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Minor MLB Transactions: 3/14/17

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We’ll track the day’s minor moves here:

  • Righty Andrew Bellatti has joined the Orioles on a minors deal, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The 25-year-old had spent his entire career with the division-rival Rays organization, but lost his 40-man spot last summer. Bellatti worked to a 2.31 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 23 1/3 MLB innings in 2015, his first and only big league stint. But he struggled last year in the minors, allowing 11 earned runs in 14 1/3 frames on the year while working through shoulder troubles.

AL Notes: Povse, Price, Mancini, A’s

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While former first-rounder Alex Jackson got the headlines in the offseason trade that sent him from the Mariners to the Braves, Seattle is feeling good about its end of the deal, MLB.com’s Greg Johns writes. Righty Max Povse has impressed in camp, showing a bigger fastball than had been anticipated. Manager Scott Servais praised his current offerings while noting that “there’s a lot of room for growth” for Povse.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • While the general vibe around David Price’s elbow health has been positive, details have been sparse, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. Price and the Red Sox have expressed confidence, but little in the way of specifics with regard to the precise injury and what needs to be done for the lefty to get back on the mound. Further, as MacPherson explains, based largely upon an interview with sports medicine expert Dr. Paul Fadale, there’s still plenty of reason for concern.
  • The Orioles are continuing to cram power bats in the outfield, with Trey Mancini now joining the freshly re-signed Pedro Alvarez on the grass. As Jon Meoli of the Batimore Sun reports, Mancini spent the winter preparing for the possible transition, but is only now readying to do so in game action. The long-time first baseman would surely be a much more intriguing player if he were capable of playing a passable outfield, though he’ll surely be given plenty of MLB opportunity regardless. Mancini, who’ll soon turn 25, blasted three home runs in 15 plate appearances during his first taste of the bigs last year.
  • Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at how the Athletics’ pen is shaping up. Righty Santiago Casilla was bombed in his spring debut, though he’s playing catch-up after a visa issue delayed his arrival. Lefty Sean Doolittle, meanwhile, is slated to make his first competitive appearance tomorrow. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be joined by another southpaw in the bullpen, but Slusser says that Ross Detwiler “is emerging as a strong possibility” to claim such a role.

NL Notes: Giants, Blanco, Orioles, Voth, Happ

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Ian Desmond’s fractured hand is the big story coming out of the senior circuit today, though here are some more items from around the National League…

  • With a number of veterans in camp on minor league deals and quite a few jobs still to be decided, the Giants’ final roster cuts “are going to come down to the end of camp,” Bruce Bochy told reporters (including MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom).  “I’ve already had some guys tell me, ’I’m glad I’m not you.’ I mean, they’re all good guys, experienced guys, and they’re doing a good job,” Bochy said.  As Bloom notes, versatility will be a big factor in the Giants’ decision, as a player who can handle multiple positions is a necessity given the team’s needs and lack of bench space.  Jimmy Rollins, Aaron Hill, and Mike Morse are a few of the notable veteran names still fighting for jobs.
  • Gregor Blanco received interest from the Orioles and Tigers this winter, but the outfielder tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he chose to sign a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks in part because of their running game and aggressive style of play.  Detroit’s connection to Blanco was previously reported, and while this is the first time the O’s have been linked to Blanco this winter, he makes sense as a target given how Baltimore searched the market for left-handed hitting, versatile outfielders for much of the offseason.
  • Austin Voth has been somewhat of an overlooked figure behind the Nationals’ other star prospects, though as Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes, Voth could now emerge in an important role as Washington’s top piece of starter depth.  Voth is battling with A.J. Cole, Vance Worley, and Erick Fedde for the “sixth starter” role, which is of no small importance given the injuries that inevitably crop up for a pitching staff over the course of a season.  A fifth-round pick for the Nats in 2013, Voth has a 2.84 ERA, 3.33 K/BB rate and 8.7 K/9 over 487 1/3 career innings in the minors.
  • With so many young Cubs stars already in place around the diamond, prospect Ian Happ is looking to help his chances of finding a regular role by playing multiple positions a la Ben Zobrist, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes.  “He’s a perfect example to a young player on how to stay in the game and contribute. That’s who I want to emulate,” Happ said.  Originally drafted as an outfielder and second baseman as the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Happ has already played second and all three outfield spots in the minors, plus he has been doing some work as a third baseman this spring.  In another piece on Happ, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat notes that Happ is developing well at second and is already showing some fine skills at the plate.  Happ is yet another impressive youngster in the Cubs’ pipeline, as he featured on top-100 prospect lists from MLB.com (28th), Baseball Prospectus (54th), Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law (both 63rd).

Injury Notes: Indians, Orioles, Jays, Cards, Rockies

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The sore right shoulder that has bothered Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis this spring will likely keep him out to begin the regular season, manager Terry Francona revealed Sunday (via Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer). Kipnis made his Cactus League debut as a designated hitter Thursday, before which he told Hoynes that throwing the ball – not swinging the bat – has caused him pain. However, on the heels of the Indians playing Kipnis in back-to-back games as a DH (the second of which took place Friday), they’ll shut him down for two weeks. While “nothing has gone haywire” in Kipnis’ recovery, according to Francona, the team is being careful because “it’s such a long season.”

More injury updates:

  • As is the case with Kipnis, the latest news on Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman’s shoulder isn’t ideal. The O’s shut Tillman down after he made approximately 10 throws during a long toss session on Sunday, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The next update on Tillman will come Monday, notes Kubatko, who reported Saturday that he’s likely to open the season on the disabled list. Baltimore won’t need a fifth starter until April 15, though, and it’s possible Tillman will be ready to go by then. If not, it would make for an inauspicious start to the final year of his contract.
  • With Opening Day nearing, Blue Jays superstar third baseman Josh Donaldson is beginning to ramp up activities as he works his way back from the strained right calf he suffered three weeks ago, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. “I’m probably at 40 percent or 50 percent running right now,” said Donaldson. “And obviously, it’s got to get to the point where I can run 100 percent. I feel like, hopefully, that should be sometime next week, the way that it’s progressing now.”
  • It appears the right lat muscle soreness Cardinals righty Trevor Rosenthal has been battling will kill his chances of winning a place in the team’s rotation. Moreover, it could stop the ex-closer from beginning the year as a multi-inning fireman, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Rosenthal – now, saying could he get the innings he needs to contribute as a starter or a multiple-inning relief appearance? “I think that is still in question,” said manager Mike Matheny. “It’s very important that at some point this week he gets into a game and we can get that pitch count up.” Regardless of whether Rosenthal is well enough by April to toss multiple innings in an appearance, someone figures to serve as that type of weapon for the Cardinals. General manager John Mozeliak called it “very appealing” to Matheny, and Goold adds that John Gant, Matthew Bowman, Miguel Socolovich, Tyler Lyons and Sam Tuivailala are possibilities to fill that role.
  • Rockies reliever Chad Qualls has been on the shelf since suffering an elbow injury March 1, and his return isn’t imminent, skipper Bud Black told Nick Groke of the Denver Post. Qualls is still feeling “elbow discomfort,” leading the Rockies to take a cautious approach with the 38-year-old. Even though Qualls is due a $3.25MM salary this season, his roster spot was in jeopardy before the injury and that remains the case, according to Groke. Despite having induced grounders at a 55 percent clip and limiting walks (2.48 per nine), Qualls pitched to an ugly ERA (5.23) over 32 2/3 frames last season.

Pitching Notes: Rangers, Astros, Marlins, O’s, Red Sox, Jays

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While it’s possible the Rangers will bring back right-hander Colby Lewis to compete for a spot in their banged-up rotation, there hasn’t been any movement toward re-signing the free agent, general manager Jon Daniels told Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. The 37-year-old Lewis is unwilling to take a minors deal, reports Fraley, so the Rangers will have to remove someone from their 40-man roster if they hand him a major league contract. Nearly all of Lewis’ career has been spent in Texas, where he pitched his first three seasons (2002-04) and the past seven (2010-16). He threw 116 1/3 innings of 3.71 ERA ball last season, though his FIP, xFIP and SIERA each hovered around the 5.00 mark.

The latest on a few other American League pitchers:

  • No full-time reliever eclipsed the 90-inning mark in either of the previous two seasons, but several could do it this year, observes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. There’s “a growing desire” among GMs and managers to utilize certain relievers for multiple innings, relays Sherman, who writes that the Astros’ Chris Devenski and the Marlins’ David Phelps are prime candidates to serve as bullpen workhorses in 2017. “Not every reliever is built for a versatile role. [Devenski] is,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. The right-hander was sensational across 108 1/3 frames as a rookie last year, when he threw 83 2/3 innings out of the bullpen and delivered a 1.61 ERA, 8.98 K/9 and 1.26 BB/9. Phelps was great at preventing runs in both roles (2.22 ERA in 24 1/3 innings as a starter, 2.31 ERA in 62 1/3 relief frames), but the righty only worked an inning at a time from the bullpen. Miami’s now stretching him out to throw 50 pitches in a given appearance, if necessary. “I look at Phelps like Andrew Miller,” manager Don Mattingly told Sherman. “I can use him in multiple ways. I can pitch him a few innings or I can have him close a game. You can’t do it on a daily basis. He still needs his rest. You know in bigger situations in the fifth and sixth innings you can see him.”
  • One of the Orioles’ top starters, righty Chris Tillman, will open the season on the 10-day disabled list, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Tillman has been dealing with shoulder issues for the past few months, and he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in December. The Orioles won’t need a fifth starter until April 15, notes Kubatko, who lists Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Gabriel Ynoa, Jayson Aquino and Chris Lee as possibilities to slot into their rotation during Tillman’s absence.
  • Red Sox left-hander David Price threw Saturday for the first time since suffering a flexor strain earlier this month, per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Manager John Farrell came away encouraged, calling it “a good day for David,” but a return still doesn’t exactly seem imminent for the ace. “All of the early phase of throwing are going to be short, controlled effort and energy,” said Farrell. “We’re not even mapping out distances right now. We’re more interested in seeing how his arm responds to even the light throwing.”
  • Blue Jays southpaw T.J. House left the team’s game against the Tigers in an ambulance Friday after a line drive struck him in the head. Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any skull fractures and is “doing well,” GM Ross Atkins told Jayson Stark of ESPN on Saturday. The club will be “extremely conservative” in deciding when to clear House to return to the mound, Atkins added.

Orioles Agree To Minors Deal With Pedro Alvarez

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For the second straight offseason,  Pedro Alvarez lingered on the free-agent market until March, and for the second straight season, the slugger has found a home with the Orioles. Alvarez has reportedly agreed to a minor league deal to return to Baltimore. His contract contains a $2MM base salary and another $3.5MM worth of incentives. Most surprising of all, however, is that he’ll reportedly be tabbed as an outfielder this time around.

Pedro Alvarez

Alvarez, a Scott Boras client, spent the 2016 season in Baltimore, where he served primarily as a designated hitter but also saw 12 games at third base. Last year was a fairly typical season for the 30-year-old slugger, as he displayed significant power but struck out at a fairly high rate and provided little in the way of defensive value. Alvarez turned in strong numbers against right-handed pitching, hitting .251/.326/.522 with 21 of his 22 home runs. In a limited sample of 38 plate appearances against left-handed pitching, Alvarez hit just .237/.286/.368 with one homer.

It remains to be seen exactly how Alvarez will factor into the mix in Baltimore if the deal is completed and if he makes the club. While Alvarez was in lingering on the free agent market for the second consecutive offseason — he signed in Baltimore on March 8 last year — the Orioles re-signed Mark Trumbo and also acquired Seth Smith from the Mariners. With Smith and Hyun Soo Kim set to line up in the corner outfield against right-handed pitching, Trumbo figures to serve as the team’s DH on those days. That’d leave Alvarez as more of a bench bat or spot starter on days in which one of Trumbo, Kim or Smith needs a breather.

Alvarez has been working on his outfield defense all winter, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who reported the terms of the agreement. Nonetheless, it’s difficult to imagine Alvarez, who has graded as a poor defender at both corner infield positions, playing an average or better corner outfield. And the Orioles have a plethora of alternatives from which to choose.

In addition to the aforementioned trio of Trumbo, Smith and Kim, the O’s have sophomore Joey Rickard (a much-needed right-handed bat) and Rule 5 picks Aneury Tavarez and Anthony Santander in camp as well. Infielder Ryan Flaherty, too, has played some outfield in his career and figures to be assured of a bench spot, if healthy. Non-roster invitees Craig Gentry and Michael Bourn are in the mix as well, though Bourn is currently being sidelined by a broken finger.

A minor league deal for Alvarez serves as the latest data point in an offseason that has exemplified the market’s continuing shift away from one-dimensional sluggers. While a hefty supply of first base/designated hitter options in free agency this winter undoubtedly worked against Alvarez, the non-tender of NL home run leader Chris Carter and his subsequent $3.5MM deal with the Yankees was a clear sign that front offices are continuing to gravitate away from players of this ilk. Even higher-profile sluggers have settled for lesser deals than initially expected in recent years, as illustrated by the three-year deals for Trumbo and Edwin Encarnacion.

FanRag’s Tommy Stokke first reported that the two sides were nearing a deal (via Twitter). FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Seager, Red Sox & Orioles Pitchers, Gray

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We just checked in on Rangers righty Andrew Cashner. Here are a few more injury situations worthy of note from around the game:

  • What seemed at first like a minor issue for Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is beginning to seem a bit more concerning. While he’s apparently dealing with tightness in his back, manager Dave Roberts says it’s “oblique-ish” in location, as Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Though Seager is said to be improving, it’s still not clear when the star youngster will return to the lineup. He also weighed in on the injury, saying that he doesn’t expect to have any trouble getting ready for Opening Day, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.
  • Red Sox manager John Farrell gave updates on a variety of players to reporters, including Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. That includes lefty Roenis Elias, who has been diagnosed with an intercostal strain that will sideline him for at least a few weeks. A minor thumb issue for righty Rick Porcello doesn’t appear to be posing many problems. And while it’s not strictly an injury matter, it’s worth noting Farrell’s comments on righty Tyler Thornburg, who still needs to build up shoulder strength. That’s common for hurlers that are new to the organization, says Farrell, who cites a “period of adaptation” as pitchers “go through our shoulder maintenance program.”
  • Meanwhile, Red Sox lefty David Price isn’t yet ready to throw, but is able to go through a pitching motion, Drellich adds on Twitter. It’s promising, at least, that there’s forward momentum as he works through a flexor strain.
  • Time is tight for Orioles righty Chris Tillman, who is still not ready to return from his shoulder issues. He will need to progress smoothly to appear in the first week of the season, manager Buck Showalter told reporters including Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com (via Twitter). There’s perhaps a bit more breathing room for O’s closer Zach Britton, who’s working through oblique pain. Showalter says that he may appear in Grapefruit League action next after a pen session today, as Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Orioles righty Logan Ondrusek is taking the always-ominous trip to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Ondrusek talked about how he experienced the elbow injury, explaining that he felt it on a single pitch but didn’t think more of it until he woke up with soreness that evening. He notes that it’s tough for pitchers who are going year to year to deal with potentially significant injuries. In his case, it’s not clear how his contract will work out. Ondrusek agreed with the O’s on a MLB deal that didn’t guarantee him all of his $650K salary.
  • Athletics righty Sonny Gray says he was surprised to learn of his lat strain, as Jimmy Durkin of the Mercury News reports. An MRI was ordered just to be on the safe side, which revealed “a little bit of a strain there that’s just going to take a little time to heal.” Gray says he’s confident he’ll return in relatively short order — and regain his former trajectory. “There’s no doubt in my mind that when this thing gets knocked out that I’m going to be back to being the guy I’ve always been,” he says. “It’s just another little test that I’ve got to deal with.”

AL East Notes: Severino, Benintendi, Bautista, Orioles

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Despite the fact that Luis Severino was dominant in 23 1/3 innings of relief last year after flopping in the rotation, the Yankees still view the 23-year-old as a starting pitcher, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. That’s fine with Severino, who tells Davidoff: “Of course I want to be a starter.” Pitching coach Larry Rothschild tells Davidoff that Severino still has a starter’s mentality and adds some optimism that the talented righty can overcome the “bumps in the road” that he incurred in 2016. Severino shined as a 22-year-old rookie, logging a 2.89 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 50.3 percent ground-ball rate in 62 1/3 innings back in 2015. However, he was clobbered for an 8.50 ERA and 11 homers in 47 2/3 innings as a starter last year before shifting to the ’pen. Working in short relief, Severino posted a 0.39 ERA and allowed just eight hits with a 25-to-10 K/BB ratio in 23 1/3 frames. He’s competing with Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren for the two open rotation spots in the Bronx.

More from the AL East…

  • Andrew Benintendi has just 118 plate appearances in the Majors and still qualifies as a rookie, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Red Sox are nonetheless considering batting the game’s No. 1 overall prospect (per Baseball America, ESPN and MLB.com) third in their lineup this coming season. Doing so would break up Boston’s other top four hitters (right-handed bats Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez) evenly. “A lot of times, a player is going to tell you what he’s ready for or capable of and how you would think he would handle adversity by not being fragile mentally,” manager John Farrell tells Rosenthal. “If we didn’t feel that way about Andrew, I don’t know that he’d be in the big leagues last year.”
  • Jose Bautista tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports that his final night as a Blue Jay in 2016 and his drive from Toronto to Pennsylvania (where his wife’s family lives) following the season were incredibly emotional due to the uncertainty of his impending free agency. Bautista acknowledged that he thought the Blue Jays would move on in the offseason but said he’s thrilled to return to the city where he first thrived as a big leaguer. Always candid when it comes to discussing the financial side of the game, Bautista called his journey through free agency “confusing … tough at times,” but said he’s content with where he landed. “It’s hard to complain when you’re playing the sport you love, and you’re making a lot of money,” said the polarizing right fielder. Bautista also acknowledged Baltimore GM Dan Duquette’s offseason comments, in which Duquette stated that he wouldn’t pursue Bautista because Orioles fans “don’t like him.” While the slugger said it was strange for any executive to make that type of comment about a player, he also shrugged the comments off and expressed no interest in offering any type of rebuttal.
  • Trey Mancini’s spot on the Orioles’ Major League roster was put in jeopardy when Baltimore re-signed Mark Trumbo and acquired Seth Smith, but the 24-year-old first baseman still aims to force his way onto the roster, writes Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline. Mancini explained to Dubroff that his cup of coffee late last season (during which he homered three times in five games) was invaluable due to the confidence it instilled in him from day one in Spring Training. Mancini also spoke to Dubroff about the work he’s put into improving his defense at first base and the the experience of getting his first real exposure to outfield work as well.
  • Dubroff also notes that right-hander Logan Ondrusek will undergo an MRI on his ailing right elbow. It’s been a rough spring for the Orioles righty, who’s been limited to just two appearances due to an ankle injury that he sustained while avoiding a collision. “I feel snake-bitten right now,” said Ondrusek, who is vying for a spot in the Baltimore bullpen. Meanwhile, Baltimore is targeting March 17 for Chris Tillman’s first start of the spring. Shoulder trouble has slowed Tillman this offseason, and he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection back in December in an effort to accelerate the healing process.

AL East Notes: Alvarez, Tillman, Britton, Price, Sandoval

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Meanwhile, the Orioles are engineering a position change for former outfielder Dariel Alvarez, as Meoli further reports. The live-armed 28-year-old will go to minor-league camp and hopefully earn a job in the low minors as a reliever. Baltimore has had success with such transitions in the past, having done the same with current MLB hurler Mychal Givens — which also provides the team with a blueprint for Alvarez. While Alvarez will continue to spend some time working on his bat — he fell off in the power department last year but has been productive at times in the upper minors — the focus will turn to the mound. The timing of the move was driven by Alvarez’s contract situation, manage Buck Showalter suggested. “[L]ooking at the landscape, we don’t want his optionable status to come and go,” said Showalter. “Someone is going to do this at some point. We’ve got this year and next year to option him. Perfect world, he’s knocking on the door as a pitcher next year.”

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Key Orioles hurlers Chris Tillman (shoulder) and Zach Britton (oblique) appear to be progressing as hoped. As Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun tweets, the pair of hurlers just completed bullpens without issue, though it’s still not known when they’ll be ready for competitive action. Needless to say, the O’s are counting heavily on both pitchers, and will hope to see them take the mound in a spring contest sooner than later. For the time being, though, it’s encouraging that they’re continuing to maintain forward momentum.
  • Much the same situation holds true with regard to Red Sox southpaw David Price, who recently was diagnosed with a flexor strain and bone spurs. While it has only been a few days, he could be ready to throw again as soon as Friday if he feels up to it, manager John Farrell told reporters including Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). It still seems hard to imagine that Price will be able to ramp up in time to be ready for Opening Day — at least, while maintaining a sufficiently cautious approach — but the Red Sox are no doubt concerned more with avoiding any hiccups on his way back.
  • The Red Sox aren’t yet ready to declare Pablo Sandoval the starting third baseman, but Silverman argues the team ought to go ahead and acknowledge that fact. While the club couldn’t have been sure what it would see from Sandoval this spring, he has not only shown up in shape but has provided evidence that he’s ready to return to being an effective player. Whether Farrell is using the situation to maintain motivation, or has other reasons, he’s not ready to say that Sandoval has regained his job at the hot corner. And that’s just fine with Sandoval, who says that’s not his primary objective. “I do have goals, but my goals are to be healthy,” Sandoval tells Silverman. “If I’m healthy and continue to work, I think I can help my team win games.”

AL East Notes: Torres, Saltalamacchia, Leon, Hardy

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While there’s virtually no chance that Gleyber Torres will break camp with the Yankees, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that the 20-year-old’s advanced play against much older competition is an indicator that he could be in the Majors far sooner than most would’ve expected. Torres hit .270/.354/.421 as a 19-year-old in Class-A Advanced last season, and was named the league MVP in this year’s Arizona Fall League as well. If Chase Headley struggles for the first few months of the 2017 season and Torres thrives in the minors, Olney opines that the Yankees could be tempted to bring him to the Majors this season to play second base, with Starlin Castro shifting to the hot corner. Of course, it’s worth noting that Headley rebounded from a disastrous start to the 2016 season to hit .269/.344/.426 over his final 445 plate appearances. With two years and $26MM remaining on his contract and that strong finish last year, Headley doesn’t seem likely to be on a short leash.

More from the American League East…

  • Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith takes a look at Jarrod Saltalamacchia and the work he’s put in thus far in Spring Training to familiarize himself with the Blue Jays’ pitchers. Russell Martin has quickly taken to Saltalamacchia and is helping to advise him in any way possible as the two gear up for the 2017 campaign. The 31-year-old Saltalamacchia says he’s always had great respect for Martin but has seen that admiration grow even more due to Martin’s clubhouse presence, extra video work, extra bullpen sessions and other off-field factors. Both Martin and Saltalamacchia spoke about the importance of a catcher’s performance behind the plate, and Saltalamacchia is putting forth extra work to improve in that regard. One evaluator from another club tells Nicholson-Smith that the knocks on Saltalamacchia’s defense are a bit overstated, pegging him as a 45 defender (on the 20-80 scale). Nicholson-Smith notes that the Jays don’t yet know how much Salty will play in 2017, as they no longer need to rest Martin every fifth day to allow Josh Thole to catch R.A. Dickey. But, about 40 starts behind the plate seems plausible, per Nicholson-Smith.
  • Sandy Leon tells Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that even though he’s been characterized as a lock to make the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster, he’s not assuming anything in Spring Training. Leon, who has been optioned to the minors six times and designated for assignment on multiple occasions in his career, tells Abraham, “I don’t know how to think that way,” adding that nothing should be considered guaranteed. The 28-year-old Leon had the opportunity to play for his native Venezuela or his wife’s native Colombia in the World Baseball Classic but passed on both opportunities to better prepare for the 2017 season with Boston. Leon’s breakout season finished with a prolonged slump, though Abraham notes that Leon played 53 games in Winter Ball before the regular season and was working a starter’s workload for the first time in 2016, which may have caused him to wear down. Leon logged just four Winter Ball games this offseason and figures to start for the BoSox on Opening Day in 2017.
  • Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy had been projected to begin playing in spring games on March 10, but that may be a bit further delayed, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. The 34-year-old Hardy has been sidelined by some back issues but says he’s getting near full strength now. Hardy has yet to field grounders but expects to swing today. He tells Encina that he should have plenty of time to get up to speed and log 40 to 50 at-bats by the end of camp, which would put him in position to be ready for the season opener.
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