Quick Hits: Dusty, Upton, Giants, Mets, Eiland
Dusty Baker’s contract is up after the Nationals‘ postseason run is over, though his future as manager isn’t contingent on a first-round playoff victory, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post writes as part of a reader mailbag piece (with fellow Post scribe Jorge Castillo). Nats ownership likes Baker and wants him to keep managing if he’s still willing and able, though an extension hasn’t been worked out since that just isn’t how the Lerner family handles business with managers. Baker told Janes and other reporters today that he was informed that “we’re gonna wait til after the season” to discuss a possible new deal.
Here’s more from around baseball as the Yankees are off to the ALDS…
- It is “increasingly likely” that Justin Upton will choose to opt out of the remaining four years and $88.5MM remaining on his contract, a source tells MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi. Upton’s outstanding 2017 season gives him a strong case to look for a larger deal in free agency this winter, though opting out doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll leave the Angels. Morosi notes that Upton could use the opt-out clause as a way to leverage an extension from the Halos, as C.C. Sabathia did with the Yankees six years ago.
- Power and outfield defense are both needs for the Giants this winter, though as team executives told reporters (including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle and MLB.com’s Jonathan Hawthorne) today, the team won’t sacrifice the latter for the sake of the former. “We don’t want to get too far away from our game,” GM Bobby Evans said. “We’re a pitching and defense team. If we compromise too much in the area of power and give up to much defensively, that can hurt us as much as the benefit of adding the power.” A younger and more athletic outfield seems like a priority, and Schulman feels this might rule out a run at 31-year-old free agent Lorenzo Cain. In my view, Cain’s excellent glove would seem to make a good fit for the Giants, though his defensive metrics did decline (from great to “merely” quite good) in 2017.
- The Giants will look to add at all three outfield positions, as incumbent outfielders Denard Span and Hunter Pence could be in line for position changes. Span, according to manager Bruce Bochy, is “all in” about moving from center to left field. This wouldn’t seem to leave much room for Pence to move from right field, though Schulman suggests that Span and Pence could both share a position. That would be a very expensive solution considering that Span and Pence will combine to earn $30.5MM in 2018, though since both also have notable injury histories, a time-share could help keep both players healthy.
- Outgoing Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland looks like a candidate for the Mets‘ own pitching coach vacancy, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Eiland has spent the last six years with the Royals and has some prior experience in the Big Apple, serving as the Yankees’ pitching coach from 2008-10.
Central Notes: Brewers, Tigers, McCutchen, Kluber
Second base is “a position we’re going to have to take a long look at,” Brewers GM David Stearns said during the team’s end-of-season meeting with reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Jonathan Villar‘s struggles required the Brew Crew to trade for Neil Walker in August, and now with Walker headed for free agency and Eric Sogard (another free agent) perhaps best suited for utility duty, a decision will need to be made about giving Villar another chance or perhaps looking for another addition. Starting pitching is another need given the uncertainty surrounding Jimmy Nelson‘s return from a labrum procedure, though manager Craig Counsell said it was too early to consider whether Josh Hader could be moved into a rotation role.
Here’s more from both the NL and AL Central…
- The Tigers will interview Marlins third base coach Fredi Gonzalez and White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing this week about the managerial vacancy, MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports. Angels bench coach Dino Ebel is also on Detroit’s list of candidates, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets. Several other internal (coaches Lloyd McClendon, Omar Vizquel, Dave Clark) and external (Phil Nevin and Charlie Montoyo) have already been linked to the Tigers’ search, which reportedly began with around 50 names in consideration.
- Andrew McCutchen is the key figure of this Pirates offseason, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes, as the team faces a big decision about trading the long-time star outfielder. Dealing McCutchen would essentially mark the end of an era for the franchise, though it would free up $14.5MM in payroll for 2018 (Brink rightly figures McCutchen’s club option is sure to be exercised by the Pirates) that could then be used to fill other roster holes. McCutchen turns 31 next week and is coming off a solid 2017 season that revived his value following a very disappointing 2016 campaign.
- Corey Kluber was a promising but unheralded young arm in the Padres farm system when he was acquired by the Indians in July 2010, as Cleveland.com’s Bud Shaw revisits the trade that gave the Tribe its ace. Kluber was acquired as part of a three-team deal that saw the Cardinals send Ryan Ludwick to the Padres, while St. Louis picked up Jake Westbrook from Cleveland and Nick Greenwood from San Diego. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, then the team’s GM, said they received good scouting reports and “great analytical information” on Kluber that caught their interest, but “at the same time, no one sat there and said we were trading for a future Cy Young winner. We had no idea.”
Minor MLB Transactions: 10/3/17
Here are the latest minor league moves from around baseball. All transactions were reported by Matt Eddy of Baseball America, unless otherwise cited.
- Right-hander Michael Ynoa has re-signed with the White Sox rather than test minor league free agency. Ynoa was outrighted off Chicago’s roster earlier this season after posting a 5.90 ERA over 29 innings. Once a highly-touted international signing as a teenager, Ynoa has struggled with his command in both the minors and at the big league level, with a 5.9 BB/9 over 59 career innings with the White Sox in 2016-17.
- The Angels signed righty Vicente Campos to a minor league contract, as Campos will return to the organization after being released in September. Campos posed an 8.22 ERA over 23 innings last season split between Triple-A, high A-ball and rookie ball as he worked his back from forearm surgery in September 2016. His Major League resume consists of 5 2/3 innings with the Diamondbacks in 2016.
Coaching/Managerial Notes: Hot Seats, Royals, Scioscia, Snitker
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic runs down the big league managers that could be on the hot seat (subscription required and strongly recommended). Rosenthal lists Braves skipper Brian Snitker as an immediate candidate and notes that Red Sox skipper John Farrell, too, could be on the hot seat if the Sox are bounced in the ALDS for a second straight season. Farrell was inherited rather than hired by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. While Orioles owner Peter Angelos isn’t likely to dismiss Buck Showalter, the tension between him and GM Dan Duquette continues to loom large in the organization. Rosenthal also covers several other managers on shaky ground that could find themselves in jeopardy with poor team showings in 2018.
A bit from MLB’s dugouts around the league…
- The Royals and pitching coach Dave Eiland reached a mutual agreement to part ways, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. The 51-year-old Eiland spent six seasons as the pitching coach for manager Ned Yost in Kansas City, helping the team to consecutive World Series appearances in 2014-15 and, of course, a World Series victory in the latter of those two seasons. He also spent 2008-10 as the Yankees pitching coach, so Eiland’s considerable experience should get him some type of opportunity with another organization, even if the Royals’ pitching staff as a whole underperformed in a disappointing 2017 campaign. Rustin Dodd and Pete Grahoff of the Kansas City Star, meanwhile, report that bench coach Don Wakamatsu, bullpen coach Doug Henry and assistant hitting coach Brian Buchanan are also expected to be dismissed. Kansas City has since announced that Eiland and Wakamatsu will not have their contracts renewed.
- Angels manager Mike Scioscia will be back with the team in 2018 — the final season of his 10-year contract as skipper of the Halos, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Scioscia hopes to manage the Angels beyond the 2018 season, Fletcher notes, but he’s content heading into the final season of his contract without signing an extension. The 58-year-old Scioscia is Major League Baseball’s longest tenured manager, as he’s been skipper of the Angels since the 2000 campaign. The Halos were in contention for the American League’s second Wild Card spot up until the final week of the season despite a slew of injuries that decimated their pitching staff for much of the year.
- Braves president of baseball operations plans to meet with manager Brian Snitker to discuss his future “as early as today,” tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The Braves will have a decision on the coaching staff at some point midweek, per Bowman. Notably, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that Hart said today’s sudden resignation of GM John Coppolella in the wake of an MLB investigation isn’t likely to impact the decision one way or another (Twitter links). O’Brien guesses that the option on Snitker will be exercised, though it seems that a formal decision has not yet been made.
West Notes: Padres, Angels, Rangers
Padres right-hander Jhoulys Chacin threw 180 1/3 innings of 3.89 ERA ball and contributed upward of two wins above replacement this season, making him one of the top bargain signings of 2017. Chacin inked a $1.75MM deal with the Padres last winter and should fare much better on his next contract, one that might come from another organization. But Chacin told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com and other reporters Saturday that he’d be willing to continue his career in San Diego (Twitter link). “It’s hard to tell,” Chacin said of his future. “But I would be really happy to come back here.” Re-signing the capable innings eater would make a lot of sense for the rebuilding, starter-needy Padres, as MLBTR’s Jason Martinez wrote Friday.
More from San Diego and a couple other cities:
- Padres owner Ron Fowler informed Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune that there are “a couple people we’re fairly close to getting deals done with,” which could mean Chacin or any of their other impending free agents. Regardless, both Fowler and managing partner Ron Seidler suggested to Lin that they’re happy with how this year has gone for the club. Seidler has seen enough progress to believe the Padres could soon be a factor in the NL West, a division the big-spending Dodgers have ruled over the past half-decade. Looking ahead two years, Seidler said: “At minimum, if we’re not in the chase for (the playoffs), I’d be disappointed. (If not), it wouldn’t mean I’d be angry or upset or anything. I think, given where we are right now, in 2019 we should have every chance not to just be a playoff team but to win the division.” Check out Lin’s full piece for more quotes from Seidler and Fowler on the direction of the franchise.
- By starting in his final three appearances of the year, Angels righty Bud Norris lost out on a $500K bonus, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Norris would have collected that money had he made 60 relief appearances (he finished with 57), but starting him was not a money-saving move by the Angels. Rather, Norris volunteered to switch roles down the stretch, his representative revealed. “He did it for the team,” agent Joel Wolfe told Fletcher. “Now he’s going into free agency as one of the most versatile and valuable pitching assets given the ways teams tactically use their pitching staffs. The value he’s gotten out of starting is far in excess of that performance bonus.” Norris joined the Angels on a minor league deal last January and proved to be a shrewd pickup, pitching to a 4.21 ERA and recording 10.74 K/9 against 3.92 BB/9 over 62 innings. Thanks to that production, he seems likely to land a major league contract during the upcoming offseason.
- Shin-Soo Choo has gotten some practice reps at first base this week and could end up as a part-time option there in 2018 for the Rangers, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. The Rangers are likely to cut ties with Mike Napoli after the season, which could open up first for Joey Gallo, but he’s probably better suited for the outfield, Wilson observes. Should Gallo take a spot in the grass, it might lead to some time at first for Choo, who has only served as an outfielder and a designated hitter since making his big league debut in 2005. Advanced defensive metrics have typically been bearish on Choo’s work in the field, though, and he’ll turn 36 next summer. First seems like a more logical place for him, then, though Wilson cautions that this experiment isn’t guaranteed to stretch into next season. Offensively, the lefty-swinging Choo has turned in another respectable year with 22 home runs, 12 stolen bases and a .261/.357/.423 line in 636 plate appearances.
AL West Notes: Perez, Morton, Upton, Erasmo
The Rangers have already told Martin Perez that they will exercise their $6MM option on the left-hander’s services, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reports. Teams have until five days after the World Series to decide on all contract options so nothing is official yet between Perez and the Rangers (we’ll have the news here on MLBTR when this move and other option decisions are finalized), though it was widely expected that Perez would be retained. The Rangers would’ve had to pay $2.45MM in a buyout, so it was an easy call to spend the extra $3.55MM on Perez, who has delivered 3.8 fWAR and 377 2/3 innings over the last two seasons. Texas also has club options on Perez for 2019 and 2020.
Here’s more from around the AL West…
- Charlie Morton may call it a career after the 2018 season, the Astros right-hander told MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link). Morton turns 35 in November 2018 and has battled several injuries throughout his career, though he is wrapping up one of the most successful of his ten seasons in the big leagues. His unique enjoyment of his Astros experience, however, is actually one of the factors in Morton’s reasoning: “The group we have here is so good….The most valuable thing you have is time, and these are the guys I’m investing that in. I can only think of a couple other groups I was with, where I look back and say ‘That was really good. That was worth it.’ It would be a search for that feeling, when you go in a clubhouse and like being with that group. Here, you’re doing something meaningful — with everything that’s going on in the city….This is a moment to be cherished and valued.”
- In other Morton-related news, he made his 25th start of the season tonight, which Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle notes triggered a $625K bonus in the Astros righty’s contract. Morton also received $625K bonuses for hitting the 15-start and 20-start thresholds, so he’ll tack an extra $1.875MM onto his $7MM base salary for the 2017 season. Morton also has the same base salary and bonus structure in place for 2018.
- “Winning” is the only factor that will go into Justin Upton‘s decision about opting out of his contract, he tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Of course, Upton faces a significant financial decision if he chooses to forego the $88.5MM remaining on his contract to re-enter free agency, though Fletcher notes that Upton could prioritize playing for a contender since he has already earned over $95MM in his career. The Angels, of course, made a run at a wild card this year and could offer Upton that chance of playing for a winner, as the club will have some money to spend on needed upgrades this winter.
- The Mariners “didn’t know quite what we were getting” when Erasmo Ramirez was re-acquired by the Rays, Seattle manager Scott Servais tells Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune, but the right-hander has now established himself as a potential rotation candidate for the 2018 squad. After working for several years as a swingman, Ramirez became a full-time starter after his trade to the Mariners and the results were impressive — 3.92 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 3.60 K/BB over 62 innings (11 starts). Ramirez’s emergence is a boost to a Seattle team that is looking for healthy and reliable starting pitching this winter.
Three Needs: Los Angeles Angels
Click here to read previous entries in MLBTR’s Three Needs series.
Meaningful baseball in 2017 came to an end Wednesday for the Angels, whose loss to the White Sox eliminated them from American League wild-card contention. On one hand, given the multitude of injuries to their pitching staff and Mike Trout‘s absence from late May through mid-July, it’s commendable that the Angels hung in the race until the final week of the season. On the other, Trout is now another year closer to free agency and, by no real fault of his own, still hasn’t won a playoff game in his remarkable career.
With only three years remaining on Trout’s contract, time could be running out for the Angels to capitalize on having the best player on the planet on their roster. General manager Billy Eppler will have to augment the talent around Trout during the upcoming offseason, then, in hopes of snapping a three-year playoff drought in 2018 and contending for a title with the perennial MVP candidate in the fold. These areas figure to garner Eppler’s attention over the next few months…
1.) Get an answer from Justin Upton:
The Angels stunningly acquired the left fielder from the Tigers on Aug. 31, knowing full well it could either be a long-term marriage or a one-month stand. Upton will enter the offseason with four years and $88.5MM left on his contract, but he’ll have a chance to opt out of the deal after the World Series.
As a .274/.361/.544 hitter with 35 home runs in 624 plate appearances – including a .247/.356/.551, seven-HR showing in 104 PAs as an Angel – the 30-year-old looks like a strong candidate to vacate his pact and revisit free agency. Perhaps the Angels could prevent that from happening by tacking a couple more big-money years on the arrangement. Otherwise, losing Upton would leave the team scrambling for a capable complement to Trout.
If that’s not Upton in 2018, the best option in free agency will be one of his ex-Tigers teammates, Diamondbacks outfielder J.D. Martinez who has absolutely terrorized opposing pitchers since his 2014 breakout and is amid a career offensive season. Others in the class of impending free agent corner outfielders aren’t nearly as appealing as Upton or Martinez, but one of those lesser players (or a trade acquisition) could patrol left for the Angels in 2018 if they don’t reel in either of the big fish. Regardless, improving an offense that ranks 23rd in FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric and 24th in runs is the Angels’ No. 1 priority heading into the offseason.
“The obvious talking point this winter is going to be our offense,” manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday (via Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times).
At .228/.306/.337, the Angels have posted a major league-worst line against left-handed pitching this year, making a star-caliber righty-swinger like Upton or Martinez that much more of a fit for the club going forward.
2.) The infield: Andrelton Simmons and …?
The Angels are set at shortstop with Simmons, but their infield is otherwise rife with questions. Third baseman Yunel Escobar is an impending free agent and probably won’t be back, according to Moura, while second baseman Brandon Phillips‘ deal is also up. Over at first base, the Angels rank 27th in fWAR (0.3) and have batted a weak .211/.290/.413, though they have gotten quality second-half production there from C.J. Cron. They’ll also have first baseman/third baseman Luis Valbuena on the books for $8MM in 2018, so even though he hasn’t performed well this year, he still seems likely to factor in next season.
While it’s possible the Angels will stick with Cron and Valbuena at first base, second and third are begging for upgrades. A wild card at either position may be the Reds’ Zack Cozart, who could improve his market over the winter if he shows a willingness to move off shortstop. In terms of conventional second basemen, Eduardo Nunez, old friend Howie Kendrick and Neil Walker, whom the Angels tried to acquire via trade a couple years ago, represent the best soon-to-be free agents, while Ian Kinsler, Dee Gordon, Jed Lowrie, Josh Harrison and Yangervis Solarte are among potential trade candidates.
Any of Nunez, Lowrie, Harrison or Solarte could also offer a solution at the hot corner, where Mike Moustakas and Todd Frazier are the top free agents-to-be. Moustakas is a Los Angeles native, which might help the Angels in a potential pursuit, but he’s also a Scott Boras client who figures to pull in one of the richest contracts of the offseason.
3.) Improve the rotation:
The good news here is that No. 1 starter Garrett Richards fared well in his September return from a right biceps issue that limited him to 27 2/3 innings this year. Barring another injury, he’s primed to sit atop the Angels’ rotation in 2018. Richards isn’t the only Angels starter who has endured an injury-shortened season (two years in his case), of course, as availability has also been an issue with J.C. Ramirez, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs, Alex Meyer and Andrew Heaney. With the exception of Meyer, who’s likely to miss 2018 after undergoing surgery this month on a torn shoulder labrum, all of those hurlers (and Parker Bridwell) could be factors in the Angels’ rotation next year. Still, considering the alarming history of injuries to Richards, Skaggs and Heaney, it would behoove Eppler to seek at least one dependable starter in the offseason.
Given the thinness of the Angels’ farm system, it’s unlikely they’ll put together a trade for a big-time starter, but they could turn to free agency for someone like Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb, to name a pair of second-tier options, if they don’t land any of the more high-profile hurlers (Jake Arrieta, Yu Darvish or possibly Masahiro Tanaka, whom Eppler knows from his time in the Yankees’ front office). While every GM with a pulse figures to at least kick the tires on Japanese ace/slugger Shohei Otani if he immigrates to the majors in the offseason, a lack of available at-bats in Anaheim is one factor that could work against a successful Angels pursuit. The Halos are stuck with a severely declining Albert Pujols at designated hitter, so they wouldn’t be able to guarantee many ABs to Otani.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AL West Notes: Banister, Calhoun, Mariners, Heaney
While it’s been a rough season for the Rangers, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports writes in this week’s AL Notes column that one source indicates to him that manager Jeff Banister is “100 percent” coming back. The third-year skipper could potentially turn in his third straight winning the season, but the Rangers’ 76 losses already guarantee that the 2017 season will be the team’s worst with Banister at the helm.
A bit more from the AL West…
- Heyman also reports that top Rangers prospect — the centerpiece of their return for Yu Darvish — has hired Scott Boras to represent him. The 22-year-old Calhoun raised his profile as one of the best offensive prospects in the minors this season, hitting a combined .300/.355/.572 with 31 homers, 27 doubles and six triples between the Triple-A affiliates for the Rangers and Dodgers. While Calhoun is obviously quite a ways from reaching arbitration, the move is of some note, given that Boras clients typically forgo early-career extensions. Calhoun’s agency switch will be noted in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which features representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any notable errors or omissions, you can let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
- The Mariners “are thought” to have some interest in Mitch Moreland and Lucas Duda as first base options this offseason, per Heyman. Seattle is currently deploying Yonder Alonso and Danny Valencia as its primary first basemen, though both are eligible for free agency at season’s end. Prospect Dan Vogelbach serves as an in-house option, though he comes with fewer than 40 plate appearances of experience in the Majors.
- While the Mariners have endured plenty of struggles in the rotation this season, club executives are pleased with the depth that comes with the additions of veteran Mike Leake and controllable young Marco Gonzales, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Gonzales has struggled in the Majors thus far, but he’s had a generally solid year in Triple-A in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. Leake, meanwhile, has bounced back terrifically in Seattle following a trade from the Cardinals. General manager Jerry Dipoto explained to Dutton that Leake has been worth two or more wins above replacement on a yearly basis and hasn’t seen his skill set significantly diminish, even through a rough stretch toward the end of his Cardinals tenure. Skipper Scott Servais spoke highly of right-hander Andrew Moore as well when chatting with Dutton. Dutton notes that the trio of Leake, Gonzales and Moore will pair with Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Erasmo Ramirez and Ariel Hernandez to once again give the club its fair share of depth next year.
- Angels lefty Andrew Heaney played catch Thursday and is still hopeful that he can start again this season, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Heaney has been sidelined by a shoulder impingement recently, and with the young southpaw unable to start, the Halos will again turn to Bud Norris to start a bullpen game this weekend, per Fletcher. Norris tossed two innings the last time he did so and was one of three pitchers (joining Yusmeiro Petit and Blake Wood) to throw two innings that day.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/18/17
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Reds have announced that RHP Barrett Astin cleared waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Louisville. Astin, 25, was selected 90th overall by the Brewers in the 2013 draft, and traded to the Reds along with righty Kevin Shackelford for reliever Jonathan Broxton in August of the following year. During April and May, Astin bounced between Louisville and the majors, but struggled with command, walking seven batters and striking out just two across eight innings while allowing six earned runs. He’s a sinkerballer, throwing that pitch over half the time at about 92 MPH, but the changeup he features is just 6 MPH slower. He also throws a slider that clocks in around 88 MPH.
- Right-hander Brooks Pounders, who was designated for assignment by the Angels earlier this month, cleared waivers and was outrighted off the 40-man roster, per the team’s transactions page at MLB.com. Pounders, 26, appeared in 11 games for the Halos this season and 13 for the Royals in 2016, but he’s struggled considerably at the big league level. In 23 career innings, he’s pitched to a 9.78 ERA thanks largely to a whopping 10 homers allowed. Pounders does have a solid 25-to-8 K/BB ratio in that time, and he owns a career 2.94 ERA with 9.5 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 in 131 2/3 Triple-A innings.
Tigers Acquire Elvin Rodriguez From Angels To Complete Justin Upton Trade
The Angels have announced that they have sent righty Elvin Rodriguez to the Tigers. He’ll become the player to be named later in the deal that sent outfielder Justin Upton to Los Angeles two weeks ago.
Rodriguez, 19, joins fellow minor-league righty Grayson Long in making up the return for Upton, who was something of an odd trade candidate given that he can opt out of his contract at the end of the season. Detroit did have some leverage, as the team could have held onto him and then traded the remainder of his deal if he did not exercise that clause and return to the open market. The Tigers also had reason to want a deal, though, since Upton was not eligible for a qualifying offer (having previously received one) if he opted out.
Rodriguez has shown some promise in the Halos system and ranked 22nd among the club’s farmhands on MLB.com’s latest list. Though he doesn’t even sit above 90 mph, per MLB.com, he generates movement, possesses intriguing secondary offerings, and has a track record of success in the low minors. Refinement and perhaps also some physical development may yet come. Rodriguez posted a 2.91 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in his 68 innings this year, most of which came at the Rookie ball level before he earned a promotion to Class A.