports. The Korean hurler has been beset by injuries over the past two years, most recently going under the knife for an elbow debridement.

“Right now, I’d say I am in better shape than I normally would be at the start of spring training,” said Ryu. “I threw four bullpen sessions while training in Japan. I have no pain at the moment.”

With a long list of rotation options on the depth chart, the Dodgers aren’t necessarily relying on a return for Ryu. But a return to form this spring might pose a welcome problem, and Ryu says he’s set to compete from the start. “I think I have to start throwing on the mound from the very beginning of the camp,” he said. “And I think I am physically ready to do that.”

Though he carries an excellent 3.28 lifetime ERA over his 348 2/3 innings, Ryu has made just one MLB start since the beginning of the 2015 season. (On the bright side, he showed nearly his typical fastball velocity in that one outing and did throw 27 2/3 rehab innings last year, allowing just one walk.) Given his struggles to stay on the mound, Ryu seemingly recognizes that he’s no longer guaranteed a starting role. He noted that he’ll enter the spring “try[ing] to win a spot in the rotation.” The hope, says Ryu, is first to do that and then stay healthy for all of 2017.

There are longer-term implications here, too, for both player and team. Ryu is owed $7MM apiece in each of the next two seasons, and Los Angeles will surely hope to receive a contribution from the talented southpaw. And Ryu will be looking to get his career back on track before hitting the open market after 2018. (Though he could theoretically earn opt-out rights after this coming season, there is no realistic way he can reach the 750 total innings needed for that clause to vest.)

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