Randy Arozarena Leaves Cuba
Cuban infielder/outfielder Randy Arozarena, a 20-year-old prospect, has left the island with intentions of coming to Major League Baseball, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. He joins a growing stream of interesting Cuban players at various stages of qualifying for free agency.
Badler and BA tabbed Arozarena as the nation’s ninth-best prospect recently, calling him “a quick-twitch athlete with a lean, lively frame.” With good overall hitting ability and plus speed, Arozarena probably will not need to provide much power to have value. But the scouting report — which you’ll want to check out for a full breakdown (subscription required, and recommended) — indicates that the line-drive hitter could conceivably produce double-digit home runs with some adjustments and growth.
It remains to be seen where clubs will view him defensively: he’s spent time in center and left field after starting out as a middle infielder and also seeing action at third. The tools are there for him to play a premium defensive position down the line, says Badler, though it seems that there’s plenty of development left for him in that regard.
Arozarena will be subject to international spending limits when he signs. Given his profile it’s a good bet that he’ll go to a team that is willing to incur a two-year timeout to add him (likely, in conjunction with other significant outlays).
It’s obviously far to soon to guess as to Arozarena’s market, not least of which because he is just beginning an often-lengthy process of establishing residency and attaining free-agent status. But it is safe to say that those teams that are already set to face bans on pool-bound international signings over $300K (Angels, D’Backs, Rays, Red Sox, Yankees) will almost certainly be out of the race.
Andy Ibanez Changes Representation
Cuban second baseman Andy Ibanez, who has unexpectedly languished on the market despite being declared a free agent months ago, has changed agents, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. He’ll move from Bart Hernandez and Praver/Shapiro to Relativity Baseball.
The 22-year-old appeared to be preparing to sign earlier in the spring, but with his change of agencies it’s now unclear when that might happen. As Badler notes, there seems to be a reasonable likelihood that he’ll ultimately wait until the calendar flips to a new July 2 period, when a new slate of clubs will pull the trigger on spending cap-busting bonuses. (Ibanez is subject to international bonus pools.)
As Badler writes, Ibanez is a well-known and well-regarded prospect. While he does not have any particularly flashy aspects to his game, he’s regarded as a sturdy ballplayer across the board. Badler rates him above fellow young infielder Roberto Baldoquin, who got $8MM from the Angels, but notes that he could nevertheless fall shy of that mark.
NL West Notes: Castillo, Olivera, Jansen, Peralta
Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart joined Mike Ferrin of MLB Network Radio (audio link) to discuss last night’s multi-player deal sending Mark Trumbo to the Mariners. He explained that Welington Castillo (acquired in the deal) was not initially a backstop that had interested him upon taking the helm in Arizona — as he hinted, the club conceivably could have made that move when shipping Miguel Montero to the Cubs — but that the loss of Tuffy Gosewisch forced the team’s hand. “The first guy on my list of catchers was [Dioner] Navarro up in Toronto,” said Stewart, who explained that he “had [him] in my sights even in the winter months, before the Winter Meetings.” Stewart added that prospect Gabby Guerrero, who also comes over in the trade, impressed the club this spring.
That deal is a subject that Steve Adams and I tackle in today’s podcast, which will be available in a few hours. Meanwhile, here’s more from the NL West:
- New Dodgers infielder Hector Olivera will make his professional debut tomorrow at Double-A, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets. Director of player development Gabe Kapler had positive things to say about Olivera’s early time in the organization, as Plunkett also reports. “He clearly can handle either” second or third, Kapler added.
- Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was unavailable last night for unknown and somewhat mysterious reasons, as Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports. Something apparently occurred during the game itself that changed his status, but what that is has yet to be reported. Meanwhile, four other relievers oversaw a 9th-inning meltdown in Colorado. After the game, the team said that Jansen “wasn’t feeling well, while ESPN’s Rick Sutcliffe tweeted that he was “sending [his] prayers” to the Dodgers and their closer, adding to the intrigue. The outstanding power pitcher has dealt with heart issues in the past, including experiencing an irregular heartbeat while in Denver.
- Diamondbacks outfielder David Peralta has changed agencies and is now a client of ACES, Devan Fink tweeted recently and ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick confirms (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has quickly established himself as a solid major leaguer, and owns a .280/.323/.460 slash line in his first 490 plate appearances. With just 120 days of service accumulated last year, he’ll likely not qualify for arbitration until 2018.
Josh Hamilton Out Four Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Newly-activated Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is expected to miss a full month after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest was among those to report (Twitter link). The slugger returned to Texas in a complicated recent deal with the Angels.
Hamilton, 34, was off to a fantastic start in his return to Texas, sporting a .273/.385/.636 batting line with two long balls in his first 26 plate appearances. With the rest of the lineup clicking, the Rangers suddenly looked like the powerhouse offense of seasons past.
Now, Hamilton joins the outstanding Adrian Beltre on the shelf. Of course, that combination of maladies — neither of which looks to be serious concerns in the long run — has also created an opportunity for top prospect Joey Gallo.
The Rangers will need to do some roster juggling, but have plenty of options. Importantly, Hamilton’s power left-handed bat was already accompanied by a combination of Gallo, Prince Fielder, Mitch Moreland, and Shin-soo Choo in corner positions. Gallo and Moreland have both spent time in the outfield, and could see time there, while the club can also utilize speedsters Leonys Martin and Delino DeShields Jr. in that capacity.
Jake Smolinski is also on the active roster for another right-handed-hitting option, joining DeShields in that regard. And the rehabbing Ryan Rua is about two weeks away from a return, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets, providing another a righty bat. Kyle Blanks is also injured, and seems a bit further off.
Texas could also ultimately elect to bring back struggling second baseman Rougned Odor, though the team has indicated that it wants to see him get back on track at Triple-A. For the time being, Hanser Alberto is hitting well in his very first MLB action, and DeShields might also be utilized at his old position.
All said, an outside addition seems rather unlikely given the array of possibilities. But there will probably be more roster movement over the coming weeks for an organization that has paced the league in use of the DFA over the past year or so (due in large part to a nearly incomprehensible volume of pitching injuries).
From a transactional perspective, the biggest impact probably relates to the much-hyped Gallo, who was not previously expected to see big league time this soon. He has impressed in his first two games at the big league level, swatting two long balls (including one off lefty Zach Duke tonight) and creating plenty of excitement.
If Gallo can entrench himself on the roster, he has a plausible shot at earning enough service time to set himself up as a Super Two candidate down the road. Starting from his call-up yesterday, he can rack up as many as 124 days of big league time this year, which has been enough in some (but not most) recent seasons.
Odor, too, could see a similar impact if the loss of Hamilton frees up a place for him to return. He entered the year with 144 days of service, making him a likely Super Two, but a lengthy optional assignment would jeopardize his ability to qualify for an additional year of arbitration.
Reds Release Donald Lutz
The Reds have released first baseman/outfielder Donald Lutz, the club announced. His 40-man spot was needed for the promotion of Ivan DeJesus Jr., who is filling in for the injured Marlon Byrd.
Lutz entered the year rated as Cincinnati’s 28th-best prospect, in the eyes of Baseball America, after reaching as high as 16th on that list in prior seasons. As C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer notes on Twitter, Lutz underwent Tommy John surgery a month ago.
While he’s only seen 113 largely unsuccessful plate appearances in the big leagues, and was off to a rough start this year prior to his surgery, Lutz has generally put up appealing batting lines throughout his minor league career. His primary strength is in the power department, and he owns a cumulative MiLB slugging percentage of .470.
Lutz is most notable, of course, for being the first major league ballplayer who was developed in Germany. While he was born in the United States, his family moved to Germany when he was just one year old, and he played there until signing as an international free agent back in 2007.
Jordan Lyles Out For Year With Toe Injury
Rockies righty Jordan Lyles will miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury to his left big toe, the club announced (via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). The digit’s medial collateral ligament and capsule require repair.
Acquired as part of the pre-2014 Dexter Fowler trade, Lyles had something of a breakout season in his first year with Colorado. An unfortunate left hand fracture caused him to miss significant time, and he was far less effective after the season’s first month, but things were pointing up on the whole.
After agreeing to a $2.48MM deal to avoid arbitration, Lyles figured as one of the Rockies’ best starters. The results have not been there, as his ERA sits at a somewhat disappointing 5.14 and he’s dropped back to 5.5 K/9.
But the 25-year-old has maintained his velocity and approximately 50% groundball rate. And FIP credits him with his lowest annual mark (an evaluation not shared by xFIP and SIERA, however).
It does not seem like the Rockies are going anywhere this year, with or without Lyles, but the loss of another competent arm could make a date at the auction block more likely for several veterans. In the long run, Colorado will probably not be too concerned about Lyles’ ability to bounce back, particularly since the injury isn’t to his arm.
With the Rockies having tendered a contract to TJ patient Tyler Chatwood last year, I’d expect they’ll do the same next fall with Lyles.
Latest On David Wright Back Injury
Star Mets third baseman David Wright, who has been diagnosed with a condition called spinal stenosis, joined GM Sandy Alderson in addressing the situation with the media yesterday (via Newsday’s Mark Carig). While Alderson says the club is “comfortable” in expecting that Wright will return, it also appears more and more likely that the problem will be a concern even if he does make it back to action.
“It literally is a week-to-week process,” Wright said, explaining that he is regularly undergoing tests of his back condition that must be passed before he can even begin working back to on-field action. “I’m not there right now,” he said. “They run me through the tests and I flat-out can’t do it.”
Surgery is only on the table as a last resort, in the event that rehabilitation proves unavailing. “There’s never been a question in my mind that not only am I going to come back but I want to come back sooner rather than later,” Wright said. “It’s just a matter of being symptom-free.”
In spite of that positivity, and Alderson’s statement that he was not planning to go outside the organization to find a replacement, the GM hinted at an uncertain (and possibly lengthy) timeline when he said the team is “not on the edge of our seat waiting for David to come back.” And he acknowledged the long-term concerns: “I’m not sure we can have any assurance at this point that when he comes back it will be incident-free for the rest of the season.”
Wright is earning $20MM this year and is promised an additional $87MM from 2016-2020. While the club reportedly has insurance that would cover a significant portion of that tab if Wright misses a large chunk of time, that would not offer much relief if he is able to play but can’t return to his former levels (or if, say, he needs scattered DL stints to deal with flare-ups).
In the immediate term, the team does have options, as David Lennon writes for Newsday. Daniel Murphy can occupy third, with some combination of Wilmer Flores, Ruben Tejada, and Dilson Herrera (when he returns from his own injury) playing up the middle. Or, of course, a more established option could be added at the deadline. Regardless, it would now seem a major surprise if Murphy — who has sometimes been discussed as a trade chip — was to be made available this summer.
Pirates Outright Radhames Liz
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- Pirates righty Radhames Liz has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on Twitter. Liz will continue earning the $1MM annual salary he agreed to before the year. The club expressed hope that he would stay in the organization, and that guaranteed money likely ensured that he would. Liz has a 3.63 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 17 1/3 innings on the year, but has also walked ten batters and was viewed with less promise by ERA estimators.
Yankees Designate David Carpenter
The Yankees have designated reliever David Carpenter for assignment, the club announced. The move creates roster space for the activation of Masahiro Tanaka.
Carpenter, 29, came to the Yankees from the Braves along with lefty Chasen Shreve in an offseason trade that sent Manny Banuelos to Atlanta. The righty was a very solid performer in his two years with the Braves, but has struggled thus far in pinstripes.
Over 18 2/3 innings this year, Carpenter owns a 4.82 ERA. He has struck out just 11 batters in that span — after averaging about 10 K/9 over the two seasons prior — while walking eight. On the positive side, Carpenter’s fastball velocity is still sitting right at the 95 mph mark.
All said, Carpenter figures to draw a decent bit of interest from other teams. His $1.275MM salary is manageable enough, and his track record and maintained velocity offer a more promising combination than can usually be found this time of year.
Draft Notes: Rankings, Aiken
With less than a week to go before this year’s draft, amateur prospect evaluation is cresting. For those interested in really understanding the broad scope of players available this year, there are a few great resources to check out. And there is an update on a draft candidate who will be more closely-watched than any other this summer.
Let’s have a look in at the latest:
- Baseball America has released its top-500 ranking, which includes just about every player of real relevance at this stage (though no doubt we’ll look back in 10 years and wonder how someone eluded mention). You’ll find links there to scouting reports and video.
- ESPN.com’s Keith Law (Insider link) remains bullish on University of Arizona shortstop Kevin Newman, who gets the second spot on his list. Indeed, each of the top four players available, in Law’s view, are shortstops, with high schooler Brendan Rogers at the top and Dansby Swanson (Vanderbilt) and Alex Bregman (LSU) following behind Newman.
- Kiley McDaniel and Fangraphs have introduced a “sortable draft board” that allows you to take in the various forms of assessment (e.g., present & future value, ranking, mock draft prediction, likely pick range). Check it out and work the columns to get a better sense of what’s out there. As with the BA list, you can access more detailed reports and video of many players.
- Brady Aiken and his medical status still remains something of an enigma, McDaniel writes. The unsigned first-overall pick of a year ago is coming off of Tommy John surgery. Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggested yesterday that the Astros had actually found a small tear in Aiken’s elbow, while earlier reports indicated that he had an unusually narrow UCL. As McDaniel notes, others believe that Houston was scared off by structural issues in the elbow. His current draft status will depend in part on just what issues are there, as well as his progress in the UCL replacement. McDaniel says that Aiken’s camp has released medical information, but done so in an unusually constricted way. All said, it’s impossible to get a read on where he’ll land, though his talent is great enough that he’s expected to land a seven-figure bonus regardless.