Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Orioles Rumors

Orioles Acquire Left-Hander Jayson Aquino From Cardinals

By | at

The Orioles announced this morning that they’ve acquired left-hander Jayson Aquino from the Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations. Aquino, who turned 23 in November, was on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster and will therefore bring the Orioles’ 40-man roster count to 38. Per the O’s, the newly acquired southpaw has been optioned to Double-A Bowie.

Though Aquino has never pitched in a big league game, he’s an intriguing enough arm that he’s made his way around the league on the fringes of multiple 40-man rosters. Originally signed as an international free agent by the Rockies in 2010, Aquino was designated for assignment by Colorado in January 2015 and traded to the Blue Jays shortly thereafter. The Jays designated Aquino in May and traded him to the Pirates (also for cash), who subsequently flipped him to the Indians on July 31 (once again, for cash considerations). Upon being designated by the Indians this offseason, Aquino was claimed by the Cardinals. While Aquino has been designated several times over the past 15 months, the fact that he’s only been exposed to waivers once (and didn’t clear) indicates that a number of clubs believe that he has enough upside to merit placement on a 40-man roster.

Last season, Aquino split the season between the Class-A Advanced affiliates of the Blue Jays, Indians and Pirates, working to a combined 3.80 ERA with 5.6 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in 137 1/3 innings. Baseball America ranked Aquino near the back end of Colorado’s Top 30 prospects four times during his Rockies tenure, most recently praising a “well above average” changeup but noting that he throws the pitch too often and doesn’t field his position or hold runners well. The southpaw works in the upper 80s with his fastball, per BA, and also features a solid-average curveball.

Free Agent Notes: Murphy, Loney, Holland

By | at

Free agent outfielder David Murphy had drawn interest from the Orioles, but Baltimore’s addition of Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim to their Opening Day roster closed the window on that potential fit for Murphy for the time being, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford tweeted recently. According to Bradford, Murphy will return home in hopes of receiving a Major League offer and isn’t keen on playing in the minors at this point. Late in Spring Training, reports indicated that Murphy would consider retirement if he didn’t land on a big league roster, and this seems to align somewhat with that level of thinking. Murphy, 34, split the 2015 season between the Indians and Angels, batting a combined .283/.318/.421 with 10 homers in 391 trips to the plate. Though he’s long struggled against left-handed pitching, Murphy is a lifetime .278/.341/.454 against right-handed pitching and could fit as a part-time player for a club with a corner outfield need.

A few more notes on the sparse market for free agents…

  • As James Loney waits out the process of formally clearing release waivers, he has his sights set on landing a big league opportunity in free agency, per ESPN’s Buster Olney (links to Twitter). However, in the event that no Major League offers materialize, the veteran first baseman is willing to head to Triple-A, according to Olney. However, if he does go that route, Olney adds that he would probably push for a clause that allowed him out of said minor league pact should a Major League opportunity materialize elsewhere. It’s also worth noting that MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted yesterday that Loney’s hometown Astros consider themselves set at first base and aren’t likely to pursue the Houston native. That tweet came prior to today’s game, during which Opening Day starter Tyler White was removed after being hit by a pitch on his right hand, but x-rays on the rookie came back negative. He’s considered day-to-day, so it seems unlikely that the incident would impact Houston’s thinking.
  • Former Kansas City closer Greg Holland tells the Kansas City Star’s Rustin Dodd that he’s still rehabbing in Tempe, Ariz., and isn’t sure of his timeline to sign a new contract (Twitter link). The 30-year-old two-time All Star closer underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2015 season and is unlikely to pitch this season.
  • The Diamondbacks and Cardinals are potential fits for center fielder Michael Bourn, tweets Heyman. The 33-year-old Bourn was recently designated for assignment by Atlanta and could be had for the league minimum if he is ultimately released, as the Braves and Indians would be on the hook for the remainder of the veteran’s $14MM salary. (The Braves, of course, could try to find a taker in the meantime, although they were unsuccessful in that effort this winter.) The D-backs recently lost an elite center fielder to injury in the form of A.J. Pollock and have been linked to Bourn on multiple occasions since that news. St. Louis, meanwhile, is relying on a pair of largely inexperienced outfielders in Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, and the Cards also recently placed backup Tommy Pham on the disabled list with an oblique injury.

Hyun Soo Kim To Make Orioles Roster

By | at

After some late-spring drama, Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim will be on the Orioles Opening Day roster, reports Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Baltimore signed Kim to a two-year, $7MM contract over the offseason. The deal included a provision that allowed Kim to refuse an assignment to the minors.

After hitting just .178/.224/.178 in 45 spring plate appearances, the Orioles reportedly believed it was best for Kim’s development to start the year in the minors. Kim’s Korea-based agency announced earlier last week that he would not accept an assignment to the minor. Per executive VP Dan Duquette, “we asked for his consent because we thought that was the best way to prepare him. He needed more time in the transition and, so, he didn’t see it that way.”

The team actually has need of a left-handed hitting backup outfielder so Kim can still fill a valuable role. It’s important to remember that a bad March does not necessarily portend an equally rough season – especially for an overseas player who may be experiencing culture shock. Kim is coming off a strong season in the KBO – .326/.438/.541 with 28 home runs and 38 more walks than strikeouts.

For his part, Kim is grateful for the opportunity, writes Rich Dubroff of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Speakings through a translator, he said “I’m very happy to be on the roster and I will try my best to make it up to the coaching staff and organization.”

Quick Hits: D’Backs, Kim, Surkamp, Loney, Hunter

By | at

Eric Hosmer’s game-tying run in Game Five of the World Series was captured in a memorable photo by Chang W. Lee of the New York Times, though the picture’s most notable aspect was the array of horrified reactions from Mets fans in the background.  The Times tracked down 11 of the people immortalized in the photo to get their take on the moment months later.  The group consisted of nine Mets fans bemoaning their team’s fate and two people who had an opposite reaction — Royals legend George Brett and his wife Leslie.

As we’re just hours away from the first games of the 2016 season, let’s look around baseball…

  • Speaking to reporters today (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert), Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart and manager Chip Hale addressed the team’s next steps in the wake of A.J. Pollock’s elbow fracture.  For now, Stewart said, the D’Backs will give internal candidates a chance before looking at players outside the organization to take Pollock’s place.  Hale suggested the D’Backs are looking at players who might not make their current teams’ Opening Day rosters, so Arizona could wait at least a couple of days to fully assess the market.
  • An unknown Korean team has reportedly made a “substantial” offer to the Orioles for Hyun Soo Kim, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports, though Kubatko notes that this item has yet to be confirmed by a second source.  The offer could be a moot point if true, though, since Kim has firmly stated that he wishes to play in North America.  The Orioles, meanwhile, have no intention of releasing Kim and eating his entire $7MM contract.  The unusual situation between Kim and the O’s has left both sides in a “state of suspended animation,” one source tells Kubatko.
  • Athletics lefty Eric Surkamp is drawing interest from teams in Asia, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  Surkamp’s minor league deal with the A’s allows him to opt out in June and look for opportunities elsewhere.  Surkamp isn’t expected to make Oakland’s Opening Day roster.
  • With James Loney entering perhaps his final day with the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times looks back on the team’s decision to re-sign the first baseman in the 2013-14 offseason.  The Rays outbid other suitors like the Pirates and Brewers to re-sign Loney on a three-year, $21MM deal, which still stands as the most expensive free agent deal of Stuart Sternberg’s ownership tenure.  Needless to say, the deal has not worked out, as Loney was a sub-replacement level player in 2015 (-1.3 fWAR) and he’s already been told he won’t make Tampa’s Opening Day roster.
  • Cedric Hunter is one of the more unlikely players to be suiting up on Opening Day, MLB.com’s Paul Hagen writes, as the longtime minor leaguer unexpectedly earned himself a regular outfield job with the Phillies.  A third-round pick for the Padres in the 2006 draft, Hunter has hit .288/.348/.413 with 76 homers over 4727 career plate appearances in the minors, playing for four different organizations’ farm systems.  His MLB career consisted of just six games for San Diego in 2011, yet Hunter is now back in the bigs and still looking to stick around.  “To be realistic, it’s just beginning.  I haven’t proved myself at all on this level yet,” Hunter said.  “So everybody’s giving me congrats and I’m happy about that, but in the back of my mind, I’m like, ’Look, this is just the beginning. I’ve really got to go out and prove myself and show that I’m ready to be here.’ “

Roster Notes: Kim, Bailey, Frieri, Arencibia, Venable, Sabathia, Miller

By | at

We’ve already covered a number of roster decisions already this evening, but more keep rolling in. Here are some of the latest:

  • The Orioles announced a number of moves, including the demotion of infielder Paul Janish. That could open the door to an Opening Day roster spot for Hyun Soo Kim, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com explains (Twitter links). Kim has continued to maintain that he will not accept a minor league assignment, as is his contractual right, despite a rough spring. Only Xavier Avery appears to remain an obstacle to a roster spot for Kim, as the team’s 29 remaining players in camp include three who are bound for the DL.
  • The Phillies have announced that veteran relievers Andrew Bailey and Ernesto Frieri were reassigned to minor league camp along with catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfielder Will Venable. That lends clarity to the team’s Opening Day roster. Bailey reportedly has a May 1 opt-out date, while Frieri apparently allowed his own to pass yesterday without action. Venable had seemed lined up for a job after signing late in camp, but the Phils will apparently give roster spots to non-roster invitees Cedric Hunter and Emmanuel Burriss, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes on Twitter. Fellow minor league signee James Russell also appears to have earned an Opening Day nod. The club is also set to give a shot to its two Rule 5 picks — outfielder Tyler Goeddel and lefty Daniel Stumpf.
  • CC Sabathia has beaten out Ivan Nova for the Yankees’ fifth starter role, manager Joe Girardi told reporters incluing Wallace Mathews of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). That appears to put Nova in the pen for now, where he’ll also serve as a swingman option. The Yanks will give their final pen job to righty Kirby Yates, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network (via Twitter). Yates was acquired for cash over the winter, and impressed this spring, though he might not have had a slot had it not been for an unfortunate injury to Bryan Mitchell. Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog had noted yesterday on Twitter that Yates was a prime candidate to take over for Mitchell, while adding that Luis Cessa and Johnny Barbato were also slated to join the active roster for the season’s start.
  • Fortunately for the Yankees, it appears they won’t have to replace lefty Andrew Miller on Opening Day. Miller has been cleared to pitch despite suffering a fracture to his non-pitching hand, as Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News reports. Miller, who’ll hold down closing duties while Aroldis Chapman is out, is not expected to require surgery and will apparently be able to proceed as normal so long as he can tolerate the injury.

Orioles Outright Zach Phillips

By | at

The Orioles have outrighted lefty Zach Phillips, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. He’s already cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A along with Chaz Roe.

Baltimore signed Phillips to the 40-man about a week ago, after electing free agency rather than accepting an assignment with the White Sox. It seemed that he’d have at least a chance of making the Opening Day roster. but instead the O’s will stash him in the upper minors.

The 29-year-old may have added incentives to accept an assignment with the O’s, as his contract may be more beneficial than anything he’d fine from another organization. But it’s not immediately clear if Phillips has accepted the move.

Phillips hasn’t spent much time in the majors, but was added to bolster a Baltimore pen that was in need of depth. He threw 54 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year, working to a 3.13 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/1/16

By | at

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:

  • The Mets have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Jim Henderson. The former Brewers closer will be back in the big leagues for the first time since 2014. Henderson has battled shoulder issues in recent seasons, but he got good results in Spring Training, whiffing 13 batters in 10 2/3 innings. The hard-throwing 33-year-old has a lifetime 3.44 ERA, 12.1 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in three big-league seasons.
  • The Red Sox have announced that they’ve signed outfielder Justin Maxwell to a minor-league deal, and he’ll report to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Marlins released Maxwell earlier this week. The 32-year-old hit .209/.275/.341 in 274 plate appearances with the Giants in 2015. Previously, he had played for the Nationals, Astros and Royals.
  • The Rockies have signed shortstop Jeff Bianchi to a minor-league deal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. Bianchi played briefly for Boston last year, spending most of the year at Triple-A, where he hit .262/.329/.315. He has a .531 OPS in 404 career big-league plate appearances spread over four years, most of them coming with the Brewers.
  • The Orioles have released 1B/OF Mike Carp and 3B/1B/OF Alex Liddi from minor-league camp, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes. Carp, who’s played six seasons in the big leagues with the Mariners, Red Sox (with whom he won a World Series in 2013) and Rangers, played only briefly at the Triple-A level in the Dodgers organization in 2015. He’s a lifetime .254/.330/.414 hitter in the big leagues. Liddi played parts of three seasons for the Mariners from 2011 through 2013 and spent last season split between the Royals’ Double-A Northwest Arkansas affiliate and Jalisco in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

Orioles Release Miguel Gonzalez

By | at

FRIDAY: The Orioles have announced that Gonzalez has cleared waivers and has officially been released.

WEDNESDAY: The Orioles have placed righty Miguel Gonzalez on release waivers, according to Eduarco Encina of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links). Gonzalez, 31, had agreed to a $5.1MM arbitration salary for the coming season, and the club would remain obligated for about a quarter of that (45 days pay) if he isn’t claimed.

Gonzalez had been a mainstay in the Orioles rotation dating back to his MLB debut in 2012. From that point through 2014, he consistently produced excellent results — he carried a 3.45 ERA over 435 2/3 innings — but his peripherals always suggested a fall-off. That’s exactly what occurred last year, as Gonzalez produced a 4.91 ERA over 144 2/3 innings.

The Orioles could have elected to option Gonzalez, as Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com notes on Twitter. But he’s shown only an upper-80s fastball this spring, and that was reflected in the results. Over 19 1/3 innings, Gonzalez permitted 21 earned runs on a troubling 35 hits, and walked six while striking out only eight opposing hitters.

With Gonzalez leaving the picture, it remains unclear what Baltimore will do with the back of the rotation. Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson would appear to be options, and veteran swingman Vance Worley remains available as well. Parting with Gonzalez does, at least, seem to be an implicit vote of confidence in the health of Kevin Gausman, who may open the year with a brief DL stint but is expected to be back in action in short order.

Orioles Reliever Chaz Roe Clears Waivers

By | at

12:47pm: Roe has cleared waivers, Crasnick tweets.

10:33am: The Orioles have placed reliever Chaz Roe on waivers after assigning him to Triple-A, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. Roe had been a candidate for a bullpen job.

Roe pitched 41 1/3 innings for the Orioles last season, posting a decent 4.14 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. It was, however, the 29-year-old’s first extended action in the big leagues, and he struggled down the stretch, posting a 6.91 ERA in 16 outings in the second half and missing time in August due to shoulder tendinitis. For his career, Roe has a 4.25 ERA, 9.0 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in parts of three seasons with the Diamondbacks and Yankees in addition to the Orioles.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Rays, Kim

By | at

At $17.6MM and $11.3MM, respectively, Pablo Sandoval and Rusney Castillo will give the Red Sox two of the AL’s three most expensive bench players this season, writes Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. (Those salary figures include portions of those players’ signing bonuses.) And in addition to Sandoval and Castillo, the Red Sox will also have Allen Craig, who has a $9MM salary, at Triple-A. The only more expensive reserve than Sandoval or Castillo will be Josh Hamilton, who will make about $26MM, most of it paid by the Angels. The Red Sox’ projected $48MM bench is almost four times more expensive than that of the average AL team. Of course, the Red Sox have enough money to have very expensive players, but the cases of Sandoval, Craig and perhaps Castillo are reminders of some of the organization’s past mistakes. Here’s more from the AL East.

  • In the Rays’ additions of Hank Conger, Corey Dickerson, Brad Miller, Logan Morrison and Steve Pearce and subtractions of Jake McGee, Nathan Karns, Rene Rivera and James Loney, the Rays might be straying from their pitching-and-defense-first philosophy, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Rays president of baseball operations Matt Silverman says the team has merely made a slight adjustment to take advantage of what was available — making itself better by finding better offensive players that are capable enough defensively. Chris Archer, at least, agrees with their new approach. “You have to have balance,” he says. “We learned for the last eight years that just being pitching heavy is probably not the way to do it. You’ve got to have defense. You’ve got to have pitching — the teams that win get high-level pitching, starting and relief. But you’ve got to have offense, too.”
  • The Orioles’ situation with Hyun Soo Kim is “a mess,” Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes. The two sides currently disagree about whether Kim is ready to play in the Majors, but Kim has the right to refuse a minor-league assignment. This isn’t the first time the O’s have run into had a hard time due to an interaction with a Korean player, Connolly notes — they had to release pitcher Suk-min Yoon last year when it became clear they had little use for him, allowing him to go back to the KIA Tigers in Korea. And they were briefly banned from scouting in Korea after offering a deal to amateur pitcher Seong-Min Kim.
Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top