Headlines

  • Blue Jays To Sign George Springer
  • Angels To Sign Jose Quintana
  • Blue Jays, Kirby Yates Agree To Deal
  • Don Sutton Passes Away
  • White Sox Sign Liam Hendriks
  • Mets Fire GM Jared Porter
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Billy Hamilton

Cubs Option Jose Martinez

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2020 at 4:22pm CDT

The Cubs have optioned recently acquired first baseman/outfielder/designated hitter Jose Martinez, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune was among those to report. The move cleared 28-man roster space for just-claimed outfielder Billy Hamilton.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see Martinez headed to the Cubs’ alternate training site so soon, as they landed him from the Rays in advance of the Aug. 31 trade deadline. But Martinez has gone without a hit in 15 plate appearances since then, continuing a season-long run of subpar production for a player who was largely a valuable part of the Cardinals’ offense from 2016-19. Martinez recorded a .298/.363/.458 line in 1,288 plate appearances with St. Louis, but he has mustered a far weaker .198/.286/.321 mark in 96 PA this year between Tampa and Chicago.

Martinez has lined up as a DH since the Cubs traded for him, but with other credible options there (including Victor Caratini, Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras), they no longer felt the need to spend a roster spot on someone who has slumped throughout 2020. Hamilton won’t exactly give the team an offensive juggernaut, either, but the speedster is at least a high-grade defender and base runner.

Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton Chicago Cubs Jose Martinez

43 comments

Cubs Claim Billy Hamilton

By TC Zencka | September 7, 2020 at 1:08pm CDT

The Chicago Cubs claimed Billy Hamilton off waivers from the Mets today, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com (via Twitter). The Cubs also added Ildemaro Vargas to the active roster and designated Matt Dermody for assignment. Bastian also reports that the Pedro Strop deal is official.

Hamilton, in the conversation for the fastest player in baseball, joins his third team of the 2020 season, though he was DFA’ed by the Giants before the start of the season. With the Mets, Hamilton appeared in 17 games, but saw just 25 plate appearances. He was unable to muster much at the dish, slashing .045/.083/.045 in that time. Hamilton did steal 3 bases in 4 attempts, which might be a better gauge of his success at this point in his career. He appeared 6 times as a pinch-runner for the Mets.

Hamilton could serve as a defensive option late in games for the Cubs in center, but his primary usage should be as a pinch-runner. The Cubs have Ian Happ playing most days in center with Albert Almora, Cameron Maybin, and Nico Hoerner used when Happ needs a day off or moves around the diamond. Any of those three might be used at times to run, but none have the speed of Hamilton. He’ll fill the role of a late-inning burner that’s been filled by Quintin Berry and Jarrod Dyson in the post, notes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Dermody made just one appearance for the Cubs, pitching a scoreless ninth in yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals. The 30-year-old lefty was signed as a free agent early in August. He’ll now be exposed to waivers.

Vargas, 29, has been through a whirlwind 2020. After starting the season with the Diamondbacks, the Twins purchased his contract from Arizona, but then lost him to the Cubs on waivers about a month later. He didn’t see extended playing time with either team, slashing .190/.222/.263 across 45 plate appearances split between Arizona and Minnesota. The switch-hitter gives the Cubs another versatile bat for their bench.

Additionally, the Cubs added Duncan Robinson to their 60-man player pool and released catcher Jose Lobaton.They have one open spot in their player pool. Robinson, 26, is a big-bodied right-handed pitcher who spent four years at Dartmouth before being drafted by the Cubs in the 9th round of the 2016 draft. He has yet to pitch in the majors.

Share 0 Retweet 17 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton Chicago Cubs New York Mets Transactions

96 comments

Mets Designate Billy Hamilton For Assignment

By Connor Byrne | September 4, 2020 at 4:59pm CDT

The Mets have designated outfielder Billy Hamilton for assignment, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report.

New York acquired Hamilton from San Francisco just over a month ago, but the move failed to pay dividends for the Mets. The soon-to-be 30-year-old Hamilton wound up going 1-for-22 as a Met before they designated him, and his stint with the team may have ended Thursday when he came in as a pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth against the Yankees and was thrown out trying to steal third with no outs. Fortunately for the Mets, J.D. Davis then homered to tie the game, and they went on to defeat the Yankees in extra innings.

Base-running mistakes weren’t what the Mets bargained for when they landed Hamilton, who has more than held his own on the base paths since debuting with the Reds in 2013. The speedy Hamilton has 302 steals on 382 attempts on his resume, and he has also provided excellent defense in center field with 75 DRS and a 55.8 UZR. But an inability to contribute passable numbers with the bat has held back the switch-hitting Hamilton, owner of a .241/.295/.324 line with 21 home runs in 3,114 plate appearances.

Share 0 Retweet 13 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton New York Mets Transactions

59 comments

Mets Place Robinson Cano On Injured List, Activate Billy Hamilton

By Steve Adams | August 4, 2020 at 10:41pm CDT

10:41pm: Cano will be on the shelf “until at least mid-August,” DiComo tweets.

6:15pm: The Mets have placed second baseman Robinson Cano on the 10-day injured list due to a Grade 2 left adductor strain and selected the contract of Billy Hamilton, who’ll be on the bench for tonight’s game (Twitter links via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). DiComo adds that Jeff McNeil (intercostal strain) and Amed Rosario (quad tightness) are both day-to-day.

There’s no telling just how long Cano will be sidelined at this point, but any type of Grade 2 strain (as opposed to a more mild Grade 1 strain) is cause for concern regarding an extended absence. His injury is particularly unfortunate for the Mets given that the 37-year-old had gotten out to a blistering start. In his first 39 plate appearances, Cano was hitting at a torrid .412/.462/.559 clip with a homer and two doubles. While it’s inevitable that he’d have cooled off to some extent, Cano also ranked among the game’s best in terms of hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, and his swinging-strike rate was among the lowest in MLB.

Despite the addition of the designated hitter in the National League, Cano has been the team’s primary second baseman. Yoenis Cespedes had been serving as the regular designated hitter, but he opted out of the remainder of the season over the weekend. With Cano, Jed Lowrie and Jeff McNeil all on the injured list, regular second-base duties for the Mets seem likeliest to fall to top prospect Andres Gimenez and veteran Brian Dozier, who inked a minor league deal late in Summer Camp and was selected to the Mets’ roster last week. Dozier is batting sixth in tonight’s lineup against lefty Patrick Corbin, but the makings of a natural platoon with the left-handed-hitting Gimenez are present. Of course, that’s contingent on Rosario returning to the lineup; Gimenez and Dozier could each draw regular starts as double play partners while Rosario is out.

As for Hamilton, he was acquired over the weekend in a trade that sent recently outrighted reliever Jordan Humphreys to the Giants. He’ll jump right onto the Mets’ big league roster and provide some speed and elite glovework off the bench. Brandon Nimmo is still lined up for everyday work in center, and he’ll be flanked by J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto to begin most games. Hamilton’s role is perhaps the same role the Mets envisioned for offseason acquisition Jake Marisnick, but he’s currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain.

Share 0 Retweet 2 Send via email0

Amed Rosario Billy Hamilton Jeff McNeil New York Mets Robinson Cano Transactions

21 comments

Mets Acquire Billy Hamilton From Giants For Jordan Humphreys

By Mark Polishuk | August 2, 2020 at 10:38am CDT

The Mets and Giants have agreed to a trade that will sent veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton to New York in exchange for right-hander Jordan Humphreys, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link).

After signing a minor league deal with San Francisco in February, Hamilton will move on without ever officially suiting up for the club.  Hamilton’s chances of making the Opening Day roster were likely scuttled by an injured list stint that caused him to miss over a week of the Giants’ Summer Camp.

Hamilton’s heralded center field glove will be a boost to a Mets team that recently lost Jake Marisnick to a hamstring strain, leaving the team defensively short-handed in the outfield and without a late-game sub for Brandon Nimmo in center.  Beyond defense, Hamilton’s blazing speed gives the Mets a strong candidate for pinch-running situations, and potential usage as the automatic runner at second base in extra-inning games.

Humphreys was designated for assignment earlier this week, ending his Mets tenure after 169 2/3 innings since being selected in the 18th round of the 2015 draft.  Only two of those innings have come since June 2017, however, as Humphreys missed almost two full years due to Tommy John surgery and ulnar nerve surgery.  MLB Pipeline has already ranked Humphreys as the 23rd-best prospect in the Giants’ farm system and credits the righty with a plus fastball, though “San Francisco probably won’t know exactly what it has in Humphreys until he returns to game action in 2021.”  Essentially, the Giants are taking a flier on a young arm in exchange for a veteran who wasn’t in their plans.

Share 0 Retweet 9 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton Jordan Humphreys New York Mets San Francisco Giants Transactions

78 comments

Giants News & Notes: Longo, Belt, Hamilton, Madero, Bishop

By Connor Byrne | July 17, 2020 at 3:04pm CDT

The Giants may have to open the season without their starting corner infielders, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group explains. First baseman Brandon Belt is dealing with a right heel problem, and third baseman Evan Longoria has a moderate oblique strain.

Manager Gabe Kapler said Belt took groundballs and ran Thursday, but he gave no timeline for when Belt or Longoria could make their season debuts. Pablo Sandoval and Wilmer Flores, who each have first and third base experience, seem like logical fill-in candidates if the Giants are shorthanded at one or both positions. Right now, it does seem as though the Giants will be without a good portion of their most established veterans on Opening Day. Before Belt and Longoria were in jeopardy, they lost Buster Posey for the entire season when he decided to opt out a week ago.

In better news for the club, outfielder Billy Hamilton and righty Luis Madero were cleared Thursday to participate, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic relayed (Twitter links). Hamilton landed on the injured list for an undisclosed medical reason July 9, while Madero tested positive for COVID-19 on July 3. Between the two, only Hamilton had a chance at a season-opening roster spot, but because of the time he missed, Kapler no longer sees that as a realistic possibility.

Outfield prospect Hunter Bishop was another of the Giants’ recent positive COVID tests, but he’s also coming along. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that Bishop “feels great” and hasn’t dealt with any symptoms of late. But Bishop hasn’t rejoined the team because, as Schulman writes, he has had “trouble navigating the testing process in Arizona to get the negative tests he needs to be activated.”

Share 0 Retweet 7 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton Brandon Belt Evan Longoria Hunter Bishop Luis Madero San Francisco Giants

27 comments

Giants Place Billy Hamilton, Jarlin Garcia On Injured List

By Steve Adams | July 9, 2020 at 10:16pm CDT

The Giants have placed outfielder Billy Hamilton and left-hander Jarlin Garcia on the injured list, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters Thursday (Twitter link via Kerry Crowley of the San Jose Mercury News). Kapler could not specify beyond acknowledging that the moves were for “medical purposes.”

The immediate speculation will gravitate toward COVID-19, though it’s certainly possible that one or even both are dealing with other issues. Teams generally disclose injury details, but broader medical concerns that force players away from the field are often kept vague. It should also be pointed out that even when a player is placed on the COVID-19 IL, that does not necessarily indicate he has tested positive. Players can be placed on the IL after exhibiting symptoms or coming into contact with someone who has tested positive. The exact circumstances surrounding the IL placements of Hamilton and Garcia are unknown, but the hope, as always, is that both can return to the field swiftly and in good health.

Both Hamilton and Garcia are newcomers to the Giants organization. Hamilton, the longtime Reds center fielder, is among baseball’s fastest players and brings a superlative glove to a team that plays in one of the game’s most cavernous stadiums (Oracle Park). He signed a minor league deal with an invite to Major League Spring Training back in the offseason but was widely expected to win a roster spot from the early days of camp.

The 29-year-old Hamilton batted just .218/.289/.275 in 353 plate appearances between the Royals and Braves last year, but he was flat-out excellent in the field, as usual. Despite playing a career-low 826 innings in the field, Hamilton logged eight Defensive Runs Saved, a 7.9 Ultimate Zone Rating and seven Outs Above Average (per Statcast).

Garcia, meanwhile, was claimed off waivers in February. The 27-year-old was somewhat of a surprise DFA by the Marlins, as he’d pitched to a 3.02 ERA in 50 2/3 frames the prior season. Garcia’s peripheral numbers weren’t quite as pretty; he posted a 3.77 FIP and 4.74 xFIP while averaging 6.9 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. Garcia also benefited from a .248 average on balls in play, although that’s right in line with his career mark to date. Even if there’s some regression in store down the line, he’s controllable for another four seasons, so it’s easy to see why the Giants were happy to take a risk-free flier on the southpaw.

Share 0 Retweet 6 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton Jarlin Garcia San Francisco Giants

41 comments

Giants Release, Re-Sign Four Players

By George Miller | June 28, 2020 at 1:23pm CDT

As a procedural move, the Giants have released Pablo Sandoval, Trevor Cahill, Yolmer Sanchez, and Billy Hamilton, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Not to worry, though: all four are expected to re-sign with the team on new minor league contracts and join the Giants for renewed Spring Training.

Evidently, these roster moves are simply technicalities and won’t affect the players’ standing with the club. The precise motivation for reworking the quartet’s contracts is unclear, but speculatively may be related to opt-out clauses in the minor league deals to which they were previously signed.

Share 0 Retweet 5 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton Pablo Sandoval San Francisco Giants Transactions Trevor Cahill Yolmer Sanchez

43 comments

AL West Notes: Rangers, Dyson, Hamilton, Taijuan, Diaz, A’s

By Mark Polishuk | February 13, 2020 at 8:28pm CDT

The Rangers talked with Jarrod Dyson and Billy Hamilton before the two veteran outfielders respectively signed with the Pirates and Giants, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes.  The Rangers didn’t have any talks with Kevin Pillar prior to Pillar’s agreement with the Red Sox.  Center field is still something of a question area for Texas heading into the 2020 season, as utilityman Danny Santana is slated to handle the position, but with Scott Heineman, Joey Gallo, and perhaps Nick Solak on hand to share in some of the center field duties.

Additional help may not be imminent, as GM Jon Daniels told Wilson and other reporters “there’s nothing that is front-burner right now that I’m expecting to come to a head this spring.  There will be a lot of conversations, I’m sure.”  This doesn’t close the door on a new acquisition, of course, even if that new player may be more of a part-timer than a star (such as Kris Bryant, who has also been widely linked to the Rangers on the rumor mill.)  The versatile Santana is the answer in center field for the time being, though “we have to decide how we’re going to go about it,” Daniels said.  “I think Danny comes in with the expectation he’ll get the bulk of the playing time out there, but we also like him in that versatile role.  There’s a little bit of give there.  We have to make a call.”

More from around the AL West…

  • Taijuan Walker is back with the Mariners after signing a one-year deal with the club worth $2MM in guaranteed money, rejoining the team that originally drafted him in 2010 and, after four MLB seasons, dealt him to the Diamondbacks in the 2016-17 offseason.  Looking back on his initial stint with the M’s, “I had a lot of stuff to learn,” Walker told the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other media.  “I don’t think I did very good job here of doing what I need to do become the best pitcher I could be.  I definitely slacked off and just didn’t put the work in.”  The trade inspired Walker to work harder in Arizona, plus he was further motivated by “good vets that kept on me — just having Zack Greinke over there, a bunch of guys who were really hungry and ready to work.”  It could be said that Walker’s injury problems have also aided in the maturity process, as the right-hander has tossed only 14 innings totals over the 2018-19 seasons due to both Tommy John surgery and shoulder issues.  The need to re-acclimate himself to pitching played a role in Walker’s decision to sign with Seattle, since “I’m comfortable here.  I haven’t pitched in two years, so I wanted somewhere where I can come in and kind of take my time.  I don’t have to rush.”  Another positive factor was the Mariners’ hire of Kyle Torgerson as head athletic trainer, as Torgerson previously worked for the Diamondbacks and is already familiar with Walker.  “I’m comfortable with him.  He knows my body.  He knows what I have to do to stay healthy,” Walker said.
  • The arbitration hearing between Aledmys Diaz and the Astros is scheduled for February 17, The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan tweets.  This is Diaz’s first of three trips through the arb process, and the utilityman submitted a $2.6MM figure while the team countered with $2MM.  Acquired from the Blue Jays for Trent Thornton last winter, Diaz hit well (.271/.356/.467 with nine homers) in his first year in Houston but was limited to 247 plate appearances and 69 games, largely due to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for almost two months.  Diaz is one of two Astros players who didn’t reach an agreement with the club prior to the filing deadline, though the Astros sidestepped a hearing with George Springer by agreeing to a one-year, $21MM deal with the star outfielder last month.
  • The Athletics brought a catcher to their Major League spring camp, though it was non-roster invite and former Oakland Double-A backstop Collin Theroux rather than one of the well-known veterans the club reportedly has under consideration.  “It probably looks like we go forward with the group we have right now,” manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and other reporters, with Theroux joining Austin Allen, Jonah Heim, Carlos Perez, Ronnie Freeman, and presumptive starter Sean Murphy at Spring Training.  There isn’t much collective MLB experience in this group, which is why the A’s have looked into the likes of Russell Martin as a seasoned backup (and mentor) to Murphy, who the A’s see as their catcher of the future.
Share 0 Retweet 1 Send via email0

Aledmys Diaz Billy Hamilton Danny Santana Houston Astros Jarrod Dyson Kevin Pillar Notes Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Taijuan Walker Texas Rangers

28 comments

Giants Sign Billy Hamilton

By Jeff Todd | February 7, 2020 at 3:57pm CDT

The Giants announced today that they have signed veteran center fielder Billy Hamilton. He’ll receive a minor-league deal with an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

It seems the speedy Hamilton will represent a 26th-man option as an occasional fill-in and late-inning speed-and-defense contributor. But he could also challenge Steven Duggar in camp to be the left-handed side of the team’s center field mix.

Hamilton, a seven-year MLB vet, is still just 29 years of age. He isn’t quite the unreal threat on the bases he once was, but Hamilton remains a top-line performer when not gripping a bat.

Unfortunately, the offensive numbers remain ugly for Hamilton. He has now taken over three thousand trips to the plate at the game’s highest level, with a .242/.297/.326 slash to show for it. Last year was rougher still (.218/.289/.275).

Share 0 Retweet 11 Send via email0

Billy Hamilton San Francisco Giants Transactions

86 comments
Load More Posts
Show all

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Blue Jays To Sign George Springer

    Angels To Sign Jose Quintana

    Blue Jays, Kirby Yates Agree To Deal

    Don Sutton Passes Away

    White Sox Sign Liam Hendriks

    Mets Fire GM Jared Porter

    Padres Acquire Joe Musgrove In 3-Team Trade

    Nationals To Sign Jon Lester

    Phillies Sign Archie Bradley

    Yankees, Corey Kluber Agree To Deal

    Recent

    Blue Jays To Sign George Springer

    Angels To Sign Jose Quintana

    Latest On George Springer, Blue Jays

    Blue Jays, Kirby Yates Agree To Deal

    Trade/FA Notes: Santander, Profar, Bart, Yates, T. Williams

    Don Sutton Passes Away

    Rangers Sign Hunter Wood To Minor League Deal

    Alderson: Mets Won’t Hire New GM This Offseason

    Pitching Rumors: Hand, Jeffress, Anibal, Teheran

    White Sox Sign Liam Hendriks

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Trevor Bauer Rumors
    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • J.T. Realmuto Rumors
    • Marcell Ozuna Rumors
    • Masahiro Tanaka Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Indians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

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

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version