Orioles Notes: Catchers, Cobb, Hays
Here’s the latest out of Baltimore:
- Neither Andrew Susac nor Carlos Perez will make the Orioles’ roster, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports (Twitter links). The two out-of-options catchers had been vying for a roster spot on a team whose only 40-man catchers are Chance Sisco, the just-claimed Pedro Severino and the injured Austin Wynns. Even Sisco isn’t guaranteed a 25-man spot, as he may open the season at the Triple-A level, according to Trezza. That could open the door for fellow backstop Jesus Sucre, though there’s no word yet on his fate, per Trezza. The Orioles have to decide by Monday whether to keep Sucre, whose minor league deal includes an upward mobility clause. Should another team make Sucre an offer, he’d take it, Trezza suggests.
- Thanks in part to the Orioles’ murky situation behind the plate, their entire Opening Day battery is in question. While right-hander Alex Cobb‘s penciled in to start Thursday’s opener against the Yankees, he’s now dealing with a strained right groin, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes. Cobb’s no longer a certainty to take the ball in Game 1, though he indicated Saturday it’s not a serious injury, and he didn’t undergo an MRI. Cobb will throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday to determine whether he’ll be able to start Thursday. Whenever Cobb makes his initial start of the year, he’ll hope it’s the beginning of a bounce-back campaign. In 2018, the first season of a four-year, $57MM contract, he stumbled to a 4.90 ERA/4.80 FIP across 152 1/3 innings.
- In other unwelcome news for Baltimore, outfield prospect Austin Hays suffered a left thumb injury Saturday, Dan Connolly of The Athletic relays. Expectations are that the 23-year-old will undergo an MRI on Sunday or Monday, according to Connolly. In the meantime, the O’s are left to cross their fingers this isn’t another costly injury for Hays, who endured a truncated 2018 because of ankle issue. While Hays’ production at Double-A last year was nothing to write home about as a result, he’s still one of the O’s most promising prospects, and he nearly hit his way to a major league roster spot this spring. The Orioles elected to option Hays, however, because they believe he needs more seasoning in the minors. Now, if Hays has to start the year on the shelf, it’ll further delay a big league promotion.
Orioles, Giants Swap Mike Yastrzemski, Tyler Herb
Per team releases, the Orioles and Giants have swung a minor deal, with righty Tyler Herb headed to Baltimore and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski going to San Francisco.
Yastrzemski, 28, is the grandson of Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastrzemski. He’s made a six-year lap through the Oriole farm, with early highs eventually offset by upper-minors woes. His 2018 season was arguably his best, at least at the AAA level, with the lefty slashing a solid .265/.359/.441 in 374 plate appearances for Norfolk. He’ll provide depth at all three outfield spots for a Giants club starving for warm bodies at each of them.
Herb, 27 next month, began his professional career with Seattle before being sent south as the player to be named later in the Chris Heston deal. 2018 was a struggle for Herb: 13 starts made up his first AAA taste, and it quickly went sour, with the righty posting a 5.35 ERA/5.05 FIP in 70 2/3 innings for Sacramento. Herb has always had issue missing bats, though his repertoire could safely be counted on to induce a high number of grounders. It didn’t last season, though, as the righty posted a career-low 38.1% grounder rate.
Orioles Claim Pedro Severino
Per a team release, the Orioles have claimed catcher Pedro Severino off waivers from the Nationals. In a corresponding move, the club has designated INF Stevie Wilkerson for assignment.
Severino, 25, hasn’t hit much at the MLB level since debuting late in 2015, slashing just .187/.273/.287 (47 wRC+) in 282 career big-league plate appearances. The rocket-armed catcher hasn’t had much success in his last three AAA stints either, though he did post a career-best .192 ISO in limited action there last season.
He’ll look to insert himself into the murky Baltimore catching mix, where the inexperienced Chance Sisco/Austin Wynns duo has been competing with veteran Jesus Sucre for the bulk of the action at the position.
Wilkerson, 27, sat out much of 2018 with oblique and hamstring troubles, as well as a suspension for amphetamines, but was reasonably productive at the plate, slugging a career-best .500 in 86 plate appearances for Norfolk.
Orioles Release Eric Young Jr.
The Orioles have released outfielder Eric Young Jr. from his minor league contract, Young himself revealed to reporters Friday (Twitter link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). He’d been viewed as a legitimate candidate to break camp with the club but will now head back to the open market in search of another opportunity.
Young, now 33 years old, enjoyed a strong spring with the O’s, hitting .323/.462/.452 with a homer, a double and a pair of stolen bases. With Young no longer in the mix, the O’s will go with Trey Mancini in left field, Cedric Mullins in center and a combination of Joey Rickard and Dwight Smith Jr. in the outfield.
Young spent the 2017-18 seasons with the Angels but, after a solid run in 2017, saw his offensive output crater in 2018. Overall, he hit a combined .233/.293/.361 with five homers, nine doubles, a pair of triples and 17 steals through 242 plate appearances with the Halos. Young paced the National League with 46 stolen bases back in 2013 as a member of the Rockies, and he doesn’t look to have lost much of a step, as his sprint speed of 29.0 feet per second (via Statcast) still ranked in the 91st percentile of big leaguers last season.
Orioles Release Alcides Escobar
The Orioles announced this afternoon that veteran shortstop Alcides Escobar, who had been in camp as a non-roster invitee, has been granted his release. He’s now a free agent.
Escobar went 7-for-32 with a pair of doubles, four strikeouts and four walks in his brief time with the Orioles this spring before exercising an opt-out clause in his contract. He’ll now search for another club in need of some infield depth. With Escobar now out of the picture, both of Baltimore’s Rule 5 picks — Richie Martin and Drew Jackson — stand an increased chance of breaking camp with the team.
The 32-year-old Escobar has spent the past eight seasons with the Royals organization, generally providing Kansas City with quality defense and baserunning but significantly below-average offensive output. He’s a carer .258/.293/.343 hitter in 5702 Major League plate appearances, including a dismal .242/.275/.338 slash in 1160 PAs over the past two seasons. Given that lack of offense, Escobar isn’t likely to land another shot as a regular, but his speed-and-defense approach to the game could make him a useful bench piece — particularly if he is amenable to moving around the diamond a bit, as he did in his final season with the Royals.
Phillies Acquire International Pool Money From Orioles
The Phillies and Orioles have announced a swap in which the Philadelphia organization acquires international bonus pool spending availability. Young catcher Lenin Rodriguez is heading to Baltimore in return.
This is the latest in a strong of transactions in which the O’s have spun off international spending capacity. The club missed on some top targets and obviously felt unable to put its remaining funds to productive uses.
Rodriguez, who’ll soon turn 21, has not seen much game action in the lower minors since signing for a $300K bonus. Over the past four seasons, he’s a .263/.369/.367 hitter in 444 plate appearances — more than half of which came in Venezuelan Summer League ball way back in 2015.
AL East Notes: Pedroia, Norris, Orioles
Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia will open the season on the injured list, manager Alex Cora announced to reporters today (link via WEEI’s Rob Bradford). Cora stressed that there have been no setbacks for Pedroia in his return from the knee issues that limited him to three games last season. Rather, the veteran is simply still in the process of building up to be able to handle a full workload. He’ll play in games every other day for the remainder of exhibition games before returning to extended Spring Training to continue building up strength. Pedroia, Bradford writes, feels he will be sufficiently built up but didn’t voice frustration with the team’s decision to proceed with caution. Based on his comments, it doesn’t sound like he’s looking at a particularly lengthy absence to open the year. “It’s only, I think, a week or something, the plan that they set,” said Pedroia. “If it’s being smart for a week and we make sure I respond great to everything thrown at me then it’s a good decision.”
Here’s more from the AL East…
- After signing a late minor league deal with the Blue Jays, right-hander Bud Norris doesn’t have the benefit of a full spring audition for a roster spot, but Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com writes that Norris’ early work has impressed manager Charlie Montoyo. “He looked to me like a closer, a late-inning guy, pitching yesterday,” Montoyo said after Norris’ Jays debut, in which he struck out a pair of opposing hitters and reached the mid-90s with his fastball in a perfect inning. Righty Ken Giles is penciled in as the closer in Toronto, though Norris has no shortage of experience there after spending parts of the past two seasons as a closer in Anaheim and St. Louis, racking up a combined 47 saves in that role. He’ll reportedly earn a $3MM salary if he makes the roster.
- Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde still isn’t ready to make any declarations about which young players will make the Opening Day roster, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Citing the Orioles’ active approach on the waiver wire and the multiple Rule 5 players in camp, Hyde said he likely wouldn’t make any such announcements to his players until March 25. The outfield mix, several bullpen spots and the team’s catching situation have all yet to be defined. Hyde did speak well of the versatility that both Cedric Mullins and Joey Rickard bring to the outfield, though neither has received any assurances yet, and there are also non-roster options like Eric Young Jr. still in the mix for a job.
AL East Notes: Blue Jays, Pedroia, Orioles
Some rumblings from around the AL East…
- The Blue Jays are preparing a pay increase of more than 50 percent for every player on Toronto’s eight minor league affiliates, Emily Waldon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic report (subscription required). “It puts us right now up at the top of the scale in the industry,” VP of baseball operations Ben Cherington said. “My hope is it doesn’t stay that way. My hope is other teams eventually do the same….We just feel like it’s consistent with our values of trying to be a player-centered organization and give them every resource possible to be at their best.” The decision comes at a time when Major League Baseball has come under increasing scrutiny for the low salaries paid to minor leaguers, the large majority of whom didn’t receive signing bonuses nor will eventually go on to receive big contracts in the Show. The Athletic’s John Lott provides an estimated breakdown the Jays’ raise structure in another piece.
- It isn’t yet clear if Dustin Pedroia will be on the Opening Day roster, or if the longtime Red Sox second baseman could get more Spring Training prep time, MLB.com’s Ian Browne writes. Pedroia missed all but three games last season due to knee problems, first recovering from October 2017 surgery and then another knee procedure last July. With this in mind, the veteran has been brought along slowly this spring, appearing in four games and accumulating only seven plate appearances. Pedroia did play five innings in the field on Saturday, however.
- Between an eye towards his young Orioles roster, plus players who might come available as waiver pickups or minor league free agents, GM Mike Elias told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) that “we want to really delay final roster decisions as much as possible because we’re still gleaning information and we’re cognizant of the fact that all of that stuff is going to happen over the next seven days.” Elias has a particular interest in adding more pitching, though is generally just looking for whatever talent can be found at any position. After eight more cuts today, the Orioles are down to 39 players in their Major League camp.
East Notes: Orioles, Hays, Yankees, Hicks, Braves, Anibal
The Orioles announced several roster cuts Sunday, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to cover. Outfielder Austin Hays, who looked like a strong contender for a season-opening starting role, is the most notable player returning to the minors. General manager Mike Elias insisted service time didn’t factor into the decision, suggesting it’s irrelevant in Hays’ case because he already debuted in 2017, Kubatko tweets. Based on his spring, in which he put together a video game-like .351/.385/.892 line with five home runs in 37 at-bats, Hays deserved a roster spot in Baltimore. The promising prospect is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he posted underwhelming minor league numbers across 327 plate appearances, however. Per Kubatko, Hays and the Orioles believe there’s more for him to work on at the Triple-A level, where he hasn’t yet played. “I still haven’t played too many games in the minor leagues,” Hays said. “I haven’t had too many at-bats. I missed almost a whole year last year due to injuries, so there’s some time I need to make up.”
More from the East Coast…
- The lower back problems that have shelved Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks this month will also sideline him for the team’s season-opening series, ESPN’s Coley Harvey reports. Hicks informed Harvey he underwent a second cortisone shot Sunday, though the 29-year-old is optimistic he’ll return at the outset of April. Without Hicks, it’s likely both Luke Voit and Greg Bird – who have been vying for the starting job at first base – will make New York’s roster, observes MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, who notes the team will have to choose between Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade as its fourth outfielder. Regardless, the Yankees are left to hope Hicks’ injury doesn’t turn into an ongoing issue, especially after they inked him to a seven-year, $70MM extension last month.
- Braves manager Brian Snitker expects relievers A.J. Minter (shoulder) and Darren O’Day (forearm) to open 2019 on the injured list, Mark Bowman of MLB.com relays. Minter’s absence could prove especially detrimental, given that the lefty has thrived since debuting in 2017 and figured to begin the season sharing closer duties with Arodys Vizcaino. O’Day hasn’t yet pitched since last June, nor has he debuted with the Braves, who acquired him from Baltimore in July while he was shelved with a season-ending hamstring injury. The absences of Minter and O’Day may make Atlanta an even better fit for free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel, but to this point, it doesn’t seem as if the club has seriously pursued its former star.
- Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos has developed an affinity for right-hander Anibal Sanchez over the past several years, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com explains. Despite that, the Braves didn’t re-sign Sanchez this past offseason after he experienced a career renaissance in their uniform last year. Thanks in part to their collection of young, major league-ready starters, the Braves were hesitant to ink Sanchez to a multiyear guarantee over the winter, Anthopoulos revealed, thereby paving the way for his exit. The 35-year-old ended up accepting division-rival Washington’s two-year, $19MM offer. “Obviously, you never want to see a division rival get better, but I’m so fond of him that I’m really happy for him,” said Anthopoulos, whose club benefited from Sanchez’s presence in 2018 after signing him for just $1MM in late March.
DMV Notes: Mejdal, O’s Rotation, Brocail, Difo
The Orioles offseason has consisted largely of the esoteric behind-the-scenes work being done by a newly-minted braintrust, offering the Baltimore fanbase little in terms of concrete evidence of a team on the rise. MLBTR readers rendered a decidedly nonplussed verdict of the O’s offseason by handing out a failing grade as the most common response in our Offseason In Review Series poll. Hope for an improved future for the AL’s foremost cellar dweller is dependent largely on conjecture tied to the resumes of the men brought in to run the organization, namely GM Mike Elias and field manager Brandon Hyde. The first significant evidence of Elias’ progress, however, is being seen all over spring camp, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza. Spin axis seminars, high-speed Edgertronic cameras and “the long list of players championing the exposure to extra information they weren’t privy to before” are a few of the promising signs of growth coming out of O’s camp. Baltimore’s data infusion can be credited to new assistant general manger of analytics Sig Mejdal, a former NASA engineer and blackjack dealer whom Elias coaxed to Baltimore from their former employer in Houston. But that’s not all of the news coming from the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia corridor…
- Hyde has already announced Alex Cobb as the Opening Day starter, but the only certainty beyond day one is the presence of Cobb, Andrew Cashner and Dylan Bundy in the rotation. In what order they’ll line up after Cobb, and who pitches in the fourth and fifth rotation spots is still very much up in the air, per the Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli (via Twitter). Using an Opener at times is definitely on the table, as is tweaking the rotation depending on the matchup. More clarity could come soon to O’s camp, as another round of roster cuts is planned for tomorrow, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). Free agent signee Nate Karns certainly hopes to lay claim to one of those spots, but it’ll likely be a dynamic roster-crunching process in Baltimore right up until (and beyond, really) Opening Day.
- The names that will populate Baltimore’s pitching staff remain unknown, but for commentary on those auditioning, the Athletic’s Dan Connolly turned to Doug Brocail, Baltimore’ forthright, 51-year-old pitching coach. The challenge facing Brocail is developing a shared language for his staff, while finding new ways to communicate on an individual level. For example, in giving instruction to righty Jimmy Yacabonis, Brocail’s message to “Hold your posture” wasn’t registering. Recognizing the need to break though this particular platitude, Brocail conveyed his point this way, “Right at hill strike, then let the rotation of the other half take over,” and the message sunk in. Give Connolly’s conversation with Brocail a full read for more insight into the mind of the Orioles’ pitching coach, including his thoughts on Cobb, Bundy and Cashner.
- At the other end of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Nationals’ manager Dave Martinez is grooming Wilmer Difo for a super-utility role in 2019, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). This is not in response to the Michael A. Taylor injury, as there’s no plan at present to give Difo starts in center. Seeing some time in the outfield remains likely, as Difo boasts small-sample experience at all three outfield spots over the last two seasons. Difo will also likely serve as the team’s emergency catcher, a more pertinent responsibility on the Nats than most teams given Martinez’s stated desire to use the non-starter from the duo of Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki as a pinch-hitter. Were Martinez to stick Difo behind the dish at some point during the season, the move would at the very least be on brand for a disciple of the ever-tinkering Joe Maddon.