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Minor MLB Transactions: 3/30/21

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • Shortly after the Mariners released righty reliever Matt Magill, the team brought him back on a two-year minors pact, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com tweets.  Magill has appeared in the majors in parts of five seasons (including with the Mariners in 2020), and put up a 4.63 ERA in 149 2/3 innings with strikeout, walk and groundball rates that have rated below average.  His season came to a premature end last September when he underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
  • Nationals first baseman Jake Noll and right-hander Dakota Bacus went unclaimed on the waiver wire and have been reassigned to minor league camp, as per a team announcement.  The duo were both recently designated for assignment.  The 27-year-old Noll has received 30 MLB plate appearances with Washington and batted .276/.300/.345 in that tiny sample, while also hitting .285/.327/.410 over 489 PA at the Triple-A level.  Bacus, meanwhile, yielded 10 runs through 11 1/3 innings in his MLB debut last year. The 2012 ninth-rounder has had a respectable ERA and strong ground-ball rate at virtually every minor league stop but has never missed bats at a high rate or limited walks all that effectively.  Both players will stick with the Nats as depth options.
  • Right-hander Kevin McCarthy will remain in the Red Sox organization, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo tweets.  The former Royal’s minor league contract with the Sox included an upward mobility clause that would have enabled him to leave the organization had he not earned a 40-man roster spot, but McCarthy will now report to Triple-A.  McCarthy appeared in only five games in 2020 but the groundball specialist was a steady member of the Royals pen from 2017-19, posting a 3.65 ERA and 59.5% grounder rate over 177 1/3 innings (154 games) in that three-season stretch.

Nationals Select Jordy Mercer, Hernan Perez; Option Carter Kieboom

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The Nationals announced they’ve selected the contracts of infielders Jordy Mercer and Hernán Pérez. First baseman Jake Noll has been designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space. Washington also optioned five players to Triple-A: Carter Kieboom, Luis Garcia, Sam Clay, Kyle McGowin and Yadiel Hernández. Additionally, the Nats released Yasmany Tomás and T.J. McFarland from their respective minor-league contracts.

Today’s slate of moves lends some clarity to the Nationals’ infield plans. With Kieboom out of the picture, it seems Washington is prepared to turn to veteran Josh Harrison at third base on most days. Mercer and Pérez will be on hand as utility options to back up Harrison, Trea Turner and Starlin Castro around the dirt.

Mercer had a fairly lengthy run as a regular shortstop with the Pirates and Tigers between 2013-19. He signed a minor-league deal with the Nats in February and now locks in a $1MM base salary as a bench piece. He’s joined in that regard by Pérez, who is more familiar with a utility role. The 30-year-old previously bounced around the diamond quite a bit with the Brewers, where he flashed some power and speed but struggled to get on base consistently.

Noll, 27, hit well in the minors up to Triple-A. But he struggled there in 2019 and has only gotten 30 MLB plate appearances over the past two seasons. The Nats have a week to trade or waive him. Noll still has a minor-league option year remaining, so he brings some roster flexibility that could intrigue other clubs.

Tomás and McFarland signed non-roster deals with the Nationals over the offseason. The former was once a regular corner outfielder with the Diamondbacks but has barely played at the MLB level since 2017. The latter pitched in 23 games for the A’s with a 4.35 ERA/4.56 SIERA last season. They’ll now return to the open market. As Maria Torres of the Athletic points out (on Twitter), McFarland’s departure seems to suggest fellow non-roster invitee Luis Avilán will earn a season-opening lefty bullpen role.

Nationals Select Jake Noll

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The Nationals announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Jake Noll, who will occupy a bench spot and make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. Washington also announced that righty Koda Glover (forearm strain), Howie Kendrick (left hamstring strain) and Michael A. Taylor (left knee/hip sprain) have all been placed on the 10-day injured list.

Noll, 25, was Washington’s seventh-round pick back in 2016 and impressed the organization with a strong spring effort: .320/.393/.520 with a pair of homers and four doubles in 56 plate appearances. A right-handed hitter, Noll split the 2018 campaign between Class-A Advanced and Double-A, slashing a combined .291/.341/.412 in 549 plate appearances. Defensively, he’s spent time at first base, second base and third base, so he’ll be a candidate to back up several spots around the diamond and give manager Dave Martinez a bit of versatility. Noll will join a Nationals bench that also includes first baseman/left fielder Matt Adams, infielder Wilmer Difo, catcher Kurt Suzuki and outfielder Andrew Stevenson.

As for the trio of Nats now officially on the injured list, there’s no clear timeline as to when any of the bunch will return. Kendrick is staying down in extended Spring Training after appearing in only five Grapefruit League contests. Glover was originally shut down due to said forearm strain in late February after tossing just a third of an inning in his lone spring appearance. Taylor is expected to miss a “significant” amount of time with his injury.

 

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