Royals Return Rule 5 Pick Robert Fish To Angels
The Royals have returned Rule 5 Draft pick Robert Fish to the Angels according to Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star (on Twitter). The Yankees originally selected the left-hander in the Rule 5, but the Royals claimed him off waivers earlier this month.
Fish, 23, allowed nine runs in 7 2/3 innings between both Kansas City and New York this spring. He's struck out 9.1 batters per nine innings in his minor league career (365 2/3 innings), but he's also walked 4.2 per nine. Fish shifted to relief full-time last season, though he has only one career appearance above Double-A.
Central Notes: Royals, Indians, Cubs, Brewers
It's been a busy Friday for baseball's Central divisions, which have already featured prominently in a pair of trades and a pair of retirements. But the day's not over yet….
- In addition to acquiring John Whittleman, the Royals finalized two more minor league trades today. The team sent Gaby Hernandez to the White Sox and Alex Caldera to the Nationals, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links). The Royals figure to receive cash in return for both right-handers, according to Dutton.
- The Indians made a few roster decisions, naming Jack Hannahan the Opening Day third baseman and reassigning Doug Mathis and Anthony Reyes to the minors, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the battle for the last spot in the Cubs' bullpen is down to Carlos Silva, Casey Coleman, and Marcos Mateo. Rosenthal figures that, considering his salary, Silva will get the first crack, but notes the Cubs have said they want to open with the best possible team. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has more on Coleman's quest for the final bullpen opening.
- Zack Greinke is confident that early-season injuries, including his own, won't set the Brewers back significantly, as he tells Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Royals Acquire John Whittleman
The Royals have acquired John Whittleman from the Rangers in exchange for a player to be named later, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter).
Whittleman, 24, was selected by Texas in the second round of the 2005 amateur draft, but had yet to play above Double-A in the Rangers' system. In over 2,800 minor league plate appearances, the corner infielder has hit .242/.353/.389.
Mike Sweeney Retires
Mike Sweeney signed a one-day contract with the Royals before officially announcing his retirement from baseball, the team announced.
Sweeney, 37, spent 13 years in Kansas City and represented the Royals in the All-Star Game from 2000-03 and in 2005. He'll retire with a career line of .297/.366/.486 in 16 seasons with the Royals, Mariners and Phillies. He appeared in the postseason for the first time last year and singled in the only playoff plate appearance of his career.
Sweeney ranks in the top six in Royals history in 17 offensive categories. He's second all-time in average (.299) and home runs (197). The Royals created the Mike Sweeney Award in his honor in 2008.
Kansas City drafted Sweeney in the 10th round of the 1991 draft, 262nd overall, as a catcher. He transitioned to first base and then DH, though the position shift didn't prevent him from making frequent DL trips. Sweeney earned nearly $73MM in his career, according to Baseball-Reference.
The Marlins’ Third Base Options
The Marlins demoted third baseman Matt Dominguez today, so the slick-fielding prospect will start the season in the minor leagues, where he can work to improve his offense. The move opens up competition at third base and suggests the Marlins could look outside the organization for temporary help at the hot corner. Here's the latest:
- A team source tells MLB.com's Joe Frisaro that the Marlins are not initiating trade talk about third base options with other clubs. Frisaro hears that the Marlins don't have any interest in Michael Young, though they did explore a possible deal earlier in the winter.
- Manager Edwin Rodriguez repeated that Omar Infante will remain at second base, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Donnie Murphy and Emilio Bonifacio will get the most playing time at third, though Wes Helms and Greg Dobbs also have experience there.
- The Marlins aren't sure that Royals third baseman Pedro Feliz is an upgrade over their internal options, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Marlins can absorb Feliz's $800K salary, according to Rosenthal.
- The Marlins have not contacted the Royals about Feliz, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- Felipe Lopez, Eric Chavez and free agent Garrett Atkins are also potential options, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reported last night that the Marlins are one of the teams monitoring Young, though they can't afford his annual salary of $16MM.
Brewers Acquire Brett Carroll
The Brewers acquired outfielder Brett Carroll from the Royals for cash considerations, the team announced. The Royals signed the 28-year-old as a free agent in November after the Marlins granted him free agency.
In parts of four seasons with Florida, Carroll has a .205/.284/.325 line in 319 plate appearances. Carroll, who broke camp with the Marlins in 2008 and '09, hit his first MLB homer off of Randy Johnson. The right-handed hitter was hitless in 15 at bats this spring before the Royals assigned him to minor league camp.
Though Carroll has struggled against MLB pitching in his short career, he has a more respectable .255/.323/.463 line in seven minor league seasons. The 2004 draft pick has played all three outfield positions in the majors and the minors.
Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star first tweeted news of the deal last night.
Royals Appear Likely To Keep Soria
The Royals don’t seem inclined to trade Joakim Soria for anything less than an overwhelming offer, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The 26-year-old closer, who is under team control through 2014, remains a big part of the Royals “today and for the future,” in the words of GM Dayton Moore.
“We do expect to be good at some point in time,” Moore said. “And to be good, it’s important that you’re able to match up over the last three innings of the game. Joakim Soria gives us that opportunity to do that.”
Soria, who has more continuous service with the Royals than anyone else on the team, says he’d likes the youth-oriented path the front office is taking. Unlike former teammate Zack Greinke, Soria wants to stay put. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes mentioned the closer on his list of midseason trade candidates in the American League, cautioning that the Royals were likely to keep him.
Soria said in December that he wouldn’t block a trade to the Yankees, but he later clarified that he meant to indicate that he didn’t plan to prevent the Royals from making a deal if that was their intention.
Make Or Break Year: Jeff Francis
Jeff Francis seemed headed for stardom when, at the age of 26, he won 17 games and pitched in the World Series. This offseason, in his first appearance on the free agent market, he signed with the Royals for $2MM plus incentives. It's a modest guarantee for a pitcher who still has promise entering 2011.
Teams aren't going to commit aggressively to pitchers who post 5.00 ERAs, especially if they aren't far removed from serious shoulder issues. Francis' ERA sat precisely at 5.00 after 104 1/3 innings of work last year, in his return to the majors after missing the 2009 campaign with shoulder surgery. The former 9th overall pick wasn't in position to command much as a free agent, even after a successful return to the major leagues.
But things could be different next offseason. Francis, who just turned 30 in January, is still relatively young. And if he puts together a full season, he'll have an easier time convincing teams that his shoulder is no longer a concern.
Though Francis' 2010 ERA and 4-6 record don't look good, his peripheral stats do. He posted a robust 47% ground ball rate last year, striking out nearly three times as many hitters as he walked. What's more, his FIP and xFIP suggest he was more deserving of an ERA under 4.00. And while the American League has the DH, it doesn't have Coors Field, the only home park Francis has known as a big leaguer.
There are no guarantees for Francis or for his new team. If he encounters more shoulder problems or struggles to surpass last year's innings total, the market for him won't be strong after the season. But a healthy year and a little more luck could position Francis for the big free agent contract he didn't sign this past offseason.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Central Notes: Royals, Chisenhall, Theriot, Brewers
Let's take a look at some items from both the AL and NL Central..
- Royals manager Ned Yost told the Associated Press that he would like to have two left-handers in the bullpen to start the year, though he won't have two southpaw relievers just for the sake of it. For the time being, it sounds like Kansas City will look for an answer in-house, starting with their newest acquisition Robert Fish.
- When asked if service time factored into the decision to demote Lonnie Chisenhall, Indians GM Chris Antonetti said, "That's certainly not the case," tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
- After being dealt from the Dodgers to the Cardinals, Ryan Theriot says that he's looking to play the way he did in 2008, writes MLB.com's Matthew Leach. In '08, Theriot posted a slash line of .307/.387/.359 for the Cubs.
- Chris Cwik of Fangraphs wonders if the Brewers' acquisition of Zack Greinke has left them too thin in some areas.
Royals Acquire Robert Fish
The Royals have claimed lefty Robert Fish from the Yankees on outright waivers, according to a team press release. In order to make room for Fish on their 40-man roster, Kansas City has moved right-hander Henry Barrera to the 60-day disabled list.
The Yankees selected Fish, 23, in the Rule 5 Draft this past December out of the Angels organization. Fish was lights out in High-A last season through 16 innings, allowing just two runs and striking out 25. He was torched upon a promotion to Double-A though, primarily due to allowing nine homers through 42 1/3 innings pitched. The result was an unsightly 8.93 ERA, but he maintained his big-time strikeout numbers, posting a K/9 of 10.4.
For his career, Fish has posted a strong 9.1 K/9 through 365 2/3 minor league innings, but he's also allowed far too many baserunners; he's walked 4.2/9 and allowed 9.5 H/9.