Phillies Release Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
The Phillies have released righty Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports on Twitter. As Eddy notes, Gonzalez has continued to deal with shoulder issues over his tenure in the Philadelphia organization.
After reaching free agency following his departure from Cuba, Gonzalez originally agreed to a six-year, $48MM contract. But apparent concerns with his physical led to a significant reduction in the contract, which ended up being for three years and just $12MM. The deal also included a vesting option for 2017, but that obviously won’t come into play.
Gonzalez ended up making only six relief appearances in the majors with the organization, all in 2014, allowing four earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out five. And he has only even managed 62 2/3 minor league frames over the last two years, with only two appearances in 2015 (though he did also appear in the Venezuelan winter league).
Clearly, Gonzalez did not feature in the pitching-needy Phillies’ plans even though the contract was already a sunk cost. He did show a mid-90s fastball in his brief MLB stint, but wasn’t able even to claim a role in the upper minors after seemingly having a chance to prove his worth entering the spring.
Orioles Outright Zach Phillips
The Orioles have outrighted lefty Zach Phillips, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. He’s already cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A along with Chaz Roe.
Baltimore signed Phillips to the 40-man about a week ago, after electing free agency rather than accepting an assignment with the White Sox. It seemed that he’d have at least a chance of making the Opening Day roster. but instead the O’s will stash him in the upper minors.
The 29-year-old may have added incentives to accept an assignment with the O’s, as his contract may be more beneficial than anything he’d fine from another organization. But it’s not immediately clear if Phillips has accepted the move.
Phillips hasn’t spent much time in the majors, but was added to bolster a Baltimore pen that was in need of depth. He threw 54 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year, working to a 3.13 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9.
Orioles Release Miguel Gonzalez
FRIDAY: The Orioles have announced that Gonzalez has cleared waivers and has officially been released.
WEDNESDAY: The Orioles have placed righty Miguel Gonzalez on release waivers, according to Eduarco Encina of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Gonzalez, 31, had agreed to a $5.1MM arbitration salary for the coming season, and the club would remain obligated for about a quarter of that (45 days pay) if he isn’t claimed.
Gonzalez had been a mainstay in the Orioles rotation dating back to his MLB debut in 2012. From that point through 2014, he consistently produced excellent results — he carried a 3.45 ERA over 435 2/3 innings — but his peripherals always suggested a fall-off. That’s exactly what occurred last year, as Gonzalez produced a 4.91 ERA over 144 2/3 innings.
The Orioles could have elected to option Gonzalez, as Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com notes on Twitter. But he’s shown only an upper-80s fastball this spring, and that was reflected in the results. Over 19 1/3 innings, Gonzalez permitted 21 earned runs on a troubling 35 hits, and walked six while striking out only eight opposing hitters.
With Gonzalez leaving the picture, it remains unclear what Baltimore will do with the back of the rotation. Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson would appear to be options, and veteran swingman Vance Worley remains available as well. Parting with Gonzalez does, at least, seem to be an implicit vote of confidence in the health of Kevin Gausman, who may open the year with a brief DL stint but is expected to be back in action in short order.
Hyun Soo Kim’s Agency Says He Won’t Accept Minors Assignment
Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will not accept a minor league assignment from the club, according to an announcement from his Korea-based agency (via Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News Agency and Daniel Kim of KBO Sports; Twitter links). His contract includes language preventing the organization from sending him down without his approval.
“Kim would like to see his contract honored and executed faithfully,” the agency said in a statement (link via Yoo). “He also hopes to receive fair opportunities to continue his career as a major leaguer with Baltimore.”
There had been some suggestion that Kim would consider opening the year at Triple-A, where he might gain some seasoning and ready himself for the majors. That now appears to be a long shot, however.
Kim, whom the Orioles signed to a two-year, $7MM deal during the offseason, is in this position because of a highly disappointing spring. The 28-year-old hit an ugly .182/.229/.182 with one walk and no extra base hits in 44 plate appearances. Kim’s offense isn’t the only concern, though, as a scout told Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com that his defense also leaves much to be desired (Twitter link).
The offensive numbers Kim amassed this spring are a far cry from the stats he compiled in the pitching-challenged Korea Baseball Organization, where he slashed .318/.406/.488 in nine seasons. One reason for Kim’s success in Korea was his outstanding plate discipline, and he was supposed to use that to serve as a high-OBP presence in Baltimore’s lineup. Kim’s inability to get on base this spring opened the door for Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, who parlayed a .390/.463/.576 line into a big league roster spot. Despite their vastly different springs, general manager Dan Duqette called the move to carry Rickard over Kim “a razor thin roster call” (Twitter link via Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com).
Given their decision, the Duquette-led O’s are now in a tough spot. If Kim won’t relent and accept a place in the minors, the choices are limited. The team seems to have decided Kim’s not major league-ready, with Duquette saying that “the player needs more at-bats to prepare for the season.” Baltimore could next follow the route that got them out from under the failed contract of fellow Korean Suk-min Yoon by finding a KBO club to pick up some or all of the Kim’s contract. But it’s not clear whether there is sufficient interest in this case, and Kim expressed a desire earlier this week to continue his career in North America, as Roch Kubatko of MASN.com reported. Otherwise, the O’s would presumably have no choice but to eat the entire contract. Duquette, of course, hopes it doesn’t come to that and expressed optimism about Kim’s future with the Orioles.
“We all look forward to his contributions to the club after Kim has more time to adjust to his new surroundings,” Duquette said.
Rangers, Indians Discussing Reliever-For-Starter Scenarios
The Rangers have yet to declare a fifth starter as they work to assess possible trade scenarios for adding another rotation piece, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Most recently, the club has engaged the Indians in talks about a swap that would send a reliever from Texas to Cleveland in exchange for a starting pitcher.
Texas appears to have interest in improving over A.J. Griffin for the final rotation slot while strengthening its long-term depth. As for Cleveland, the team’s pen currently projects to include several reclamation arms — including Joba Chamberlain, Ross Detwiler, and Dan Otero — and could certainly benefit from an acquistion.
As Grant notes, there’s little question that the top three Indians’ arms aren’t changing hands. But the next three men up — Cody Anderson, Josh Tomlin, and Trevor Bauer — are seemingly in play. Bauer, of course, was just bumped to the pen in a surprising move after a strong spring. It’s not clear which of the three is under discussion.
It’s also not apparent which member of the deep Texas pen could be parted with. Grant says that the club had previously talked about both Shawn Tolleson and Keone Kela with the Diamondbacks, though that was in an effort to get Archie Bradley. Other Rangers’ late-inning arms with appeal include Tom Wilhelmsen, Sam Dyson, and lefty Jake Diekman.
Of course, it’s also possible that a less significant match-up could make sense. Cleveland has other rotation options — T.J. House comes to mind — that could probably be had for less. And Texas has a number of other pen candidates, including just-designated southpaw Sam Freeman.
MLBTR Live Chat: 3/31/16
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Hyun Soo Kim Likely Won’t Make Orioles’ Roster
TODAY: Kim is “resisting” a minor league demotion, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal tweets.
MARCH 29, 8:55pm: Orioles GM Dan Duquette acknowledged on Tuesday that the team is planning to chat with Kim about going down to the minors, as Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun tweets. A return to South Korea is not in play right now, according to the GM, but he’s also not likely to make the team (Twitter link via Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com). “I think in these cases, the transition takes some time and I believe he wants to give it some more time,” Duquette said (Twitter link via Encina).
Meanwhile, manager Buck Showalter says the O’s have twice talked to Kim about playing in Triple-A, Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com tweets.
2:52pm: Hyun Soo Kim likely won’t make the Orioles‘ Opening Day roster, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Kim has been notably absent from the Baltimore lineup over the last several spring games, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com noted earlier today on Twitter.
Kim has expressed his desire to continue his career in North America, Kubatko has also reported. The Korean outfielder would need to consent to being assigned to the minors, and Rosenthal notes he’s believed to be willing to do so. It’s not clear whether Baltimore would attempt to option Kim or instead expose him to waivers to remove him from the 40-man, but he’ll have some say in the matter given the contract clause.
The Orioles brass has been sending signals that it hasn’t seen what it hoped for out of Kim when he was brought over from the KBO on a two-year, $7MM deal. That contract seemed like a nice risk for a player that looked to have a chance at being a steady on-base threat, and it does have rather limited downside. But the O’s aren’t exactly overflowing with exciting options for the corner outfield, and it would be nice to have a higher-OBP presence in a lineup full of high-K sluggers.
There’s plenty of time for Kim to turn things around, but he may need to acclimate in the minors. Spring stats are of limited value, but they carry increased importance when trying to assess a player who has yet to perform in the majors, and Kim’s don’t inspire confidence. He’s carrying an anemic .182/.229/.182 batting line with just one walk and no extra base hits over 44 plate appearances in camp.
Rule 5 Pick Chris O’Grady Returns To Angels
9:45pm: The Angels have announced that they’ve accepted O’Grady’s return, which means they paid the Reds $25K. O’Grady has been assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake.
2:45pm: Reds’ Rule 5 selection Chris O’Grady has cleared waivers and been offered back to the Angels, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter. With all the other clubs in the league passing on a chance to take over the left-hander’s Rule 5 rights, Los Angeles will have three days to decide whether to take him back.
O’Grady, 25, is a former tenth-round pick out of George Mason. He spent last year at Double-A and Triple-A in the Halos’ system, working to a combined 3.28 ERA with 8.9 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 over 57 2/3 frames. But O’Grady struggled some in spring action, allowing 10 earned runs on 10 hits over 9 2/3 innings — though he also recorded eight strikeouts against only three walks.
Andrew Miller Suffers Chip Fracture In Right Wrist
7:08pm: Miller has a chip fracture in his right wrist, Curry tweets. He will see a hand specialist to determine the best course of action to treat it.
4:39pm: Miller has undergone X-rays and they came back negative, Jack Curry of YES tweets. Miller still has to have a CT-scan.
3:03pm: Yankees reliever Andrew Miller left today’s action after taking a comebacker to his right wrist. It has been diagnosed as a bruise for now, but Miller is headed for further testing, as George A. King III of the New York Post was among those to tweet.
With Aroldis Chapman out for the first thirty games of the season, Miller was expected to reprise his closing duties from a year ago. The high-powered lefty has firmly established himself as one of the game’s very best relievers, and any absence would certainly tell. Of course, the Yankees also have yet another top-quality pen arm in Dellin Betances.
It’s obviously far too soon to know the prognosis, and the injury is far less worrisome than had it been to his opposing hand. But with Opening Day less than a week off, even a brief absence could well require a trip to the DL.
Phillies Release, Re-Sign Edward Mujica
WEDNESDAY: The Phillies have announced that they’ve re-signed Mujica to a minor-league deal. He will report to minor-league camp later this week.
TUESDAY: The Phillies have released veteran righty Edward Mujica, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer was among those to report on Twitter. Mujica had been in camp on a minor league deal and seemed to have a solid shot at earning a late-inning role.
As an Article XX(B) free agent, Mujica would have been due a roster bonus if kept in the minors to open the season. But he forced the issue by triggering an opt-out provision in his contract — which would have paid him $2.5MM at the MLB level.
Mujica, 31, was long a sturdy pen option. He timed his entry onto the free agent market well, putting up a strong 2013 season — 2.78 ERA; 6.4 K/9 against 0.7 BB/9; 37 saves — before joining the Red Sox. But he’s largely disappointed since. Over 107 1/3 frames in the last two seasons, in Boston and in Oakland, Mujica owns a 4.28 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. Long balls, in particular, have been an issue.
There’s little question that Mujica will draw interest from other organizations. Indeed, he’s generated solid results this spring. In his 8 1/3 innings, he allowed two earned runs on just four hits and two walks while striking out seven.