Free Agent Notes: Bautista, Blue Jays, Braves, Tigers, Indians
Speculation about Jose Bautista ultimately signing a one-year deal is growing throughout the industry, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. The Blue Jays were recently said to be in active talks with Bautista, and Nicholson-Smith notes that he spoke with execs from two other clubs that considered Bautista the exact type of player that could end up as a significant bargain if he’s had on a one-year pact. Nicholson-Smith adds that there’s still a belief in the industry that Toronto would be perfectly happy to let Bautista depart, sign elsewhere, and collect a compensatory draft pick. However, the Jays do still need two corner outfielders, and Bautista is a known commodity among the fans, in the clubhouse and on the field for Toronto.
A few more notes on the free-agent market…
- Nicholson-Smith also reports that the Blue Jays are continuing to hunt for a backup catcher after seeing one target, Bobby Wilson, sign a minor league contract with the Dodgers. Per Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays wanted to sign the 33-year-old Wilson, but he elected to sign with the Dodgers after Toronto declined to offer his camp any assurances that additional catchers would not be pursued. Among the options still on the market are Chris Iannetta, Nick Hundley, Kurt Suzuki and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, to name a few.
- The Braves are still open to adding a bench bat despite having a full 40-man roster at the moment, and both Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur are possibilities, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). This would mark the third straight year in which the Braves signed Johnson as a free agent and his fourth overall stint with the team that originally drafted him, if an agreement is ultimately reached. It’d also represent the third stint with the Braves for Francoeur and the second consecutive offseason in which he inked a deal with Atlanta.
- The Tigers are known to be on the lookout for some help in center field, but they didn’t show interest in Ben Revere before he signed with the Angels and haven’t had any serious discussions with Austin Jackson about a return to Detroit, reports MLB.com’s Jason Beck. Last week, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reported that the Tigers are looking for a center field option that would cost around $2MM. Jackson could fit that bill after missing the last three months of the 2016 season with a knee injury, though Beck’s report paints that as unlikely. Last week, I took a look at a few other options the Tigers could consider as well.
- Any further additions made by the Indians this winter seem likely to be low-cost in nature following the signing of Edwin Encarnacion. Cleveland GM Mike Chernoff implied to Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal that the team’s remaining resources are somewhat limited. “Obviously with a commitment like this, we couldn’t bring either [Mike Napoli] or [Rajai Davis] back at the dollars they would have cost,” said Chernoff. “Raj gave us a huge amount last year, too. You could see him potentially being a fit again with the role he had last year. I think we have a lot of internal pieces that can fill some of those spots.” Davis signed a one-year, $6MM deal with Oakland last week, so Chernoff’s suggestion that he was too expensive could well signal that any final additions will be rather minimal in nature. As Lewis further notes, that could lead to a bit less depth in the outfield and on other areas of the roster than Cleveland brass would otherwise prefer.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/7/17
Baseball America’s Matt Eddy has released a long list of minor transactions from over the holidays. Here are a few of the bigger moves from that list not already noted elsewhere on MLBTR (we’ll also keep track of additional minor moves from Saturday as they happen):
- The Brewers have signed first baseman Cody Decker to a minor league deal, tweets Tommy Stokke of FanRag. The pact doesn’t include an invitation to big league camp, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (Twitter link). Decker announced (via Twitter) that he’ll move to catcher, where he has seen action in 23 games during parts of eight minor league seasons. The 29-year-old has slashed an impressive .255/.333/.501 in 1,498 Triple-A plate appearances, though he has only logged eight PAs in the majors (with San Diego in 2015).
- The Cubs have signed catcher Carlos Corporan and re-signed infielder Munenori Kawasaki to minor league contracts. Corporan spent several years as a backup in Houston and last appeared in the Majors in 2015 with Texas; he hit .197/.246/.333 at two Triple-A stops in 2016. The 35-year-old Kawasaki played briefly for the Cubs last season and spent most of the year playing shortstop with Triple-A Iowa, where he batted .255/.352/.312. The popular former Blue Jays infielder has now appeared in parts of five seasons in the big leagues, as well as 11 in Japan.
- The Red Sox have signed outfielder Brian Bogusevic to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old had a tough season with Orix in Japan in 2016, batting just .187/.320/.322 over 193 plate appearances. He last appeared in the big leagues with the Phillies in 2015.
- The White Sox have released hard-throwing righty Jorge Rondon so that he can sign with Chunichi in Japan. They had previously signed him to a minor league deal after he posted a 2.67 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 pitching in the bullpen of the Pirates’ Triple-A Indianapolis bullpen in 2016.
- The Angels have re-signed lefty reliever Cody Ege to a minor league deal. They had previously non-tendered him even though he had far less than three years of service time and was very effective in 8 2/3 innings for them last season, although he struggled in three innings with the Marlins and posted a modest 4.50 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 in 44 innings at Triple-A.
- The Phillies have signed righty reliever Pedro Beato to a minor league deal. The 30-year-old Beato was very effective for Triple-A Norfolk in 2016, with a 2.65 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 68 innings (although he allowed nine unearned runs). He’s pitched in the big leagues for three teams, but hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2014 and hasn’t logged significant time since he was a Met in 2011.
- The Nationals have signed reliever lefty Josh Outman to a minor league deal. The 32-year-old last pitched in the big leagues in 2014, when he appeared with the Indians and Yankees. He posted a 4.95 ERA, albeit with 6.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9, in 20 innings with Indianapolis in 2016 before being released.
- The Tigers have signed first baseman Efren Navarro to a minor league deal. The 30-year-old batted .275/.337/.368 at two Triple-A stops in 2016. He’s appeared in parts of four big-league seasons, all with Anaheim.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/6/17
Here are the day’s minor transactions:
- The Tigers have outrighted righty Angel Nesbitt to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a team announcement. Nesbitt, 26, was bumped from the 40-man recently to make way for the signing of Alex Avila. He has a bit fastball and drew grounders during his brief major-league action in 2015, but didn’t make it back to the bigs last year. Nesbitt ended up spending the entire season at Triple-A, where he worked to a 4.91ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over 47 2/3 frames.
- Also outrighted, per the MLB.com transactions page, was Pirates first baseman/third baseman Jason Rogers. He, too, was designated to clear roster space for a new addition — in his case, righty Nefi Ogando. The bulky 28-year-old has seen scattered time in the majors over the last three years, and hit well in 2015 for the Brewers, but didn’t enjoy a productive season in his first go-round in the Pirates organization. Pittsburgh acquired Rogers in a deal that sent Trey Supak and Keon Broxton to the Brewers last offseason. But he ended up seeing just 33 MLB plate appearances and struggled to a .263/.338/.371 slash with four home runs in his 420 trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors.
Affordable Center Field Options For The Tigers
The Tigers are still on the lookout for a center field stopgap, tweets Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, but their preference is to add a low-cost option and spend around $2MM to fill the vacancy. Fenech further notes that the Tigers have opportunities to trade for a center fielder that fits that mold, but adding an affordable veteran via free agency is seemingly the likelier course of action.
Detroit’s in-house candidates in center field include the likes of Tyler Collins and Anthony Gose, each of whom is out of minor league options and will need to break camp with the team or be exposed to waivers. JaCoby Jones represents a younger alternative that has drawn some praise from the organization, but the 24-year-old Jones hasn’t played much center field in the pros. He also hit just .243/.309/.356 in 324 plate appearances at Triple-A last year, so while the Tigers may view him as an option down the line, there’s certainly a case that he could use more development time.
The vast number of corner bats and relievers left on the market have generated more attention than the remaining center-field capable bats, but Detroit GM Al Avila should have plenty options to choose from if his hope is to add a cheap center fielder to handle the position on Opening Day. While some of these players figure to command more than $2MM, that’s not characterized as any sort of hard cap by Fenech, and the sheer number of available assets relative to the number of teams seeking this type of player may suppress salaries.
All that said, here’s a look at some of the available names that could yet fit the bill in Detroit (listed alphabetically, as this isn’t intended to be a ranking of any sort)…
- Peter Bourjos: Long considered one of the game’s premier defenders, Bourjos’ defensive ratings have taken a hit following offseason hip surgery following the 2014 campaign. He’s never recreated his brilliant 2011 season — .271/.327/.438 with 12 homers, 22 steals and elite glovework in center — but Bourjos fits the bill as a cost-efficient stopgap that could compete for the regular center field job in Spring Training and act as a fourth outfielder even if he loses out on the gig. Bourjos hit .251/.292/.389 in 383 plate appearances with the Phillies last year and enjoyed a torrid June before suffering a July shoulder injury.
- Michael Bourn: The 34-year-old isn’t the elite defender and baserunner that he once was, but he still contributed positive value on the bases in addition to a +4 DRS rating in 2016 (UZR had him a tick below average). Bourn .264/.314/.371 with six homers and 15 steals between the D-backs and Orioles last year, and he’d give the Tigers a left-handed bat to pair with a heavily right-leaning lineup. Then again, with Collins swinging from the left side, a righty bat may be actually be preferable for the Tigers based solely on matchup purposes.
- Coco Crisp: To be clear, Crisp has spent much more time in left field than in center over the past two seasons, and with good reason, as his once-excellent defensive ratings have taken a steep nosedive as Crisp has advanced into his upper 30s. The 37-year-old switch-hitter batted .231/.302/.397 between Oakland and Cleveland last season but still showed a blend of pop and speed, hitting 13 homers and swiping 10 bags.
- Austin Jackson: No player on the free-agent market is more familiar to the Tigers than Jackson, who starred in Detroit from 2010-14 before somewhat surprisingly being shipped to the Mariners in 2014’s three-team David Price trade. Jackson’s bat has been mostly anemic since that swap (.255/.302/.345), and he ended last season on the shelf after suffering a knee injury that required surgery. That may call into question how capable Jackson is of manning center field. But, Jackson won’t turn 30 years old until Feb. 1, and he made just $5MM with the White Sox last year. A reduced salary seems likely, and there’s a bit of upside here to go along with the obvious familiarity.
- Desmond Jennings: Even though he’s seven years younger than Crisp, Jennings comes with similar question marks surrounding his ability to handle center field. The 30-year-old once looked like a star in the making, but his career has been slowed in recent years by a cavalcade of knee and hamstring issues. Jennings had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in 2015 and has also had separate DL stints for a bruised knee and a knee contusion since going under the knife. He’s batted just .222/.295/.347 in 93 games/333 plate appearances in the past two seasons. Like Jackson, he’s still relatively young and is only a couple years removed from being a solid everyday contributor.
There are at least two other hypothetical options in Colby Rasmus and Angel Pagan, though neither spent much time in center in 2016 and it seems likely that they’ll command a good bit more than Fenech’s suggested price range (possibly, over a multi-year term). Detroit would likely need to jettison salary elsewhere in order to make a play for either outfielder.
Additionally, there are a number of veterans that figure to sign minor league deals and could potentially be options for the Tigers. (Although any of the above players could certainly need to settle for a minors pact as well, depending on how the market plays out.) Players like Will Venable, Sam Fuld, Craig Gentry and Drew Stubbs all have recent center field experience that could be of appeal to Detroit.
AL Central Notes: Brantley, Encarnacion, O’Brien, Tigers
After missing nearly the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery and undergoing a second shoulder operation in August, Michael Brantley began some non-contact swinging drills over the holidays, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has maintained this offseason that Brantley is in the team’s plans to be the Opening Day left fielder in 2017, Bastian continues, although it’s worth noting that Cleveland offered similar optimism last offseason, penciling Brantley in for a late April/early May return. While Brantley did indeed make his season debut in that window, he was limited to just 11 games all season and didn’t produce when on the field. The amount that Brantley will be able to contribute in 2017 will be crucial for Cleveland, although the Indians will get a nice boost to the lineup in the form of Edwin Encarnacion. Cleveland announced tonight that they’ll host a press conference tomorrow at 10:15am ET “regarding a potential new member of the organization,” thus indicating that Encarnacion passed today’s physical.
More from the AL Central…
- New Royals acquisition Peter O’Brien will head to Spring Training and compete for at-bats as the team’s designated hitter, general manager Dayton Moore tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Moore added that the Royals’ front office has long held some level of interest in O’Brien and has tried to deal for him in the past without success. However, as Flanagan points out, O’Brien has minor league options remaining and as such could serve as a depth option at Triple-A. Cheslor Cuthbert, on the other hand, is out of minor league options and might not have a better path to regular playing time than the team’s DH slot, which could give him the inside track. Kansas City will also use its DH slot to rest some position players, including Mike Moustakas, who is returning from an ACL tear.
- FanRag’s Jack Magruder writes that O’Brien has gone from virtually untouchable in the Diamondbacks‘ eyes to expendable in the eyes of the new Arizona regime. Both the Royals and Mariners expressed some interest in O’Brien at last year’s trade deadline, per Magruder, but talks never progressed beyond the preliminary stage in either case.
- Though it looked like the Tigers would move at least one veteran, if not more, earlier this offseason, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi writes that there’s now a strong chance that Detroit will open the season with a nearly unchanged roster. Ownership never mandated a payroll reduction from GM Al Avila, Morosi continues, so the general manager was only ever going to move players like J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler if a team offered an enticing package of near-MLB-ready talent, but those types of scenarios never surfaced. The Tigers could still move short-term veterans like Martinez and Kinsler this summer if they’re not contending, of course. Morosi does note that right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is throwing from 180 feet and expects to be ready for the start of Spring Training. A return to form for last year’s $110MM signing would go a long way toward the Tigers making a run in 2017.
3 Remaining Needs: American League Central
To set the stage for the remainder of the offseason, we’ll take a look at the most pressing remaining needs of every team in baseball over the coming week or so, division by division. (Hat tip to MLBTR commenter mike156 for the idea.) We often discuss things through the lens of an organization’s trajectory; thus, a rebuilding team might “need” to move some salary, while a contender might “need” an expensive starter. But with camp in sight, every club is making final calls on who’ll compete for big league jobs in the season to come (while also pursuing broader opportunities), so the focus here is on specific positions on the MLB roster. Fortunately, the task of roster analysis is made much easier by the MLB depth charts available at RosterResource.com. Each team listed below is linked to its respective depth chart, so you can take a look for yourself.
So far, we’ve checked in on the NL West, NL East and AL East. Here’s the AL Central, a division which features the reigning league champions…
- Outfield Depth: The Indians are fine on paper with Michael Brantley, Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer representing their primary outfield options, but there’s uncertainty surrounding Brantley. The star-caliber performer from 2014-15 missed all but 11 games last season because of a shoulder injury, and while he and the team are optimistic about his status, “better safe than sorry” applies. With that in mind, the Indians have been connected to free agents like Rajai Davis, a member of the Tribe in 2016, and Michael Saunders. Davis would be the more realistic acquisition, but Cleveland’s payroll limitations are standing in the way of a deal. Whether it’s Davis or someone else, though, having another outfielder – one who’s more established than Abraham Almonte – would be nice.
- Left-Handed Reliever: Again, after winning the Edwin Encarnacion sweepstakes, the Indians might not have the financial freedom to do much else. Nevertheless, they have been in the market for a left-handed reliever, perhaps to take some pressure off Andrew Miller late in games. While Miller is arguably the best reliever in the sport, the Indians will have to monitor his workload to some degree next season after their liberal usage of him last year.
- Utility Infielder: As you can probably tell, the Indians aren’t exactly loaded with weaknesses; hence the “need” to add competition for a reserve infield spot. After a strong season at Triple-A Columbus, Erick Gonzalez is the front-runner to serve as a backup to the Indians’ high-caliber group of infield starters. Michael Martinez could push for a spot, but he has been a woeful hitter in his major league career (.197/.241/.266 in 578 plate appearances). Signing a cheap free agent to vie for a role might not be a bad idea, then.
- Cut Payroll: General manager Al Avila made it clear at the outset of the offseason that the Tigers, who exceeded the luxury tax threshold in 2016, need to scale back their spending. Trading on-the-block outfielder J.D. Martinez and his $11.75MM salary would help in that regard, but it would subtract a key piece from what should be a playoff-contending roster. It would be far more beneficial for Detroit’s chances in 2017 to somehow jettison at least one of Anibal Sanchez ($21MM, including a $5MM buyout in 2018) or Mike Pelfrey ($8MM). Teams have checked in on the two right-handers this offseason, but it’s unclear if serious talks have developed.
- Center Field: While the Tigers shed money earlier in the offseason in trading Cameron Maybin to the Angels, doing so left them devoid of even a somewhat proven center fielder. In the wake of Maybin’s exit, Avila said last month he’s seeking center field help “on every front,” as his top in-house choices for next season are Tyler Collins, JaCoby Jones and Anthony Gose. Free agency offers some veterans who shouldn’t cost much in ex-Tiger Austin Jackson, Peter Bourjos and Desmond Jennings, among others, though Avila acknowledged that acquiring a center fielder via trade is a possibility.
- Figure Out The Bullpen: This is mostly in reference to left-handed reliever Justin Wilson, who has drawn significant interest on the trade market this offseason. As is the case with Martinez, though, shipping Wilson out would damage Detroit’s chances of contending in 2017. Plus, Wilson isn’t even particularly expensive (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz forecasts a $2.7MM arbitration award). The Tigers are also listening to offers for right-hander Shane Greene, but they’re better positioned to absorb losing him with righties like Francisco Rodriguez, Alex Wilson, Bruce Rondon and minor league destroyer Joe Jimenez in the fold. On the other hand, the only non-Justin Wilson southpaw reliever on their projected 25-man roster is Rule 5 pick Daniel Stumpf.
- Bullpen: Like Cleveland and Detroit, Kansas City is another AL Central team dealing with payroll constraints. The Royals aren’t eager to tear things down, though, which would be an easy route to take for a team with so many integral players entering contract years. One of those cogs, closer Wade Davis, is now gone. GM Dayton Moore sent him to the Cubs for a major league contributor – and one with high upside – in outfielder Jorge Soler, which saved the Royals $7MM. That was a sound move by the Royals, but they now have a gaping hole in their bullpen because of it. As a result, they’re searching for a late-game complement to Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria, with longtime Royals and now-free agents Greg Holland and Luke Hochevar on the radar.
- Starting Pitcher: Edinson Volquez and Dillon Gee combined for 314 1/3 innings last year – albeit not overly effective ones – and are now out of the organization. The Royals’ depth has taken a hit, then, and they’re on track to rely on Matt Strahm – who was brilliant in relief in 2016 – and 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient Jason Vargas to step into their starting five alongside Ian Kennedy, Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura. That quintet has the potential to succeed, but the club should protect against injuries and/or underwhelming performances with an outside acquisition who’s an upgrade over the likes of Chris Young and Mike Minor. Jason Hammel is reportedly an option if his price comes down enough, but that seems like a long shot. If so, there are several other veteran starters on the open market who will come at lesser costs should the Royals look to bolster their rotation depth.
- Middle Infielder: With Whit Merrifield and 2016 third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert around, the Royals might be able to address this concern from within. That would be ideal for an organization whose other middle infielders scuffled last season. Shortstop Alcides Escobar (.261/.292/.350 in 682 PAs), second baseman Raul Mondesi (.185/.231/.281 in 149 PAs) and backup Christian Colon (.231/.294/.293 in 161 PAs) brought nothing to the table at the plate in 2016.
- Keep Dealing Veterans: GM Rick Hahn said last summer that the White Sox’s direction for 2017 would become obvious early in the offseason. True to his word, Hahn shipped out ace Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton for a cavalcade of touted prospects at the Winter Meetings, thereby announcing that Chicago’s in a rebuild. Sale and Eaton probably aren’t going to be the last known commodities to leave the organization via trade in the coming months, either, as front-line starter Jose Quintana, third baseman Todd Frazier, first baseman Jose Abreu, closer David Robertson and outfielder Melky Cabrera are also available.
- Outfield: The likes of Avisail Garcia, Charlie Tilson and Jason Coats will compete for starting roles alongside Cabrera in left, while waiver claim Rymer Liriano (.220/.289/.266 in his 121-PA major league debut last season) is set to serve as depth. That’s an unspectacular collection of players, clearly, and even the 24-year-old Tilson – the youngest of the bunch – merely projects as a reserve or below-average regular, according to FanGraphs prospect guru Eric Longenhagen. Given the state of the franchise, the White Sox don’t need to make a splash with a big-time outfield pickup, but finding someone to supplement their current group via free agency would be sensible. Adding an inexpensive outfield bat this offseason might serve a purpose around next summer’s trade deadline, where the White Sox could flip that player for another prospect(s) if he shows well.
- Catcher: The White Sox aren’t exactly in great shape behind the plate with Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith as their top options at the moment. The 24-year-old Narvaez has more upside than Smith, 28, though the former doesn’t have an overly promising track record as either a hitter or pitch framer. Free agency doesn’t offer much in the way of solutions, but the White Sox could benefit from Matt Wieters‘ decision. If he signs with the Braves, for instance, the Sox would be wise to at least inquire about their former backstop, Atlanta’s Tyler Flowers. On the other hand, the Nationals could shop one of their well-regarded veteran framers – Derek Norris or Jose Lobaton – if they sign Wieters. White Sox pitchers have lost a lot of strikes lately because of subpar framing, so finding a backstop capable of aiding young starters like Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez would be logical.
- Decide Brian Dozier‘s Fate: The Twins’ star second baseman has been on the block throughout the offseason, and a resolution finally looks imminent. New Twins front office bosses Derek Falvey (chief baseball officer) and Thad Levine (general manager) have asked teams to submit their final offers for Dozier and will soon determine whether to trade him. Minnesota is arguably in a win-win position with Dozier, as it’ll either land a high-end prospect (or more) for him or retain one of the sport’s best second baseman for at least a bit longer. The Brewers were in a similar position last year with catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who didn’t go anywhere in the offseason despite myriad rumors. Milwaukee then shipped him to Texas during the summer for a prospect bounty. Dozier, like Lucroy last winter, has two years of team control left at a palatable price tag ($15MM combined).
- Starting Pitching: The Twins have asked teams for controllable starting pitching in their Dozier talks, and they might secure a potential long-term piece in Jose De Leon if a deal with the Dodgers materializes. Otherwise, the Twins have shown interest this offseason in low-cost veterans like Clayton Richard, who re-signed with the Padres, and Justin Masterson. The club has four veteran starters in Ervin Santana, Hector Santiago, Kyle Gibson and Phil Hughes, and acquiring a fifth could lead to all three of Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey and Adalberto Mejia receiving further seasoning at the Triple-A level.
- Bullpen: Levine revealed a couple weeks ago that Minnesota is searching for experienced late-game arms, and there are a slew of those available in free agency. Even though the Twins aren’t contenders, offering a veteran a prominent eighth- or ninth-inning role could entice one to join the club. The rebuilding Twins could then shop that player as the season progresses if he fares nicely.
Tigers, Edward Mujica Agree To Minor League Deal
The Tigers and right-hander Edward Mujica have agreed to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training, reports Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Mujica is represented by Octagon.
[Related: Detroit Tigers Depth Chart]
The 32-year-old Mujica (33 in May) opened the 2016 season in the Phillies’ minor league ranks but was granted his release after not being promoted by mid-July. Mujica worked to a 3.69 ERA with 6.2 K/9 against a pristine 0.9 BB/9 (27 strikeouts, four walks) in 39 innings with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley. He went on to sign with the Royals but struggled with their Triple-A affiliate before latching on with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate and again pitching quite well to close out the year. All told, the former Cardinals closer logged a 4.37 ERA with 7.6 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9 in 57 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year.
Mujica, of course, comes with a great deal of Major League experience as well. After breaking into the bigs with the Indians back in 2006 at the age of 22, he cemented himself as a Major League bullpen piece with the Padres in 2009, logging a 3.94 ERA in 93 2/3 innings. From 2009-13, Mujica was a quality, durable reliever for San Diego, Miami and St. Louis, posting a collective 3.31 ERA with 7.4 K/9, 1.4 BB/9 and roughly average ground-ball tendencies. He saved 37 games for the 2013 Cardinals before hitting free agency and inking a two-year deal with the Red Sox. The first season of that deal proved solid, if a bit underwhelming (3.90 ERA in 60 innings), but his 2015 season was split between Boston and Oakland, and the resulting 4.75 ERA was far from impressive.
The Tigers will have Francisco Rodriguez closing games for them to begin the 2017 season (barring a trade) and also project to have Justin Wilson, Bruce Rondon and Alex Wilson in next year’s bullpen. Top prospect Joe Jimenez was dominant in Triple-A last season and could factor into the mix early in the year as well. Veterans Mark Lowe and Mike Pelfrey are also likely ticketed for ‘pen work, though each is coming off a dreadful 2016 season and could potentially see his contract dumped if the Tigers are willing to eat some of the remaining cash they’re owed. Among non-roster invitees, Mujica will compete with the likes of fellow former big leaguers Collin Balester, A.J. Achter and Logan Kensing in trying to earn a roster spot this spring.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/26/16
Here are some recent minor league moves from around the game, as chronicled by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise credited. The newest transactions are at the top of the post…
- The Giants inked catcher Josmil Pinto to a minor league deal. Pinto appeared in six games with Milwaukee last season, his first MLB exposure since 2014. The backstop has 84 games and 286 plate appearances to his record with the Brewers and Twins, as well as a .274/.349/.442 slash line over 3242 minor league PA.
- The Mariners signed outfielder Kyle Waldrop to a minors contract. The longtime Reds farmhand became a free agent after a 2016 season that saw him outrighted off Cincinnati’s 40-man roster. Waldrop (a different player than the former Twins right-hander of the same name, for the record) appeared in 15 games for the Reds last season, mostly as a pinch-hitter or late-game sub. He has a .274/.320/.429 slash over 2698 PA in the Reds’ minor league system.
- The White Sox signed righty Jorge Rondon to a minor league pact earlier this month. Rondon has a 13.26 ERA over 19 career innings pitched in the majors, making brief appearances in each of the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Rockies, Orioles and Pirates. A pro since 2006, Rondon has a 4.24 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 1.54 K/BB rate over 647 1/3 career frames in the minors, appearing as a reliever in 346 over his 387 career games.
- The Red Sox re-signed catcher Dan Butler on a minor league deal. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Butler has spent his entire pro career in Boston’s organization, save for a season with the Nationals in 2015. Butler has a .256/.348/.405 slash line over 2441 career PA in the minors, and he appeared in seven games in the bigs in 2014.
- The Tigers signed righties Jake Brigham and outfielder Jim Adduci to minor league deals. As Eddy notes, Detroit has been active in signing players from international leagues as minor league depth, including these two former big leaguers. Brigham spent 2016 with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles after nine pro seasons in North America, receiving his first taste of the majors in the form of 16 2/3 innings with the Braves in 2015. Adduci, 31, played 11 seasons in the minors and parts of two seasons (148 PA with the Rangers in 2013-14) in the majors before spending the last two years with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12/24/16
The latest minor league signings from around the sport, courtesy of Matt Eddy of Baseball America:
- The Braves have inked swingman Andrew Albers, a 31-year-old left-hander who will head to his fifth organization since the Padres selected him in the 10th round of the 2008 draft. The majority of Albers’ work last year came with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, where he recorded a 3.69 ERA, 6.08 K/9 and 2.17 BB/9 in 21 starts and 124 1/3 innings. Albers also amassed six appearances and two starts with the Twins in 2016 and has a combined 79 big league frames to his credit between Minnesota and Toronto. The lion’s share of that action came with the Twins in 2013, when Albers started 10 games and registered a 4.05 ERA, 3.75 K/9, 1.05 BB/9 and 43.5 percent ground-ball rate across 60 innings.
- The Diamondbacks have added outfielder Reymond Fuentes, whom the Royals released in September. Kansas City’s decision to move on from Fuentes came after he hit just .254/.325/.317 in 272 plate appearances with Triple-A Omaha in 2016. The 25-year-old was more successful last season with the Royals, albeit over just 44 PAs, with a .317/.364/.341 line.
- The White Sox have re-signed right-hander Chris Volstad, who spent all of 2016 with their Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. Volstad ate 176 2/3 innings last season, though he didn’t produce inspiring results (4.79 ERA, 4.28 K/9, 1.73 BB/9). The 30-year-old former Marlin and Cub was once a mainstay in the majors, having exceeded the 100-inning plateau in each season from 2009-12, but has only tossed big league 10 1/3 frames dating back to 2013.
- Just over three months after outrighting Rafael Ynoa in September, the Rockies have brought back the utilityman. The 29-year-old Ynoa totaled 202 PAs with the Rockies from 2014-15, but he took only five trips to the plate with Colorado last season. All told, he has batted .281/.306/.372 in 207 plate appearances with the Rockies and .270/.344/.364 in nearly 4,000 minor league PAs. Along with Ynoa, Colorado picked up righty C.C. Lee. The Taiwan native pitched in Japan last season after garnering minimal major league experience from 2013-15 with the Indians. Once among Cleveland’s top prospects (BA ranked him fourth in the organization after the 2011 season), the 30-year-old owns a 4.50 ERA, 8.74 K/9, 4.24 BB/9 and 34 innings in the majors.
- Righty Collin Balester is joining the Tigers, which represents a return to the States after a year in Korea. It’ll also be the 30-year-old Balester’s second stint in the Detroit organization, with which he accrued 18 major league innings in 2012. In 200 2/3 big league frames, including 15 2/3 with the Reds in 2015, Balester has struggled with a 5.47 ERA, 7.04 K/9, 4.08 BB/9 and 39.1 ground-ball mark.
Tigers Sign Alex Avila, Designate Angel Nesbitt
The Tigers have signed catcher Alex Avila to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. He’ll receive a $2MM guarantee, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets. To create 40-man space, the club designated righty Angel Nesbitt for assignment.
Avila, who is the son of Tigers GM Al Avila, returns to Detroit after a one-year stint with the White Sox. The lefty swinging 29-year-old seems likely to function in a platoon role with James McCann, who has played in over 100 games in each of the last two seasons and may well do so again in 2017.
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Though it had seemed Avila might be too expensive for the Tigers, the sides have found a way to make it work. He hit a solid .213/.359/.373 with seven home runs over 209 plate appearances last year, though the University of Alabama product continued to be limited almost exclusively to facing right-handed pitching.
Avila carries huge platoon splits over his career, though that still makes him a plenty useful part-time piece, especially since he hits from the left side. All told, over his eight seasons of MLB action — seven of which have come with Detroit — he owns a .247/.357/.418 batting line against opposing righties.
There are some questions, though. Avila missed time last year with a hamstring issue and, more worryingly, has dealt with concussion problems. Avila’s defensive work, too, isn’t necessarily a strong suit, though that’s always difficult to assess for a backstop. He draws rather poor ratings as a pitch-framer, per both StatCorner and Baseball Prospectus (subscription link), and the latter publication also has traditionally graded Avila as a somewhat below-average performer in terms of throwing and blocking.
As for Nesbitt, 26, he’ll lose his roster spot after throwing 47 2/3 innings of 4.91 ERA ball at Triple-A in 2016, where he averaged 7.9 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9. He received 24 major-league appearances in the prior campaign, but managed only a 5.40 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Nesbitt did show a 93.9 mph average heater and manage a solid 48.5% groundball rate, but the results just haven’t been there.