Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Twins Sign Nick Vincent To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Twins have signed veteran right-hander Nick Vincent to a minor league contract, as first indicated on the transactions log at MLB.com. He’ll report to Triple-A St. Paul, MLBTR has confirmed.

Vincent, a client of PSI Sports Management, was released from a minor league deal with the Rangers just yesterday. The nine-year MLB veteran has long been a steady, late-inning presence but settled for a non-guaranteed pact this winter despite a mostly solid effort in 2020. The 34-year-old logged a 4.43 ERA out of the Marlins’ bullpen last year but saw his strikeout rate drop to a career-low 18.5 percent in the process. He’s opened the 2021 campaign with 15 1/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball in Triple-A Round Rock, striking out 29.7 percent of opponents against a 9.5 percent walk rate.

It’s been a couple years since Vincent was at his absolute best. He logged identical 4.43 ERAs in 2019-20. However, in the seven seasons prior, he pitched to a combined 3.17 ERA and 3.27 SIERA with a 24.6 percent strikeout rate and a strong 6.1 percent walk rate. He’s never been an overpowering arm, living in the 89-91 mph range with his four-seamer, but he’s still managed about a strikeout per inning in his career to go along with plenty of weak pop-ups.

Minnesota is off today after a two-game set against the Reds that proved taxing on its bullpen despite its brevity. The Twins and Reds went 12 innings Monday night, and Minnesota used five relievers in a back-and-forth loss to Cincinnati yesterday. Vincent won’t be an immediate option barring a quick selection to the MLB roster, but he could get a look before long if he shows well with the Saints.

Relief pitching has been an issue for the Twins all season. Minnesota relievers rank 24th in the Majors with a 4.77 ERA and 25th with a 4.52 FIP. They’re 15th with a 24.4 percent strikeout rate and 12th with a 9.4 percent walk rate. It’s been a generally underwhelming unit, and the Twins have struggled to find reliable arms to round out the final few spots in the mix. Vincent joins fellow veteran Kyle Barraclough as a recent signee who’ll hope to get a look at Target Field before too long.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/22/21

By | at

The latest minor moves from around baseball:

  • The Diamondbacks announced that utilityman Ildemaro Vargas has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Reno. The 29-year-old has bounced around the league a bit in recent seasons, suiting up for Arizona, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and the Cubs. Through 55 MLB plate appearances in 2021, Vargas has hit just .137/.200/.176. As a player who has previously been outrighted in his career, Vargas has the right to elect free agency.
  • Marlins infielder Deven Marrero has apparently cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment, as he was in tonight’s lineup with Triple-A Jacksonville. Miami designated Marrero for assignment over the weekend. The former Red Sox utilityman only appeared in one MLB game with the Marlins before being removed from the 40-man roster, going hitless in three plate appearances.
  • The Phillies have signed utilityman Jake Elmore to a minor league contract, notes Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. He has been assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 34-year-old has appeared in parts of six MLB seasons, most recently with the 2019 Pirates. Elmore has a .215/.292/.275 mark in 527 major league plate appearances.
  • The Athletics recently released right-hander Tanner Anderson, Hilburn-Trenkle relays. Also a former Pirate, Anderson pitched in the big leagues between 2018-19. The 28-year-old has worked to a 6.15 ERA/4.88 SIERA over 33 2/3 MLB frames. He’d managed a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings with Triple-A Las Vegas this year, but Anderson only struck out three batters in that time while walking twelve.

Mets To Select Tylor Megill

By | at

The Mets are planning to select the contract of right-hander Tylor Megill, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to pass along. He’ll start tomorrow evening’s game against the Braves.

New York’s eighth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Arizona, Megill entered 2021 in the back half of the Mets top thirty prospects, in the estimation of both Baseball America and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs. He can run his fastball into the mid-high 90s, per evaluators, with generally average secondary stuff. Both BA and FanGraphs suggest Megill’s more likely to settle in as a reliever long-term, but he’ll break into the majors as a starter.

Over parts of three minor league seasons, Megill has worked to a solid 3.41 ERA with a stellar 32.1% strikeout rate and an average 8.8% walk percentage. The 25-year-old has been fantastic in the high minors this year. Between Double-A Binghamton (26 innings) and Triple-A Syracuse (14 1/3 frames), he’s worked to a 3.35 ERA with a whopping 36% strikeout rate and a better than average 7.3% walk rate. That performance has earned him his first big league call.

Megill isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the Mets will need to make a corresponding move to formally select his contract. That can be done by transferring lefty Joey Lucchesi to the 60-day injured list. Lucchesi will undergo Tommy John surgery on Thursday.

Rangers Release Nick Vincent

By | at

The Rangers announced they’ve released veteran reliever Nick Vincent from his minor league contract. He’s now a free agent.

Vincent signed with Texas in March. He has gone on to make fifteen appearances at Triple-A Round Rock, tossing 15 1/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball with a strong 29.7% strikeout rate and a slightly elevated 9.5% walk rate. Despite that decent performance, Texas has elected to cut Vincent loose rather than give him a major league look.

The 34-year-old righty shouldn’t have a hard time finding another opportunity elsewhere. He saw big league action in each season from 2012-20 and has typically been a steady, reliable option in the middle innings. Vincent has a career 3.38 ERA at the big league level, but he’s pitched to a 4.43 mark in each of the past two seasons.

Reds Sign Mallex Smith, Release Dwight Smith Jr.

By | at

The Reds have signed outfielder Mallex Smith to a minor league contract, notes Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Louisville.

Smith, 28, once looked like a potential impact center fielder. He hit .296/.367/.406 across 544 plate appearances with the Rays in 2018, a year in which he stole 40 bases. The Mariners acquired him that offseason as part of the deal that sent Mike Zunino to Tampa Bay, but Smith never followed up on that success. He did steal another 46 bags with Seattle in 2019, but the left-handed hitter slumped to a .227/.300/.335 line over 566 trips to the plate that year. Smith got off to an even worse start in 2020 and was ultimately outrighted off the Mariners roster.

After electing minor league free agency over the offseason, Smith signed a non-roster deal with the Mets. He didn’t appear in a game with the New York organization and was released last month, though. He’ll now look to work his way back in Cincinnati.

Mallex Smith will replace fellow former big league outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. on the Bats roster. Dwight Smith, who appeared in the majors with the Blue Jays and Orioles from 2017-20, has been released from his own minor league deal with the Reds, per Hilburn-Trenkle. The 28-year-old hit just .220/.327/.283 over 147 plate appearances with Louisville.

Rockies Activate Chris Owings

By | at

The Rockies announced they’ve reinstated utilityman Chris Owings from the 60-day injured list. Righty Joe Harvey has been designated for assignment to clear active and 40-man roster space.

Owings will make his return after missing a little more than two months because of left thumb surgery. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, the 29-year-old made the Opening Day roster and played a fantastic seven games before going down with the injury. He broke camp as the starting second baseman with Brendan Rodgers on the IL. With Rodgers having returned in the interim, Owings figures to assume a utility role off the bench.

Harvey was selected to the roster two days ago but didn’t get into a game. He made 22 appearances with the Yankees and Rockies between 2019-20, working to a 4.22 ERA/5.25 SIERA. Colorado has twice passed Harvey through outright waivers in the past. They’ll have a week to trade him or attempt to outright him again. If he clears waivers, he’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

Mets Claim Robert Stock, Expected To Activate Michael Conforto Wednesday

By | at

7:20 pm: Conforto’s absence is indeed related to contact tracing protocols at Syracuse, the club announced. He has tested negative for COVID-19 and is expected to be reinstated in advance of tomorrow evening’s game against the Braves.

5:17 pm: The Mets announced they’ve claimed right-hander Robert Stock off waivers from the Cubs. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Infielder Brandon Drury was also optioned, while catcher Patrick Mazeika was recalled.

Chicago just selected Stock to the big league roster last week. Generally a reliever, he made a four-inning spot start last Wednesday that ironically came against his new team. The 31-year-old allowed five runs on six walks while only striking out three, but the Mets were evidently intrigued by their then-opponent. After the Cubs designated him for assignment last weekend, New York put in a claim.

Stock has pitched to a 4.12 ERA with very strong strikeout and walk rates (30.5% and 4.9%, respectively) in Triple-A this year. He can be optioned for the rest of this season, so he’ll offer the Mets a flexible depth piece on the pitching staff.

Notably, the Mets did not reinstate outfielder Michael Conforto from the IL today. General manager Zack Scott told reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) earlier in the day that the All-Star outfielder would return tonight. Notably, the Syracuse Mets, where Conforto had been on a rehab assignment, have since announced they’re dealing with a COVID-19 situation. It’s not clear if Conforto not being reinstated is related in any way.

Angels’ Jose Quintana Moved To Bullpen

By | at

JUNE 22: Quintana will indeed work out of the bullpen, manager Joe Maddon tells reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group).

JUNE 21: Left-hander Jose Quintana is back on the Angels’ active roster after being reinstated off the 10-day injured list.  Another roster moves seems to be coming for the team, as the Halos also announced that right-handers Jaime Barria and Chris Rodriguez were optioned to the minors (Barria to Triple-A and Rodriguez to Double-A) after yesterday’s game.

Quintana hit the IL on May 31 due to shoulder inflammation, continuing a tough beginning to his tenure in Anaheim.  Quintana had a 7.22 ERA over his first 33 2/3 innings of the season, though his SIERA is only 4.48 — a very low 58.6% strand rate and a whopping .400 BABIP have contributed to Quintana’s lack of bottom-line success.  On the plus side, the southpaw has a career-best 30.1% strikeout rate.

The Angels signed Quintana to a one-year, $8MM contract in free agency last winter with the expectation that the veteran would at least bring some durability and innings-eating ability to the pitching staff, yet Quintana’s return to the 26-man roster might not necessarily auger a return to the rotation.  The Halos are already working with a six-man staff, and Patrick Sandoval has pitched well as Quintana’s fill-in.  While youngster Griffin Canning has been inconsistent and Dylan Bundy has been rocked over his recent starts, it doesn’t seem like either would be displaced for Quintana, so the veteran lefty might find himself in the bullpen.

A long-relief or swingman role would allow the Angels to keep Quintana relatively stretched out for a return to the rotation if necessary, and a stint in the pen could help Quintana get on track.  Los Angeles can use all the bullpen help it can get, as the Halos relief corps ranks in the bottom third of the league in most pitching categories.

Mariners Claim Jake Hager; Evan White Seeking Second Opinion

By | at

5:34 pm: In an ominous-sounding development, White has been sent for a second opinion on his injured hip, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).

3:23 pm: The Mariners announced they’ve claimed infielder Jake Hager off waivers from the Brewers. First baseman Evan White has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster space. Milwaukee designated Hager for assignment last week.

The 28-year-old Hager was an offseason minor league signee of the Mets. He got off to an incredible start with their Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse and earned a mid-May promotion while the big league club was dealing with a rapid succession of injuries. Hager picked up his first eight MLB plate appearances and collected a hit, but New York designated him for assignment after a one-week stint. The Brewers, in whose system Hager played from 2018-19, claimed him, but he couldn’t maintain his strong minor league start with their Triple-A affiliate in Nashville. Altogether, he’s compiled a .278/.336/.500 mark at the minors’ highest level in 2021.

Hager still has all three minor league option years remaining, so the Mariners can send him back and forth between Seattle and Triple-A Tacoma for the next few seasons, if he sticks on their 40-man roster. He has plenty of minor league experience at all four infield positions (as well as some brief outfield time), so he’ll add some defensive versatility to the highest levels of the Seattle organization.

White has been on the IL since May 14 due to a left hip flexor strain. He won’t be able to return for 60 days from the date of that original placement, so he’s now out until at least mid-July. White recently suffered a setback during a minor league rehab assignment that pushed back his projected recovery timeline. His current timetable is unclear, but White wasn’t expected to return “anytime soon,” tweets Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.

Orioles Select Mickey Jannis

By | at

The Orioles announced they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Mickey Jannis. Fellow righty Mac Sceroler was designated for assignment to create active and 40-man roster space.

Jannis’ promotion will be welcome news to fans of a unique pitch that has fallen out of vogue in recent seasons. The 33-year-old is a knuckleballer, and he’ll become the first of that ilk to appear in the majors in 2021 if he gets into a game. According to Statcast, there have been twelve knuckleballs thrown in MLB this season, but they come with an asterisk. All twelve “knucklers” were thrown by White Sox utilityman Danny Mendick during a mop-up appearance against the Red Sox in April. (Jannis was featured in a 2019 article about the league’s declining usage of the knuckleball by Ben Lindbergh of the Ringer).

Today’s news also marks the culmination of a long personal journey for Jannis. A 44th-round pick in 2010 out of Cal State-Bakersfield, he’s pitched in parts of eight minor league seasons and four years of independent ball. He reached Triple-A in the Mets system but didn’t get to the majors with New York. Signed to a minors pact with Baltimore over the winter, Jannis earned his first big league promotion with a strong start at Triple-A Norfolk. Across 24 2/3 innings with the Tides, he’s pitched to a 2.92 ERA. As might be expected from a knuckleballer, he hasn’t missed many bats (13% strikeout rate) and has issued a fair amount of walks (10%) but he’s only given up one home run this season.

Sceroler, 26, was selected out of the Reds organization in last December’s Rule 5 draft. He’s logged his first 7 2/3 MLB innings in 2021, but they’ve not gone well. Sceroler has been tagged for fifteen runs (twelve earned) in that limited time. He’s punched out a decent eleven hitters but also issued seven walks and given up a staggering six homers.

As a Rule 5 draftee, Sceroler had to stick on the active roster (or injured list) all season if the O’s wanted to retain his contractual rights. He’ll now be exposed to waivers. If he goes unclaimed, Baltimore will have to offer him back to the Reds, who wouldn’t need to dedicate him a 40-man roster spot.

Show all

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top