Phillies Sign Ryan Burr To Minor League Deal
The Phillies announced a slate of non-roster invitees to spring training Thursday, most of which were for in-house minor leaguers or minor league free agent signees whose contracts had been widely reported. Among the list was right-hander Ryan Burr. It deal was reported last month by Phillies Tailgate on X.
A 29-year-old right-hander who’s spent parts of four big league seasons with the White Sox, Burr spent the 2023 campaign in the Rays’ system after signing a minor league pact last winter. He logged 23 1/3 innings for Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate and posted a 3.09 ERA with sharp 25% strikeout rate and superlative 3.3% walk rate.
In what’s been a familiar refrain for Burr throughout his career, however, he was on and off the injured list throughout the season. Burr missed time in 2022 with a shoulder strain and missed the entire 2020 season following Tommy John surgery. He also dealt with an injured AC joint in his shoulder earlier in the 2019 season that was cut short by that TJS procedure.
Burr has just 75 innings in the big leagues but showed in 2021 what he can do at his best. That season saw him notch a 2.45 ERA in a career-high 36 2/3 frames, fanning 22% of his opponents and keeping the ball on the ground at a 57% clip. Burr’s 13.9% strikeout rate that season was clearly problematic, as is the overall 12.2% walk rate he sports in his big league career. Walks weren’t an issue with the Rays’ top minor league affiliate last year, however, and if he can carry some of that newfound command over into 2024 he’ll be an interesting add to the team’s depth chart.
Tigers Claim Devin Sweet, Designate Tyler Nevin
The Tigers announced Thursday that they’ve claimed right-hander Devin Sweet off waivers from the Giants and opened a spot on their 40-man roster by designating infielder Tyler Nevin for assignment.
Detroit will be Sweet’s fourth organization in as many months. The right-hander went from the Mariners to the A’s in early September, from the A’s to the Giants in December and now to the Tigers — all via waiver claims. San Francisco hadn’t previously indicated that Sweet had been designated for assignment, but last week’s agreement with Jordan Hicks and acquisition of catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel pushed the team’s roster up to 41 players.
Sweet, 27, yielded 10 runs in 8 2/3 innings for the Mariners during this past season’s MLB debut. His minor league track record is far more impressive, however. In 44 innings between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this past season, the formerly undrafted free agent notched a pristine 2.25 ERA with a 32.6% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. Sweet isn’t a flamethrower — he averaged 93 mph on his heater with Seattle — but has consistently missed bats and avoided walks as a professional. In five minor league seasons, he’s whiffed 29% of his opponents against a 7% walk rate. He has a pair of minor league options remaining, too, which could make him a valuable and flexible relief option for the Tigers if he can stick on their 40-man roster.
As for Nevin, he’ll lose his hold on a 40-man roster spot after a season that saw him bat just .200/.306/.316 through 111 trips to the plate. The son of former MLB All-Star and Angels skipper Phil Nevin, Tyler has appeared in three MLB seasons and thus far managed only a .203/.310/.301 batting line. The Rockies originally selected Nevin 38th overall in 2015, and he’s posted a solid .276/.355/.464 slash in 242 games at the Triple-A level. That includes a huge .326/.400/.543 slash (136 wRC+) in 385 Triple-A plate appearances this past season.
Nevin has experience at all four corner positions, with the bulk of his big league time coming at the hot corner. He’s out of minor league options, so any team that wants to bet on his pedigree and solid Triple-A performance will have to carry him on the 40-man roster or expose him to waivers before he can be sent down to the minors. The Tigers will have a week to trade Nevin or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.
Angels, Hunter Dozier Agree To Minor League Deal
The Angels and free agent infielder Hunter Dozier have agreed to a minor league contract, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. The Warner Sports Management client will be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring. Dozier was released by the Royals back in May during the third season of a four-year contract. Kansas City still owes him $9MM for the upcoming season plus a $1MM buyout on a 2025 option. As such, the Angels would only owe Dozier the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. That sum would be subtracted from what the Royals still owe to him.
Now 32 years old, Dozier was the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft, though that lofty selection by the Royals was made in part to cut an under-slot deal that allowed them to draft left-hander Sean Manaea 26 picks later. (Manaea was traded to the A’s for Ben Zobrist before ever appearing in Kansas City.) Dozier was still a well-regarded prospect himself, to be clear, but he struggled in the early stages of his pro career before a 2016 breakout between Double-A and Triple-A.
As was the case in the upper minors, Dozier struggled in his first few big league looks. He broke out in 2019 with a career-high 26 home runs and a hearty .279/.348/.522 batting line. We know now that the 2019 season was riddled with anomalous performances due to that season’s juiced ball; a ridiculous 58 players hit 30 or more home runs that season — and Dozier might’ve made for a 59th had he not spent more than three weeks on the injured list.
That 2019 breakout was followed by a diminished but respectable .228/.344/.392 batting line in 2020 that was right around league average, by measure of wRC+ and OPS+. Add that output to his 2019 success, and Dozier touted a .267/.347/.492 batting line and 32 homers through a sample of 772 plate appearances. That was enough for Kansas City to commit to a four-year, $25MM extension with a fifth-year option, guaranteeing one free agent season (2024) and giving the Royals an option over a second (2025).
The contract looked regrettable almost immediately, however. Dozier turned in a dreary .216/.285/.394 slash in 2021 and carries an overall .222/.286/.384 batting line in 1134 trips to the plate over the past three seasons. He did not sign with another club in 2023 after getting cut loose by Kansas City in late May.
The Angels will hope that Dozier can recapture some of his 2019-20 form, providing depth at all four corner spots. Dozier’s most frequent position in the Majors has been third base (1941 innings), but he has more than 1000 innings at first base and in right field as well (plus another 176 frames in left field). He’s a right-handed bat who hit lefties well in 2022-23 even as he struggled on the whole.
Since that 2019 breakout, Dozier has a .244/.338/.429 batting line when facing left-handed opponents. He gives the Angels some depth at first base behind 2023 first-round pick Nolan Schanuel, who skyrocketed to the majors in less than two months last summer. It seems unlikely that the Halos would push Schanuel, a polished college bat, into a platoon role, but Dozier’s righty bat is a complement to the lefty-swinging Schanuel. Dozier and fellow first corner infielder/outfielder Trey Cabbage could vie for a bench job this spring. Cabbage posted a massive .306/.379/.596 line in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting last year and is on the 40-man roster, both of which surely would give him an edge. He does, however, have minor league options remaining.
Yankees Focusing Primarily On Bullpen Upgrades
The Yankees have been linked to a wide range of starting pitchers on both the free agent and trade markets throughout the offseason, but Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports that the team has shifted its focus to the bullpen. The asking prices for free agents Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, coupled with lofty asks from teams peddling starting pitching (e.g. the White Sox, Marlins) make it unlikely the Yankees will make another significant addition to their starting staff, per Kuty. The Yankees signed Marcus Stroman to a two-year contract last week and reportedly made an offer to Snell but weren’t close to the reigning NL Cy Young winner’s asking price.
Clay Holmes is again expected to anchor the New York bullpen after another strong showing in 2023. Acquired in what was then a low-profile deadline trade met with a collective yawn from most fans, the now-30-year-old righty has taken his game to new heights in the Bronx.
After posting a 5.57 ERA in parts of four seasons with the Pirates, Holmes has given the Yankees 154 2/3 frames of 2.50 ERA ball. The command issues that plagued him in Pittsburgh have dissipated (7.5% walk rate as a Yankee), and he’s ridden his power sinker to 44 saves and 17 holds while punching out 27.2% of his opponents. Since 2021, there have been 456 pitchers to throw at least 100 innings in the majors; none has a higher ground-ball rate than Holmes’ staggering 69.9%.
Behind Holmes, things are a bit shakier. Right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga has been excellent since 2021, sporting a tidy 2.97 ERA with a terrific 59.3% grounder rate thanks in large part to a power sinker of his own. However, Loaisiga pitched just 17 2/3 innings last year and did so with a career-worst 8.7% strikeout rate that ranked fifth-worst in MLB among pitchers with at least 10 innings. He spent the bulk of the season on the injured list (two separate stints) due to elbow inflammation. Loaisiga also had IL stints in 2021 and 2022, both pertaining to his right shoulder. He’s reached 50 innings in a big league season just once, back in 2021.
Similarly, right-hander Tommy Kahnle has been excellent when healthy … but such instances have been few and far between. Last year’s 40 2/3 innings were Kahnle’s most since 2019 and marked just the fourth time in ten MLB seasons that he’s reached even 40 innings pitched. Kahnle opened the year on the 60-day IL due to biceps tendinitis and closed out the year on the 15-day IL owing to shoulder inflammation. In his 40 2/3 innings, he turned in a sharp 2.66 ERA with a 29.1% strikeout rate against an elevated 11.5% walk rate. A healthy Kahnle is a big bullpen piece, but that’s tough to rely on, given his lengthy injury history.
Beyond that trio, things are even less stable. Right-hander Ian Hamilton had an out-of-the-blue breakout in 2023, tossing 58 innings of 2.64 ERA ball, but he’s a 28-year-old with no prior big league success. Ron Marinaccio‘s eye-popping 2.05 ERA from 2022’s excellent rookie season nearly doubled in 2023 (3.99), and command continues to be an issue for him (13% walk rate in both 2022 and 2023). Righty Scott Effross will be in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. Southpaw Victor Gonzalez, acquired from the Dodgers earlier in the winter, gives the Yankees another ground-ball specialist, but his overall numbers have declined each season since his excellent 2021 debut.
Beyond the injury concern and lack of proven arms beyond the top few names, the Yankees must also replace the innings of several outgoing relievers. Right-hander Michael King, left-hander Wandy Peralta and righty Keynan Middleton combined for 132 2/3 innings of 2.85 ERA ball out of the bullpen last year. King was traded to the Padres as part of the Juan Soto deal and will open the season in San Diego’s rotation. Peralta and Middleton are both free agents (and both remain unsigned).
On top of that, each of Holmes, Kahnle and Loaisiga is a free agent following the 2024 campaign. The upcoming season will be the second of a two-year, $11.5MM free agent deal between the Yankees and Kahnle. That contract does not have an option for an additional season. Both Holmes and Loaisiga will reach six years of service time in 2024 and become free agents for the first time — with Holmes headed toward being one of the top relievers on next year’s free agent class.
It’s no secret that the Yankees are set to shatter every luxury tax barrier this season, which only further muddies their path to bolstering the team. Roster Resource projects the Yankees at around $305MM of luxury obligations, placing the team well beyond the fourth and final $297MM luxury tier. Couple that with their status as a club that’s exceeded the threshold in at least three straight seasons, and they’ll pay a massive 110% tax on any dollars spent on the 2024 payroll. Even bringing Peralta back on the same $3.35MM salary he earned last year would cost the Yankees more than $7MM — and Peralta, of course, has very likely positioned himself for a nice raise over that relatively modest mark.
That onerous tax status, to be clear, doesn’t seem likely to preclude the Yankees from making further additions. They had interest in a Peralta reunion as far back as November and reportedly had some talks with him in early December. Kuty writes that the Yankees “love” the left-hander and what he brings to the clubhouse (in addition to his obvious on-field contributions). Meanwhile, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com suggested recently that the Yankees are one of the favorites to sign veteran righty Hector Neris.
Similarly, it should be noted that while Kuty casts doubt on the team’s likelihood of making another big splash in the rotation, that doesn’t rule out the possibility of more minor pickups. The Yanks added Luke Weaver on a low-cost one-year deal earlier in the month, and he’ll provide some long relief and starting depth. Additional deals in that vein, or perhaps minor league deals for veterans who could be stashed in Triple-A, could well come together. It’s always possible that a late drop in the asking price of Snell or Montgomery could spur the Yankees to circle back to one of the market’s top remaining starters, but for now that type of splash seems improbable.
White Sox Discussing New Stadium In Chicago’s South Loop
The White Sox have had “serious” discussions with a developer about the potential for building a new stadium in Chicago’s South Loop on a parcel of land known as “The 78,” per a report from Fran Spielman, Tim Novak and David Roeder of the Chicago Sun-Times. The team’s current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field runs through the 2029 season. None of the involved parties would offer on-record comments to the Sun-Times; Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson responded to inquiries with a joint statement:
“We met to discuss the historic partnership between the team and Chicago and the team’s ideas for remaining competitive in Chicago in perpetuity.”
It’s been more than 30 years since the current stadium — originally referred to as Comiskey Park and then U.S. Cellular Field before adopting its current moniker following the 2016 season — opened back in 1991. “New” Comiskey was built across the street from “Old” Comiskey park after a last-minute agreement on funding halted the team’s expected to move to Florida (St. Petersburg, specifically, where the Rays currently play). Renovations to the new facility have occurred over the years and focused on a variety of elements both within and around the stadium: adding new HD video boards, expanding (and later subtracting from) seating capacity, modernizing the concourse, expanding concessions and installing a new nearby metro station are among the myriad projects covered under those renovations.
Speculation regarding a potential new stadium for the White Sox began back in August. At the time, Sox vice president of communications Scott Reifert told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin: “We have not had any conversations about our lease situation, but with six years remaining, it is naturally nearing a time where discussions should begin to take place. The conversations would be with the city, ISFA [Illinois Sports Facilities Authority] and the state and most likely would be about vision, opportunities and the future.”
Notably, ISFA chief executive officer Frank Bilecki told the Sun-Times that his organization has not yet been part of the talks. It also seems there’s a possibility of the Sox sharing a portion of the 62-acre site with the University of Illinois, as there are already plans to construct a tech research center on a portion of the parcel in question. Sox fans curious to learn more about the specific logistics of the potential site would be well-served to read the Sun-Times column in full; Spielman, Novak and Roeder spoke extensively with a stadium consultant about how the land could be allotted between the White Sox and the University of Illinois, and the Sun-Times trio also delves into the various means by which public transit could connect to the site (including a possible water taxi service, given the parcel’s proximity to the river).
A new stadium for the White Sox could have ramifications for some of Chicago’s other professional sports teams as well. Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire, who currently share Soldier Field with the NFL’s Bears, could potentially move into Guaranteed Rate Field if the Sox indeed construct a new home at The 78, per the report. The Fire’s lease with Soldier Field lasts two more years but could be extended another five years. The Bears, meanwhile, have been exploring a potential new stadium themselves but are focused on other sites, as reported by Spielman and colleague Patrick Finley last month.
Brown: Graveman Injury Does Not Intensify Astros’ Bullpen Pursuit
The Astros were already facing the loss of relievers Hector Neris, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek via free agency, and they’ll now also be without righty Kendall Graveman for the 2024 season after he underwent shoulder surgery. The team announced Graveman’s operation earlier today, declining to delve into specifics, but subtracting him from the ‘pen equation leaves Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu and rebound hopeful Rafael Montero as the only Houston relievers with even three years of MLB service. The vast majority of Houston’s bullpen options have under one year of MLB service time.
“We’ve been focused on the (bullpen) anyway, this doesn’t intensify it,” general manager Dana Brown tells Chandler Rome of The Athletic. “We just may have to get one more body or one of our guys internally will step up.” Brown made similar comments to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, telling him that the Astros have some in-house relief options “that we really feel good about,” though the GM also conceded that he’s still in the market to bring in an additional bullpen arm from outside the organization.
The free agent market for relievers has dried up over the past couple months. As MLBTR’s Contract Tracker shows, there have been 34 relief pitchers signed to Major League contracts this winter. None have signed with Houston. Brown acknowledged to Rome that he’d had talks with the representatives for all of Neris, Maton and Stanek but wouldn’t specify much beyond the fact that he’s “more in the ballpark” with one of Neris/Maton than the other. Rome reported last week that the Astros haven’t pursued Maton aggressively, and he doubled down on that in today’s report.
While many of the top relievers are already off the board, there are still plenty of experienced names from which to choose if Houston is intent on adding a free agent. The ‘Stros almost certainly aren’t going to spend at the necessary levels to add top-tier names like Josh Hader and Robert Stephenson, but more affordable options still on the market include Ryan Brasier, John Brebbia, Michael Fulmer, Mychal Givens, Adam Ottavino and Wandy Peralta — to name just a few.
“If we can go get one more [reliever] and use some of the candidates in-house, we feel like we’ll be good,” Brown replied when asked by McTaggart about adding another bullpen arm.
One of the primary questions for the ‘Stros will be one of finances. To this point, the only free agent they’ve signed to a big league deal this winter is backup catcher Victor Caratini. That signing placed Houston within $1MM of the $237MM luxury-tax threshold, per Roster Resource. Owner Jim Crane hasn’t publicly declared any mandate to remain shy of that barrier, but the Astros’ lack of activity this winter, coupled with trade rumblings regarding some of their more prominent but expensive players (e.g. Framber Valdez) have combined to fuel speculation about a desire to avoid paying the tax. Houston has crossed the tax threshold only once under Crane’s ownership.
Mets Sign Yolmer Sanchez, Austin Allen To Minor League Deals
The Mets signed infielder Yolmer Sanchez and catcher Austin Allen to minor league contracts on Tuesday, the team announced. Both players will be in big league camp as non-roster invitees to spring training.
Sanchez, 31, won a Gold Glove with the 2019 White Sox and was their regular second baseman from 2017-19, batting a combined .253/.314/.368 in 1751 plate appearances. The glove-first switch hitter has tallied just 65 MLB plate appearances since that time, however, with an ugly .170/.302/.283 output in that tiny sample. Sanchez spent the 2023 season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, for whom he turned in a .236/.381/.350 slash in 481 plate appearances.
Allen, who turns 30 today, once ranked as one of the better prospects in the Padres and Athletics systems. He’s only received 127 big league plate appearances, batting .195/.252/.288 in that time. However, Allen carries a stout .287/.349/.555 batting line in parts of four Triple-A seasons. He spent the ’23 season with the Marlins Triple-A club, batting .225/.312/.491 with 15 home runs in 366 trips to the plate. Allen has posted roughly average framing marks in the upper minors, per Baseball Prospectus, and he sports a career 23% caught-stealing rate between the big leagues and minors combined.
Sanchez joins a list of infield depth options that includes waiver claim Zack Short, free agent signee Joey Wendle and fellow minor league free-agent pickups Jose Iglesias and Rylan Bannon (both of whom will be in camp as non-roster invitees as well). Francisco Alvarez is expected to be the Mets’ everyday catcher, with Omar Narvaez and Tyler Heineman both as 40-man options behind him. Allen joins Tomas Nido as a non-roster entrant into the mix for playing time behind the dish.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Rangers Sign Jose Urena To Minor League Deal
The Rangers announced Tuesday that they’ve signed veteran right-hander Jose Urena to a minor league contract. He’ll be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring. Urena is represented by Premier Talent Sports & Entertainment.
Each of the past two seasons has played out somewhat similarly for the now-32-year-old Urena. He’s split both years between two organizations — Brewers/Rockies in 2022; Rockies/White Sox in 2023 — and pitched poorly for the first before rebounding for the second. In 2022, Urena tossed 7 2/3 innings for the Brewers, limiting opponents to three runs but doing so with more walks (five) than strikeouts (three). He latched on in Colorado after being cut loose and gave the Rox 89 1/3 innings of 5.14 ERA ball over the life of 17 starts. That’s not the most appealing ERA mark, of course, but pitching at Coors Field is hardly an enviable task — and Urena was quite successful down the stretch (2.25 ERA, 25-to-9 K/BB in his final five starts).
That run with the Rockies was enough for Colorado to bring him back on a one-year, $3.5MM contract, but that deal went south in a hurry. Urena was torched for a 9.82 earned run average in his first five starts and cut loose after pitching just 18 1/3 innings overall. He caught on with the White Sox later, was called to the big leagues in September, and posted an overall 4.10 ERA in his five starts with Chicago (26 1/3 innings, 20-to-8 K/BB ratio).
Urena had some solid seasons with the Marlins earlier in his big league career, but consistency has long eluded him. All told, he’s pitched 839 1/3 innings as a big leaguer and turned in a 4.89 ERA with a well below-average 15.5% strikeout rate, a roughly average 8.6% walk rate and a strong 48.2% ground-ball rate.
The Rangers will likely try to add a few arms of this nature — veterans who can be stashed in the upper minors as depth. With Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom both recovering from surgery and Jordan Montgomery currently a free agent, they’re looking at a projected rotation of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Cody Bradford. Some additional certainty would be prudent — be it re-signing Montgomery or acquiring a different free agent or trade option — but improving the depth is similarly important and Urena helps to fill that need.
Nationals Hire Sean Doolittle As Pitching Strategist
The Nationals announced Tuesday that they’ve hired recently retired left-hander Sean Doolittle and added him to the coaching staff in the role of pitching strategist. He’ll serve as a liaison between the club’s analytics department and pitching staff, per the announcement. He’ll also work with manager Davey Martinez, pitching coach Jim Hickey and bullpen coach Ricky Bones and assist with aspects of the job like pitching strategy, pitcher mechanics and mental preparation for the team’s pitching staff.
“Sean Doolittle was always an extremely talented pitcher, but he is also one of the most intelligent baseball minds you can find,” president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo said within today’s press release announcing the hire. “We’re incredibly excited to have him on our staff to help guide our talented group of young pitchers.”
Doolittle, 37, spent parts of five seasons pitching with the Nationals and spent the 2023 campaign there as well, although his comeback bid from elbow surgery ended before he was able to return to a big league mound. From 2012-22, he pitched 450 2/3 regular season innings between the A’s, Nats, Reds and Mariners, logging a combined 3.20 ERA with a 29% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate, 82 holds and 112 saves. He added another 22 1/3 innings of 2.42 ERA ball in the postseason, including an outstanding run in 2019 when he was a focal point of the Nationals’ World Series-winning bullpen; Doolittle delivered 10 1/3 innings that October, saving a pair of games and notching three holds while limiting opponents to a pair of runs on six hits and a walk with eight punchouts (1.74 ERA).
“I can’t thank the Lerner family, Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez enough for all they’ve done for me and my family,” Doolittle said in his own statement on the hiring. “I love the Nationals and Washington D.C., and look forward to this new challenge while remaining an active member of an organization that means so much to me.”