Padres Sign Chih-Wei Hu
The Padres have signed right-hander Chih-Wei Hu to a minor league contract, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
Now 26, Hu fared respectably in the majors with the Rays over a small 23-inning sample size from 2017-18, during which he posted a 3.52 ERA/4.51 FIP with 8.22 K/9, 2.79 BB/9 and a mere 29 percent groundball rate. But Hu didn’t make it back to the majors last season, which he divided between the Cubs and Indians, and it wasn’t surprising when considering the trouble he had with the clubs’ high-minors affiliates.
Hu amassed 74 2/3 inning between Double-A and Triple-A ball in 2019, when he managed a woeful 6.87 ERA with 7.6 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9. Nevertheless, the Padres are taking a low-risk flier on Hu heading into next season.
Cubs Sign Chih-Wei Hu To Minors Deal
The Cubs have signed right-hander Chih-Wei Hu to a minor league contract, according to Roster Roundup. Hu had been pitching in the Indians’ farm system before being released from that minors deal in late July.
After posting a 3.52 ERA, 8.2 K/9, and 3.00 K/BB rate over 23 relief innings with the Rays in 2017-18, Hu was dealt to Cleveland last November but struggled badly with Triple-A Akron this season. Hu managed only a 7.18 ERA over 57 2/3 innings (starting nine of 18 games), thanks in large part to 18 home runs allowed. The Tribe outrighted Hu off their 40-man roster in early July, so it seemed like a change of scenery was probably inevitable.
Hu has always been an extreme fly-ball pitcher, so it could be that the changes to the baseball used in Triple-A leagues this season have turned his fly-ball issues into a potentially insurmountable problem. Still, given the solid numbers he posted in the minors prior to 2019, there’s little risk for the Cubs in seeing if they can correct Hu’s problems.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/11/19
The latest minor moves from around the game…
Most Recent
- The Orioles‘ Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk announced several roster moves today, including the news that right-hander Matt Wotherspoon was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. Wotherspoon was designated for assignment last week, and this marks the second time this season that the O’s outrighted him off their 40-man roster. Now in his sixth pro season, Wotherspoon made his Major League debut earlier this year, getting hit hard for eight earned runs over 4 2/3 innings for Baltimore.
Earlier Today
- Brewers right-hander Deolis Guerra cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A San Antonio, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy (Twitter link). The 30-year-old Guerra made just one appearance with the Brewers after having his contract selected, wherein he was hammered for four runs in two-thirds of an inning. Ugly as that outing was, Guerra has been excellent in an extraordinarily hitter-friendly Triple-A environment in 2019: 2.61 ERA, 10.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 1.09 HR/9 in 41 1/3 innings of relief. It seems the well-traveled Guerra will remain in the organization as a depth piece; he had the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but there’s no indication he plans to do so.
- Lost in the All-Star shuffle on Tuesday was the Indians‘ announcement that righty Chih-Wei Hu cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Columbus. Hu, 25, was originally signed by the Twins as an amateur free agent out of Taiwan but was traded to the Rays in 2015 (for Kevin Jepsen) and then to the Indians this past offseason (for minor leaguer Gionti Turner). Hu pitched 23 innings of 3.52 ERA ball with a 21-to-7 K/BB ratio for Tampa Bay in 2017-18, but he’s been rocked for a 7.95 ERA while allowing 2.96 HR/9 in 48 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year. Hu had a 4.06 ERA and solid K/BB numbers in parts of four prior seasons of Triple-A ball prior to 2019, and he’ll strive to get back to that level of performance while no longer occupying a 40-man roster spot.
Indians Acquire Andrew Velazquez From Rays
The Indians have announced a swap with the Rays in which they’ll acquire utility infielder Andrew Velazquez. An unstated amount of international spending capacity will head to Tampa Bay in return.
To create 40-man roster space, the Indians have designated righty Chih-Wei Hu for assignment. The 25-year-old has been hit hard this year at Triple-A, allowing 16 home runs in 48 2/3 innings.
Soon to turn 25, Velazquez is an exceptionally versatile player. In limited MLB action, he has already been trusted to play shortstop, second, third, and all three outfield positions.
Velazquez has shown some stolen-base ability and a bit of pop in the upper minors, though he’s not exactly a premium offensive prospect. He has swung through quite a few pitches in his early exposure to MLB pitching and has gone down on strikes 154 times in 602 career Triple-A plate appearances, over which he carries a .261/.320/.418 slash.
Indians Acquire Chih-Wei Hu From Rays
The Indians announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Chih-Wei Hu from the Rays in exchange for minor league infielder Gionti Turner. The 25-year-old Hu brings Cleveland’s 40-man roster count to 36 players, while the deal gives the Rays organization some flexibility in advance of tomorrow’s deadline to protect additional players from the Rule 5 Draft.
Hu, 25, made his big league debut with Tampa Bay back in 2017 and, over the past two seasons, has pitched to a 3.52 ERA with a 21-to-7 K/BB ratio in 23 innings of big league relief. He’s averaged 93.2 mph on his heater in that time and generated a solid 11.6 percent swinging-strike rate in addition to a 32.2 percent chase rate on pitches out of the strike zone. As an extreme fly-ball pitcher, he’s been a bit homer-prone in his small sample of Major League work.
Tampa Bay initially acquired Hu from the Twins in a 2015 swap that sent Kevin Jepsen from the Rays to the Twins. Minnesota initially signed the Taiwanese-born righty as an amateur free agent back in August 2012. He’s done the entirety of his work in the Majors as a reliever, though the bulk of his minor league career has been spent as a starter. He could give Cleveland some depth in both regards, though given the current state of the Indians’ roster, the clearer path for him to contribute in the big leagues is in a relief capacity. Hu does have a minor league option remaining, so he can be sent to Triple-A Columbus to open the season without being exposed to waivers. In 174 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level, he has a 4.07 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9.
The 18-year-old Turner had an exceptionally brief tenure as a member of the Indians organization. Cleveland selected him the 27th round of this past summer’s draft, and he went on to appear in 46 games for the club’s Rookie-level affiliate in the Arizona League. He acquitted himself well, hitting .296/.348/.396 with a homer, 10 doubles, two triples and nine steals in 187 plate appearances. Turner spent 261 innings at second base, 103 innings at shortstop and 34 innings in center field during that brief professional debut.