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Minor MLB Transactions: 1/12/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The Padres added lefty Ryan Buchter to the 40-man roster yesterday, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. Buchter, a minor league signee, had drawn interest from an international club, which precipitated the move. As Lin notes, it appears that San Diego is committed to bringing a variety of unproven arms to camp to compete for bullpen jobs, with Buchter representing one such option.
  • The Orioles have reached agreement on a minor league deal with infielder/outfielder Alex Liddi, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. Liddi, 27, has taken 188 plate appearances in the big leagues, but none since 2013. He played last year at the Double-A level for the Royals, slashing .287/.324/.474 over 514 plate appearances.

East Notes: Ozuna, Gordon, Francoeur, Mets, O’s, Castro

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Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna has enormous upside, assistant hitting coach Frank Menechino said in an interview today on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). Menechino noted that Ozuna’s early success came despite the fact that he was quite raw, explaining that he’s had to learn on the fly — even as expectations, contract considerations, and other pressures were converging. Ozuna, of course, has long been seen as a trade chip, although momentum seems to be shifting away from that scenario.

More from Miami and some other news from the eastern divisions:

  • The Marlins ought to make a long-term deal with Dee Gordon a priority, argues Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. After all, he suggests, his agents at Beverly Hills Sports Council might well try to argue that Gordon’s marquee accomplishments — leading the league in batting average, hits, and stolen bases while picking up a Gold Glove — support an outside-the-box arbitration payday. While MLBTR projects a $5.9MM salary in his second of four turns through arbitration, Gordon and his reps could always file for more and take their chances. Of course, as MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz explained in a recent podcast appearance (at about the 20-minute mark), Gordon’s meager home run and RBI tallies limit his arb-earning upside despite his other big numbers.
  • While the Marlins have been fairly quiet this winter, they are still looking to add some players. Jon Heyman tweets that the club has its eye on some right-handed bats, with Jeff Francoeur among them.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson and the rest of the organization’s leadership have managed to upset a segment of the team’s fans despite last year’s World Series run, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Of course, as Davidoff explains, appeasing a “populist” sentiment in the fanbase (as Alderson put it) with a big signing would hardly guarantee on-field success.
  • Young Orioles righties Hunter Harvey and Dylan Bundy are participating in minicamp and appear to be in good health, Roch Kubtako of MASNsports.com reports. Both have had very tough runs of bad luck, and certainly the organization will be holding its collective breath to see how they feel as they ramp up this spring.
  • Orioles skipper Buck Showalter said today that he could imagine slugger Chris Davis waiting to sign until late in camp, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports. “That’s not surprising at all the way that camp does business,” Showalter said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it went to February. It wouldn’t surprise me if it goes to March.” It’s probably not worth reading too much into those comments, since Showalter is obviously not privy to the specific strategy of Davis and his agent, Scott Boras. But his words do seem to hint at some frustration in the organization at the inability to achieve resolution one way or the other.
  • If the Yankees need someone to step in at third base for Chase Headley, the club could well turn to Starlin Castro, GM Brian Cashman suggested today. As Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog writes, the newly-acquired infielder is still likely to spend most of his time at second, but his experience on the left side of the infield (almost entirely at short) could increase the team’s roster flexibility. Meanwhile, Cashman emphasized that Alex Rodriguez will not see time in the field.

Orioles Interested In Minors Deal With Gavin Floyd

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Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters, including Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun, that the team has invited right-hander Gavin Floyd in for a tryout at their mini-camp. Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com adds (also via Twitter) that Baltimore is considering a Spring Training invite for the Maryland native and Moye Sports Associates client, should the audition go well. The O’s have long been interested in the local product, having been connected to him in multiple offseasons prior to this one. As MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko notes in writing about Showalter’s comments, the O’s made a two-year offer to Floyd prior to the 2014 season.

Floyd, who turns 33 later this month, spent the 2015 season in the Indians organization. He’s been largely out of action across the past three seasons due to a slew of injuries, beginning with Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2013 season. Floyd returned strong with Atlanta in 2014 and hurled 54 1/3 innings of 2.65 ERA ball, but he fractured the olecranon bone on the tip of his right elbow and was forced to miss the remainder of the season after that promising start. Incredibly, after inking a one-year deal with Cleveland last winter, Floyd suffered the exact same injury in Spring Training — an olecranon fracture — that cost him the bulk of the 2015 campaign.

Floyd did surface with the Indians in the season’s final month, throwing 13 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA, seven strikeouts and four walks out of the Cleveland bullpen. Late in the season, Floyd told reporters that he because he enjoyed the city of Cleveland and loved how he was treated by the organization, he’d be interested in re-signing. However, the resurgence of Josh Tomlin and the emergence of young right-hander Cody Anderson left the Indians pretty well stocked with rotation depth.

The Orioles, on the other hand, could very much use some depth pieces for the rotation. Baltimore stands to lose left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, its most consistent starter, to free agency this offseason. That would thin out what was already a very underwhelming group of starters in 2015. The collective unit took a step backwards in large part due to struggles by stalwart Chris Tillman and his fellow right-hander, Miguel Gonzalez. In addition to that duo, the Orioles have the unproven-but-promising Kevin Gausmann as well as newcomer Vance Worley and the inconsistent Ubaldo Jimenez. Right-hander Mike Wright, too, is in the rotation picture, although he posted a 6.04 ERA in 44 2/3 innings last season in his Major League debut.

AL East Notes: Encarnacion, Bautista, Rays, Bundy, Yankees

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Several executives appeared on MLB Network Radio with Jim Bowden today including Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins and Rays president of baseball operation Matt Silverman. Atkins spoke on a number of subjects (tweets 1, 2, 3, 4) including the roles of prospects Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna. Both have succeeded in the bullpen, and the Jays “want to stay flexible. We don’t want to paint ourselves into a corner, just increase depth.” It’s been speculated that one or both pitchers could be converted back to the rotation – possibly in the minors.

Here’s more from the radio show and around the division:

  • Atkins has met with Edwin Encarnacion and plans to meet with Jose Bautista next week to discuss contract extensions. No offers have been made. Both sluggers are in the final year of their respective contracts. Encarnacion, 33, will earn $10MM in 2016 while Bautista, 35, will take home $14MM. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, they are in line for large raises.
  • Atkins also addressed rumors regarding R.A. Dickey. We’re “not actively shopping him,” per Atkins. As is the policy with most players, the club will listen to offers. Given that the rotation isn’t exactly a strong suit for the Blue Jays, I figure the club would have to be on the verge of signing a free agent like Wei-Yin Chen or Yovani Gallardo if they’re seriously considering a Dickey swap.
  • Moving onto the Rays, the club is hopeful a vote next week could free them up to look at stadium sites in Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg (tweet). Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has more specific details of the proposal if you’re interested. Relocation negotiations with St. Petersburg have long clouded the Rays economic future.
  • Silverman confirmed that the Rays have talked frequently with the Cubs (tweet). “We know we line up really well with them given our depth and strengths.” Earlier this winter, we heard rumors of Chicago interest in starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi. The Rays were said to be interested in infielder Javier Baez.
  • While Tampa Bay will entertain offers for their relievers, “they are a big part of our club.” Last season, the Rays maximized the performances of pitchers like Erasmo Ramirez and Nate Karns by turning to the bullpen early in their starts. The club could look to leverage their relievers in a similar way this season. As such, Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger may stay put.
  • The health of Orioles prospect Dylan Bundy will be one of the top stories in their upcoming minicamp, writes Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. Bundy has spent most of the last three seasons on the disabled list after making two relief appearances in 2012. As such, he’s out of options but hasn’t had an opportunity to develop over the last three campaigns. In many ways, he resembles a Rule 5 pick.
  • Should the Orioles consider forfeiting their 14th overall pick to sign Justin Upton or Gallardo, wonders Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. He takes a look at 14th picks back through 1990. The finding: there are some big hits and misses (this is true of all picks in the middle of the first round). In the case of signing Upton, it’s a lot easier to justify discarding a long term draft asset. Kubatko would want Gallardo to ink a three-year deal in order to part with the pick.
  • The Yankees have two spots left on the 40-man roster and a couple ways to fill them, writes Ryan Hatch of NJ.com. As he notes, a splashy trade is possible. However, I agree that it’s more likely the club targets another backup infielder to provide depth up the middle or a pitcher to compete for a middle relief role.

Cafardo’s Latest: Ramirez, Upton, Gallardo, Chen, Ozuna

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With the recent Hall of Fame voting out of the way, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at the case for former Red Sox star Manny Ramirez. Obviously, his offensive performance was magnificent, although lousy defense sapped his overall value. With confirmed PED violations after the so-called Steroid Era, voters may find it hard to select Ramirez. He also had a prickly reputation with the phrase “Manny being Manny” coming to represent his often oblivious frame of mind.

Here’s more from Cafardo’s column:

  • The Red Sox could consider signing free agent outfielder Justin Upton. Club president Dave Dombrowski is comfortable with a starting outfield of Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, and Rusney Castillo, but there’s certainly risk involved with relying upon Bradley and Castillo. Either or both players could conceivably fail to produce at a league average rate. The Sox do have depth in the form of Chris Young, Brock Holt, and possibly Travis Shaw. However, Upton would give them a superstar presence in the middle of the lineup, and he won’t have the same difficulty in adjusting to left field as Hanley Ramirez.
  • Yovani Gallardo may be the next starting pitcher to sign. Scott Kazmir’s three-year, $48MM contract is a potential comparable. The teams involved in his market are hoping for a bargain on a two- or three-year contract, per Cafardo. He sees the Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Royals, and Cubs as the best fits.
  • Fellow free agent starter Wei-Yin Chen has scared some teams away with a five-year, $100MM asking price. The Nationals and Cardinals “have taken a good hard look.” Chen, 30, can point to success in the always difficult AL East as justification for a nine-figure asking price.
  • Ten teams have inquired about Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, but Miami coaches Barry Bonds and Don Mattingly are campaigning to keep Ozuna. They believe they can shape Ozuna into a star player. While owner Jeffrey Loria is said to be the impetus behind the club’s attempts to trade Ozuna, it’s also plausible he would defer to his newly hired, high profile personnel.
  • Some scouts still think there’s something left in Ike Davis’ tank. The Mets’ former top prospect has played for three teams over the last two seasons with exactly zero WAR in 666 plate appearances. Davis will likely sign a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.
  • The Tigers and Mets are monitoring the market for Yoenis Cespedes. Based on Cafardo’s report, it sounds like both clubs hope to pounce if a strong suitor doesn’t emerge.
  • Meanwhile, Dexter Fowler could end up as a bargain. Cafardo predicts a three-year contract below the $31MM signed by Denard Span. He suggests the Rockies (if they make a trade) and Tigers as possible fits. Personally, I disagree with the valuation on Fowler. Like Span, he has a history as a high OBP, top-of-the-order hitter. The draft pick compensation tied to him is a deterrent, but he’s been much healthier than Span in recent seasons.
  • Talks between Chris Davis and the Orioles may have a drop-dead date. While the Orioles prefer a big left-handed bat, they may dip into the market for Upton or Cespedes. Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is also a potential fit.

AL East Notes: Storen, Blue Jays, Red Sox

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On Sunday morning, Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com attempted to put together a list of the 15 best position players in Orioles history. The task, he says, was even more challenging than when he ran down Baltimore’s top ten pitchers of all-time. Matt Wieters, who accepted the O’s qualifying offer this winter, earned a spot at catcher alongside Gus Triandos, a three-time All-Star in the late 50s and early 60s. Another current-day star, Chris Davis, only earned honorable mention at first base as he was situated behind Eddie Murray and Boog Powell. Davis has led the majors in home runs two of the last three years, but Dubroff says that “Murray’s excellence and Powell’s longevity force the issue.”

Here’s more out of the AL East:

  • The Blue Jays’ acquisition of Drew Storen creates healthy set of roster options, John Lott of the National Post writes. Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem like Toronto’s new regime is done dealing. The Ben Revere–for-Storen swap marks the first major trade by Mark Shapiro & Co., but new GM Ross Atkins indicated that the team has had “hundreds” of discussions with clubs about potential deals.  All told, Storen owns a 3.02 ERA in his 334 big league frames. He’s struck out an average of 8.6 and walked 2.6 batters per nine for his career, but his K rate jumped significantly last season.
  • Major league teams continue to spend big in free agency, despite evidence that it is not necessarily working, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes.  While the Red Sox are doing cartwheels about signing David Price to a mammoth $217MM deal this winter, MacPherson rightfully points out that Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval seemed like wise moves just a year ago.  Now, Boston is saddled with both players at a combined $183MM after a disappointing 2015.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com weighed the pros and cons of the Orioles losing their No. 14 pick to sign a free agent who would require draft pick compensation.

Olney On Piazza, Upton, Davis, Bastardo, Giants

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Mike Piazza’s induction into the Hall of Fame could help the cases for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, writes Buster Olney of ESPN (Insider Only). With Piazza increasing from 57.8 percent to 83 percent of the vote in just four years, Olney figures that writers will need to consider the hypocrisy of their voting behavior. While Piazza (and fellow candidate Jeff Bagwell) are suspected by some writers of having used PEDs, Clemens and Bonds are known users. In my opinion, that will supply all the rationalization needed by intransigent writers.

On to current baseball news:

  • The Orioles are the beneficiaries of the Denard Span signing. As one of the few teams with money and a pressing need in the outfield, they have leverage in talks with players like Justin Upton. Olney is not the first to wonder if Upton would sign a pillow contract to play with the Orioles. The Rangers are another team interested in Upton on a one-year contract.
  • While Baltimore may eventually sign Chris Davis, some in the organization would like to reduce their seven-year, $150MM offer or simply move on to other players. To me, it seems as though Davis is playing a dangerous game of chicken. However, agent Scott Boras has successful navigated similar scenarios. One notable example is the Cardinals’ signing of Matt Holliday to a seven-year, $120MM deal prior to the 2010 season.
  • In further Baltimore-related news, the club has “a lot of interest” in southpaw reliever Antonio Bastardo. He’s coming off a successful campaign with the Pirates. He posted a 2.98 ERA, 10.05 K/9 and 4.08 BB/9 in 57 innings – numbers similar to his career marks. As a fly ball pitcher, Bastardo may not be the best fit for the mostly small ball parks of the AL East. However, Bastardo did have success preventing home runs in Citizen’s Bank Park for most of his career. If the O’s inked Bastardo, they would probably trade fellow lefty Brian Matusz.
  • The Giants would benefit from more roster depth, but they won’t use the free agent market to build it. Olney figures the club will explore trades for additional personnel.

Free Agent Notes: Rodney, Fowler, Davis

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Here are the latest free agent rumors:

  • The Diamondbacks have not been in contact with free agent reliever Fernando Rodney, writes Jack Magruder of Fanragsports.com. A previous report had tied Rodney to the DBacks, Padres, Blue Jays, and Cubs. Since then, we’ve also learned the Padres are out. Presumably, Toronto’s interest ceased when they acquired Drew Storen from the Nationals. After a late-season renaissance with the Cubs, Rodney should still garner plenty of interest as teams nail down the final components of their bullpen. Meanwhile, Arizona may opt to rely on their wealth of internal options headlined by Brad Ziegler and Daniel Hudson.
  • Dexter Fowler’s market has been slow to develop, writes Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. The center fielder is coming off his best season to date, although his OBP declined below his career average. Among contenders, Levine figures that only the Rangers, Mariners, Indians, White Sox, and Cubs are a fit (he also lists the Nationals, but the Ben Revere trade likely nullifies that pick). Both Chicago clubs could benefit from installing Fowler in center field. A reunion with the Cubs would require a trade of right fielder Jorge Soler – probably for high quality pitching – and it would allow Jason Heyward to return to his natural position of right field. Levine also figures that White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton is better suited for a corner outfield role.
  • The Orioles have not made any progress in talks with free agent Chris Davis, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Baltimore made a seven-year, $150MM offer earlier in the offseason and has seen no reason to submit a higher bid. While agent Scott Boras is selling Davis as an outfield option, Encina views him purely as a first baseman. To this point, no other serious suitors have emerged for Davis. Encina also cites reports that the Orioles are in on pitcher Yovani Gallardo, but those talks may depend on Davis.

Market Notes: Davis, Parra, Angels, Span

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Scott Boras is “pushing to create options” for his power-hitting client, Chris Davis, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). Per Olney, Boras has been “selling” teams on Davis’s ability to be an everyday corner outfielder as well as a first baseman. We’ve heard that suggestion previously, of course — including from Boras himself — but it’s certainly interesting to hear that the super-agent is still pressing the concept this late in the offseason.

Here’s more on the free agent market:

  • We’ve heard that the Rockies have continued interest in Gerardo Parra, with Jon Heyman saying yesterday that the team is pushing to add him. Indeed, says Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, Colorado is aggressively pursuing the veteran outfielder. (Twitter links.) The Nationals and Angels are among the other teams that are at least dabbling in Parra’s market, he adds. Obviously, a signing by Colorado would be doubly interesting, as it could suggest that the team is lining up a deal involving one of its incumbents.
  • Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, on the other hand, hears that the Angels are “still not really involved” in the top of the free agent outfield market. (Twitter link.) That includes Parra as well as players like Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, and Dexter Fowler. Fletcher adds that he sees a trade for a lower-cost option, such as Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, to be a more realistic outcome.
  • Denard Span said in his introductory press conference today that he feels good and is well on track to be at full speed this spring, as CSN Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic reports. He chose San Francisco, per Boras (who is also his agent), because the team met his three-year ask and were “a priority because of the fit for them and the fit for Denard.” Club CEO Larry Baer, meanwhile, said that “Denard has been on our radar for a long time.“
  • Span drew real interest from the Orioles, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, but Baltimore was never going to guarantee more than a single season. Unsurprisingly, the O’s weren’t alone in that regard, as Boras says that fully eleven teams had interest in Span on a one-year arrangement, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports.

Orioles Claim Joey Terdoslavich

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The Orioles have claimed infielder/outfielder Joey Terdoslavich off waivers from the Braves, according to a team announcement. Terdoslavich lost his roster spot to make way for the signing of Kelly Johnson, which Atlanta announced today.

The 27-year-old Terdoslavich had previously spent his entire career in the Braves organization. He’s only taken 162 trips to the plate in the majors over the past three seasons.

While he’s yet to get much of a chance in the majors, Terdoslavich owns a reasonably useful .264/.337/.423 batting line in over 1,300 plate appearances at Triple-A. Of course, it’s been some time since he received a look at third base, and that slash isn’t all that impressive for a player who is limited to first base and corner outfield duties.

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