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Minor MLB Transactions: 9/6/15

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • Astros right-hander Jake Buchanan has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (via Twitter).  Houston designated Buchanan for assignment earlier this week.  Buchanan has allowed two runs in nine relief innings for the Astros this season, and he has a 4.06 ERA, 5.1 K/9 and 1.56 K/BB over 44 1/3 career frames.
  • Check out the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker to keep up on the status of several players awaiting their next assignments.

Cafardo’s Latest: Greinke, O’s, Renteria, BoSox

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Here’s the latest from The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo in the newest edition of his Sunday notes column…

  • Zack Greinke may not find anything longer than a five-year contract this winter, according to a Major League source.  Greinke turns 32 in October, so it’s understandable that teams would be wary about committing big money to a pitcher into his age-37 season, despite Greinke’s current outstanding numbers.  It’s not as if Greinke will be suffering for money if he takes the expected step of opting out of his Dodgers contract, as an NL general manager calls a five-year, $150MM deal as “a good starting point.”  That GM also predicts Greinke will ultimately remain with the Dodgers since they can afford his salary demands.
  • “Some believe there may be a breaking point between” Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter, though Cafardo notes it is “probably too early to call this one” a potential front office change in the making for the Orioles.  Last week, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported on some bad feelings within Baltimore’s front office, stemming from owner Peter Angelos’ refusal to let Duquette pursue the Blue Jays president’s job without compensation.
  • Former Cubs manager Rick Renteria could re-emerge as a managerial candidate this winter, with Cafardo speculating that the Marlins or Tigers could be fits.  Cafardo notes that Renteria was the finalist for the Tigers job before they hired Brad Ausmus, and that position could be open again if Ausmus is fired in the wake of Detroit’s disappointing season.
  • Joe Kelly has pitched very well over the last month but he may not have a spot in the Red Sox rotation next year, leading Cafardo to suggest that Kelly be converted into a closer if Koji Uehara can’t recover from his fractured wrist.  Cafardo sees the 2016 Boston rotation as Clay Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, Wade Miley and a yet-to-be-acquired ace, though I’d argue that Miley’s spot is far from set in stone.  Plans could yet shift if the Sox move a starter in a trade, and Cafardo hears from an AL GM that Miley and Buchholz “would have value” if Boston shopped either starter.  (Presumably the Sox wouldn’t move a promising and controllable arm like Rodriguez, and Porcello’s big contract greatly limits his trade value.)

AL West Notes: Zych, Zito, A’s, Astros

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Mariners right-hander Tony Zych made his Major League debut on Friday night and gained an unusual distinction in the process.  Of the thousands of players who have appeared in an MLB game, Zych is now alphabetically last on the list, replacing past Dutch Zwilling (who last played in 1916).  “Breaking a record is pretty cool. I really didn’t have to do much for that one,” Zych tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune.  As Dutton notes, the Mariners have also previously employed the first player alphabetically in baseball history (David Aardsma) and the first player with a hyphenated name (Ryan Rowland-Smith).  Here’s more from around the AL West…

  • Barry Zito has heard from the Athletics that he won’t be called up this month, the veteran southpaw tells Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Zito last pitched in the majors in 2013 and sat out 2014 before signing a minor league deal with the A’s last February.  He’s posted a 3.48 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 1.50 K/BB rate over 137 innings this season though he hasn’t pitched in over a month due to shoulder tendinitis.  Zito will complete his recovery throwing program to give himself the option of continuing his career, though this could well be it for the former Cy Young Award winner.
  • Also from Slusser, she notes that a number of scouts were in attendance to specifically watch A’s righty Jesse Chavez in his most recent start.  Chavez is “coveted by many teams for his versatility” and is “unlikely to be in next year’s rotation,” Slusser writes.  Chavez drew some trade buzz prior to this year’s deadline and eligible for free agency after the 2016 season, so it makes sense that the A’s could explore dealing him now with so much interest in his services.
  • The Astros’ run to the top of the AL West has produced only a modest increase in attendance, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle writes.  A number of factors are cited, perhaps chiefly that Houston fans may simply be a bit slow to jump back on the bandwagon since the Astros had been so terrible in recent seasons.  Drellich also looks at some of the ways in which all MLB teams share marketing and ticketing strategies with the rest of the league.
  • Astros closer Luke Gregerson finished his 45th game of the season today, earning him an extra $250K in salary for 2016, as noted by Drellich (Twitter link).  Gregerson has pitched very well in the first year of his three-year, $18.5MM deal with Houston and with the bonus, his 2016 salary now jumps to $6.5MM.  More bonus money is still available, as he’ll earn another $250K at each of the 50-, 55- and 57-finish thresholds.
  • Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times breaks down the pros and cons of four candidates for the Mariners’ GM job.  Of the names listed, Divish thinks former Angels GM Jerry Dipoto could be the favorite, as Dipoto was a finalist for the Seattle job before Jack Zduriencik was hired.
  • Shane Victorino has embraced his platoon role since joining the Angels in the name of helping the club, he tells MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez.  Still, the veteran outfielder says he hopes to return to full-time action next season and is planning to retrain himself to switch-hit after injuries forced him to become a full-time righty bat in 2013.

Orioles Claim Andy Wilkins, Designate Cesar Cabral

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The Orioles have claimed first baseman Andy Wilkins off waivers from the Dodgers, the team announced.  Wilkins, who was designated for assignment by Los Angeles earlier this week, will be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.  In a corresponding move, left-hander Cesar Cabral has been designated for assignment.

Wilkins has a .251/.315/.447 slash line over 497 plate appearances at Triple-A this season, split between the Dodgers’ and Blue Jays’ affiliates.  The move to Baltimore completes a busy few months for Wilkins, as he was also taken off waivers from the White Sox by the Jays back in March.  Wilkins made his MLB debut last season appearing in 17 games with Chicago but hasn’t since returned to the Show.

Cabral, 26, signed a minor league deal with the Orioles last winter and he has posted a 4.95 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 2.29 K/BB rate over 40 relief innings at Triple-A.  He also had a two-game cup of coffee on Baltimore’s roster in June.

Cabral joins seven other players currently in DFA limbo, which you can follow via the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker.

Blue Jays To Name Mark Shapiro As Team President

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8:06am: Dolan will indeed absorb the business duties left behind by Shapiro, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince. Most importantly, the Indians have now announced the move, with both Shapiro and Dolan offering statements on the transition. Shapiro will become the new Blue Jays CEO upon conclusion of the 2015 season, he said in his statement.

AUG. 31, 7:15am: The Indians will not receive compensation for Shapiro’s departure, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Indians, Rosenthal continues, “follow a different philosophy,” and ownership didn’t wish to stand in the way of Shapiro receiving the role if he indeed wanted to leave.

AUG. 30: The Blue Jays will hire Mark Shapiro as the club’s new president, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  The official announcement could come this week, possibly as early as Monday.  Shapiro plans to retain Alex Anthopoulos as the Jays’ general manager, sources tell Heyman.

Shapiro’s name surfaced in connection to the Toronto job last week (via FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal) and the hiring was seen as increasingly likely to happen as the days passed.  Since current Jays president Paul Beeston announced he was going to retire after the 2015 season, the Jays have been linked to many experienced baseball names, including Dave Dombrowski, Kenny Williams, Terry Ryan and (in somewhat controversial fashion) Dan Duquette.

It isn’t yet known exactly when Shapiro will take over for Beeston, Heyman notes, as the long-time Blue Jays president may remain in the position until the season is over.  It also isn’t clear if Toronto will owe some sort of compensation to the Indians for hiring away their team president, as the details of Shapiro’s contract with the Tribe aren’t known.

Shapiro, 48, has been a member of the Indians front office since 1991, serving as GM for the 2002-2010 seasons and then being promoted to president prior to the 2011 campaign.  While Cleveland’s front office dynamic will undoubtedly be changed by losing such a long-time figure, it’s possible Shapiro’s departure may not cause too many ripples within the organization.  MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince guessed that chairman/CEO Paul Dolan may simply become president as well, and manager Terry Francona said he won’t opt out of his contract.  Rosenthal speculated that the Tribe could also promote from within, shifting GM Chris Antonetti to president and making well-regarded assistant GM Mike Chernoff the new general manager.

There’s little Shapiro hasn’t seen in his tenure with Cleveland, as the Indians have gone from doormat to contender a few different times and also had similarly large swings in terms of revenue.  The Tribe have only had a top-20 payroll once since 2003, so Shapiro will have much more money to work with in his new position, particularly given the Jays’ recent boom in attendance and TV ratings.  Shapiro’s role in the recent renovations to Progressive Field has been cited as a key factor in his hiring in Toronto, as ownership has been planning to make significant upgrades (including natural grass) to make Rogers Centre a more baseball-friendly stadium.

It had long been suspected that Anthopoulos was facing a make-or-break season given the incoming president change, though his job security has been solidified thanks to his aggressive moves in the offseason and at the trade deadline, culminating in the Blue Jays’ dominant 21-5 record in August.  As Heyman notes, Anthopoulos’ contract is up after the season but was expected to remain with the team if they wanted to keep him.

Quick Hits: Arrieta, Lincecum, Pirates

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Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta threw his first career no-hitter tonight, shutting down the Dodgers on 12 strikeouts and just two runners allowed (one via walk, one via error).  By coincidence, Charlie Wilmoth looked at Arrieta’s case as an extension candidate earlier today on MLBTR to see what it might take for Chicago to lock the ace up over the long term and whether or not an extension makes sense for either side at this time.  Needless to say, Arrieta’s stock only continues to rise after performances like tonight’s history-making gem.  Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • Tim Lincecum is still experiencing discomfort in his hips and back and there’s a chance he might not pitch again in 2015, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports.  Since Lincecum is a free agent this winter, it could also mean the end of his Giants tenure.
  • The Pirates aren’t planning to call up Tyler Glasnow for the September stretch run, GM Neal Huntington told reporters (including Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).  Glasnow, one of the game’s most highly-regarded pitching prospects, has an 0.81 ERA and 10.5 K/9 over 33 1/3 Triple-A innings this season, albeit with 17 walks as well.
  • Also from Sawchik’s notebook piece, A.J. Burnett said he was pain-free after throwing five simulated innings on Sunday.  The veteran has spent a month on the DL with a flexor strain in his throwing elbow, though he is now aiming to return for a mid-September series against the Cubs.
  • Indians assistant GM Mike Chernoff has been rumored as a candidate to become the Tribe’s general manager if Chris Antonetti is promoted to replace Mark Shapiro as president, though Fangraphs’ David Laurila notes that “Chernoff is a hot commodity” around baseball.  If Chernoff is offered multiple jobs, Laurila wonders if he would prefer running a team with more payroll flexibility than small-market Cleveland.
  • Also from Laurila’s piece, he wonders if the Angels are disappointed enough with their season that Mike Scioscia’s job could also be in jeopardy.  It has been assumed that Scioscia is safe given his close ties with owner Arte Moreno, not to mention the fact that the manager is still owed $18MM through the 2018 season.

East Notes: Hazen, Dombrowski, Arrieta, Fish

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MLBTR’s Zach Links collected sets of notes from both the AL East and NL East earlier today, and here are some more items from both divisions…

  • Red Sox assistant GM Mike Hazen “is a stronger candidate than some realize” to be the team’s next general manager according to “rumors around the majors,” Peter Gammons writes in his latest entry on GammonsDaily.com.  Hazen has been an assistant GM with the Sox since 2011 and he has interviewed for GM openings with the Padres and Dodgers in recent years.
  • Gammons’ piece is a general overview of the young talent on both the Red Sox roster and in their farm system.  While some of Dave Dombrowski’s biggest trades have involved moving prospects for established veterans, Gammons notes that some of those moves were ownership-driven and not necessarily a sign that Dombrowski will again use young players as wholesale trade bait.
  • Speaking of rival teams not swinging trades, the Nationals were interested in Jake Arrieta back when he was an Oriole, the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga tweets.  The two sides apparently “had a deal,” according to Svrluga, but it fell through since the “O’s wouldn’t trade with D.C.”  This would seem to imply that Baltimore upper management scuttled the deal.  The Nats and O’s have never combined on a trade (hat tip to the MLBTR Transaction Tracker) and the two clubs have been involved in a legal dispute over MASN broadcast rights fees.  Arrieta was instead dealt to the Cubs in July 2013, a trade that is looking like more and more or a steal for Chicago.
  • Nationals righty Aaron Barrett visited Dr. James Andrews in regards to his right elbow injury, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson reports.  Barrett went on the 15-day DL with what was called an elbow sprain on August 6 and he was shifted to the 60-day DL last week, though it isn’t yet known if a Tommy John procedure is needed.  Barrett has a rather misleading 4.60 ERA in 29 1/3 relief innings for Washington this season, as his peripheral numbers (10.7 K/9, 5.00 K/BB rate, 2.20 FIP) show that he’s pitched much better than his ERA would indicate.
  • The Marlins aren’t likely to make any trades before tomorrow’s waiver deadline, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports.  Martin Prado seemingly drew the most interest of any Marlin in August, though the club plans to hang onto most of its core players in order to make a run in 2016.  Miami was considering adding an innings-eating arm or two for September though if they do so, it won’t be via a trade.
  • The Marlins’ release of veteran utilityman Jeff Baker in July was partially due to some internal problems, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.  The Marlins “felt [Baker] was spreading negativity in the clubhouse, was a bad influence on a couple of young players and was conveying an anti-front office message.”  Jackson notes, however, that Baker was popular with teammates and media members.

J.P. Howell Attains 2016 Player Option

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Dodgers left-hander J.P. Howell made his 52nd appearance of the season in tonight’s game with the Cubs, and also his 120th appearance since the start of the 2014 season.  By reaching this milestone, the $6.5MM option the Dodgers held on Howell’s services for 2016 has now been converted into a player option.  (Hat tip to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.)  Howell’s option will become official provided he doesn’t end the season on the disabled list.

The veteran southpaw signed a two-year, $11.25MM deal with Los Angeles in December 2013 that paid him a $3MM signing bonus and $4MM salaries in each of the 2014 and 2015 seasons.  The $6.25MM team option carried a $250K buyout, though Howell did have some agency if the Dodgers exercised it; Howell would’ve been allowed to opt out of the option if he forfeited the $250K.  Given how well Howell has pitched this season, he likely would’ve given up that $250K anyway in search of a longer-term contract, and the 32-year-old will get plenty of offseason attention from teams looking for bullpen help.

Howell has been a bright spot in a shaky Dodgers bullpen, posting a 1.46 ERA, 2.75 K/BB rate, 59.3% ground ball rate and 33 strikeouts over 37 innings.  Left-handed batters have only managed a .225/.309/.225 batting line against Howell this year.  The lefty has a 2.27 ERA in 198 1/3 innings from 2012-15, and while the peripheral stats indicate that he’s gotten some significant BABIP and strand-rate help over that stretch, Howell’s 2.9 BB/9 this season is on pace to be the lowest of his 10-year career.

AL West Links: Freese, Felix, Rangers

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Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte earned his first Major League win today, tossing two scoreless frames to help the Athletics notch a 7-4 victory over the Diamondbacks in 11 innings.  While Venditte is known mostly for his singular pitching style, he’s also posted a decent 3.31 ERA over 16 1/3 relief innings for the A’s in his rookie season.  Here’s more from around the AL West…

  • There is a growing sentiment within the Angels front office that David Freese should be re-signed, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports, though things could change once the team hires its new general manager.  Freese is admired for his clubhouse leadership, and while the Angels’ slump obviously isn’t solely due to Freese’s DL stint (he’s recovering from a fractured finger), it’s worth noting that the Halos are 11-23 since Freese’s last game.  The former World Series MVP has just a .240/.309/.397 slash line and 11 homers in 353 PA this season, though Gonzalez surmises he could strong interest in free agency given the lack of third base options on the market.  If the Angels aren’t willing to bring him back, they could turn to Kaleb Cowart or Kyle Kubitza at the hot corner.
  • While the next Mariners GM will have to fix some significant weaknesses on the roster and in the farm system, it’s not impossible that the M’s could contend as quickly as next season, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes.  Perhaps most intriguingly, Stone suggests that the new GM will have to at least consider the idea of trading Felix Hernandez, which would both clear payroll space and restock the farm with some blue chip talent.  Stone stops short of advocating that a Hernandez trade would or should happen, however, and it could be a moot point anyway since Hernandez has full no-trade protection.
  • Sam Dyson and Jake Diekman didn’t just upgrade the Rangers bullpen by themselves, but their acquisitions also helped reinvigorate Keone Kela, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes.  The righty was demoted to Double-A on Aug. 1 to keep his arm fresh, a move Texas could afford to make with their new arms in the pen.  Since being recalled on Aug. 11, Kela has recorded 12 strikeouts (against just one walk and four hits) over 9 1/3 scoreless relief innings.  Kela has put up strong numbers in his rookie season, posting a 2.72 ERA, 3.93 K/BB rate and 59 strikeouts in 53 innings.

Padres Claim Chris Rearick, Designate Caleb Thielbar

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The Padres claimed left-hander Chris Rearick off waivers from the Rangers, the team announced (via Twitter).  In a corresponding move, San Diego designated southpaw Caleb Thielbar for assignment.

Rearick is back with the Padres just a few days after the Rangers themselves claimed him off waivers.  Rearick had been designated for assignment by San Diego and was quickly DFA’ed again by Texas to make room for young lefty Andrew Faulkner.  Rearick made his MLB debut earlier this season with the Padres, and he has a 12.00 ERA over three innings in the Show.

San Diego claimed Thielbar off waivers after Minnesota designated him assignment on July 31.  The lefty has a 2.41 ERA over 41 innings for the Padres’ and Twins’ Triple-A affiliates, despite an unimpressive 1.09 K/BB rate (25 strikeouts and 23 walks).  This year’s peripherals aside, Thielbar has posted solid numbers over his minor league career and he has a 2.74 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 2.63 K/BB rate over 98 2/3 Major League innings with the Twins.

Thielbar joins five other players in “DFA limbo,” and you can keep track of their status via the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker.

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