Minor MLB Transactions: 5/13/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Pirates have released righty Daniel Bard, according to Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com (via Twitter). Now 30, Bard hasn’t seen the majors since a brief stint in 2013; indeed, he hasn’t even appeared in the minors since the campaign that followed. The live-armed reliever completely lost his ability to hit the zone and has seemingly never regained it. Pittsburgh had been the latest organization to take a chance on a return to form for the one-time late-inning ace, but obviously it appears as if the experiment didn’t take.
- There were several notable promotions today, some of which we haven’t yet covered. Tommy Joseph got his first big league call from the Phillies, as ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark was first to report on Twitter. He was moved out from behind the plate after dealing with numerous concussions, but has rebounded while shifting to first base and was scorching the ball at Triple-A. Meanwhile, the White Sox brought up lefty Matt Purke, once a high-dollar draftee who never worked out for the Nationals as he battled through significant shoulder issues. Purke owns a 2.30 ERA in 15 2/3 Triple-A innings, with 8.0 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9.
Angels Sign David Carpenter To Minors Deal
The Angels have signed veteran righty David Carpenter away from the Bridgeport Bluefish, the indy league club recently announced. As Baseball America’s Matt Eddy notes on Twitter, there are two right-handed relievers by that name, and this signing means that both have now been with the Halos.
Carpenter, 30, has already made one Triple-A appearance at Salt Lake City, notching two strikeouts. With Bridgeport, he had allowed just two unearned runs in eight frames. Carpenter surrendered five hits and four walks while punching out ten batters in that brief stretch.
Health is the main concern with Carpenter. He was limited to 24 1/3 innings last season with the Yankees and Nationals after providing the Braves with two consecutive solid campaigns. Carpenter was cut loose by two clubs this spring after failing to show enough, but he’s had plenty of success in the past and could certainly be an intriguing addition if he can return to form.
Jose Reyes Suspended Through May 31 Under Domestic Violence Policy
Major league baseball has announced that Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been suspended without pay through May 31st under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. He’ll be credited for the time he’s already missed in calculating the suspension, though he’ll forego salary that had previously been available under his paid administrative leave.
Reyes will not contest the ban. It’ll technically cost him 52 games, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets, though Colorado will only have had 51 contests to that point (with one re-scheduled rainout). Reyes will be eligible to begin working out now and could start a rehab assignment as soon as the calendar flips to June.
The veteran infielder will end up losing just over $7.09MM of his total $22MM salary this season, as he’ll ultimately go without pay for the first 59 days of the 183-day “championship season,” as defined in the CBA. Plus, he’ll make a $100K donation to a charity for domestic abuse. That’s a more or less token amount, but presumably its inclusion in the terms of the agreed-upon suspension was motivated by some reason beyond the money involved.
All told, the severity of the punishment is surprisingly light, at least in comparison to the precedent set in this and other spheres of league discipline. He’ll ultimately lose quite a bit less time and money than had he been caught with a PED for the first time. Indeed, his suspension barely tops the 50-game bans handed out to minor leaguers for such relatively innocuous actions as testing positive for marijuana use.
Aroldis Chapman previously received a 30-game domestic violence suspension of his own, with commissioner Rob Manfred citing his use of a firearm in the course of a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. But he was never arrested or charged in the matter, and there was seemingly never any clear evidence that he had initiated any physical contact with his girlfriend.
The Reyes case seemingly contained an even more serious factual setting: his wife said at the time that he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into a sliding glass door, and she received treatment at a hospital. He was arrested, charged, and set for trial until the charges had to be dropped when Mrs. Reyes decided not to testify against her husband.
To be fair, Reyes has been on administrative leave and in limbo for quite some time, as the incident in question occurred on Halloween night. But that delay occurred in large part because of the pending legal action and, it seems, an effort by the league, union, and Reyes’s representatives to avoid a grievance over the length of the ban.
It’s unclear what the future holds for Reyes. He has been bypassed at the major league level by Trevor Story, and it’s not apparent what role he would play for the Rockies, who still owe him the remainder of his salary for the present season and $26MM more thereafter (including a buyout on his 2018 club option).
A report earlier today suggested that there is trade interest in the soon-to-be 33-year-old, though it’s not clear whether he’d be pursued as a means of prying a prospect or draft pick from the Rockies or also because of his potential to aid another club down the stretch. If history is any indication, he’ll have another shot at the majors at some point, though Reyes already seemed in decline before this black mark went on his record.
Reyes issued a statement apologizing, rather vaguely, “for everything that has happened,” as Nick Groke of the Denver Post was among those to report. He went on to say that he’s “happy to put all this in the past and get back to doing what I love the most, playing baseball.” Reyes also thanked his wife, who he said “has remained by my side throughout everything.”
Regardless of how one weighs those words, Reyes will certainly have a long ways to go to show he’s learned from the incident. He’ll also be required to submit to counseling, as contemplated in the policy. Commissioner Rob Manfred said that he’s “encouraged by Mr. Reyes’ commitment to the treatment provisions of the Policy in order to ensure that such an incident does not occur in the future.”
Padres To Designate Jabari Blash
The Padres will designate Rule 5 pick Jabari Blash for assignment, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter.
He’ll ultimately be exposed to waivers, where other teams will have a chance to step into San Diego’s Rule 5 rights. If he clears, then he’ll be offered back to the Mariners.
Blash, 26, has only received 29 plate appearances on the year, but he’s largely been overmatched in his first run at the majors. The big outfielder has registered just three hits and four walks to go with 13 strikeouts.
San Diego surely always knew it was uncertain whether Blash would be able to stick at this point; after all, that’s why he was left off of the Seattle 40-man in the first place. He has shown some interesting skills in the minors, though. Last year, he ran up a composite .271/.370/.576 slash with 32 long balls in 476 plate appearances in the upper minors.
Rangers Promote Matt Bush, Option Delino DeShields Jr.
The Rangers have promoted right-hander Matt Bush, per a club announcement and as first suggested by T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com on Twitter. An active roster spot will be cleared by the demotion of center fielder Delino DeShields Jr., who has been optioned to Triple-A.
Bush will make his major league debut at 30 years of age, which obviously wasn’t the hope when he was taken first overall by the Padres back in 2004. Originally drafted as a shortstop, Bush eventually shifted to the mound after failing to develop at the plate.
That might’ve just been a diversion on his way to the majors, but Bush dealt with drug and alcohol problems and eventually found himself in prison. He served 51 months for a hit-and-run in which he nearly killed a man while driving under the influence.
Bush signed with the Rangers over the winter as the latest step in his effort to get his life back in order, and proceeded to impress in camp this spring. He’s now thrown 17 innings of 2.65 ERA ball at the Double-A level, with 9.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9.
As for DeShields, 23, roster pressures and prolonged struggles made this something of a foregone conclusion. Once Ian Desmond showed that he could be relied upon in center, with Drew Stubbs also providing a more experienced option, the club apparently felt the time was right for a demotion. After all, Nomar Mazara has performed even better than might have been hoped, Shin-Soo Choo is nearing return, and Josh Hamilton may not be far behind.
DeShields, of course, was a revelation last year as a Rule 5 pick, posting a .261/.344/.374 batting line and 25 stolen bases. That made it easy for Texas to keep him on the roster all year, gaining permanent rights, but DeShields has scuffled in his first 121 trips to the plate in 2016. At present, he is hitting at a .217/.294/.302 clip and has managed only four swipes in seven attempts.
White Sox Release John Danks
MAY 13: The White Sox announced today (Twitter link) that they have placed Danks on unconditional release waivers.
MAY 3: The White Sox are set to designate starter John Danks for assignment, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports on Twitter. The 31-year-old left-hander is in the final season of a five-year, $65MM contract and is set to earn $15.75MM this season — a sum that the White Sox will simply eat in order to free up Danks’ spot on the roster. Chicago will have 10 days to trade or release Danks, though even if the team were to eat a considerable portion of the salary, it’s tough to imagine Danks drawing much interest at this point.
In 22 1/3 innings (four starts) this season, Danks has allowed 18 earned runs on 28 hits and 11 walks with 16 strikeouts and a career-worst 30.1 percent ground-ball rate. Danks’ fastball, which used to sit in the 91-92 mph range, is averaging just 87.1 mph this season. That’s simply the latest decline in velocity for Danks, whose career has never fully recovered from 2012 shoulder surgery.
Danks was a standout performer in the Chicago rotation in his early 20s, and the $65MM contract extension seemed like a justified cost following a four-year stretch that saw the former No. 9 overall pick throw 778 2/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball in one of Major League Baseball’s most hitter-friendly environments. Danks, though, would pitch just 53 2/3 innings in 2012, the first season covered by his extension. Since returning from the surgery, he’s worked to a combined 4.84 ERA in 538 2/3 innings.
General manager Rick Hahn is addressing the media as we speak and has announced that right-hander Erik Johnson will join Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, Carlos Rodon and Mat Latos in the Chicago rotation (via USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, on Twitter). Hahn says that he informed Danks of the decision yesterday and called the decision a difficult one to make. While Danks’ production, of course, has dipped since that 2012 surgery, he’s been a member of the White Sox organization since late 2006, when he was acquired in a trade that sent right-hander Brandon McCarthy to the Rangers. That lengthy tenure has made Danks a well-liked fixture in the Chicago clubhouse, and Nightengale tweets that Hahn acknowledged that the move will not be a popular one among the players. Hahn, however, insists that the move would have been made even if the 18-8 White Sox’ record were reversed.
The dismissal of Danks marks the second time in the past six weeks or so that the Sox have seen a respected veteran depart from the clubhouse. First baseman/designated hitter Adam LaRoche, of course, infamously elected to retire after White Sox executive vice president Kenny Williams asked him to reduce the frequency with which his son accompanied him to the ball park. (LaRoche was said to have been promised unlimited access for his son as a contingent of signing with the Sox.) However, a club striving to win now, as the Sox are, is often forced into this type of decision. Johnson’s solid performance at Triple-A in both 2015 and in 2016 has played a role in the decision as well; the 26-year-old former Top 100 prospect has a 3.74 ERA in 21 2/3 innings this season and worked to an excellent 2.37 ERA in 132 2/3 innings with Charlotte last season.
Brewers Acquire Jhan Marinez, Designate Michael Kirkman
The Brewers have acquired righty Jhan Marinez from the Rays, according to a club announcement. To clear roster space, southpaw Michael Kirkman was designated for assignment.
Marinez, 27, has seen scattered major league time in parts of three seasons dating back to 2010. He’s only logged nine total frames, so there’s not much of a track record to go on. Of course, Marinez has racked up 178 1/3 frames at Triple-A in five campaigns, compiling a 3.63 ERA with 9.4 K/9 versus 4.7 BB/9.
As for Kirkman, his stay in Milwaukee didn’t last very long. The 29-year-old has received one appearance each with the Brewers and with the Padres this season, allowing five earned runs in 2 1/3 frames. Kirkman owns a 5.28 ERA in his 109 career innings at the major league level, with 8.6 K/9 to go with 4.6 BB/9.
Yankees To Promote Gary Sanchez
The Yankees are set to promote top catching prospect Gary Sanchez, according to Shane Hennigan, a beat writer for the club’s Triple-A affiliate (Twitter link). Sanchez earned a very brief promotion last year, but that came only at the very end of the regular season.
Sanchez, 23, reestablished himself as one of the game’s best-regarded catching prospects with a strong showing last year. Over 400 plate appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A, he compiled a .274/.330/.485 batting line with 18 home runs.
Entering the current season, he landed in 36th position on Baseball America’s top 100 list, rated 55th per MLB.com, and got the #57 ranking from ESPN.com’s Keith Law (Insider link). The youngster has done nothing to diminish that billing thus far, as he’s had an even better effort thus far in 2016. Over 115 plate appearances, all at the highest level of the minors, he’s slashing .280/.330/.542 and has launched five long balls.
It’s unclear exactly what motivated the move. While Sanchez has certainly justified a call-up, the two men ahead of him on the depth chart — Brian McCann and Austin Romine — are both sporting OPS marks of over .800. As others have pointed out, New York is due to face a pair of tough lefties in the next two days, so it could be that Sanchez will only be up for a short time. On the other hand, the Yanks have several players dealing with injuries, so a somewhat lengthier showcase could be in order if someone hits the 15-day DL.
NL Central Notes: Arrieta, Bryant, Walsh, Pirates
Jake Arrieta has drawn plenty of attention of late as he’s continued to generate phenomenal results for the Cubs. He’s maintained all along both that he hopes to remain in Chicago and that he won’t take a discount to do so, and it’s still not clear whether the club will be willing to offer what Arrieta considers fair market value. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney argues in an Insider piece that the Cubs are unlikely to go beyond the recent Stephen Strasburg extension, and won’t pursue a bidding war to bring back Arrieta when he reaches free agency after next season. Then, says Olney, he’ll have a chance to cash in, particularly since he’d enter an “incredibly weak market” for starting pitching. That’s a debatable assessment of the free agent class — among the potentially available arms are Yu Darvish, Alex Cobb, Johnny Cueto, Tyson Ross, Lance Lynn, and several others of interest — but there’s little doubt that Arrieta would be a major target if he can keep up anything approaching his recent performance level.
Here’s more from the NL Central:
- Kris Bryant has kept on producing for the Cubs after a stellar rookie campaign, but as August Fagerstrom of Fangraphs explains, he’s dong it differently. Bryant has worked to flatten his swing plane as a way to cut down on his swings and misses, with very promising results. Though he’s more or less hitting at the same levels he did in 2015, Bryant’s managed to reduce his strikeout rate by one-third thus far. As Fagerstrom explains, the biggest impact of the adjustment may be that it raises Bryant’s floor as a hitter.
- The Brewers made some roster moves today, with Scooter Gennett activated from the DL and fellow infielder Yadiel Rivera being optioned to Triple-A. As Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes (Twitter links), the decision shows the team’s commitment to struggling Rule 5 pick Colin Walsh. He has an unusual .098/.327/.122 slash line through 55 plate appearances, with 13 walks but just four hits. GM David Stearns would say only that “the evaluation process is ongoing” with respect to Walsh, who obviously will need to stay on the active roster all year if his control rights are to remain Milwaukee property.
- In a reader mailbag, Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains the Super Two considerations facing the Pirates. Early to mid June remains the time to watch for exciting Triple-A starters Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon, he writes. Interestingly, Nesbitt predicts that Taillon is likely to get the first call, explaining that he’s the “more seasoned” of the two even though he has been away from competitive baseball for some time due to injury.
Dodgers Outright Casey Fien
The Dodgers have outrighted reliever Casey Fien, according to Jon Weisman of Dodger Insider (via Twitter). Fien, 32, had already been optioned to Triple-A after being claimed off waivers from the Twins.
The veteran righty obviously passed through the second time around, suggesting that Los Angeles was the only organization interested in taking on the rest of his $2.275MM salary. Though Fien could have refused the assignment, that would have meant giving up the cash as well.
It seems that the Dodgers were drawn to Fien because of a rising swinging strike rate and steady fastball velocity. Of course, he’s also been hurt badly by the long ball and owns a 7.90 ERA, though that’s due in part to some misfortune — such as a 22.7% HR/FB rate that stands at over twice his career average and a somewhat elevated .372 BABIP-against.
Those peripherals reflect performance and skill as well as luck, of course, but the Dodgers evidently saw enough cause for optimism to put in a claim. Certainly, it’s hard to find arms at this stage of the season with Fien’s solid track record, and it doesn’t hurt that the club can now stash him in Triple-A without occupying a 40-man spot. It’s worth noting, too, that Fien can also be controlled for two more years via arbitration if he makes good on his chance