Mariners Re-Sign Justin De Fratus To Minors Pact
The Mariners have re-signed righty Justin De Fratus, according to a team press release. He was recently released from the MLB deal he signed with the club earlier in the winter, and will now return to major league camp on a minor league contract.
De Fratus was brought in with hopes that he could return to the form he showed with the Phillies back in 2014. He struggled last year, ultimately losing his roster spot in Philadelphia, and he’s reportedly been unable to regain his former velocity thus far in camp. His results reflect that, but Seattle obviously saw enough to want a continued look — without the commitment of a 40-man slot.
Braves Return Rule 5 Pick Evan Rutckyj To Yankees
The Braves have returned Rule 5 selection Evan Rutckyj to the Yankees, according to an announcement from New York. He obviously cleared waivers given that he’s going back to the New York system, indicating that the rest of the league passed on a chance to step into his Rule 5 rights.
Rutckyj, a 24-year-old southpaw, reached the Double-A level last year for the Yankees and will be shipped to Triple-A upon his return. He spent most of the year at High-A in 2015, and in total ran up 61 2/3 innings of 2.63 ERA pitching with an impressive 12.0 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9.
Atlanta obviously didn’t think that Rutckyj was quite ready to carry that production to a full season in the majors. He got three innings this spring, allowing only one hit but surrendering five free passes.
Latest On Adam LaRoche Retirement Controversy
We already rounded up some of the fallout yesterday regarding the complicated Adam LaRoche retirement situation — see here and here — but there’s continued intrigue surrounding the White Sox. Here’s the latest:
- Union chief Tony Clark has “indicated” that a grievance could be considered on LaRoche’s behalf, according to Andy McCullough, reporting for the Chicago Tribune. Clark says he hasn’t spoken with LaRoche and suggested that he is waiting for more facts to emerge before deciding on a course of action. “The question becomes when a player makes a decision to retire, that means one thing,” Clark said. “If there is a discipline involved, that means something different. We are 24 hours removed from everything that you are aware of. And I can suggest to you that we are likely aware of a little bit more, but aren’t in a position to suggest what tomorrow is going to look like, as a result of what happened yesterday.”
- Adam Eaton, the club’s union player rep, said he has been in contact with the MLBPA regarding a possible grievance, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports (links to Twitter). Per Eaton, LaRoche told him that his son’s locker room presence was a part of his agreement upon joining the organiation. He added that players hope to meet with Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf in the coming days.
- There are reports suggesting that some White Sox players did complain to higher-ups about the presence of children in the locker room — see this tweet from CBSChicago.com’s Dan Bernstein — but third baseman Todd Frazier contests that fact in a comment to Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter).
- Ace Chris Sale, meanwhile, says that his concern is that president Kenny Williams has given the club varying stories about where complaints came from — players, coaches, or Reinsdorf — per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). The star lefty had very strong words for Williams, telling reporters that he and his teammates were “bold-faced lied to” by Williams, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
- As for Williams, he declined to comment on the matter further. He tells Levine that it’s “time for us to get to work.” (Twitter link.) Buster Olney of ESPN.com rounded up anonymous reactions from some of Williams’s peers, providing some interesting insight from other organizations.
AL West Notes: Street, Simmons, De Fratus, Romero, Rangers
If you’re wondering how Angels closer Huston Street has managed to continue befuddling major league hitters despite a lack of an overwhelming fastball, the answer may lie in his incredibly strict routine. As MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez explains in an interesting piece, Street’s daily regimen is shaped by lessons learned from his late father.
Here’s more from the AL West:
- Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons, the organization’s key offseason addition, has now missed four straight days to rest his arm, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Manager Mike Scioscia reiterated that the team isn’t concerned with Simmons’s health and is merely “err[ing] on the side of caution.”
- Mariners skipper Scott Servais says the club has interest in bringing back just-released righty Justin De Fratus on a minor league arrangement, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports on Twitter. That continued interest and the move’s timing could suggest there was a financial motivation for setting De Fratus back on the open market, since there was no corresponding 40-man addition. Also, stashing him in the minors might be the organization’s preferred outcome, and he is out of options. Whether or not De Fratus returns to the fold, Seattle is said to be on the lookout for additional bullpen candidates.
- The Mariners have several options for right-handed power bats in the first base/DH mix, and MLB.com’s Greg Johns notes that it would be unwise to count out Stefen Romero. He has impressed at the plate and in the field thus far, though he’ll likely still need to beat out both Jesus Montero and Dae-ho Lee to earn a roster spot.
- Derek Norris may be a more sensible target for the Rangers than Jonathan Lucroy, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News opines. Salary and length of control are the two main factors, but Grant notes that there are some reasons to prefer Norris over Lucroy from an on-field perspective, too.
Brad Penny To Retire
Veteran right-hander Brad Penny is hanging up his spikes, according to MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm (via Twitter). Penny has been in camp with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal.
Now 37, Penny is rather far removed from productivity at the MLB level. Indeed, you could argue that his last full and fully effective season came way back in 2007 with the Dodgers, when he posted a career-low 3.03 ERA over a career-high 208 frames.
To that point — his age-29 season — the righty had provided 1,365 2/3 innings of 3.90 ERA pitching in extended stints with the Marlins and Dodgers. Since, he’s only appeared in 559 1/3 MLB innings and owns a composite 5.23 ERA, with his strikeout rate falling to less than five batters per nine.
Penny isn’t alone in battling the effects of age and injury, of course, and there’s a lot to commend about his willingness to keep returning to the hill — even when it’s in the minors. After leaving Los Angeles, Penny bounced from the Red Sox to the Giants, then on to the Cardinals for an injury-shortened run.
A stop in Japan did not work out as hoped, and Penny wasn’t effective in a relief role upon returning to San Francisco. He sat out all of 2013 before returning to the Marlins the following year though he couldn’t replicate a solid minor league showing at the MLB level. Last year, Penny made 24 starts at Triple-A for the White Sox, working to a 4.46 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
Cracking the Toronto roster always seemed a longshot, but this spring hadn’t gone as Penny probably hoped after entering camp as one of several bounceback veterans (among them Gavin Floyd, Roberto Hernandez, Wade LeBlanc, Randy Choate, David Aardsma, and Rafael Soriano, who is reportedly also retiring). He’s received a legitimate look — his seven frames is third-most in the organization — but the results haven’t been there. Penny has surrendered eight earned runs on 12 hits and four walks, with just three strikeouts on his ledger.
All said, it’s been a nice run for Penny, who ended up appearing in 14 MLB seasons and racked up 26.8 fWAR — most of it during his prime years with the Marlins and Dodgers. Penny played a major role on the then-Florida Marlins’ 2003 championship squad, taking the ball every fifth day during the regular season and logging two World Series wins. Los Angeles ultimately acquired him along with Hee-Seop Choi and Bill Murphy in a 2004 deadline deal that sent Juan Encarnacion, Paul Lo Duca, and Guillermo Mota to the Fish.
MLBTR wishes Penny the best of luck moving forward.
Brad Boxberger Out 8 Weeks After Core Muscle Surgery
Rays closer Brad Boxberger will be out of action for eight weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery, per manager Kevin Cash (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Twitter links). Tampa Bay doesn’t expect to look for an outside addition, preferring instead to utilize internal options without naming a single 9th-inning man while Boxberger is out.
The Rays thinned out their pitching depth somewhat over the winter, bringing in options in the field in trades that cost the club arms such as Jake McGee and Nate Karns. McGee, certainly, would have been the obvious choice to fill in for Boxberger were he still with the club.
As things stand, Alex Colome looks like a good bet to receive the lion’s share of the save opportunities that arise — even if he’s not anointed as the closer. After all, the live-armed righty was reportedly set to receive frequent eighth-inning assignments in a setup role. Other possibilities include right-handers Danny Farquhar and Steve Geltz and southpaw Xavier Cedeno.
Of course, unlike the cross-state Marlins’ season-long loss of Carter Capps, this injury promises only to be a temporary setback. Any significant injury is cause for concern with a pitcher — the lingering effects and cascading impact on a delivery can be a subtle threat — and it isn’t clear whether the eight-week estimated timetable is for Boxberger’s return to baseball activities or to a major league mound. But it seems there’s at least hope that he’ll be able to make it back before May is out.
Matt Kemp Hires New Representation
Padres outfielder Matt Kemp has hired Reynolds Sports Management to represent him, according to announcements from both player and agency.
Kemp’s new representatives likely won’t have to negotiate a baseball deal for the slugger for some time. He is still playing under the eight-year, $160MM contract he signed with the Dodgers before the 2012 campaign. Kemp will earn $21.5MM anually over the next four years. (San Diego will receive $3.5MM annually from Los Angeles as part of the trade that brought him over last winter.)
That contract was negotiated by former agent and now-Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart, who obviously was forced to wrap up his services to players when he moved to the Arizona front office. He reportedly transferred the agency to teammate and friend Dave Henderson, but Henderson passed away unexpectedly late last year.
Kemp, 31, will be looking to improve his overall output in his second season with the Pads. He scuffled in the first half of the 2015 campaign but did finish strong, compiling a .286/.339/.528 slash with 15 home runs over his final 274 plate appearances.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/17/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Mariners have added righty Steve Johnson on a minor league deal, per a club announcement. Johnson, who was recently cut loose by the Rangers, will not receive an invite to big league camp. It’s been a disappointing spring thus for the the 28-year-old, who struggled in his time with Texas, but Seattle will hope he can provide some pen depth. There’s some track record to go on with Johnson, who is coming off of a 2015 season in which he carried a 2.30 ERA over 54 2/3 Triple-A frames while racking up 11.0 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.
- Former Cubs prospect Josh Vitters is headed to the indy league Bridgeport Bluefish, per a club announcement (via Twitter). Still just 26, Vitters has yet to return to the majors after a brief look back in 2012. Once a consensus top-100 prospect leaguewide, the infielder struggled badly at Triple-A in 2014 and was ultimately released by the Cubs. He joined the Rockies on a minor league pact last year, but Colorado ended up releasing him in the spring.
Justin Morneau Out Til Mid-Season After Offseason Elbow Surgery
Free agent first baseman Justin Morneau will not be ready to resume swinging a bat until June after undergoing offseason elbow surgery, he tells LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. While the veteran says he isn’t yet writing off a return as soon as the coming season, he obviously won’t be available in the near-term for teams interested in adding a bat.
Morneau entered the open market after the Rockies turned down their end of a mutual option. He made it back to Colorado late last season after dealing with head and neck issues, but it’s another injury altogether that will prevent him from joining a team this spring.
The 34-year-old said he expected that trouble with a tendon in his left elbow would be cured by rest, but toward the end of 2015 was not experiencing progress. The issue first arose last spring, but obviously did not prevent him from returning down the stretch in 2015.
“Unfortunately, once teams starting calling in the offseason and things were moving along I didn’t feel confident that I was getting better,” he said, “so I decided to go get it checked out again on my own. After a new MRI, surgery was recommended and that was the path we chose to take.”
Morneau further explained that no teams were interested in signing him during the rehab process, meaning he’ll go it alone and see how things progress. “As of now I will do the rehab on my own and see how I feel going through that process and will make a decision on my future at a later date,” Morneau told Neal. “I have not ruled out returning to play this year at some point.”
The long-time Twins star has certainly shown he can still be productive at the plate, when healthy. He put up a strong 2014 season in Colorado, leading the league in batting average. And he managed a .310/.363/.458 slash line (good for a 109 OPS+) last year, though he was only available for 182 plate appearances — with those coming before and after a lengthy mid-year DL stint for concussion-like symptoms. It’s worth noting, too, that Morneau still rates as an average or better fielder at first.
Despite the health questions, Morneau took a spot at the back end of MLBTR’s top fifty free agent list. That he remains the only unsigned player from that list is now explained by today’s report.
MLBTR Live Chat 3/17/16
Click here to read a transcript of today’s chat with host Jeff Todd.