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Minor MLB Transactions: 11/21/15

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the league…

  • The Orioles have signed first baseman Ji-Man Choi to a minor league deal, according to South Korean media outlet Ilgan Sports (hat tip to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).  Choi will be invited to the Orioles’ Major League spring camp and he’ll earn a $650K base salary if he makes the club, plus at least another $350K available in incentives.  Still just 24 years old, Choi has five years of minor league experience in the Mariners’ system, hitting .302/.404/.481 with 35 homers over 1378 PA.  His bat has fallen off over the last two seasons, however, thanks to injuries and a 50-game PED suspension in 2014.
  • The Indians announced that Taiwanese righty C.C. Lee was sold to the Saitama Seibu Lions, with Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reporting that the Tribe received between $350K-$500K from the NPB club.  Lee has been in the Indians organization since 2008 and he posted a 4.50 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.06 K/BB rate over 34 relief innings for the Tribe from 2013-15.
  • The Athletics have signed left-hander Patrick Schuster to a minor league contract, MLBTR has learned.  Schuster has a 3.46 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 1.92 K/BB rate over 408 career minor league innings, most of which came in the Diamondbacks’ farm system before he was dealt to the Reds last June.  The 25-year-old was also briefly property of the Astros, Padres and Royals during the 2013-14 offseason, in a flurry of transactions in the wake of Houston taking Schuster first overall in the 2013 Rule 5 draft.
  • The Braves have signed reliever David Carpenter to a minor league deal, Scout.com’s Bill Shanks writes. Carpenter elected free agency this week after being outrighted by the Nationals. He had two of the best seasons of his career with the Braves in 2013 and 2014 before being traded to the Yankees, so his signing with Atlanta represents a bit of a homecoming. Carpenter will now get a shot to re-join a Braves bullpen that struggled in 2015. Carpenter posted a 4.01 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 24 2/3 big-league innings last season.
  • The Nationals have agreed to terms outfielder Chris Heisey on a minor league deal, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. Crasnick notes that Heisey will be reunited with Dusty Baker, who managed him with the Reds. After spending most of the previous several seasons in the big leagues, Heisey collected only 72 plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2015, instead spending most of the season at the Triple-A level (where he hit .223/.350/.445 in 302 plate appearances). Heisey’s batting average in the big leagues has decreased in each of the last three seasons, suggesting he’s lost a step offensively. He remains, however, a solid defender at any of the three outfield positions.
  • The Nationals have also signed infielder Scott Sizemore to a minor league deal, writes MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. Sizemore, a veteran of parts of four seasons with the Tigers, Athletics and Yankees, spent 2015 with the Triple-A affiliates of the Marlins and Nationals, batting .263/.369/.354 in 289 plate appearances while playing second base and third base.
  • The Blue Jays have signed Humberto Quintero to a minor league deal, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes. The 36-year-old, a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, will likely provide the Jays with catching depth at the Triple-A level. He spent the 2015 season with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, batting .254/.287/.354 in 305 plate appearances.
  • The Brewers have announced a variety of minor league signings and re-signings, including righties Hiram Burgos and Jaye Chapman, outfielder Ben Guez, and catcher Rene Garcia. The 28-year-old Burgos, a longtime Brewers minor leaguer, had a solid year in the minors in 2015, pitching 149 1/3 innings with a 3.62 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Chapman, also 28, pitched in the bullpens at Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Colorado Springs for the Brewers in 2015, posting a 2.37 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 64 2/3 innings. Guez established himself as a good minor league hitter in the Tigers system before heading to Colorado Springs in 2015. There, he hit a strong .287/.410/.504, although he missed three months in the middle of the season, apparently due to injury. Garcia, 25, spent 2015 in the Phillies system, batting .318/.332/.359 in 200 plate appearances in the high minors. His previous performances in the Astros system, however, suggest that he’s more of an organizational catcher type than that high 2015 batting average suggests.

Orioles, Reds Have Discussed Jay Bruce; No Momentum Towards Deal

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The Orioles and Reds have engaged in discussions regarding Cincinnati outfielder Jay Bruce, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. But there isn’t any “momentum” toward a trade, at least at this point.

There’s a lot to like about Bruce as a player, but his trade value remains uncertain. He’s a perennial threat to hit 25 to 30 long balls, a quality baserunner, and a generally well-regarded defender in the corner outfield. But Bruce has fallen shy of the league average in OBP in each of the last two years and his defense and baserunning metrics have also dipped — though, it should be noted, DRS saw him as a +5 defender in right last year. Then again, the power is still there, as his .209 ISO in 2015 fell just shy of a .215 career mark. And youth is still on his side.

Bruce is still just 28 years of age as he enters his ninth big league season. He’ll earn $12.5MM in 2016 and can be controlled for the following year with a $13MM option — or be bought out for $1MM. That’s not exactly cheap given Bruce’s inconsistent results, but the O’s have payroll flexibility even after adding Wieters onto the ledger.

Whether or not discussions go anywhere, it’s worth considering Baltimore’s interest. The team is also said to have checked in on another short-term, high-priced lefty bat in Pirates second baseman Neil Walker, though Bruce makes for a more obvious fit given the team’s needs in the corner outfield. With Matt Wieters deciding to return on a pricey, one-year deal by accepting his qualifying offer, it could be that the O’s are looking to add quality veterans around him — and to fill in for the southpaw power production of Chris Davis — without over-committing for future seasons.

Pirates “Shopping” Neil Walker, Have Talked With Orioles

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FRIDAY: The Bucs are “shopping” Walker and have spoken not only with the O’s but with several other clubs, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Orioles and Pirates discussed a trade that would’ve sent Neil Walker to Baltimore at last week’s GM Meetings, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Baltimore’s initial hope was that Walker could be non-tendered due to his impending raise (MLBTR projects him at $10.7MM in 2016), but the Pirates do plan on tendering him a contract, Kubatko notes. Trade talks between the two sides didn’t get very far, as Pittsburgh’s asking price on Walker was deemed too high.

Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun also heard the two sides talked Walker, adding that it’s “pretty evident” that the Pirates are attempting to move Walker (links to Twitter). He classifies talks between the two teams as “off and on.” Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review hears that the Pirates are fielding offers for Walker, though he doesn’t characterize the desire to move Walker quite as aggressively as Encina does.

Both Kubatko and Encina note that while Walker is a second baseman by trade, the O’s are set there with Jonathan Schoop. Rather, the duo suggests that Walker could see time at first base while spelling Schoop and third baseman Manny Machado on occasion. Kubatko adds that the two sides could revisit talks in Nashville at the Winter Meetings next month and notes that the Pirates are likely seeking young pitching in return.

Per Biertempfel, Pirates GM Neal Huntington appeared on KDKA-FM radio today and said that the team has the resources to retain Walker, closer Mark Melancon ($10MM projection) and first baseman Pedro Alvarez ($8.1MM projection). All three have been suggested as possibilities to leave the organization, however, with Melancon and Walker being trade candidates and Alvarez being either a trade or non-tender candidate. Recently, Jon Heyman noted that the Pirates have fielded offers on all three, plus the rest of their arbitration class.

Walker, who recently turned 30, will be a free agent next winter. He’s coming off a solid, albeit down season at the plate, in which he batted .269/.328/.427 with 16 home runs in 603 plate appearances. Walker has rated as a considerably above-league-average bat by measure of OPS+ (114) and wRC+ (115) in parts of six big league seasons dating back to 2010. A history of back troubles and a pair of fluke injuries — a 2014 appendectomy and a severely lacerated finger in 2013 — have limited him to an average of 136 games per season in that time. He also rates as a below-average defender, though not egregiously so. Defensive Runs Saved pegs him at -10 runs over the course of 6889 innings at second base, and Ultimate Zone Rating feels he’s about six runs below average per 150 games.

The intrigue surrounding Baltimore’s interest in Walker is somewhat dependent on how the team truly feels he’s best deployed. If Baltimore is looking at Walker as an everyday first base option, then that would signal that the team isn’t confident in its ability to retain free agent Chris Davis. If the plan is for Walker to split time between DH, first base, second base, third base and perhaps even the corner outfield, as Encina writes, the interest wouldn’t seem to immediately preclude a reunion with Davis.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Friday

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Tonight at 8:00pm ET is the deadline for teams to add players to their 40-man roster and thereby protect them from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. In other words: there will be a significant amount of 40-man roster moves made over the course of the next 13 or so hours. Six clubs already made moves to protect prospects from the Rule 5 yesterday, and each of the remaining 24 clubs should make moves today as well.

In brief: players drafted/signed at 18 years of age or younger must be added to the 40-man roster within five years of signing or be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft. Players drafted/signed at 19 or older must be added within four years. Those interested in all of the specifics can refer to articles from MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and J.J. Cooper of Baseball America. Perhaps of greater interest is that Mayo lists all of the prospects from MLB.com’s Top 100 list and from their organizational Top 30 lists that much be protected in advance of tonight’s deadline, while Cooper provides brief write-ups on each player that has been protected (and will continue to do so as additions are made).

Here are today’s additions to the 40-man roster. You can check out Baseball America’s coverage to learn more about the individual players listed below …

Earlier Updates

AL East Notes: Boxberger, McGee, Yankees, O’s, Blue Jays

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Rays relievers Jake McGee and Brad Boxberger are two of the more coveted relief arms on the trade market, and ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Nationals are among the interested teams (Twitter link). The Astros and Tigers have also been listed as possible suitors for Tampa Bay’s excellent eighth/ninth-inning duo. The left-handed McGee, 29, is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $4.7MM this offseason. The right-handed Boxberger, 27, is not yet arbitration eligible. Both have seen significant time in the ninth inning over the past two seasons, as McGee collected 25 saves from 2014-15, and Boxberger led the AL with 41 saves in 2015. McGee seems like the more obvious trade candidate, on paper, due to his projected 2016 salary, but Boxberger’s first-year arbitration price could be huge if he serves as manager Kevin Cash’s primary closer in 2016 and racks up 35 to 40 more saves. The Rays could simply elect to hold the pair as well; spending a combined $5.2MM or so for the pair certainly isn’t exorbitant, though it’s hard to envision both relievers in the mix beyond 2016, as they’ll probably be too expensive a pairing after next winter’s arb raises.

A few more notes from the AL East…

  • Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes that Yankees GM Brian Cashman should be worrying about regression from players like Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez when constructing the roster this winter. Cashman said last week at the GM Meetings that his goal is to “upgrade our roster and not worry about regression on certain guys,” but Davidoff notes that it would be exceptionally risky to bank on Teixeira and A-Rod repeating both the health and the production they displayed in 2015, reminding how greatly they outperformed their preseason projections.
  • Filling all of the holes on the Orioles’ roster is a near-impossible task for GM Dan Duquette without a significant payroll hike, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. Melewski points out that after Matt Wieters surprisingly accepted a qualifying offer last Friday, the team now has $57.6MM committed to four players — Wieters, J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones and Ubaldo Jimenez — plus $34.9MM worth of arbitration salaries (based on MLBTR’s projections). That places the Orioles at $92.5MM without even factoring in league-minimum players to round out the roster. Melewski uses Chris Davis and Alex Gordon as highly theoretical examples of players that could be brought in as major offseason signings (or, in Davis’ case, a re-signing), noting that that pair alone could cause Baltimore’s payroll to soar over $135MM while still leaving holes in the rotation and bullpen. Duquette has hinted that a payroll increase is certainly possible; over the weekend he discussed having the resources to not only re-sign Davis but also to bring in a No. 2 or No. 3 starter. The O’s opened the 2015 season with a $119MM payroll.
  • The Blue Jays’ entire coaching staff will return in 2016 after agreeing to new contracts, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Davidi notes that the news isn’t necessarily a surprise, as Shapiro said during his recent introductory press conference that the entire staff had been invited back, but the finalization of the contracts is nonetheless noteworthy.

Braves Notes: Freeman, Teheran, Markakis, McGuirk

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Here’s the latest from Atlanta…

  • Braves GM John Coppolella tells David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links) that “we have not had any trade discussions on Freddie Freeman.”  O’Brien also hears that the club hasn’t had any talks about Julio Teheran and that the Braves don’t intend to trade either player.  Coppolella’s statement runs counter to a Ken Rosenthal report from earlier today claiming that Atlanta was shopping Freeman, Teheran and “everyone owed money,” in the words of one source.  While the GM could be employing some gamesmanship, O’Brien believes (Twitter link) Coppolella’s denial could carry some weight, as he previously didn’t deny that Andrelton Simmons was being shopped prior to the shortstop being dealt to the Angels.
  • In another tweet, O’Brien notes that he didn’t ask Coppolella whether or not Nick Markakis’ name had surfaced in trade talks.  O’Brien thinks the Orioles, Markakis’ former team, could be interested in bringing the right fielder back to Baltimore.  It also wouldn’t surprise O’Brien if the Braves traded Cameron Maybin this offseason.
  • As part of a wide-ranging interview with Phil W. Hudson of the Atlanta Business Chronicle (links to part one and part two), Braves chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk said that the club plans to raise payroll in response to the expected revenue increase from their new stadium.  A top-10 payroll should be feasible, McGuirk said.  He “won’t give you a timetable, but you will start seeing major jumps” by January 1, 2017.  (The new stadium is expected to be ready for Opening Day of the 2017 season.)
  • McGuirk and team president John Schuerholz began to see trouble brewing for the club during the winter of 2013 in regards to a lagging farm system, though they resisted making any major changes since the Braves were winning at the time.  The collapse at the end of the 2014 season was “the catharsis” for the franchise to reload the minor league system that McGuirk notes was so instrumental to the Braves’ success in the 1990’s and 2000’s.  I recommend reading all of Hudson’s interview, as it also contains comments from McGuirk about how the payroll is set, infrastructure and development of the new ballpark, corporate sponsorships and much more information about the business side of the Braves’ operations.

AL East Notes: Price, Yankees, Davis, Markakis

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Signing free agent David Price could be a prudent move in the long run for the youth-minded Yankees, John Harper of the New York Daily News opines.  The Yankees are slated to have lots of spending room next offseason, but the pitching market next winter will not be nearly as robust as it is now.  By signing Price, the Bombers can secure a true ace while they have the opportunity.  Money, of course, could be a roadblock, but Harper suggests that the Yankees could trade Brett Gardner and his sizable salary to soften the blow, a move that could be possible following the acquisition of Aaron Hicks.

How much could Price cost?  Recently, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes projected that the veteran hurler could garner a seven-year, $217MM deal on the open market.  However, he pegged the Cubs as his landing spot.

Here’s a look at the AL East:

  • Orioles GM Dan Duquette told Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette of SiriusXM (link via ESPN) that they have the resources to both retain Chris Davis and add a top of rotation starter.  “And by that, I mean a No. 1, 2 or 3 starter,” Duquette said (via Cash Kruth of MLB.com). “So there’s some in that group [of free agents]. I don’t think there’s that many No. 1 starters, but there’s some twos and threes in there that we could be very competitive on.”  Duquette also said he expects free agency to move much more quickly this offseason because all parties understand the qualifying offer system much better than they have over the past two offseasons.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com wonders if the Orioles would pursue a reunion with Nick Markakis.  It’s not clear whether the Braves would considering moving the outfielder, who still has three years left on his free agent deal.  Not everyone in the O’s organization is on board with the idea of bringing Markakis back to Baltimore, but there are people in the organization with interest in at least talking to Atlanta, Kubatko writes.
  • With defense valued highly across the majors, it couldn’t be a worse time for the Red Sox to try and unload Hanley Ramirez, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes.  Ramirez would seemingly appeal only to an American League team that needs a DH and Lauber theorizes that a team like the Orioles could have interest if Davis goes elsewhere.  Even for a DH-needy team, a Ramirez deal could be a hard sell given his contract.

AL Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Boyer, Son

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The Yankees and Red Sox top the list of teams who could be aggressive this offseason, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Yankees might not be heavily involved with the free agent market, but they could pursue any number of trades, particularly now that their deal for Aaron Hicks, which made it possible for them to deal Brett Gardner. The Sox, meanwhile, have already traded for Craig Kimbrel and could top that move with an even bigger one for a top starting pitcher. Here are more quick notes from the AL.

  • The Royals and other teams have already shown interest in free agent righty reliever Blaine Boyer, but Boyer remains interested in returning to the Twins, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes. “I think I showed this year, and really my whole career, that I can step in for the eighth inning or the seventh inning,” Boyer says. “I can also go long. I pride myself on being a multi-role bullpen piece. I think they know that, and I conveyed that to [Twins manager Paul Molitor].” Boyer was a valuable part of the Twins’ bullpen last year, posting a 2.49 ERA and 2.6 BB/9 over 65 innings, albeit with a very low 4.6 K/9.
  • The Orioles did not win the rights to negotiate with Nexen Heroes slugger Byung-ho Park, but another KBO player, Ah-seop Son, might be a better fit for them, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. The Orioles can use an outfielder who can hit leadoff, and Son fits the bill — he has a .398 on-base percentage in nine seasons with the Lotte Giants, and he’s been favorably compared to Nori Aoki, in whom the Orioles have previously had at least some interest. Son will be posted tomorrow.

Matt Wieters Accepts Qualifying Offer

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Orioles catcher Matt Wieters will accept the one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter).

Matt Wieters

Wieters accepting the offer comes as a surprise on multiple fronts. He’s the clear top catcher on this year’s free-agent market despite coming off an injury-riddled season. Wieters is also represented by Scott Boras, who has routinely spoken out against the flaws in the QO system and has a reputation for encouraging his players to test the open market.

Then again, Wieters and Boras have had the past week to check in with other clubs and have a good idea of where his market presently stands. The fact that the Braves have re-signed A.J. Pierzynski and the Twins have traded for the Yankees’ John Ryan Murphy eliminated a pair of potential landing spots with teams that could have reasonably pursued a starting catcher, as well.

Wieters batted .267/.319/.422 in 2015 — well-above-average production for a catcher — but he was also limited to 79 games due to injuries. Wieters underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and was set to return to begin the year, but tendinitis in his right elbow delayed his return until June. Even upon activation, Wieters only caught on back-to-back days four times this season, which is a cause for concern but certainly doesn’t rule him out from doing so with regularity in the future. He’ll look to prove better health in 2016 in a familiar environment before seeking a large contract next winter.

By accepting the QO, Wieters has locked in his salary and is not tradeable (without his consent) until next June, as would be the case with any other free-agent signing. He will presumably pair with Caleb Joseph behind the plate and take on a larger portion of the catching duties in 2016 than he had in 2015. His return is probably bad news for Steve Clevenger, who had been projected to be in a timeshare with Joseph but is now third on the depth chart. He’s been a trade candidate in the past and could see his name surface in rumors again this winter.

Wieters is still just 29 years of age, and he’ll be 30 going on 31 next year when he re-enters what will be a considerably weaker free-agent market (although, that market includes steeper competition in the catching department, in the form of Francisco Cervelli). His acceptance of the QO means that the Orioles won’t recoup three extra picks in next year’s draft, as they’d hoped when making QOs to Wieters, Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Davis. However, it does immediately fill one potential void for the 2016 Orioles, who can now turn their attention to addressing the rotation, corner outfield, first base and the bullpen. Of course, the flip side of that notion could be that the Orioles never planned to spend heavily on catcher and now have more limited resources to address the aforementioned needs.

It’s now worth wondering whether or not Boras will leverage next year’s weak free-agent market by encouraging fellow client Ian Kennedy to accept the Padres’ qualifying offer, though I still think there’s a case to be made for him securing a multi-year deal this winter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Heyman’s Latest: Offseason Spending, CarGo, Pirates, Kennedy, Gallardo

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In his latest notes column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports begins by classifying the Angels, Giants, Tigers, Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals and Dodgers as the expected “big spenders” of the offseason, breaking down some targets that each club could pursue. Heyman goes on to call the Orioles, Blue Jays, Yankees, D-Backs, Mets, Royals and Padres as “medium spenders,” noting that each has needs and could make one significant addition or a series of mid-range moves in order to address multiple areas around the roster. As he did with the big-spending clubs, Heyman examines a few plausible scenarios for each, noting that the Royals are still in the three- or four-year range on Alex Gordon, thereby casting some doubt on a potential reunion.

A few highlights from his column…

  • While Andrelton Simmons’ name has been a hot topic over the past 15 hours or so, there’s a “good chance” that the Braves will make Julio Teheran available at some point this winter. Teheran’s value isn’t as high as that of Simmons at the moment, I wouldn’t think, due to a down year for Teheran in 2015. Moving him would be selling low, which makes it more difficult to envision a deal, from my vantage point.
  • The White Sox were one of “many teams” to which agent Brodie Van Wagenen made a presentation regarding Yoenis Cespedes, though the greater needs for the ChiSox come at catcher, third base, second base and shortstop.
  • The Rockies have again made Carlos Gonzalez available in trades, as many expected would be the case following the summer trade of Troy Tulowitzki. CarGo dominated the National League from June through season’s end after struggling with injuries in 2014 and early 2015 and undoubtedly restored an exceptional amount of trade value. Heyman speculatively listed the Orioles as a potential match when discussing Baltimore in his intro section.
  • Pittsburgh has fielded offers on all seven of its players that are a year removed from free agency. That includes Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Mark Melancon, Mike Morse, Chris Stewart and Francisco Cervelli. However, the Pirates are also said to be considering an attempt at locking Cervelli up on a multi-year deal.
  • Ian Kennedy is planning to decline the Padres’ qualifying offer, per Heyman. Both Tim Dierkes and I have noted that there’s little sense in Kennedy accepting the offer. The right-hander is fourth in innings pitched in the NL over the past five seasons and has averaged 8.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in that time while posting a 3.89 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 3.78 xFIP. Homer struggles in 2015 aside, Kennedy finished strong and should get paid somewhere. It’s hard to envision a Scott Boras client being the first to accept a qualifying offer, and if all else fails, Kennedy can go the Ervin Santana route and sign a one-year deal near the value of the QO late in the offseason.
  • Similarly, Yovani Gallardo plans to turn down the Rangers’ QO. Heyman hears he’s expected to sign elsewhere despite being a Fort Worth area native. The Rangers will again attempt to re-sign Colby Lewis, he adds.
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