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Orioles Notes: Snider, Wright, Gonzalez, Kim

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Ryan Powell’s pro baseball career consisted of four seasons in independent leagues before becoming a scout in 2013, and his mother Wendy never got to see her son play his final game.  With Wendy now suffering from brain cancer, the Orioles arranged for Powell (the club’s head of independent scouting) to play an inning during the team’s intrasquad game on Tuesday with both his parents in attendance.  MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli has the full story, which includes information on how you can donate to various cancer charities by bidding on one of Powell’s specialty bats, autographed by several MLB players.  Here’s more from Baltimore…

  • While the Orioles may still add a left-handed hitting outfielder and a lefty reliever, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko doesn’t expect the club to bring back former Orioles Travis Snider or Wesley Wright.  Snider and Wright are both free agents after being recently cut by the Royals and Diamondbacks, respectively.
  • The release of Miguel Gonzalez wasn’t a popular move within the Orioles clubhouse, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes, as Gonzalez was extremely well-liked by his teammates.  There was “a lot of anger” about the move both yesterday and today, Ghiroli tweets, and “guys are upset, shocked by the whole thing.”  The transaction has logic from a business perspective, as Gonzalez hasn’t pitched well and the O’s could recoup around $4MM of Gonzalez’s $5.1MM salary by releasing him now (or they could get the entire salary off the books if the righty is claimed by another team).  Gonzalez also had a minor league option remaining, however, so Baltimore’s decision to release him instead of sending him to Triple-A “has to scare practically every player in that clubhouse,” as Encina writes.
  • The Orioles have had their share of messy situations this spring, Encina noted in another article, including the fact that $7MM investment Hyun Soo Kim likely won’t make the Opening Day roster.  Kim’s contract stipulates that he can’t be optioned to the minors, and while the Orioles got out of a similar situation with another Korean player in Suk Min Yoon two years ago, that move was helped by Yoon being able to find a higher salary with a Korea Baseball Organization team.  According to Encina, the O’s are having a tough time finding a KBO club willing to top Kim’s $7MM salary over the next two seasons.  Between Kim, Yoon and the Orioles’ controversial signing of pitcher Seong-min Kim a few years ago, Encina wonders if the team is hurting its chances of signing future Korean talent.

East Notes: Rickard, Banuelos, Eveland

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Outfielder Joey Rickard has been told that he’s made the Orioles’ roster, Roch Kubatko of MASN tweets. Of course, it comes as little surprise that Rickard, a Rule 5 pick from the Tampa Bay organization, would make the team after batting .390/.463/.576 this spring. Rickard could be having a significant impact on the Orioles’ roster composition, too, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan recently noted. Hyun Soo Kim is unlikely to make the Orioles’ 25-man and his immediate future is unclear, and while Kim’s .182/.229/.182 performance this spring is part of the reason why, but Rickard is part of the reason too. As Sullivan notes, Rickard doesn’t have much power (he only had two home runs all of last season in the minors) but was successful last year thanks to his abilities to hit for contact and control the strike zone. Rickard might also be able to add value with his defense and baserunning. If everything goes right, that could make him similar, as a player, to the late Ryan Freel, who was surprisingly productive for the Reds from 2003 through 2006. Here’s more from the East divisions.

  • Braves lefty Manny Banuelos is fighting elbow soreness, and there’s no timetable for his return, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. A recent MRI indicated there was no damage, but the Braves are determining their plan for Banuelos, who had Tommy John surgery three years ago and had surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow last September. Banuelos, who was competing for a job in the Braves’ rotation, says he doesn’t think his current soreness is a huge problem. “Doesn’t feel like it, but we’ll see,” he says. “I’m not worried too much. I wish I could pitch, man.”
  • Rays lefty Dana Eveland has an opt-out Friday, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Eveland is competing for a role in the Rays’ bullpen and has gotten good results in Spring Training, striking out eight batters and walking three in 10 2/3 innings while allowing three runs, none earned. He signed a minor-league deal with the team in September.

Angels Acquire Chris Jones From Orioles

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The Orioles announced that they have acquired minor league outfielder Natanael Delgado and infielder Erick Salcedo from the Angels in exchange for right-hander Chris Jones.

Jones, 27, was designated for assignment less than a week ago.  Now, he has been traded for the third time in his career.  As Tim Dierkes noted on Wednesday, Jones was sent by the Indians to the Braves in October 2011 in the Derek Lowe trade. In April 2013, he was traded from Atlanta to the Orioles for Luis Ayala.  Last year, Jones made 22 starts and eight relief appearances for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate.  In that span, he posted a 2.94 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.  Jones will help provide rotational depth in Triple-A, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (on Twitter).

Delgado, 20, was ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the Angels’ system after the 2014 season by Baseball America.  Delgado signed with the Angels for $280K in 2012 and has tacked on muscle mass and strength since then, per BA.  Blessed with “extremely strong hands and above-average bat speed,” Baseball America believes that he’ll have to improve his hitting in order to have value going forward.

Salcedo, 23 in June, has seen time at shortstop, second base, third base, center field, and right field in the minors.  The Orioles’ press release indicates that his future will be in the infield, however.  Salcedo was ranked as the Angels’ No. 27 prospect after the 2013 season by BA.

Orioles Notes: Joyce, Tucker, Gausman

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Here’s the latest from Baltimore…

  • The Orioles are interested in Pirates non-roster outfielder Matt Joyce, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link).  As an Article XX(B) player, Joyce must be informed by tomorrow if he’s making the Bucs’ 25-man roster or else the Pirates will need to pay him $100K to retain his rights on a minor league assignment.  With Hyun Soo Kim’s status in question, Baltimore is clearly looking other left-handed hitting outfield options that could be available.  Aside from Joyce, the O’s have also shown interest in David Murphy.
  • The Orioles talked to the Astros about outfielder Preston Tucker this offseason, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports.  Talks didn’t go anywhere, however, since Houston asked for Kevin Gausman in return.  Gausman was a popular figure in trade demands over the winter, and as you might expect, the O’s had no interest in dealing the former top prospect.  Tucker didn’t have quite the same prospect pedigree (Gausman was selected fourth overall in 2012 while Tucker was a seventh-rounder in that same draft) but the outfielder posted a very strong .867 OPS over 1530 plate appearances in the minors and hit .243/.297/.437 with 13 homers over 323 PA in the bigs last year as a rookie.  Tucker will serve in a backup role with Houston this season, as his path to more playing time may have been blocked when Colby Rasmus accepted a qualifying offer last fall.
  • Speaking of Gausman, the Orioles officially announced to media (including MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli) that the young righty will be placed on the DL to begin the season.  Gausman has been bothered by tendinitis in his throwing shoulder but the injury isn’t thought to be too serious.  Buck Showalter said Gausman could be activated in time for a start on April 10 against Minnesota.

Orioles Eyeing David Murphy

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Red Sox outfielder David Murphy can opt-out of his contract with the Red Sox today.  If he does, he might not be unemployed for long.  Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe expects Murphy to get calls from multiple teams and he hears from one major league source that the Orioles are among the clubs with interest.  Cafardo adds that Murphy is “likely” to exercise his opt-out clause today.

Murphy, 34, inked a minor league deal with Boston in late February, bringing him back to the organization that drafted him in the first-round of the 2003 draft.  The veteran’s big league journey took him to Texas for parts of seven seasons before he inked a two-year, $12.5MM contract with the Tribe.  That deal didn’t quite go as planned and last season, the Indians shipped Murphy to the Angels.  Between the two stops, he posted a combined .283/.318/.421 slash line with 10 home runs.

So far this spring, Murphy has looked solid and he feels as though he’s done enough to make a big league team.

“I feel I’ve had a decent camp and shown the Red Sox what I can do,” Murphy said. “I just want to end up in a major league uniform.”

By the same token, Murphy says that he would rather retire than play the 2016 season in the minors.  For his career, Murphy owns a .274/.333/.432 big league slash line over ten seasons with the Red Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Angels.

Orioles Have Discussed Releasing Hyun Soo Kim

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Roughly three months after signing outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, the Orioles are already having some buyer’s remorse on the deal.  The Orioles have internally discussed buying out Kim in a deal that would rid them of some of money owed to the player while allowing him to potentially return to the Korean Baseball Organization, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes.

Late last year, the Orioles inked Kim to a two-year pact worth $7MM.  That deal, as it turned out, had a pair of unique quirks.  First, Kim’s deal allows him to become a free agent upon completion rather than entering the arbitration process.  The contract also prohibits the Orioles from sending him to the minor leagues without his consent.  At the time of the deal, the Orioles probably didn’t think much of that second clause, but it has become quite relevant as Kim struggles in spring training.

Roughly one year ago, the Orioles and pitcher Suk-min Yoon tore up their three-year, $5.575MM deal, allowing him to return to the Kia Tigers of the KBO on a record-breaking four-year, $8.2MM pact.  When asked by Rosenthal over the weekend if he would consider such a move, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette said “I don’t know if we’re there yet.”

When the O’s signed Kim, they hoped that the KBO sensation would step in as their everyday left fielder.  However, Kim does not appear to be major league ready and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard has been excelling in recent weeks.  Rickard is raking in spring and also offers solid defense, leading many within the club to favor him as the choice in left field, though one O’s official expressed concern that the team is putting too much stock into spring training performances.  Despite Rickard’s promise and Kim’s struggles, however, Duquette noted that he is not ready to give up on the 28-year-old Korean.

“These transitions, they take a while,” Duquette said. “You’ve got the language. You’ve got the culture. The baseball is a little different. There are better pitchers here.”

Dale Thayer Opts Out Of Orioles Contract

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Veteran right-handed reliever Dale Thayer has opted out of his minor league deal with the Orioles, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes has learned. Thayer is now a free agent. He allowed three runs and struck out six batters in six spring innings.

Thayer had an uphill battle for a roster spot in a relatively well-defined Orioles bullpen. Top candidates for relief jobs include Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Mychal Givens, Brian Matusz, Brad Brach, Vance Worley, T.J. McFarland, Odrisamer Despaigne, and out-of-options prospect Dylan Bundy. Those names only represent the most established options, making Thayer a long shot to crack the roster. For example, Zach Phillips was recently signed as an insurance policy to banged up southpaw Matusz.

Thayer struggled to a 4.06 ERA with 5.97 K/9 and 3.58 BB/9 with the Padres in 2015. He was remarkably better in previous seasons including a 2.34 ERA with 8.54 K/9 and 2.20 BB/9 in 2014. Over the course of his career, he’s posted respectable rates – a 3.47 ERA, 7.62 K/9, and 2.36 BB/9 over 251 innings.

Orioles Continue To Look For Lefty Relief, Could Pursue Sean Burnett

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Despite the recent additions of Zach Phillips and Edgar Olmos, the Orioles continue to look for lefty relief help and could pursue veteran southpaw Sean Burnett, Rich Dubroff of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. Burnett is currently with the Nationals on a minor-league deal, but has an April 1 opt-out in his contract. If the Orioles decide their interest in Burnett is serious, they could potentially either make a small trade to get him now or wait until his opt-out date. With lefties Oliver Perez and Felipe Rivero likely set to make the Nationals’ bullpen, Burnett would appear to be on the outside looking in, unless the Nats elect to carry three lefties.

Burnett did not pitch in 2015 after having Tommy John surgery, and injuries also limited him in the two seasons before that. He has been impressive this spring, however, allowing no runs and one walk while striking out four in 6 2/3 innings. The Orioles have been hunting for lefties because of uncertainty surrounding the health of Brian Matusz, who has only pitched two innings this spring while dealing with a back injury.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Shields, Holt, Fowler

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While the total value of international signings grabs most of the headlines, it’s also interesting to look at the volume, and Ben Badler of Baseball America recently did just that. Over the calendar year of 2015, the Yankees signed more talent from outside the United States — 57 players in all — than any team in baseball. The AL East as a whole was active, per Badler, with the Red Sox and Rays also falling in the top five (but the Blue Jays and Orioles sitting in the bottom ten).

Let’s take a look at the latest out of the division:

  • Despite the Yankees’ stockpile of powerful late-inning arms, the club is on the lookout for middle relievers with camp winding down, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Current options include pitchers such as right-handers Bryan Mitchell, Johnny Barbato, and Branden Pinder and lefties Chasen Shreve, Tyler Olson, and James Pazos — most of whom have quite limited experience in the majors. While it’s easy to imagine these and other arms all spending time at the big league level, it also makes sense for the club to pursue a veteran addition or two.
  • Ivan Nova and CC Sabathia are fighting for the final Yankees rotation spot, with the loser likely to open in the pen. As ESPNNewYork.com’s Andrew Marchand reports, the club is giving real consideration to using Sabathia in relief despite his huge contract. But Nova didn’t perform well at all today in his penultimate start, as Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog writes.
  • The Red Sox’ “stance doesn’t seem to have changed” on Padres righty James Shields, per ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber (via Twitter), with concerns persisting as to whether his flyball-heavy batted ball results would play well at Fenway. That factor played an important role in the club’s decision not to pursue him in free agency, and the Sox appear uninterested in chasing him now via trade. It was reported earlier today that Boston has been in touch with San Diego on pitchers, but there are certainly other names that may have been of greater interest.
  • Meanwhile, Red Sox skipper John Farrell says that utilityman Brock Holt could see significant action in the outfield, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. “There is a chance for him to get a good number of at-bats out in left field,” said Farrell. “How those at-bats in left field are divvied up, that remains to be seen. I’m not going to say it’s a strict platoon, but there are going to be multiple guys getting at-bats out of that position.” Needless to say, that statement represents a signal that Rusney Castillo will need to earn his playing time, as he’ll also face competition from Chris Young. Boston has endeavored to light a fire under several presumed regulars this spring, with other options helping to force the action with strong showings.
  • The Orioles not only offered Dexter Fowler $33MM over three years, but would’ve gone as high as $36MM, Heyman tweets. It seemed at one point, of course, that Baltimore was set to sign the outfielder before he would up back in Chicago for one year and $13MM.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/25/16

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest moves at the top of the post…

  • Reds minor leaguer Jose Veras has received a 72-game PED suspension, as Cincinnati assistant director of media relations Jamie Ramsey tweets. Veras, 22, has not yet moved past the Dominican summer league in his professional career. He shouldn’t be confused with the long-time MLB veteran and former closer by the same name — who is still a free agent looking for his next opportunity after failing to crack the majors last year for the first time since he reached the bigs in 2006.
  • Right-hander Deolis Guerra became a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment from the Angels, though manager Mike Scioscia told reporters (including MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez) that Guerra was staying with the club on a new minor league contract.  The Halos selected Guerra off the Pirates roster in the Rule 5 draft last winter, and since Guerra had already been outrighted off Pittsburgh’s roster when he was with the organization, he didn’t have to be returned to the Bucs after his initial removal from Anaheim’s roster.  Guerra, who turns 27 next month, made his Major League debut last season, posting a 6.48 ERA over 16 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh.  He boasted some impressive peripherals (17 strikeouts against three walks) but also allowed five homers in his short stint in the bigs.
  • Outfielder Felix Perez has requested a release from his minor league deal with the Orioles, possibly to pursue an opportunity with a Japanese team, Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic reports (Twitter links).  Perez hit .281/.329/.404 over 2114 plate appearances in the Reds’ system from 2010-14 and he spent 2015 playing for Monterrey’s Mexican League team.
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