Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Dustin Garneau

Tigers Sign Dustin Garneau

By | at

The Tigers announced that they’ve signed catcher Dustin Garneau to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Garneau, a client of agent Marc Kligman, will compete for a spot alongside Jake Rogers, Grayson Greiner and Eric Haase. The deal includes multiple opt outs, but Garneau will earn a $1MM salary if he earns a spot with the Tigers, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

Garneau, 33, had a solid season between the Angels and A’s in 2019 but struggled with his third AL West club, the Astros, in 2020. This past season, Garneau served as the backup to Martin Maldonado and limped to a .158/.273/.279 batting line in an admittedly minuscule sample of 46 plate appearances.

Defensively, he’s caught 37 percent of would-be base thieves in the minors and 33 percent in the Majors. And after a poor start to his career in terms of pitch framing, Garneau has rated a bit above average in each of his past few MLB efforts.

Garneau has never received a particularly long look in the Majors, as his career-high in plate appearances came back in 2017 when he tallied 126 trips to the dish between Colorado and Oakland. He’s a career .202/.288/.338 hitter in 427 Major League plate appearances but a .260/.335/.500 hitter in parts of six Triple-A seasons.

Roberto Osuna, Chris Devenski, Dustin Garneau, Chase De Jong Elect Free Agency

By | at

Astros Roberto Osuna, Chris Devenski, Dustin Garneau and Chase De Jong have elected free agency after clearing waivers, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.

The most notable addition to the open market here is Osuna, whom the Astros outrighted earlier this week. Osuna has been excellent since he debuted with the Blue Jays in 2015, but he’s forever marred because of a domestic violence suspension in 2018. The Astros still traded for him that year, however, and they did benefit from his on-the-mound presence after that. But the 25-year-old’s future is now uncertain because of a right elbow injury that cost him almost all of 2020 and could force him to undergo Tommy John surgery.

The righty Devenski was a lights-out bullpen workhorse for the Astros in his first two seasons, including during their World Series-winning year in 2017, but the 29-year-old has since fallen on hard times. Not only has Devenski’s production taken a severe turn for the worse, but he threw only 3 2/3 innings in 2020 and is just over a month removed from undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow. He’s not expected to recover from that procedure until sometime in the winter.

The well-traveled Garneau, 33, signed with the Astros last winter and ended up seeing time as their backup catcher. Garneau hit a meager .158/.273/.289 with one home run in 46 plate appearances, though.

De Jong began the year in independent ball before the Astros acquired him from the Sugarland Skeeters on Aug. 3. That move didn’t prove successful for Houston, as the right-handed De Jong went on to allow a whopping 12 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Camp Battles: Astros’ 26th Man

By | at

The Astros final roster spot will be a two-man showdown between Myles Straw and Garrett Stubbs, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Of course, this particular “camp battle” has as much to do with the pieces around the players as the players themselves. For that matter, it may come down to a conversation between Dusty Baker and new GM James Click. The two are likely still developing a cohesive philosophy when it comes to roster construction. That they have an extra roster spot in the 26th man this season ought to help smooth the waters. Still, there’s a decision to be made here, and as with many clubs, the decision may come down to just how many catchers they want to have on the roster. Let’s take a deeper dive into the candidates. 

  • One would think that Myles Straw is the frontrunner to make the opening day roster. Without him, the Astros don’t have a natural backup for George Springer in center. With Jake Marisnick now on the Mets, Straw is the likeliest candidate to fill that void as a pinch-runner and late-game defensive replacement. Josh Reddick would probably fill that role as a backup were Straw not to make the team, though it would be surprising if that were the case for the entire season. Even if Straw doesn’t make the cut, expect him to occupy a roster spot at times throughout the season.
  • Stubbs, 26, has spent the last two seasons in Triple-A, and he’s certainly ready enough to get some time as a backup in 2020. He has a good approach at the plate, will take his walks and doesn’t strike out (16.2% K-rate last season). He’s reliable enough defensively, but it’s hard to see where the Astros would benefit from rostering a third catcher. Martin Maldonado will be the primary starter, and he could be used as a defense replacement in games he doesn’t start. On the other hand, they may risk burning their bench by pinch-hitting for Maldonado in spots. Still, Dustin Garneau is on hand for those occasions. Garneau has some power potential, but Kyle Tucker or Josh Reddick will be the first lefty bat off the bench, while Aledmys Diaz will be the guy from the right side. One backup catcher ought to suffice.
  • The sleeper candidate here is Abraham Toro. He debuted last season with a .218/.303/.385 line over a mere 85 plate appearances. Toro offers a quality combination of speed/power and the ability to play either corner in the infield as well as second base in a pinch. He’s a switch-hitter, which provides some utility beyond the overlapping skillset he shares with Diaz or Yuli Gurriel, but he also has options available. The Astros, therefore, will feel no pressure to keep him on the major league roster. That said, Toro gained some popularity last season, a quality the Astros are short on these days. Having a young player that fans can root for unequivocally may get Toro an extra look.

We’re assuming here, of course, that the Astros will go with an eight-man bullpen. That’s hardly a foregone conclusion, though it’s the likeliest result in the case of most teams, and given that the Astros have some uncertainty at the back end of their rotation, they may enjoy having an extra arm to leverage until the number four and five starters establish some consistency.

Astros Sign Dustin Garneau

By | at

3:42pm: The signing is now official. Furthermore, agent Marc Kligman tells Mark Berman of FOX 26 that the deal comes with a $650K base salary and $75K worth of incentives (Twitter link).

10:43am: The Astros have agreed to a one-year deal with backstop Dustin Garneau, per Jake Kaplan of The Athletic (via Twitter). It appears that he’ll rather unexpectedly receive a 40-man spot with the signing. The dollars aren’t yet known.

Garneau has settled into a journeyman existence in recent years. Though he has at times shown a promising bat in the upper minors — he has three .900+ OPS seasons in high-octane Triple-A offensive environments — the results haven’t been there in the majors. Over 381 lifetime plate appearances at the game’s highest level, Garneau has slashed just .207/.290/.343. If he’s able to cement himself as a viable option over a full season behind the dish in Houston, he’d be controllable all the way through the 2024 campaign — although he’d likely be eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player next winter.

While he isn’t exactly legend for his framing or throwing, Garneau is regarded as a strong defender. His former skipper with the A’s, Bob Melvin, had kind words for Garneau’s overall game management ability — the sort of thing that’s essentially impossible to capture from objective measurement. It seems fair to presume that the ’Stros think they’ll get good work behind the dish and in the game prep arena out of Garneau, with any offense mostly an added bonus.

It also seems rather clear that this is one of multiple planned catching moves for the defending American League champs. Garneau joins Garrett Stubbs on the Houston 40-man. But odds are the team will allow those players to compete for the reserve job in camp. (Garneau will have a strong edge since he’s out of options and just signed this deal.) Another backstop — perhaps a returning Robinson Chirinos — is likely to be brought aboard as well.

 

Position Players Recently Electing Free Agency

By | at

Since the conclusion of the regular season, a number of players have elected free agency. That right accrues to certain players who are outrighted off of a 40-man roster during or after the season — namely, those that have at least three years of MLB service and/or have previously been outrighted. Such players that accepted outright assignments during the season have the right to elect free agency instead at season’s end, provided they aren’t added back to the 40-man in the meantime.

Here are the position players that have recently taken to the open market, along with their now-former teams (via the International League and PCL transactions pages):

Athletics Outright Dustin Garneau

By | at

The Athletics outrighted catcher Dustin Garneau to Triple-A Las Vegas on Monday after he cleared waivers, the team announced. Garneau has been outrighted in the past, meaning he could have turned down the assignment in favor of free agency. However, he’ll stay in the organization, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com tweets.

The well-traveled Garneau was a member of the A’s organization back in 2017, but he has spent just a couple weeks with the franchise this season. The A’s claimed Garneau off waivers from the division-rival Angels on Aug. 3, only to designate the 32-year-old for assignment last Friday when fellow catcher Josh Phegley returned from the injured list.

Garneau was plenty effective with Oakland before it booted him from its roster, hitting .294/.368/.588, though he posted those numbers over a mere 19 plate appearances. While Garneau previously slashed a playable .232/.346/.362 in 82 PA with the Halos, the lifetime .207/.290/.343 mark he has logged over 381 attempts since his MLB career began in 2015 with the Rockies pales in comparison. Garneau has been a respectable hitter at the Triple-A level, though, having batted .259/.334/498 and totaled 60 homers in 1,198 trips to the plate.

Athletics Designate Dustin Garneau, Activate Josh Phegley

By | at

Change is afoot behind the dish for the Athletics. The club announced today that it has designated Dustin Garneau for assignment, clearing the way for the return of Josh Phegley from the injured list.

Garneau, who recently turned 32, had a nice run in seven games with the A’s. But he was obviously seen mostly as a roster patch for the Oakland org, which is now going back to its preexisting arrangement. In parts of five seasons in the majors, Garneau carries a .207/.290/.343 batting line over 381 plate appearances.

A’s Claim Dustin Garneau, Designate Ryan Dull

By | at

The A’s have claimed catcher Dustin Garneau off waivers from the Angels, designated righty Ryan Dull for assignment, and released injured right-hander Andrew Triggs, among other roster moves, the team reports.

Garneau, designated for assignment Wednesday by Los Angeles, had slashed a solid .232/.346/.362 (98 wRC+) in limited action so far this year. It’s a stretch that far outstrips his previous work for three other MLB organizations (including the A’s) since his debut in 2015: the 31-year-old’s previous best was the 60 wRC+ he posted in 75 PAs for the 2016 Rockies. His work behind the dish has graded out mostly average since his debut, so perhaps the bargain-hunting A’s are convinced the mini-breakout is sustainable.

Dull, 29, had a solid 2016 season for the A’s but has hovered around replacement-level since. In 9 IP for the club this season, the 5’9 righty was tagged for four bombs en route to an ugly 12.00 ERA. Dull has long posted dominant K rates in the upper minors that haven’t translated to the MLB level: the 2019 campaign marks the third Triple-A stint in which the righty’s sat down over 11 men per nine.

Triggs, 30, boasts a rare high-strikeout, high-grounder mix, but the low-slot righty hadn’t been able to comfortably rebound from a thoracic outlet surgery late last season. He’d been designated for assignment by the club on Deadline Day.

Angels Reinstate Jonathan Lucroy, Designate Dustin Garneau

By | at

The Angels have reinstated catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the injured list and designated fellow backstop Dustin Garneau for assignment, the team announced.

Lucroy’s back after an awful July 7 collision at home plate with Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick sent him to the shelf. Lucroy suffered a concussion and a broken nose that day. He later had to undergo surgery on his nasal fracture. Before the injury, the 33-year-old former star hit an underwhelming .237/.307/.364 with seven home runs in 264 plate appearances. Lucroy’s once-pristine defense also continued to trend downward.

Garneau, whom the Angels already designated once this year before Wednesday, has performed respectably at the plate this season. The 31-year-old owns a .232/.346/.362 line with a pair of homers in 82 trips to the plate. If Garneau doesn’t end up with another team in the next week, he’ll be able to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency should he choose. For now, he’ll go into DFA limbo as the Angels opt for a Lucroy-Kevan Smith setup at catcher.

Angels Select Dustin Garneau, Place Kevan Smith On 10-Day IL

By | at

The Angels have selected the contract of catcher Dustin Garneau from Triple-A, the team announced today.  Garneau will take over the backup catching role from Kevan Smith, who will hit the 10-day injured list due to a metacarpal strain in his left hand.  Garneau will take the 40-man spot left open after Cody Allen was released on Tuesday; the Halos officially confirmed that release today.

This is the second time in a month that Garneau replaced an injured Smith, as the Angels made the same move in late May after Smith was placed on the seven-day concussion IL.  Garneau was subsequently DFA’ed and then outrighted off Los Angeles’ 40-man roster after Smith returned.  Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Garneau has appeared in seven games for the Halos this season, hitting .250/.455/.313 over 22 PA.

Smith has swung an even mightier bat, with a .296/.387/.469 slash line over 93 plate appearances.  While Smith posted roughly league-average production over 187 PA with the White Sox in 2018, his rather unexpected offensive outburst this year has been a boon for the Angels, who gave Smith more playing time as Jonathan Lucroy continued to scuffle at the plate.

Show all

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

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top