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Draft Notes: Stephenson, D’Backs, Twins, Rays

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The Diamondbacks announced that starting with this week’s draft, they will name their annual 34th round selection the “Cory Hahn 34th pick,” Jake Rill of MLB.com writes.  Hahn, who works in Arizona’s scouting department, suffered a fractured vertebrae after playing just three games as a freshman with Arizona State.  Before hiring him, the D’Backs selected Hahn with their 34th round pick (for his No. 34 jersey) in 2013.  “This is an extremely humbling gesture and an honor for not only myself, but my family as well,” Hahn said in a press release. “I’m beyond grateful to be a part of the D-backs family.”

Here’s a look at the latest draft news as we get set for Monday night…

  • High school catcher Tyler Stephenson has made a swift rise up many draft boards, including some speculation that the Diamondbacks may take him with the first overall pick.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic profiles Stephenson, who said that he has attended pre-draft workouts for the D’Backs, Braves and Phillies.
  • The revised slotting system instituted in 2012 has added another layer of difficulty for drafted high schoolers trying to decide if they’ll start their pro careers or play college ball, Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes.  Pirates starters Gerrit Cole and Vance Worley chose to attend college, while Max Moroff, a 16th-round pick in 2012, decided to go pro early and accepted a $300K bonus from the Bucs.
  • In a retrospective piece, ESPN.com’s Christina Kahrl chooses the top player chosen in each of the 50 previous amateur drafts.  While most of Kahrl’s choices came from the first couple of rounds, you can never tell where the next superstar might come from in any given draft, as evidenced by late choices like Albert Pujols, Ian Kinsler, Mark Buehrle or (most famously) Mike Piazza.

Earlier Updates

  • Scouting director Deric Ladnier says the Diamondbacks have settled on who they’ll take No. 1 overall tomorrow, but he’s not tipping his hand as to who it’ll be, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic tweets.  Ladnier says the club has reached out to five players to let them know they’re in consideration,  but none of them have been notified as to whether they’ll be the pick (link).  That group almost certainly includes the likes of Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson and Florida high school shortstop Brendan Rodgers.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan told reporters, including Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter) that he doesn’t know who the team will take with the No. 6 overall pick yet. “Not yet. Somebody is going to fall,” Ryan said.
  • The Rays know that they have to draft better this year than they have in recent years, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  Tampa Bay owns the No. 13 pick in tomorrow night’s first round of the draft, their highest pick since taking Tim Beckham No. 1 overall in 2008.   Within the article, Topkin looks back at the Rays’ 2011 class, which was supposed to shape the future of the franchise.  To date, that hasn’t been the case.
  • The Mariners don’t have a first round pick, but they expect plenty of talent to be there at No. 60, as Greg Johns of MLB.com writes.

Braves To Sign Dana Eveland

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The Braves have signed left-handed pitcher Dana Eveland to a minor league contract, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter links).  Eveland opted out of a minor league deal with the Red Sox last week.

Eveland, a client of Page Odle at PSI Sports Management, returned to Major League Baseball last season after spending the 2013 campaign pitching for the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. His return to MLB was a successful one, as he made 30 appearances with the Mets and worked to a 2.63 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in 27 1/3 innings.

Despite his performance, Eveland wound up settling for a minor league deal with the Red Sox this past offseason.  The 31-year-old pitched rather well in 23 1/3 innings at Triple-A Pawtucket this season, compiling a 1.54 ERA with 20 strikeouts and three walks.

As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted at the time of his signing with Boston, Eveland replaced his four-seamer with a two-seam fastball and more sliders than ever last season, and the results were positive.  Now with a different team, he’ll look to bring that mix of pitches to the big league level once again.

The Braves signed another veteran on a minor league pact less than 24 hours ago when they inked David Aardsma.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Frieri, Veal

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Here’s a look at the latest outright assignments..

  • The Rays outrighted Ernesto Frieri to Triple-A Durham, according to the MLB.com transactions page.  Frieri signed a one-year, $800K deal to join the Rays this winter but was designated for assignment last week.  The 29-year-old worked to a 4.63 ERA over 23 1/3 innings for Tampa Bay, striking out 7.3 and walking 4.2 batters per nine.
  • The Braves sent left-handed reliever Donnie Veal outright to their Triple-A affiliate, according to the transactions page.  Veal, 30, was also designated for assignment by the Braves back on May 5 and accepted an outright assignment to remain with the club.  The former second-round draft pick (Cubs, 2005) has appeared in five games with the Braves this year and allowed runs in each of them — seven total in just 4 1/3 innings. He has a career 5.48 ERA in the Majors, but he has a track record of success in the minors.
  • To keep up with the status of players who are designated for assignment, check out MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.

Braves Sign Aardsma To Minor League Deal

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The Braves have signed right-handed reliever David Aardsma to a minor league deal, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. He opted out of his contract with the Dodgers on June 1. With Los Angeles’ Triple-A affiliate, Aardsma posted a 2.41 ERA with 11.09 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9 in 18 and two-thirds innings. He will report to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Aardsma last appeared in the majors with the Mets in 2013. Over his career, he has a 4.23 ERA with 8.96 K/9 and 4.97 BB/9. His best seasons came with the Mariners in 2009 through 2010 when he collected 69 saves in 121 innings. A hip injury and Tommy John surgery caused him to miss most of the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

The Braves bullpen is the worst in the majors by conventional measures. Adding Aardsma is a savvy, low risk move for the club. Atlanta has used 16 relievers, and they have contributed a league worst 5.03 ERA. Advanced metrics like SIERA and xFIP rate the club between the second and fifth worst bullpen.

Jason Grilli and Jim Johnson have acquitted themselves nicely in the late innings, but the front end of the bullpen remains in disarray. Given the state of affairs in Atlanta, Aardsma should have an opportunity to rejoin the majors.

Braves Designate Eric Young Jr. For Assignment

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The Braves announced today that they have activated first baseman/outfielder Joey Terdoslavich from the 15-day disabled list and designated outfielder Eric Young Jr. for assignment in order to clear space on the roster.

Young, who turned 30 roughly two weeks ago, made the Braves’ roster out of Spring Training after being in camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract. He was expected to see significant time in the outfield due to Melvin Upton’s foot injury, but the Braves’ late acquisition of Cameron Maybin in the trade that sent Upton and Craig Kimbrel to the Padres cut into his potential playing time. Maybin has been excellent in his first season in Atlanta, while Young has batted just .169/.229/.273 in 85 trips to the plate with the Braves.

As MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets, Terdoslavich hasn’t played much yet on his rehab assignment, but the Braves have been looking to bolster their bench for quite some time. In fact, Bowman further tweets that Young likely would have been designated in May had it not been for an oblique injury to Kelly Johnson — another veteran whose strong performance cut into Young’s expected playing time.

Terdoslavich, 26, hasn’t hit much in his limited Major League career to date, but he’s batted .261/.328/.419 in 1135 Triple-A plate appearances over parts of three seasons and had stronger numbers than that when cutting his teeth at the Double-A level.

Braves Seeking Bullpen Upgrades

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The Braves are trying to trade for upgrades in what has been a shaky bullpen, reports David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter), but the team is reluctant to part with young talent or pay significant money in order to make it happen.

Clearly, that hesitance will make it rather difficult to procure a meaningful upgrade by way of trade. The Braves’ farm system has improved rapidly over the past eight months thanks in large part to a strong offseason rebuilding effort from new president of baseball operations John Hart. It’s logical that Hart, having only recently collected so much minor league talent, would be loath to part with meaningful future assets when his goal has seemingly been to build a sustainable core for the future as opposed to putting an immediate contender on the field.

Nevertheless, the Braves are just one game under .500 after today’s loss to the Diamondbacks — a loss, mind you, that was incurred when the bullpen failed to protect a two-run lead over the game’s final three innings. With a collective bullpen ERA of 4.71 (worst in the Majors), it’s easy to make the argument that with a more effective relief corps, the Braves could be vying for a share of the NL East division lead. They are, after all, just three games out of first despite having traded Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Craig Kimbrel and David Carpenter this offseason.

Carpenter, for what it’s worth, was designated for assignment by the Yankees just today, making him a plausible target for the Braves to re-acquire if they feel a reunion with pitching coach Roger McDowell can sort out the troubles that he incurred in New York. Carpenter yielded 10 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings with the Yankees and saw his strong K/9 rate nearly halved while his walk rate went in the other direction. He did maintain his velocity, however, and he’s earning a reasonable $1.275MM salary, of which about $864K remains. Relievers Sergio Santos and David Huff are also in DFA limbo, though neither has had any sort of consistent track record in recent years.

If the Braves are simply looking for fresh arms, they could also consider exploring a group of pitchers that have recently opted out of their contracts. Juan Gutierrez, Robert Coello and Dana Eveland all come with varying degrees of MLB experience (Gutierrez and Eveland have significantly more than Coello), and veteran David Aardsma may or may not opt out of his Dodgers contract once the team’s 72-hour window to add him to the 25-man roster expires tomorrow.

Beyond these names, it is admittedly difficult to conjure up realistic possibilities given O’Brien’s stated restrictions. While the Phillies and Brewers are a pair of very likely sellers this summer, the obvious trade candidates on each club — Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Broxton — all come with considerable financial commitments. Despite the fact that it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which the team can successfully upgrade the bullpen while parting with little value, it’s telling that the team is even thinking in terms of adding assets. Entering the season, most pundits (myself included) pegged the Braves as an eventual seller, but for the time being, that doesn’t seem to be the direction in which they’re headed.

Quick Hits: Opt-Outs, Correia, Draft, Rodriguez, Braves

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June 1 (that’s Monday) is a popular opt-out date, with multiple players having the chance to become free agents if not elevated to the big league roster. Chris Cotillo of SB Nation ran down a few of those on Twitter: David Aardsma of the Dodgers, Juan Gutierrez and Kevin Correia of the Giants, Rich Hill of the Nationals, and Brad Penny of the White Sox. (He also lists Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but he’s now up with the D’Backs.) As MLBTR’s Steve Adams notes (Twitter links), Aardsma is throwing quite well at Triple-A, and could well end up opting out — making him a nice target for teams in need of an arm.

  • One player who is very likely to find a new home is the Giants’ Correia, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com tweets. Correia will likely be released today, says Crasnick, as the team doesn’t have a need for his services at the big league level. He has been effective thus far at Triple-A, throwing 37 2/3 innings of 3.58 ERA ball over six starts and posting 6.0 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.
  • The upcoming draft is not going to feature two eligible players, as righty/first baseman Luken Baker will head to TCU and center fielder Kevin Collard intends to play at San Diego, per Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs (Twitter link). Kiley rated Baker the 40th-best prospect available, noting that he could end up as either a pitcher or position player.
  • In a recent chat, Ben Badler of Baseball America addressed the question of how Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez (read more on him here) stacks up against current minor leaguers. Badler says that, while some teams place a higher value on Rodriguez’s skillset (weak bat, good fielding and speed) than do others, he wouldn’t place him within the game’s 200 best prospects.
  • Badler also says that he hears the Braves are planning to make a huge push in the international market — not this coming July 2, but next. Atlanta seems to be hoping to take advantage of the fact that several big-spending teams will be restricted from giving out $300K+ bonuses in that market.
  • Roc Nation has hired former Excel agent Kyle Thousand to head up its baseball representation operations as managing director, Crasnick tweets.

NL East Notes: Montreal, Mets, Hamels, Strasburg, Peraza

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Movement towards a possible return of Major League Baseball to Montreal continues to build, though important questions like “how?” and “when?” remain to be answered in the future. Montreal mayor Denis Coderre met yesterday with commissioner Rob Manfred, as Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports. Coderre said he hoped to convey the city’s “political will” to land a franchise, calling the meeting “the beginning” of that process. “I think what we need to do is establish a roadmap,” said Coderre. “Our enthusiasm for this project is clear. We love the sport. We’re serious about it. This isn’t just a gesture. … I don’t know about a timeframe, but this is a town for baseball, and we’re keeping the flame.”

  • The Mets have weathered the loss of several key relievers fairly well: the unit has combined for the fifth-best pen ERA in baseball. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, New York can look ahead to the addition of Jenrry Mejia, Vic Black, Bobby Parnell, and Jerry Blevins, to say nothing of young starters like Rafael Montero and Steven Matz. While there’s plenty of uncertainty in that group, there is some upside, and Sherman says that could free the team to put its resources toward the acquisition of a hitter over the summer.
  • With the mid-season trade market looming, the landscape has changed for the Phillies and ace Cole Hamels, Jake Kaplan of the Philadelphia Inquirer observes. He looks at the Cardinals, Dodgers, and Red Sox as possible landing spots, though certainly those clubs could be in on other arms and would very likely face other competition on Hamels if they choose to pursue him. Things are shaping up rather well for Philadelphia, on the whole: the 31-year-old leads the league with 74 1/3 innings and has produced a 2.91 ERA with 9.2 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9.
  • The Nationals have placed Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day DL as he continues to deal with neck and back issues, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com reports (links to Twitter). The team is “perplexed” as to the cause of the problems, per Kolko, particularly since the most recent stiffness has arisen on the opposite side of his body than that which occurred just weeks ago. While the hope is that Strasburg will only miss the minimum fifteen days, it seems time to attempt to identify the root cause.
  • Top Braves prospect Jose Peraza, a second baseman by trade, is spending increasing time at center field for the club’s Triple-A affiliate, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. For now, the intent seems only to increase his defensive flexibility. The club has been impressed with young second baseman Jace Peterson, and Bowman explains that the team does not see either as an option at third. Of course, Cameron Maybin has shown new life in Atlanta out in center — a subject that David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution discussed with me on last week’s MLBTR podcast — but this move opens new possibilities for Atlanta.

Braves To Sign Ryan Lavarnway

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The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Ryan Lavarnway, Kevin McAlpin of the Braves Radio Network tweets. Lavarnway had elected free agency after being outrighted by the Orioles.

Lavarnway, 27, will join options such as the veteran Wil Nieves at Gwinnett. He could become an option at the major league level if young backstop Christian Bethancourt continues to struggle with Atlanta. Bethancourt has already lost playing time to A.J. Pierzynski, and the team may prefer to give him more regular playing time to re-discover his stroke.

Of course, Lavarnway himself is a former prospect who has yet to reach the lofty ceiling he once seemed to offer. At least on paper, Lavarnway has moved around quite a bit since the end of his tenure with the Red Sox last November, but he’s only appeared in action for the Orioles. In a sporadic 32 big league plate appearances this year, he slashed a meager .107/.219/.143.

NL Notes: Dahl, Adams, Dodgers, Uribe

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Rockies outfield prospect David Dahl suffered serious injuries in a collision today and is undergoing surgery on his spleen, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links). Dahl, the club’s top prospect according to Baseball America, likely also has a concussion and broken rib. Needless to say, the immediate concern is with Dahl’s personal well-being, and MLBTR extends its best wishes to him and his family.

  • Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams is set to miss most or all of the rest of the regular season, a topic that MLBTR’s Steve Adams and I discussed on today’s podcast. Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks at the topic in depth, as well, in an excellent piece. He notes that there is not as much urgency as one might think: the team is playing well regardless, Adams was not exactly a driving force in the first two months, and Mark Reynolds is worthy of an extended look. That being said, if and when the Cardinals do look for an upgrade, Miklasz says the club should not limit itself either to left-handed hitters or to traditional first basemen. There’s plenty more of interest in the article, and I recommend a full read (and a listen to the podcast, of course).
  • The Dodgers’ bullpen has been something of a revelation, but it is being taxed even with Kenley Jansen back for duty, Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes. Los Angeles starters are in the middle of the pack in terms of total innings, notes Saxon, who says that could be by design — at least in part. The team’s relief corps has shown some cracks, though its incredible start was unsustainable as a general matter. If the Dodgers’ front office is indeed dictating increased bullpen use for strategic purposes, that would also help explain the club’s rather notable hording of relief arms in recent weeks.
  • Now-former Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe, who was recently traded to the Braves, says that he never personally requested a deal, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group reports. “When I had the conversation with [Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman] I didn’t demand anything,” said Uribe. “I didn’t ask to play every day. I just wanted to know what my role was.” Friedman had indicated that Uribe’s agent had indicated that a trade to open playing time would be preferred. Of course, it’s important to bear in mind that neither side has expressed bitterness and that there’s room for truth both ways. Friedman indicated that he had been conveyed something of a suggestion of a deal from Uribe’s representatives, rather than a demand of a deal from Uribe himself.
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