- Orioles catcher Matt Wieters seems to be clear of any structural concerns in his right elbow, as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports. In an update to that story, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com notes that Dr. James Andrews concurred with the organization’s doctors. For now, then, Wieters will work on eliminating any discomfort before getting back to work behind the dish.
Orioles Rumors
Quick Hits: Chacin, Morneau, Wright, Fowler, Cardinals
Jhoulys Chacin has pitched well for the Braves in his Spring Training outings and, perhaps most importantly for the righty, his troublesome shoulder is feeling good. “When I signed, my mindset was just to come to Spring Training as strong as I could be and to just pitch the only way I know how to pitch….I just want to go through all of this year and the rest of my career with my shoulder strong,” Chacin tells MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. It would be a nice bargain for Atlanta if Chacin returned to the form he showed when he was a healthy and productive member of the Rockies staff, as Chacin is only signed to a minor league deal. Here’s some more from around baseball…
- “Nothing has materialized” for Justin Morneau this offseason, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes, though the veteran first baseman isn’t announcing his retirement. Morneau said in November that he was adamant about continuing his career after working to come back from concussion and neck issues, though those same injuries limited him to just 49 games in 2015. Health questions notwithstanding, Morneau did hit .316/.363/.487 with 20 homers in 732 PA over the last two seasons and he won the NL batting title in 2014, so it’s rather surprising that his market has been almost entirely quiet. The Indians were the only club known to have interest and they went with Mike Napoli instead due to Napoli’s right-handed bat. Morneau is the last member of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents still looking for a new team.
- Also from Cafardo, he notes that Red Sox right-hander Steven Wright is out of options and “a few teams are watching Wright’s camp with great anticipation.” Wright, a knuckleballer, could still make Boston’s big league roster as a reliever or possibly as the team’s fifth starter if Eduardo Rodriguez is not healthy to start the year.
- Dexter Fowler spoke to Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com about the surprising turn of events that saw the outfielder re-sign with the Cubs. Despite media reports that had Fowler all but officially signed with the Orioles, Fowler said he and Baltimore “never really were close” to an agreement. “They wanted me to pay them what they said the draft choice I was costing them was valued at. They wanted me to pay them for the pick. So we said, OK, then give me an opt-out after one year, and they said that’s something they won’t do,” Fowler said. Casey Close, Fowler’s agent, also commented on the situation last month and had some harsh words for both the Orioles and the media.
- Also from Gammons, he notes that it isn’t the Cardinals’ style to make rash moves, so the club is likely to be cautious in gauging their response to Jhonny Peralta’s injury absence. St. Louis was linked to Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed earlier today, though Gammons thinks Arizona wouldn’t settle for anything less than a top minor leaguer like righty Luke Weaver (ranked by Baseball America as the Cards’ fourth-best prospect).
- Matthew Bowman is “more likely than not” to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster as a reliever, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com writes. Bowman was plucked off of the Mets’ roster in December’s Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old has pitched mostly as a starter in his minor league career and it would be somewhat of a surprise to see him pass several veteran options to lock down a bullpen job. As a Rule 5 pick, of course, Bowman has to stay on the St. Louis 25-man roster all season or else be offered back to the Mets.
A’s Claim Andrew Triggs From Orioles
The Orioles announced that right-hander Andrew Triggs has been claimed off of release waivers by the A’s. Baltimore cut Triggs from the roster late last week to make room for the addition of Pedro Alvarez.
Triggs, 27 on Wednesday, is no stranger to trades, having gone from the Royals to the Orioles in a minor trade last April. In 2015, Triggs mowed down his Double-A competition, posting a 1.03 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. However, it remains to be seen whether he can enjoy similar success at a higher level. Triggs only has a cup of coffee in Triple-A on his resume with the rest of his experience coming at Double-A and lower levels.
The Orioles reportedly were hoping to re-sign Triggs on a minor league deal, but Oakland spoiled those plans.
AL East Notes: Wieters, Choate, Aardsma, Rays
Orioles catcher Matt Wieters left today’s game with a sore elbow, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. X-Rays taken this afternoon did not reveal any obvious problems, and the club won’t take an MRI at this time. Manager Buck Showalter downplayed the injury and characterized it as normal spring soreness for a catcher. Wieters’ elbow is always going to generate added concern given the Tommy John surgery that he came back from last season. Since an MRI is designed to see soft tissue damage, we can expect the club to proceed to that step if Wieters doesn’t respond positively to rest. Caleb Joseph is Baltimore’s primary backup catcher.
- An injury to Blue Jays reliever Aaron Loup could open the door for Randy Choate, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. Choate signed a minor league deal with the Jays just yesterday, ostensibly with the understanding that the injury to Loup would improve his odds of making the club. Choate, 40, is one of the original poster children of the lefty-specialist movement. Over his career, he’s held fellow southpaws to a .193/.274/.273 line while recording 9.37 K/9 and 2.60 BB/9. Against righties, he’s scuffled with 4.97 K/9, 5.84 BB/9, and a .304/.414/.416 line allowed. For a more nuanced look at the entire Toronto bullpen picture, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca has the details.
- Jays reliever David Aardsma can opt out of his minor league contract at the end of May, tweets Nicholson-Smith. The former Mariners closer last experienced major league success back in 2010. In 2015, the now 34-year-old pitched to a 4.70 ERA with 10.27 K/9 and 4.11 BB/9 in 30 innings for the Braves. His slider continues to be a plus pitch although he’s lost about three mph off his fastball since his prime.
- Rays shortstop Brad Miller is struggling with his throwing accuracy this spring, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. His errant throws could unleash a cascade of roster moves. The club could begin to more seriously consider internal alternatives at shortstop. James Loney’s sure-handedness at first base could give him starts over offseason acquisition Logan Morrison. With Corey Dickerson on the roster, one of Morrison or Loney may be redundant and thus difficult to roster. The logjam could also be solved by trading an outfielder.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/11/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Orioles have re-signed outfielder Julio Borbon to a minor league contract, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Borbon has taken 863 MLB plate appearances, compiling a composite .272/.318/.347 slash with 47 stolen bases. But the 30-year-old last saw the Majors in 2013 and has spent the past two seasons in the Baltimore organization at Triple-A. His numbers dipped in his second go-around with Norfolk; last year, Borbon batted just .269/.299/.321, though he contributed on the basepaths, as usual, by swiping 23 bases in 114 games despite that modest OBP.
- Baseball America’s John Manuel tweets that the Red Sox have released right-hander Karsten Whitson. The 24-year-old Whitson was selected ninth overall by the Padres in 2010 as a high schooler, but he turned down a $2.1MM signing bonus to attend the University of Florida. Unfortunately, Whitson began to battle shoulder injuries after an excellent freshman season and ultimately wound up signing for $100K as an 11th-round pick by the Red Sox in 2014. Whitson pitched just seven innings for the Sox’ short-season Class-A affiliate in 2014 — his lone professional experience to date.
Orioles Release Andrew Triggs
The Orioles announced that they have released minor league right-hander Andrew Triggs in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly signed Pedro Alvarez, whose one-year deal is now official. As MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko points out (links to Twitter), players can’t be designated for assignment this early in Spring Training, so the O’s will likely try to re-sign Triggs on a minor league deal. Baltimore took the same approach with lefty Chris Jones two springs ago after signing Nelson Cruz.
Triggs, a relief prospect that will turn 27 next week, was acquired by the Orioles from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations last April. The former 19th-round pick posted a strong 2.90 ERA and very briefly reached Triple-A in his final full season with the Royals organization (2014), but his previously strong K/9 rate plummeted to 5.5. Triggs experienced a huge rebound in that department in 2015, recording not only a 1.03 ERA in 61 innings at the Double-A level but also posting excellent averages of 10.3 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings. Per MLBfarm.com, Triggs also posted a gaudy 61.15 percent ground-ball rate last season. Of course, Triggs was pitching at the Double-A level for the second full season and was older than the average competition that he was facing, so one would expect fairly successful numbers.
MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo recently rated Triggs as the 28th-best prospect in a weak Orioles farm system, noting that his sidearm delivery created deception on a 90-94 mph fastball. Paired with a sweeping slider for which he has good feel, that helps Triggs exhibit mastery over right-handed batters. Indeed, while his work against lefties was impressive (lefties hit just .218/.295/.244 against Triggs in 2015), opposing right-handers experienced even more futility, hitting just .184/.234/.206 against Triggs. MLB.com’s scouting report notes that despite a lack of experience at the Triple-A level, Triggs shouldn’t require much more minor league time before he’s ready for a look in the Majors.
Orioles Sign Pedro Alvarez
The Orioles have added some more punch to an already powerful lineup, as they formally announced a one-year contract with first baseman Pedro Alvarez on Thursday. Alvarez, a client of Scott Boras, will reportedly be guaranteed $5.75MM and can earn another $1.25MM in incentives tied to plate appearances. Specifically, he’ll receive a $200K bonus upon reaching 350, 400, 450, 500, and 550 turns at bat, plus an additional $250K if he gets to 600 plate appearances.
Alvarez, 29, just wrapped up a six-year run with the Pirates — the organization that chose him second overall in the 2008 draft — when he was non-tendered earlier in the offseason. He had moved across the diamond from third after his defensive struggles increased, but continued to receive poor reviews with the glove.
On the other hand, Alvarez’s power at the plate has never been in question. He swatted 27 home runs last year in 491 plate appearances, and has twice topped thirty bombs in a single season. Though he’s not much of an on-base threat, Alvarez’s overall batting line of .243/.318/.469 landed well above league-average in overall output.
That production is fairly typical for Alvarez, who strikes out quite a bit and doesn’t walk quite enough to make up for a low batting average. His left-handed bat should play quite well at Camden Yards, though, and he’ll join an impressive group of sluggers in the middle of the Baltimore order.
Presumably, Baltimore won’t utilize Alvarez much in the field, as Chris Davis and Manny Machado are entrenched at the corners. He’ll join fellow power hitter Mark Trumbo (a right-handed bat) as a DH option — both carry traditional platoon splits — though Trumbo will likely also see quite a bit of action in the corner outfield. Alternatively, Davis did see some time in the outfield last year, and it’s at least possible that the O’s will deploy him there and Trumbo at first base.
Orioles fans can expect to be treated to quite a show when the offense is clicking. Alvarez is one of six players on the roster who have cracked 30 homers in a single season, along with Davis, Machado, Trumbo, Adam Jones, and J.J. Hardy. Likewise, catcher Matt Wieters and second baseman Jonathan Schoop have shown plenty of pop for their respective positions. Rounding things out, new left fielder Hyun Soo Kim may not quite see his KBO production translate fully to the majors, but he delivered 28 long balls last season in Korea.
The O’s have long been said to be pursuing another bat, with Reds outfielder Jay Bruce a possible trade piece. While Alvarez won’t factor as an option in the grass, his addition likely brings that dalliance to an end by pushing Trumbo back into the field (at least against right-handed pitching).
It’s been an eventful winter in Baltimore, to say the least. Wieters’ decision to accept his $15.8MM qualifying offer may have set the course, as that one-year deal (and the loss of a chance at draft compensation) helped nudge the club towards its later investments. The Orioles also brought back reliever Darren O’Day (four years, $31MM) and re-signed Davis to a huge contract (seven years, $161MM), punted a pick to ink Yovani Gallardo (two years, $22MM), also added Kim (two years, $7MM) and Alvarez via free agency, and acquired Trumbo via trade. The aggregate outlay tops $250MM in new salary commitments (including Trumbo’s arb payday) and ultimately required the team to pass up or part with three selections in this summer’s amateur draft (including the one that Wieters might have delivered had he rejected the QO).
Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported the signing on Twitter. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports had the term (on Twitter), Joel Sherman of the New York Post the guarantee (in a tweet), Jon Heyman of MLB Network the total incentives (via Twitter), and Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com the incentives breakdown (in his own tweet).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL Notes: Bautista, Desmond, Hultzen, Rondon
Star Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is looking for a contract that will keep him in Toronto into his forties at a $30MM+ AAV, says Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter links), but the 35-year-old is perhaps more willing to negotiate than some of his prior comments would suggest. Previous reports of Bautista’s contract requests have reflected just that kind of asking price while sometimes portraying his stance as being more firm. Jays GM Ross Atkins made clear recently that talks have been amicable, and Heyman adds that Bautista does hope to continue on in Toronto, so it appears there is still some hope that the sides can come together on a new contract for the pending free agent.
Here’s more from the American League:
- Twins righty Ricky Nolasco believes he should remain in the club’s rotation, agent Matt Sosnick tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Referencing last year’s disappointing, injury-filled campaign, Sosnick suggests that his client “deserves to show the Twins what he looks like without trying to pitch through pain.” If Nolasco is pushed to the pen, says Sosnick, he’d approach the front office to “directly address his feelings of disappointment” and “ask the team about his other options.”
- The initial returns on Ian Desmond in left field appear to be positive for the Rangers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. He also notes that the Giants had some interest in Desmond earlier in the winter as a super-utility option that would primarily play in the corner outfield, while the Orioles were involved later.
- Mariners lefty Danny Hultzen has suffered a setback in his bid to get back on the bump in a relief role, Shannon Drayer of Seattle’s 710AM ESPN was among those to report on Twitter. He’ll seemingly rest a while as he deals with shoulder stiffness, which hopefully will clear up on its own. It has been a long and difficult road for the 26-year-old, who has dealt with a series of arm issues since he was chosen second overall in the 2011 draft.
- Tigers reliever Bruce Rondon touched 100 mph yesterday and continues to show good form in camp, as Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports. After a disappointing end to the 2015 season, in which he was asked to leave the organization due to his lack of effort, Rondon has drawn positive reviews so far this spring. “He’s been good,” said skipper Brad Ausmus. “He’s done his work, he’s taken his non-pitching fundamentals seriously. He’s put in the effort and he’s looked strong so far on the mound.”
AL East Notes: Warren, Yankees, Rays
When it comes to pitcher Adam Warren, the Yankees didn’t know what they had until it was gone, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal writes. The Yankees’ acquisition of Starlin Castro got plenty of attention, but the less heralded Warren could be tricky for New York to replace. Warren, 28, gave the Yankees 17 starts in addition to providing much needed help in the bullpen. He can also be controlled for another three years in arbitration, which is another major plus.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Rays first baseman-turned-pitcher Dan Johnson says he is committed to getting better at his new craft, with no real timetable for getting things down pat, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. “I’m into it,” he said. “It’s completely up to the Rays how they want to work it. I’m coming in with an open mind. Send me to the Dominican league, I don’t care.” Johnson played first base for the Rays over parts of three seasons and spent 2015 with the Cardinals and Reds organizations.
- Orioles Rule 5 Draft pick Joey Rickard is turning heads in Sarasota, Florida, as Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com writes. “I like him,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of the outfielder. “Good defender in center and left so far. Timing is everything. He’s 24, lot of guys start figuring it out. He’s kind of come into his own the last year, carried it over into winter ball. He’s got a chance to make our club.” Rickard was plucked from the Rays organization over the winter.
- Rays right-handers Brad Boxberger and Jake Odorizzi as well as center fielder Kevin Kiermaier all turned down meager raises as a matter of principle in 2016. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times checked in with all three players about their decision and all three indicated that they did not take the matter personally this offseason.
- Over the weekend, MLBTR caught up with Blue Jays hurler Marco Estrada to discuss his return to the Blue Jays and his decision to forego testing the open market this offseason.
Cafardo On Orioles, Bruce, Red Sox, Maeda
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders where James Loney might fit in with the Rays this year. The veteran is currently behind the platoon of Steve Pearce and Logan Morrison at first and he’s also blocked at DH and left field by Corey Dickerson and Desmond Jennings, respectively. With a salary of $8MM, the Rays have been unable to find a taker for Loney via trade, though they are willing to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.
Here’s more from today’s column:
- The Orioles are still considering a deal for Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as they try to bolster their lineup in March. The O’s are also considering Austin Jackson, but Bruce could be considered the better fit thanks to his power. Bruce will make $12.5MM in 2016, plus a $1MM buyout or a $13MM option in 2017, which isn’t exactly chump change. Also, even though Bruce has some excellent campaigns on his resume, his play over the past two seasons hasn’t been all that strong.
- One NL exec says a few teams have ID’d Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan as a possible trade target this summer. Red Sox officials have said that it’s unlikely they would part with Hanigan due to the inexperience of Blake Swihart and fellow youngster Christian Vazquez. However, rival officials aren’t sold on that and believe that Hanigan could be more available than Boston is letting on. Hanigan has a $3.7MM salary for 2016 with an option for 2017.
- Can new Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda be effective in his first MLB season? One scout who watched him throw in Japan isn’t so sure. “His stuff isn’t as good as [Masahiro] Tanaka and he’s more a middle to end of the rotation type of guy,” said the scout. “I don’t know how his fastball plays in the big leagues. I think he’s got the secondary pitches, but the quality of hitters he’ll face may be a challenge at first.” The Dodgers will be without Brett Anderson for the next three to five months, so they are certainly hoping that Maeda can hit the ground running.
- Agent Randy Rowley tells Cafardo that Justin Masterson will throw a bullpen session for several teams towards the end of March.
- The trade sending John Ryan Murphy to the Twins in exchange for outfielder Aaron Hicks was “the best pure baseball deal of the offseason,” in the opinion of one official who spoke with Cafardo. That official, Cafardo notes, was not involved in the swap in any way. Hicks, a defensive specialist, posted a .256/.323/.398 batting line in 2015 and added 13 steals, numbers that made him a little more attractive to the Bombers. The Twins, meanwhile, got themselves an upgrade behind the plate in the wake of Kurt Suzuki’s struggles.
- Free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore hasn’t received much interest to date. The veteran spent the second half of last season with the Rays.
