Cubs Acquire Clayton Richard From Pirates
The Cubs have acquired lefty Clayton Richard from the Pirates in exchange for cash considerations, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports on Twitter. Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes on Twitter that Richard appeared to be headed to a big league roster after clearing his locker out at Triple-A Indianapolis.
The impetus for the move was an “upward mobility” clause in Richard’s contract, which created a three-day period within which the Pirates had to offer him to other clubs willing to put him on a big league roster or instead add him to their own roster. Had no team been so willing, then Richard would have remained in Triple-A.
Chicago, obviously, was prepared to give Richard an active roster spot while Pittsburgh was not. Miles adds that Richard will make a start this Saturday for the Cubs.
Richard, 31, was a productive starter for the Padres before shoulder issues derailed his career. In both 2010 and 2012, he put up 200+ innings with a sub-4.00 ERA. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2013, struggling badly before ultimately going under the knife.
Richard appeared briefly in Triple-A last year for the Diamondbacks, but has returned to form at Indianapolis this season. In ten total minor league starts, he’s racked up 62 innings of 1.89 ERA pitching, striking out 4.4 and walking 2.0 batters per nine innings.
Red Sox Designate Zeke Spruill
The Red Sox have designated righty Zeke Spruill for assignment, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports on Twitter. His 40-man spot was needed for the promotion of Noe Ramirez.
The 25-year-old has worked exclusively at Triple-A this year for Boston, which acquired him from the Diamondbacks on the same day the Wade Miley deal went down. He owns a 5.40 ERA with 3.9 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 over 53 1/3 innings for Pawtucket.
Spruill had spent time with the D’Backs in each of the last two seasons. In total, he’s thrown 34 big league frames, posting a 4.24 ERA and striking out 23 batters while issuing nine walks.
Giants Designate Brett Bochy
The Giants have designated righty Brett Bochy for assignment, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. Bochy, the son of manager Bruce Bochy, lost his 40-man spot as part of a series of transactions.
Bochy saw his first big league action last year, throwing 3 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs to go with three strikeouts and two walks. He’s back in Triple-A this year for his third run at the level, working to a 4.30 ERA over 29 1/3 innings. Bochy’s strikeout numbers continue to fall, as he’s retired just 5.5 per nine by way of strikeout while issuing 3.7 BB/9.
Cuban Outfielder Guillermo Heredia Declared Free Agent
MLB has declared Cuban outfielder Guillermo Heredia a free agent, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports on Twitter. The 24-year-old is eligible to sign now, but will not be subject to international spending restrictions given his age and Serie Nacional experience.
Heredia is expected to put on a showcase in the United States in the near future, per the report. He had previously established residency in Mexico.
When Heredia left Cuba back in January, Ben Badler of Baseball America had him ranked 11th among Cuban prospects on his most recent list, though he noted that others had probably overtaken him. The 24-year-old has shown some pop at times and has posted good on-base numbers in Cuba, but the power has been inconsistent and there are questions about his bat. Formerly a switch-hitter, Heredia has more recently hit only from the right side. Badler says he looks to be a plus defender in center, though, with good speed and instincts along with a strong arm.
Cuban Prospect Luis Yander La O Defects
Cuban infielder Luis Yander La O has defected from Cuba while traveling with the national team to North Carolina, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs noted last night on Twitter that it seemed a move might be in the offing when La O did not appear at the park.
The 23-year-old had been said to be attempting a few months back, and now that seems to have finally taken place. La O (who is also sometimes given the surname “Camacho”) becomes the second player to defect on the national team’s swing through the states, joining Yadiel Hernandez. He intends to seek to achieve free agency and sign with a big league club, per Badler.
La O is exempt from international signing limitations, meaning he’ll be able to sign as any other free agent would once he achieves that status. He should draw a good bit of interest, as Badler rated him tenth among current Cuban players and says he’s nearly prepared for big league action. La O has played mostly at third and second, though he’s seen time at short as well. He’s a high-contact hitter from the right side, says Badler, though he lacks power and leaves some scouts wondering if he’ll hit enough in the majors.
A’s Acquire Cody Martin From Braves For International Slot, Designate Freiman
The Athletics have announced that the team has acquired righty Cody Martin from the Braves. In return, Atlanta will receive the 53rd overall international signing slot, which carries a bonus allocation of $388,400. To create roster space for Martin, Oakland has designated first baseman Nate Freiman for assignment.
Martin, 25, gives the A’s a Major League ready bullpen option that has logged 21 2/3 innings in the Braves’ bullpen this season. He’s struggled to a 5.40 ERA in the Majors, but Martin has excelled in the minors, working to a 2.10 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 34 1/3 innings — six starts and one relief appearance.
Freiman, 28, was a Rule 5 pick of the Athletics out of the Astros’ organization in 2013. He batted .256/.309/.408 between 2013-14 with the A’s, playing primarily against left-handed pitching, but he’s struggled to this point of the season at Triple-A. In 35 games with Nashville this year, Freiman has batted just .171/.225/.188 in 129 plate appearances.
Orioles To Sign Chris Perez
The Orioles have agreed to sign righty Chris Perez, presumably to a minor league deal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports on Twitter. Of course, Perez was just hit with a 50-game suspension for recreational drug use, so he’ll have to serve out that ban before donning a uniform in the Baltimore system.
Perez, the former Indians closer, started the year with the Brewers organization on a minor league deal after struggling in 2014 with the Dodgers. He opted out earlier in the year and received his suspension while a free agent. Before that, Perez had allowed eight earned runs over 7 2/3 Triple-A frames, with just three strikeouts against four walks.
Still just 29 years of age, Perez has had his moments in the big leagues. Indeed, despite his more recent difficulties keeping runs of the board, he’s pitched to a lifetime 3.51 ERA in 379 1/3 innings (with 8.6 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9). And Perez averaged around 94 mph on his fastball last year, indicating that he could still have some gas in the tank.
Blue Jays Acquire Slot Money From Dodgers
The Blue Jays have acquired additional slot money from the Dodgers in a deal that will send Chase De Jong and Tim Locastro back to Los Angeles. Ben Badler of Baseball America first reported that Toronto was acquiring slot money, while ESPN.com’s Keith Law reported the remainder of the swap (via Twitter).
The Jays struck the deal in order to offset some of the $3.9MM that the team just promised to international signee Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The club entered the July 2 period with just $2,324,100 of total pool space, leaving a $1,575,900 gap.
According to Badler, the move will limit the extent to which the Blue Jays have exceeded their pool space, but won’t eliminate it entirely. By spending only 15% or less above the cap, the club can limit its signing limitations to just a single signing period. That, in turn, would require the the team end up with nearly $3.4MM in capacity.
Looking at the individual slots available to each team, the Dodgers’ largest single bonus value was $545,900. The team also possesses $368,700 and $249,000 spending allocations. It seems likely that all three of those are headed to Toronto, as Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that over $1MM will change hands.
It is worth remembering that the move will also cost the Dodgers money since L.A. has already blown well past its original allocation. Every dollar the team sends away will require it to pay an equivalent amount in overage fees.
In some regards, then, this looks to be another cash for prospects deal. In this case, however, Toronto was not looking just to avoid spending (though it did that as well), but also to avoid a lengthier international timeout.
As for the players involved, De Jong is a long, strike throwing righty. The 2012 second-round pick is repeating the Class A level after a rough year last year, but he’s still only 21 and has produced better results this year (3.13 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9). After being rated by Baseball America as the 11th-best Jays prospect in 2014, he dropped to 17th entering this season, but seems to be on the ascent at present and could still have some projection left, per BA.
Locastro, 22, is primarily a second baseman, though he’s also seen a bit of action at short and the corner outfield. He reached the Class A level this year, and has performed quite well. Over 289 turns at bat, Locastro owns a .310/.409/.421 slash with five home runs and a rather impressive thirty stolen bags (being caught eleven times along the way). He’s struck out just 25 times while picking up 21 walks.
Mariners Designate Willie Bloomquist
The Mariners have designated Willie Bloomquist for assignment, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. The utilityman will seemingly be replaced on the active roster by Chris Taylor.
Bloomquist, 37, has slashed just .159/.194/.174 over his 72 plate appearances on the year. He was playing out the second season of a two-year, $5.8MM deal signed before the 2014 campaign. Never a significant offensive contributor, Bloomquist at least managed to hit at near his career levels last year (.643 OPS on the season; .658 career).
His value, instead, lies in his defensive versatility. This year alone, Bloomquist has played at first, second, short, third, and both corner outfield spots. But with his production at the plate dropping so precipitously, Seattle obviously felt it was time for a move.
Blue Jays To Sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
1:04pm: Guerrero will receive a $3.9MM bonus, Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com tweets.
10:18am: The Blue Jays have reached agreement with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ben Badler of Baseball America reports on Twitter. Guerrero, son of the famed big leaguer of the same name, was the first overall international prospect on BA’s pre-July 2 board. He is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council and Rick Thurman, Rafael Nieves and Nelson Montes.
Toronto had been widely expected to land the highly-touted Guerrero, who bears a striking resemblance to his father. While he doesn’t quite reach Vlad Sr.’s “all-around tools,” in Badler’s estimation, that’s hardly a knock. The younger Guerrero is said to have a very promising bat with contact ability to go with good power potential.
On the other hand, Guerrero is not a strong runner and does not appear to possess his father’s cannon of an arm. Those current limitations, including at least some question of whether he’ll ultimately be a serviceable corner outfielder, led both Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez to rate Guerrero fourth among eligible July 2 prospects.
The Blue Jays entered the day with $2,324,100 to spend without incurring any penalties, per Baseball America, and it appears likely that the club will go well beyond that to get Guerrero. While his bonus has yet to be reported, McDaniel predicted that Guerrero would sign for $3.45MM.