AL Notes: Weaver, Vazquez, Yanks, Chisenhall
Angels righty and former ace Jered Weaver, who’s coming off a career-worst season in which his fastball velocity sat in the low 80s, made his 2016 debut Sunday and threw six innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win over Texas. Weaver allowed seven base runners (six hits, one walk), struck out four, and was encouraged afterward. “It makes me look forward to the future in baseball as opposed to thinking about shutting it down,” he told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (Twitter link). Weaver’s fastball resided in the 82 mph range Sunday and he didn’t generate many grounders (a common career trend), but he effectively used his curveball and changeup to keep Rangers hitters at bay. Whether he can continue to get by that way is up for debate, but Weaver seems confident, saying, “Haters equals motivation for me. I feed off of it.”
More from the American League…
- Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez is recovering well from Tommy John surgery and could rejoin the team by the end of the month, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. “Everything points to [the 20-day rehab timeline] being more than enough time for him right now,” manager John Farrell said Sunday. Vazquez’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket lasts until April 28, at which point the big league club will either have to call up the 25-year-old or option him to the minors. The Red Sox currently employ two capable catchers in Blake Swihart and Ryan Hanigan, though the latter has been mentioned as a trade candidate in the past.
- The Yankees, who opened the season in less-than-ideal weather in the Bronx and then went to frigid Detroit for their second series, have already had two games postponed (one of which was made up). Manager Joe Girardi isn’t pleased with the schedule makers’ decisions, per Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “I’m not sure why it happens,” he said in regards to MLB’s choice to start the Yankees in cities prone to poor conditions. “I’d really like to see us start within (the American League East) in the first month as much as you can and I know there’s five teams, and those games you try to go to warmer cities. It didn’t happen and we’ll have to deal with it,” he added.
- Bad weather is also serving as an annoyance to the Indians and slowing right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall‘s comeback from a left wrist impingement, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Before beginning his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Columbus, Chisenhall hadn’t played since March 27 – thanks in part to the postponement of Columbus’ previous three games. Chisenahll, who went hitless in three at-bats Sunday, is eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list early in the upcoming week. However, the Indians might not activate him until Thursday because they face lefty starters Tuesday and Wednesday. Chisenhall owns an uninspiring career line of .241/.288/.371 against lefties.
- Royals southpaw reliever Tim Collins will undergo his second Tommy John surgery since March 2015 on Friday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. The news that Collins needed the surgery after his previous elbow graft failed was revealed last month. Collins, 26, posted a 3.54 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 211 relief innings for the Royals from 2011-14.
Royals Re-Sign Duensing, Barmes, Snider To Minor-League Deals
APRIL 9: Duensing has a May 15 opt-out date, while Barmes and Snider can each opt out June 1, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan tweets.
APRIL 1: The Royals have announced that they’ve re-signed lefty Brian Duensing, shortstop Clint Barmes and outfielder Travis Snider to minor-league deals. (Chris Cotillo of SB Nation had previously reported that the Royals were looking to re-sign Barmes.) All three had previously been in camp with the Royals, and all three had been released. (Duensing had also opted out of his minor-league deal with them.) Both Duensing and Barmes were Article XX(B) free agents, meaning the Royals would have had to pay them a $100K retention bonus had they remained with the organization through the week.
All three will provide the Royals with minor-league depth. The 33-year-old Duensing was previously a key part of the Twins bullpen, although his strikeout rate has dropped from 8.3 K/9 to 4.4 in the past two seasons. He has a career 4.13 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in seven seasons in Minnesota (the first few of which he spent as a starter).
Barmes batted .232/.281/.333 in 224 plate appearances in 2015 with the Padres. He has also posted gaudy defensive numbers in the past, although UZR and DRS both saw the 37-year-old’s fielding as taking steps backward in the past two seasons. He can also play second base in addition to shortstop.
Snider hit .232/.313/.350 in 265 plate appearances last year with the Orioles and Pirates. The left-handed hitter is still just 28, however, and had a strong .264/.338/.438 season with the Bucs in 2014.
AL Central Links: Dyson, Cabrera, Bauer, Indians
The Royals expect injured right fielder Jarrod Dyson to be ready to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha by the end of their current homestand, writes MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Kansas City hosts Minnesota for three games this weekend before going on the road, so that would indicate that Dyson could begin a rehab assignment by Sunday. There’s no word yet on how lengthy his rehab assignment will need to be, but Dyson was said in early March to be on the shelf for six weeks due to an oblique injury. Accordingly, he logged just one Spring Training plate appearance, so he could require a fair amount of time to get up to speed. Dyson has taken batting practice on consecutive days without feeling pain and isn’t limited when it comes to swinging a bat or running, Flanagan adds. However, Dyson himself tells Flanagan that he’s uncertain as to the length of his rehab assignment due to the lengthy down time.
Here’s more from the AL Central…
- Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press revisits the December 2007 blockbuster that saw the Tigers acquire Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins in exchange for a six-prospect package headlined by then-elite prospects Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. Fenech spoke to former GM Dave Dombrowski (now the president of baseball ops in Boston), who explained that he received a rare call from owner Mike Ilitch to his home phone around Thanksgiving. Ilitch had gotten word that Cabrera could be available, and while much of the focus was on the Angels and Dodgers, Ilitch told Dombrowski to enter the mix and see what he could do, despite the Tigers’ payroll already being stretched thin. Fenech spoke to Dombrowski about discussions with Ilitch in which he outlined a Cabrera contract extension, and he also chatted with former and present members of that front office about the talks between the Marlins and Tigers at the ’07 Winter Meetings.
- Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer hasn’t yet adjusted to his new role as a member of the Cleveland bullpen, writes Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com. Bauer says he’s not yet certain how long it’ll take him to get warmed up or if he’ll need to trim his pitch arsenal. The former No. 3 pick and career-long starter admits to Meisel that he was surprised by the decision to place him in the bullpen. “I think I had the best spring that I’ve had in pro ball,” said Bauer, who indeed logged a 2.14 ERA with a 20-to-5 K/BB ratio in 21 innings this spring. Manager Terry Francona tells Meisel that the club didn’t feel it could take Josh Tomlin (who signed a two-year deal this winter) or Cody Anderson out of the rotation, specifically noting that Anderson had a strong debut in 2015 and increased his velocity this winter.
- Also of note on the health front, Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall is slated to begin a rehab assignment today, writes Meisel’s colleague, Paul Hoynes. Chisenhall tells Hoynes he’s pain free after being shut down with a forearm strain in Spring Training, adding that he got about 20 at-bats in minor league games late in camp. Hoynes also notes that Michael Brantley will head to Columbus (home of Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate) to work out when the big league club embarks on a road trip tomorrow, but there’s still no definitive date at which he’ll begin a rehab assignment.
Prospect Notes, Draft, Groome, Jackson, Braves, Allard, Zimmer
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports advocates for a modification to the draft slotting system, suggesting that the current incentives are tilted too strongly in favor of trying to achieve the first-overall pick and its attendant bonus. He cites the fact that the gap between the pool allotment for the first choice and the tenth in the coming draft has grown by over $1MM from what it was when the new rules went in place back in 2012. It seems fair to point out that the relative difference in slot value — 62.5% — remains constant, though of course it’s still certainly arguable that tweaks could reduce any urge to race to the bottom.
Here are some prospect notes from around the league:
- With the top draft choice and a big bonus pool available this summer, the Phillies face a critical decision, and the organization won’t be making it without intense preparation. New Jersey high-school lefty Jacob Groome has received plenty of attention from around the game, and Philadelphia intends to watch every single one of his starts, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Indeed, GM Matt Klentak was on hand for Groome’s first outing of the year, as were ESPN.com’s Keith Law and Eric Longenhagen (Insider link), who were impressed by the young southpaw’s three-pitch mix — in particular, his polished curveball. While it’s rare to see high school hurlers go 1-1, it seems Groome has a chance to become only fourth to receive that honor.
- The Mariners have taken the unusual step of opening prospect Alex Jackson in extended Spring Training, as Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper writes. While the 20-year-old struggled quite a bit at the Class A level, Cooper says it’s still a nearly-unprecedented move. Seattle farm chief Andy McKay explains that Jackson impressed in camp, but nevertheless will await promotion until his “performance is consistent and predictable and a foundation of the work ethic is beneath it.” The organization is attempting to instill a philosophy in which “your performance will dictate the level you play at,” adds McKay.
- As Cooper further writes, slow progress up the organizational chain is generally not a good sign for prospects. While it takes quite a bit more than lower-level success to make a big league career, delayed promotion timelines often reflect other failures in development that are reflected in the future.
- Cooper also takes an extended look at an extensively-rebuilt Braves‘ system. While the trades have garnered much of the attention — and succeeded in filling the minor-league ranks with a variety of intriguing talents — the organization has also brought back many familiar faces to its staff. GM John Coppolella says that the club “took a short view for too long,” particularly in the pitching department. “Frontline starting pitching—that’s what we lacked,” Coppolella said. “We had good pitching, but not great pitching.” Cooper details the combination of upside, risk, and volume percolating upward in a lengthy piece that’s essential reading for Atlanta fans.
- Young lefty Kolby Allard is one notable arm on the Braves‘ farm, and he’s steadily but surely working to return from back surgery, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. The hope is that he’ll be ready to begin facing live hitters later this month and make it to the low minors in late May, but the organization is taking things slowly. “I feel better than what they are letting me do, but I’ve just got to trust the process,” Allard said. “I wish I could be out there earlier, but I’ve just got to trust [the Braves’ medical staff] and what they’re doing.”
- Meanwhile, top young Royals righty Kyle Zimmer is experiencing shoulder issues this spring and will be delayed in reporting to Triple-A, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports. Kansas City is expressing an optimistic view of things, but will obviously exercise caution after Zimmer showed a sudden velocity dip late in camp — particularly given his preexisting medical history. Assistant GM J.J. Picollo explains: “He needs more time before he’s ready to get out. [His] shoulder has been a little erratic — some great days and some so-so days, so we slowed him up.”
Notable Roster Decisions: Stephenson, Royals, Rangers
With the next wave of season openers nearly upon us, here are a few of the final notable roster decisions from around the league…
- The Reds have placed right-hander Homer Bailey on the disabled list and promoted fellow right-hander and top prospect Robert Stephenson, the club announced. However, it appears that Stephenson, who rates among the game’s 35 best minor leaguers (per Baseball America, MLB.com and ESPN’s Keith Law) will merely be making a spot start and isn’t yet being viewed as a long-term option in the rotation; C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that Stephenson will likely be optioned back to Triple-A following his start, as right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will be ready to come of the DL and join the rotation on April 10. Cincinnati currently has Raisel Iglesias, Brandon Finnegan and Stephenson lined up for their season-opening series against the Phillies, with Alfredo Simon set to start the club’s fourth game of the year. DeSclafani should grab Stephenson’s spot in the rotation’s second cycle of the season, and right-hander Jon Moscot should be able to return mid-month — possibly to start on April 17. As such, Stephenson’s promotion could simply amount to a glimpse of the future for Reds fans at this time, though Cincinnati’s rotation picture is fluid enough to imagine Stephenson changing their plans with a dominant showing. Service time doesn’t figure to be a major factor here, as the Reds would only lose a year of control if Stephenson were to accrue 172 days of service this season, and a quick return to the minors would make that unlikely.
- Veteran right-hander Chien-Ming Wang made the Royals‘ roster, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland, who filled that same role with the Yankees a decade ago when Wang was pitching in New York, tells Flanagan that the righty looks like the pitcher he had in his rotation 10 years ago. Wang’s velocity is said to have spiked to the mid-90s this spring, and when he does toe the rubber for the Royals, it’ll be the first time he steps foot on a Major League mound since 2013. Additionally, outfielders Reymond Fuentes and Terrance Gore have made the Kansas City roster. (Neither Wang nor Gore appeared in last night’s season opener against the Mets.)
- The Rangers assigned right-hander A.J. Griffin to Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, but as Anthony Andro writes for MLB.com, there’s a good chance he could be recalled on Friday to serve as the club’s fifth starter. As Andro notes, the assignment could be a tactical move, as Texas doesn’t need a fifth starter until Friday, and stashing Griffin at Triple-A will allow the club to carry an extra reliever for the time being (in addition to delaying a 40-man roster decision). Griffin, though, has not yet been officially informed that he is the team’s fifth starter, Andro stresses. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets the same, adding that the lack of definitive word from the club could indicate that the Rangers are still looking at the trade market for starting pitching additions.
AL Notes: Rays, Mariners, Royals
Given the Rays’ offseason maneuverings, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wonders if the club has shifted from its philosophy of building with pitching and defense to more of an offense-oriented approach. As Topkin writes, the Rays added the likes of Corey Dickerson, Steve Pearce, Brad Miller, Hank Conger and Logan Morrison at the expense of Jake McGee, Nate Karns, Rene Rivera and James Loney. Ace pitcher Chris Archer sees the changes in a positive light. “We learned for the last eight years that just being pitching heavy is probably not the way to do it,” he said. “You’ve got to have defense. You’ve got to have pitching — the teams that win get high-level pitching, starting and relief. But you’ve got to have offense, too.” Third baseman and franchise cornerstone Evan Longoria also approves, saying that the Rays are in “a really, really good spot overall.”
Here’s more from the American League:
- We learned Wednesday that Mariners reliever Charlie Furbush could be “several months” away from returning to action because of a shoulder injury. Two of his fellow Mariners relievers, Evan Scribner and Ryan Cook, will also continue to be out for a while longer. There’s “minimal hope” either will be back soon from their torn lat muscles, writes Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. “We don’t anticipate seeing either of them before the mid-end of May, thus the placement on the 60-day DL for Ryan,” general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “But Ryan appears to be on target to be in that zone, Scribner is just a little bit of the unknown.” Dipoto added that the M’s don’t have a timeline for either pitcher and could ultimately have Scribner join Cook on the 60-day DL. The team somewhat helped to make up for their absences when it acquired right-hander Nick Vincent on Thursday.
- After releasing Clint Barmes earlier this week, the Royals are working to bring back the infielder on a minor league deal, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). Barmes was an Article XX(B) free agent, meaning Kansas City would have had to offer him an active roster spot or pay him a $100K retention bonus by this past Tuesday. Instead, the team opted to release the 37-year-old and could now re-sign him to a new contract. Barmes, who has long excelled as a defender, owns a career .245/.294/.379 line in 1,186 major league plate appearances with four different teams. He spent last season in San Diego, where he was a replacement-level performer in 98 games.
- A report earlier this week indicated Rays left-hander Dana Eveland had a Friday opt-out. That’s not the case, per Topkin, who says that a decision on Eveland’s future might not come until the weekend (Twitter link). Eveland, who joined the Rays in December on a minor league deal, has made his case for a bullpen spot by going 10 1/3 innings without surrendering an earned run this spring.
Minor MLB Transactions: 3/30/16
As we near the end of Spring Training, it’s a big day — if you can call it that — for minor moves. Here’s the latest from around the league.
- The Royals have released outfielder Travis Snider, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. They had signed Snider to a minor-league deal after he hit .232/.313/.350 with the Orioles and Pirates last year. He had been looking to compete for a bench job.
- The Royals have also re-signed righty sidearmer Peter Moylan to a minor-league deal, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. The 37-year-old came back to pitch for the Braves last season after having Tommy John surgery, and the Royals signed him to a minor-league deal only to release him earlier this week to avoid paying him a retention bonus.
- Third baseman Will Middlebrooks could have refused to let the Brewers send him to the minors, but he’s accepted an assignment to Triple-A Colorado Springs, Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel tweets. Middlebrooks hit .212/.241/.361 in 255 plate appearances last season for San Diego and did not win a job with the Brewers out of Spring Training.
- The Marlins have re-signed utilityman Don Kelly to a minor-league deal, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. The Marlins had released Kelly yesterday, likely to avoid paying him a $100K retention bonus as an Article XX(B) free agent. The longtime Tigers bench piece played sparingly in the Marlins organization in 2015.
- The Marlins also released first baseman Tommy Medica today, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. Medica played in 102 games with the Padres in 2014, but did not play in the big leagues last year, instead batting .259/.314/.364 in 363 plate appearances for San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.
- The Tigers have re-signed veteran infielder Casey McGehee to a minor-league deal, tweets MLB.com’s Jason Beck. They had released him this week. As with Kelly and Moylan, McGehee would have been owed a retention bonus. McGehee struggled with San Francisco and Miami in 2015, batting .198/.264/.274 in 258 plate appearances.
- White Sox righty Kameron Loe has received an 80-game suspension for PEDs, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes (Twitter links). Officially, Loe tested positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone metabolite and methasterone. He says on his Twitter account that he was caught taking an unapproved product he bought at a nutrition store. Loe was also suspended 50 games last year, although that was for a “drug of abuse,” not for PED use. He pitched in the independent Atlantic League in 2015 before signing a minor-league deal with Chicago.
- The Rays have released first-baseman-turned-knuckleballer Dan Johnson, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The 36-year-old Johnson, who briefly played for the Cardinals last year, had been trying for a sort of second career as a pitcher after years spent as a slugger on the fringes of the big leagues.
Royals Release Brian Duensing, Peter Moylan, Clint Barmes
The Royals have released a trio of veterans who were in camp on minor league deals, per a club announcement. Pitchers Brian Duensing and Peter Moylan were let go along with infielder Clint Barmes.
All three players were Article XX(B) free agents, meaning that Kansas City would have had to offer them an active roster spot or pay a $100K retention bonus tomorrow. Instead, the organization obviously elected to cut ties — though it’s worth noting that some such players end up reaching alternative deals to re-join the same organizations they spent camp with.
Duensing had actually exercised an opt-out clause in his deal earlier today as well. The Royals would have owed the southpaw $2MM on the major league roster. The 33-year-old had established himself as a capable LOOGY after failing to stick in the rotation, but had a rough 2015 (4.25 ERA, 4.4 K/9 vs. 3.9 BB/9).
The 37-year-old Moylan, a side-arming righty from Australia, had a surprising 2015 with the Braves last year. He had joined the organization as a minor league player-coach, but ended up reaching the MLB pen. Moylan is far removed from his excellent run with Atlanta earlier in his career, but still managed to allow only four earned runs in his 10 1/3 innings last year, while striking out eight and avoiding any walks. (Of course, those frames also came in 22 appearances, as Moylan was almost exclusively allowed to face right-handed batters.)
Barmes, meanwhile, has never shown much with the bat in his thirteen MLB seasons, but still holds some appeal as a utility piece due to his highly-regarded glove — though metrics have soured on his defense of late. It always seemed he’d face long odds in Kansas City, and a healthy spring from the club’s other middle infield options left him without a chair.
Players Exercising Opt-Out Clauses: Monday
As Opening Day approaches, teams will be making tough roster decisions involving their veteran players. Some of these decisions pertain to Article XX(B) free agents who have their opt-out date on Tuesday, though other players have opt-outs today or later this week. We’ll keep track of the players who opt out of their deals in search of new opportunities here:
- Lefty Brian Duensing told reporters (including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star) that he will be opting out of his minor league deal with the Royals, giving the team 48 hours to either release him or add him to the 25-man roster. As per the terms of his contract, Duensing will make $2MM in base salary if he makes the team. It isn’t yet clear if K.C. will part ways with Duensing or not; while the Royals are deep in relief options, most of them are right-handed. Danny Duffy is the only southpaw slated for a bullpen job.
- Roberto Hernandez has been told he isn’t making the Blue Jays roster, and the veteran right-hander is expected to exercise his opt-out clause today, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Hernandez signed a minor league deal in February that would’ve paid him $1.25MM in salary and another $750K in available bonuses he had made the Major League roster. The 10-year veteran posted a 4.36 ERA, 4.5 K/9 and 1.62 K/BB rate over 84 2/3 innings with the Astros last season.
Tim Collins To Undergo Second Tommy John Surgery
Royals left-hander Tim Collins will require a second Tommy John procedure after his previous elbow graft failed, the team announced to the media (including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star). Collins underwent his first TJ surgery in March 2015 and subsequently missed the entire season.
Collins was limited to just 21 innings in 2014 due to a strained flexor tendon in his left elbow. Between that injury and two Tommy John surgeries, it’s fair to wonder if Collins’ pitching career is in serious jeopardy. Though he won’t be able to pitch until late in the 2017 season (at the earliest), Collins isn’t giving up, telling Dodd and other reporters that he’s ready to once again go through the arduous rehab process. “I’m still young. I’m 26,” Collins said.
The southpaw posted a 3.54 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 211 relief innings for the Royals from 2011-14. Despite his control issues, Collins had good splits against both right-handed (career .675 OPS) and left-handed (.702 OPS) batters and held all hitters to a modest .226/.334/.353 slash line.
The Royals avoided arbitration with Collins by agreeing to a one-year, $1.475MM salary for the coming season, and MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports that K.C. will have to eat that salary since the club doesn’t insure one-year contracts. Collins also earned $1.475MM for his lost 2015 season, so you can count on that same figure for Collins’ third and final trip through the arb process next winter if Kansas City decides to hold onto the lefty. Since Collins could be out until 2018, however, the Royals could look to re-sign him at a lower salary after a non-tender.