Astros Acquire David Paulino To Complete Veras Trade
The Astros have acquired right-hander David Paulino from the Tigers as the player to be named later from the July trade that sent Jose Veras to Detroit, tweets MLB.com's Jason Beck. The Astros received outfield prospect Danry Vasquez as the centerpiece of the trade.
Paulino, 19, made four starts for the Tigers' Rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate this season and was very impressive in the process. The Dominican native allowed six runs in 20 innings for a 2.70 ERA with an impressive 22-to-2 K/BB ratio. In a separate pair of tweets, Beck notes that Paulino last pitched in mid-July and is currently on the 60-day disabled list in the GCL after undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Astros like Paulino's power arm and feel the injury is worth the risk. The trade will separate David from his older brother, Brenny Paulino, who has yet to pitch this year after missing 2012 with arm problems and undergoing shoulder surgery last June.
Since joining the Tigers, Veras has posted a 2.76 ERA with 12 strikeouts and six walks in 16 1/3 innings of relief. Vasquez, meanwhile, continued a solid season in the Class-A Midwest League after moving from Detroit's affiliate in West Michigan to Houston's affiliate in the Quad Cities. The 19-year-old posted very similar batting lines for each club, slashing .283/.334/.400 in the Tigers organization and .288/.323/.398 in the Astros organization.
Minor Moves: Wells, Ambriz, Watts, Liddi
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- Longtime starting pitcher Kip Wells has retired, although he's hoping to remain in baseball now that his playing career is over, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin tweets. Wells was released by the Angels in May, and was considering retirement as of early July. The righty pitched parts of 12 seasons, suiting up with the White Sox, Pirates, Rangers, Cardinals, Rockies, Royals, Nationals, Reds and Padres, and posting a 4.71 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 1,338 1/3 career innings.
- The Astros outrighted Hector Ambriz to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to the International League transactions page. The 29-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment over the weekend after pitching to a 5.70 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 36 1/3 innings for Houston this season.
- The Nationals released catcher Kris Watts, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter). Watts, 29, hit just .211/.342/.328 in 43 Triple-A games this year. The former 16th-round pick is a career .250/.351/.372 hitter in 2,006 career minor league plate appearances between the Nationals and Pirates organizations.
- The Orioles announced that infielder Alex Liddi cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A. Liddi was acquired from the Mariners along with a No. 3 international bonus slot for the M's No. 2 int'l slot. Baltimore designated the 25-year-old for assignment last week to make a 40-man roster spot for Chris Dickerson.
- With Liddi in Triple-A Norfolk, there are two players in DFA limbo, according to the MLBTR DFA Tracker – James McDonald of the Pirates and Cody Ransom of the Cubs.
Steve Adams and Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Walker, Mets, Padres
Monday's game between the Astros and the Mariners will feature Jarred Cosart and Taijuan Walker, two top 100 prospects who made their debuts this year, MLB.com's Jason Mastrodonato reports. Before the season, Cosart was ranked the No. 73 prospect in baseball by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo and No. 86 by ESPN's Keith Law. Mayo ranked Walker baseball's No. 4 prospect, and Law had Walker at No. 9. The game will also be Walker's first at Safeco Field, and his last of 2013. Here are more notes from around the Majors.
- The Mets could pursue a free agent shortstop in the coming offseason, Andy Martino of New York Daily News writes. Stephen Drew might be a possibility, and Yunel Escobar could be as well if the Rays decline his option, Martino reports. It seems doubtful that Escobar will be on the free agent market, but Drew, who is making $9.5MM this season, might make sense. (Other free agent options include Jhonny Peralta and Clint Barmes; you can find the full list of free agents here.) Martino quotes a team official calling Ruben Tejada a "very disappointing kid," but it's still possible that Tejada could be the Mets' starting shortstop next year as well.
- Padres manager Bud Black says had at least some interest in veteran pitcher Roy Oswalt before Oswalt signed with the Rockies, reports MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Oswalt has struggled through four starts for Colorado this season.
- The difference between Xander Bogaerts and Derek Jeter mirrors the differences between the Red Sox and Yankees franchises in general, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. Bogaerts, a dynamic young player, allowed the Sox to ship off Jose Iglesias (and three young players) in order to get Jake Peavy. Meanwhile, Jeter is declining and injury-prone. And more broadly, Sherman says, the Sox appear to have a well-stocked roster in place not only for 2013, but also for next year, whereas the Yankees' will feature a number of albatross contracts.
Minor Moves: Gonzalez, Fedroff, Rincon, Okajima
We'll keep track of today's minor moves here..
- The Astros outrighted Edgar Gonzalez to Double-A Corpus Christi, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Houston signed Gonzalez to a minor-league deal in May after he was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays and opted for free agency after clearing waivers. Gonzalez struggled in his 10 innings with the Astros' major league club, coughing up a 7.20 ERA.
- The Indians outrighted outfielder Tim Fedroff and shortstop Juan Diaz to their Triple-A affiliate, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Fedroff, 26, has hit .242/.334/.306 in 594 plate appearances for the Triple-A Columbus Clippers this year. Diaz, 24, has a .242/.317/.348 line over 495 plate appearances for the same team.
- The Royals outrighted third baseman Edinson Rincon to Double-A Northwest Arkansas, according to the MLB.com transactions page. He's appeared in just 24 games for Royals minor league affiliates this season.
- The Reds released Justin Freeman, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (on Twitter). Freeman gave up two runs in a one-inning appearance for the Reds this year, but has a 3.57 ERA in 307 1/3 career minor league innings.
- The Athletics announced that Hideki Okajima has been outrighted to the club's Triple-A affiliate. The veteran reliever was designated for assignment by Oakland earlier this week to create space for fellow bullpen arm Pat Neshek. The 37-year-old Okajima pitched to a 4.22 ERA for Triple-A Sacramento with 9.5 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 42 2/3 innings of work. He also saw some brief time in the Majors with Oakland this season, allowing a run on seven hits and a pair of walks in four innings of work.
- The outright of Okajima three leaves players in DFA limbo, according to the DFA Tracker: James McDonald, Alex Liddi,and Hector Ambriz.
Quick Hits: Petit, Pelfrey, Astros, Call-Ups
As you've no doubt heard by now, Giants pitcher Yusmeiro Petit — yes, that Yusmeiro Petit — came within inches of recording 27-straight outs last night. As a youngster, Petit was twice a top-100 prospect as he moved quickly through the Mets system. When he became the headline piece of the deal shipping star first baseman Carlos Delgado to the Mets late in 2005, Marlins GM Larry Beinfest said that Petit would join the Marlins' "stable of outstanding young pitchers." Instead, the Fish quickly lost interest and shipped him to the Diamondbacks in a misguided bid to acquire a proven closer, Jorge Julio. After flaming out in Arizona, Petit's transactional history on MLBTR has provided a crash course on minor roster moves. While we can all celebrate this journeyman hurler's brush with history, does it mean anything for the 28-year-old's future as a ballplayer?
- According to Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Petit "sent a tremendous message that this is where he belongs and this is where he should be pitching," tweets Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com. Petit has indeed performed in limited action this year for San Francisco, with a 2.05 ERA over 26 1/3 innings in which he has notched thirty strikeouts against just four walks. Though he hasn't suppressed runs quite as well in Triple-A, he does sport a nifty 7.62 K:BB rate in 92 2/3 innings there.
- It will be interesting to see how the Giants proceed with Petit. As Baggarly notes in another tweet, Petit will reach arbitration eligibility for the first time this offseason. While the Giants can therefore control him for three seasons, it remains to be seen whether the team will be interested in tendering him a contract to do so.
- There is some interesting precedent here. Another highly regarded young pitcher-turned-disappointment, Philip Humber, tossed a perfect game in 2012 but went on to post a 6.44 ERA in 102 innings on the year. When the White Sox released the first-time arb-eligible Humber, the Astros snapped him up and guaranteed him $1.3MM (including the buyout of a 2014 option) just before the tender deadline. Of course, unlike Petit, Humber had put up one full season of solid performance at the big league level, as he notched 163 innings of 3.75 ERA ball in 2011.
- Twins pitcher Mike Pelfrey, set to become a free agent, hopes to stay in Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com, but agent Scott Boras will ask for more than $4.5MM per year to make that a reality. (Coming off of Tommy John surgery, Pelfrey signed with the Twins for one-year and $4MM.) This season, Pelfrey's first in a uniform other than the Mets', has seen him struggle to a 4.97 ERA in 26 starts. Pelfrey's ground-ball rate has dropped to a career-low 43.8%, and he continues to strike out less than six batters per nine while posting a below-average K:BB ratio (1.83 this season; 1.62 for his career). Nevertheless, Wolfson opines in another tweet that some club will give the 29-year-old that kind of money, though he believes the Twins would be best served to pass on another year of Pelfrey.
- The Astros are still working on finalizing the rest of the club's September call-ups, tweets Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle. As he notes in another tweet, fans pining for top prospects to taste the big leagues should bear in mind that players must be on the 40-man roster to be on the active MLB roster, and adding a player necessarily carries repercussions for managing the 40-man going forward.
- General managers around baseball seem to be coalescing around the idea that a rule change should be made that limits the September roster expansion, writes USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Among the GMs and managers that Nightengale cites, only Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers prefers to reward teams that have deep farms with a larger active roster, though he says an even better solution is to "expand in April" so teams "won't wear out [their] bullpen early, and guys won't get injured so easily coming out of spring training." Most importantly, several members of the league's committee for on-field matters — including Tony LaRussa and Mike Scioscia — seem to believe that a change is warranted to avoid the sudden and massive shift in the game's rules during its most strategically challenging month.
Astros Designate Hector Ambriz For Assignment
The Astros have designated right-hander Hector Ambriz for assignment, the team announced via Twitter. The move was made to create 40-man roster space for Eric Thames, who was claimed off waivers from the Orioles earlier today. Ambriz is represented by LSW Baseball.
Ambriz, 29, posted a 5.70 ERA, 6.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 36 1/3 relief innings for Houston this season. The righty signed a minor league contract with the Astros in June 2012 after being released by the Indians.
As shown on MLBTR's DFA Tracker, Ambriz joins nine other players in DFA limbo. The Astros have 10 days to trade Ambriz, release him or outright him to the minors.
Astros Claim Eric Thames
The Astros have claimed outfielder Eric Thames off waivers from the Orioles, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 26-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment on Sunday to clear a roster space for pitcher Eric Beaulac.
Thames was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2008 but was traded to the Mariners in exchange for right-hander Steve Delabar last season. The Mariners eventually traded him to Baltimore for infielder Ty Kelly.
The left-handed-swinging Thames is a career .250/.296/.431 hitter with 21 homers in 684 plate appearances. He's been significantly better in Triple-A throughout his career though, as evidenced by his .312/.389/.506 batting line in 870 plate appearances at that level. Thames will join a crowded outfield mix in Houston that features Robbie Grossman, L.J. Hoes, Trevor Crowe, J.D. Martinez, Brandon Barnes and Jimmy Paredes.
Prospect Rumor Roundup: All-Prospect All-Star Team
Where did the year go?
The 2013 minor league regular season is in the books, and the lucky few are currently competing in the playoffs. We've seen a lot of exciting moments during the year. We've also seen a lot of prospects significantly improve their values. To celebrate the best of the best, MLBTR is celebrating the 2013 All-Prospect All-Star Team, which features the top players in the minors at each position. Given the depth at some positions — as well as the lack there of at others — this was no easy task.
The players were chosen by considering a mixture of future potential and statistical results.
Catcher: Austin Hedges, Padres — Because of his abilities on both defense and offense, San Diego's catcher of the future narrowly edged out the Yankees' Gary Sanchez. His abilities on both sides of the ball also impressed his employers, according to Padres Assistant General Manager of Player Personnel Chad MacDonald. "He has the tools and skill set to impact both sides of the ball… and we are excited about his future with the San Diego Padres," MacDonald said.
Hedges will probably never be the strongest offensive catcher in the league but he won't embarrass himself, either. Behind the plate, he's perhaps the best defensive catcher in the minors if you take everything into consideration: arm, receiving, blocking, game calling and leadership.
First Base: Dan Vogelbach, Cubs — This position was the hardest one to find a deserving candidate. The Astros' Jonathan Singleton missed the beginning of the year due to a suspension and then struggled with his consistency. The Angels' C.J. Cron failed to consistently tap into his raw power. Vogelbach, just 20, performed well at two A-ball levels and showed the ability to hit for average and power while also getting on-base at a solid clip.
Brandon Hyde, the Cubs' director of player development, said Vogelbach's successes came from hard work. "It was an impressive season with raw power to all fields," he said. "He has an advanced approach for his age, and he controls the strike zone."
Second Base: Rougned Odor, Rangers — Second base was another tough position to settle on the winner. The Angels' Taylor Lindsey, Cardinals' Kolten Wong, and Twins' Eddie Rosario also received serious consideration before the award went to Odor. The Rangers' prospect hit more than .300 between High-A and Double-A with a strong OPS and 32 stolen bases — all at the age of 19. The left-handed hitter also popped 58 extra base hits, including 41 doubles. With all the middle infield depth in Texas, Odor could make things very interesting — and crowded — in short order.
Third Base: Miguel Sano, Twins — Sano was the runaway winner at third base, although the Cubs' Kris Bryant could give him a run for his money in a year's time (assuming both prospects are still in the minors). The Dominican native launched 35 home runs and produced a .610 slugging percentage. However, he didn't hit for a great average after his promotion from High-A to Double-A, and he combined to strike out 142 times in 123 games, so there are some holes in his game that need to be addressed.
Shortstop: Javier Baez, Cubs — There were five players that were considered in this slot, including Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox), Francisco Lindor (Indians), Addison Russell (Athletics) and Carlos Correa (Astros). Baez, though, came out ahead when considering his outstanding statistical results and the fact that he has a chance to be as good as any other player on the list. Just 20, he finished the year in Double-A and hit a combined 37 home runs with 20 stolen bases and a .920 OPS.
Hyde was impressed with Baez's ability to make adjustments after being promoted to Double-A. "He hit in the middle of the order on a prospect-laden team. He made huge strides defensively and with his plate discipline," Hyde said. "He has a unique combination of raw power, speed and off-the-charts instincts, especially for a 20 year old in Double-A."
Outfielder: George Springer, Astros — Springer, 23, had an eye-popping season while playing at both Double-A and Triple-A. He narrowly missed becoming a 40-40 player (HR-SB) with 37 homers and 45 steals while playing at the highest levels of the minors. Springer's approach produces massive strikeout numbers, but he showed improvements in that area as the year progressed.
The prospect impressed the club's front office not only with his play but also his attitude, according to Quinton McCracken, the Astros director of player development. "George is an exceptional five-tool talent, and even better person. He has great makeup, work ethic, off-the-chart intangibles coupled with incredible athleticism… He's a very special player," he said.
Outfielder: Byron Buxton, Twins — Buxton was the biggest no-brainer on this list. Just 19 and in his first full pro season, the five-tool outfielder played at two A-ball levels while hitting more than .330 and producing double digits in doubles, triples and homers. He also got on base at a .424 clip, stole 55 bases in 74 tries and played above-average defense in centerfield. The Twins have one of the best minor league systems in all of baseball and could be a massive threat in two to three seasons.
Outfielder: Gregory Polanco, Pirates — Polanco edged out a few other players because, at a very young age, he showed a five-tool approach and had an impact in numerous areas. The 21-year-old outfielder showed that he may one day develop into a 20-20 or perhaps even a 30-30 player. After beginning the year in A-ball, he ended the season in Triple-A.
Pirates Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway said the most impressive thing about Polanco's growth has been his maturity. "He has fit into each clubhouse and added value to the culture of each club that he's been on," Broadway explained. "He continues to approach the game with a learner's mentality and is always looking to find a way to get better. He's not afraid to make a mistake in the process, which has allowed him to progress well in all areas of his game."
Starting Pitcher: Archie Bradley, Diamondbacks — Bradley and Dylan Bundy grew up playing baseball together, but the former passed the latter on top prospect lists after the Orioles' prospect blew out his elbow. Just 20 years old, Bradley spent the majority of the year in Double-A and finished the season with a combined ERA of 1.84 and 162 strikeouts in 152 innings of work. He also allowed just 115 hits.
Starting Pitcher: Taijuan Walker, Mariners — Utilizing a strong fastball and excellent breaking ball, Walker, who just turned 21 on Aug. 13, made older competition look foolish as he produced outstanding numbers in Double-A and Triple-A before earning his MLB promotion. The right-hander struck out 160 batters in 141 1/3 innings while allowing just 112 hits.
Chris Gwynn, the Mariners director of player development, said Walker is oozing talent but he's also an extremely hard worker. "Going into the offseason last year he realized there were some things he needed to work on to get better," Gwynn said, listing fastball command (down in the zone, to both sides of the plate) and improved secondary pitches as two of those things. "Coming into this season he was a man on a mission… and had a dominant season in Double-A and Triple-A didn't phase him. It shows he wants it really bad."
Starting Pitcher: Noah Syndergaard, Mets — Jameson Taillon (Pirates), Kevin Gausman (Orioles) and Robert Stephenson (Reds) also received consideration as the one of the top pitchers in the minors but the final spot went to the Mets' prospect. Syndergaard showed a rare combination of power (his fastball can tickle triple digits) and control when he struck out 133 batters in 117 2/3 innings and issued 28 free passes. Just 20, the Texas native finished the year with 11 starts at the Double-A level.
Reliever: Steve Geltz, Rays — It's hard to find a worthy reliever because many of the best MLB bullpen aces originally come from the starting ranks. Geltz, though, is still only 25 years old and he was the hardest pitcher to hit in Triple-A (minimum 50 innings) by allowing a batting-average-against of just .152. That mark was actually the seventh lowest in the entire minor leagues. His strikeout percentage (31.3 percent) was good for 12th in Triple-A ball. Not bad for a player that went undrafted and signed with the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent in 2008.
Minor Moves: Matt Pagnozzi, Luke Montz
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- The Astros have acquired catcher Matt Pagnozzi from the Braves in exchange for cash considerations, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, they've transferred righty Edgar Gonzalez to the 60-day DL, McTaggart adds (Twitter links). Pagnozzi, 30, hasn't appeared in the Majors since 2011 but is a .310/.364/.380 hitter in a small sample of 83 plate appearances in the bigs. His Triple-A track record suggests that success isn't sustainable, as he hit .210/.274/.314 in 90 games this season and is a career .230/.308/.334 hitter in seven seasons at that level.
- The Athletics announced that they have released catcher Luke Montz after he was designated for assignment over the weekend (Twitter link). Montz, 30, has a .246/.352/.541 line in 145 plate appearances at Triple-A this season, which is very similar to the production he showed with the Marlins from 2011-12.
- As can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker, there are currently a whopping 14 players in DFA limbo: Jordan Brown, Daniel Bard, Juan Diaz, Eduardo Sanchez, Taylor Teagarden, Eric Thames, Joe Benson, Tim Fedroff, Justin Freeman, Kensuke Tanaka, Dan Runzler, Hideki Okajima, Dave Sappelt, and Edinson Rincon.
Quick Hits: McCann, Dotel, Tanaka, Astros
The Pirates' acquisition of Justin Morneau is rated by Scott Miller of CBSSports.com as the August waiver trade with the highest "Cody Ross potential." Ross, of course, was an unheralded pickup in August 2010 who ended up paying huge dividends in the Giants' World Series victory that season. Here are some more items from around the majors…
- Though Evan Gattis' storybook rookie season has been slowed by injuries and slumps, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution still doesn't think the Braves will push to re-sign Brian McCann this winter. Since the Braves won't be able to transition McCann from catcher to DH as he ages, O'Brien figures that an AL team who can offer this luxury will outbid Atlanta for McCann's services. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes ranked McCann third the last edition of his 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, though McCann's bat has cooled off (.674 OPS in 89 PA) in August.
- There is a "99.9%" chance that Octavio Dotel will be shut down for the season, Tigers manager Jim Leyland told reporters, including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. Dotel hasn't pitched since April 19 due to an elbow injury and he has experienced forearm tightness during his minor league rehab assignment. Since Dotel turns 40 in November, it has been speculated that this injury could mark the end of Dotel's career, though Leyland said he wasn't aware of the veteran reliever's future plans.
- The Yankees have "heavily scouted" Masahiro Tanaka, sending scouts to see many of Tanaka's starts for Rakuten, Mark Hale and George A. King III of the New York Post report. Assistant GM Billy Eppler and special assignment scout Don Wakamatsu were in Japan last week for one of Tanaka's outings. The Yankees and Rangers could be the favorites to make the highest posting bid for Tanaka should Rakuten make him available this offseason, though the Giants, Red Sox, Athletics and Twins are also known to be interested in the right-hander.
- Fangraphs' Wendy Thurm explores when the Astros will start to raise their payroll by comparing the club's major payroll cuts to other teams who have slashed salaries in recent years.
- With Alex Rodriguez facing a possible season-long suspension in 2014 and Mark Reynolds and Kevin Youkilis both question marks, ESPN's Jim Bowden (Insider subscription required) looks at some long-, medium- and short-term third base answers that the Yankees could acquire from another team.
- The Twins should move Joe Mauer to first base next season and rely on either rookie Josmil Pinto to play catcher or sign A.J. Pierzynski, Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines. Pierzynski, who spent his first six seasons in Minnesota, would also provide the Twins with some needed grit and leadership, Souhan adds. Pierzynski will hit the free agent market again this winter and one would think he'd prefer to play for a contender at this late stage in his career. He's hitting .283/.309/.452 with 16 homers in 424 PA with the Rangers this season so he'll certainly have a market for his services.