- Angels GM Billy Eppler is non-committal about his team being sellers at the deadline, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times writes. “Let’s let this club play a little bit longer. There’s no rush to make a decision right now,” Eppler said. The front office wants to “get the full team intact and guys back on the field and healthy” before making any decisions, Eppler said, though Moura points out that this will be impossible given how many key pitchers are either out for the season or indefinitely shelved. It could be that Eppler is simply engaging in some gamesmanship, as the Halos’ record (31-44, last place in the AL West) would certainly indicate that they’ll be selling come August 1.
Angels Rumors
Angels Won't Pursue Yulieski Gurriel
- The Angels “are officially out” on Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gurriel, according to Heyman. The 32-year-old figures to command a significant multi-year deal, and adding another eight-figure average annual salary to the ledger would severely impede the Halos’ ability to avoid continual luxury tax penalization. Heyman also notes that Tim Lincecum could eventually become trade bait for the Angels if the team continue to struggle and if Lincecum performs well.
Rangers Acquire Kyle Kubitza
The Rangers have acquired third baseman Kyle Kubitza from the Angels, per an announcement from club VP of communications John Blake. Cash considerations will head back to the Halos in the deal.
Kubitza had been designated for assignment by Los Angeles as the organization continues to churn through pitching at the major league level, leading to a need for 40-man roster spots. Texas has optioned Kubitza to Triple-A.
Heading into the year, prospect watchers generally viewed Kubitza as a top-ten organizational prospect in an exceedingly thin Angels farm. The 25-year-old had been acquired before the 2015 campaign from the Braves in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Ricardo Sanchez.
Kubitza is hitting just .253/.349/.366 over 215 plate appearances on the year at Triple-A, and struggled in a brief taste of the majors last year. But he has shown more in the past at the plate. Obviously, Texas was intrigued enough to use an open 40-man spot to add him.
Draft Signings: 6/18/16
Here are the latest notable draft signings from around the majors:
- The Nationals have signed second-round shortstop Sheldon Neuse to a below-slot pact, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com. Neuse will rake in $900K, down from the $1,107,000 allotted to the 58th pick. The righty-swinging Neuse profiles as a third baseman, according to Callis, who adds that he can hit 94 mph on the mound.
- The Pirates have agreed to a below-slot deal with second-round pick Travis MacGregor, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). MacGregor will receive $900K, which is $48,900 less than the value of his pick (68th overall). Baseball America rated the high school right-hander from Florida as the 186th-best prospect available in the draft, noting that the Clemson commit has bumped his fastball velocity from the high-80s into the low-90s; he also possesses an average changeup and some feel for a breaking ball.
- The Twins have agreed to sign supplemental second-rounder Jose Miranda and 11th-round choice Tyler Benninghoff, writes Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Miranda, a Puerto Rican shortstop, will land $775K. That’s a good deal less than the value of the 73rd pick ($878,500). BA had Miranda as the 113th-ranked player in the draft and praised his offensive abilities, though the outlet expects him to move to second or third base. Benninghoff, BA’s 201st-rated prospect, will collect the highest bonus ($600K) thus far of anyone outside of this year’s first 10 rounds. An early season biceps injury weighed down the Missouri high school righty, who BA notes had the potential to go in the first five rounds had he stayed healthy.
- The Angels have signed fourth-rounder Chris Rodriguez, the 126th pick, to a significantly above-slot deal. Rodriguez will collect $850K – not the $464,300 his selection called for – according to Callis (Twitter link). The high school righty from Florida earned the 162nd overall ranking from BA, which Rodriguez impressed with his 93 to 95 mph fastball and hard slider.
- The White Sox have agreed to a $700K deal with sixth-round shortstop Luis Curbelo, per Callis (on Twitter). That’s a far cry from the $286,700 value of the 176th choice. Callis is bullish on the Florida high schooler’s pop at the plate and plus arm, and believes he could be a major league third baseman.
- Third-rounder Aaron Civale has signed a below-slot contract with the Indians, tweets Callis. The Northeastern right-hander, who went 92nd (worth $655,500), will get $625K. Civale’s best offering is his cutter, says Callis.
- The Athletics have agreed to an above-slot deal with fourth-round pick Skylar Szynski, a high school right-hander from Indiana, reports Callis (Twitter link). As the 112th pick, Szynski was in line for a $531,500 bonus, but the A’s will give him $1MM. Szynski sits 90 to 95 mph with his fastball, complementing that pitch with a hard curve and a changeup, according to Callis.
- Third-round shortstop Stephen Alemais, a Tulane product, has signed a below-slot deal with the Pirates, Callis tweets. Alemais will receive $500K, which is $68,400 less than the worth of the 105th pick. The contact-hitting Alemais should be able to stay at short, notes Callis.
- The White Sox have signed third-rounder Alex Call for $719,100, the exact value of his pick (No. 86), relays Callis (Twitter link). The Ball State outfielder mixes pop at the plate with solid running ability and a capable arm, with Callis adding that he has the potential to play center in the majors.
- The Rangers have signed fourth-rounder Charles LeBlanc for $415K, which is $36K below the slot value of his pick – the 129th selection – tweets Mayo. BA ranked the shortstop from Pitt as the 452nd-best player available in this year’s draft, lauding his bat but questioning whether the 6-foot-4 LeBlanc will be able to stick at short.
Angels Activate Andrelton Simmons, Outright Brendan Ryan
SATURDAY: Ryan has cleared waivers, and the Angels have outrighted him to Triple-A Salt Lake, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets.
WEDNESDAY: The Angels have activated shortstop Andrelton Simmons after a long layoff for a thumb injury, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports on Twitter. To create a roster spot, the club designated infielder Brendan Ryan for assignment.
[RELATED: Updated Los Angeles Angels Depth Chart]
Simmons had been out since early May after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb, which required surgery. It’s certainly positive news that he was able to return earlier than had been expected.
The Halos need Simmons’s glove at short, but even more than that will need him to pick up the pace at the plate upon his return. Over his 118 plate appearances earlier in the year, Simmons posted a weak .219/.246/.281 batting line and managed only a single long ball.
As for Ryan, this is his second trip through DFA limbo with Los Angeles this year. He was added as depth with Simmons and then Cliff Pennington injured. The 34-year-old managed only one hit in 14 plate appearances, though he’ll continue to have a niche role in this or another organization due to his well-respected glove.
Angels Designate Todd Cunningham For Assignment
The Angels have designated outfielder Todd Cunningham for assignment, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The move clears space on the Angels’ active and 40-man rosters for Tim Lincecum, who’s set to start against the Athletics today.
The 27-year-old Cunningham had played in five games for the Angels. He’s spent most of the season so far with Triple-A Salt Lake, posting a solid .299/.401/.382 line and playing all three outfield positions. Despite demonstrating good on-base ability in the minors, though, he lacks home-run power and has struggled in brief stints in the big leagues, batting just .208/.263/.255 in 114 career Major League plate appearances, mostly accumulated with the Braves in 2015.
Lincecum Set For Angels Debut Saturday
Tim Lincecum is set to debut for the Angels tomorrow against the Athletics, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes. Per Gonzalez, the Angels felt that Lincecum might’ve been ready for his debut after his second rehab outing, but the pitcher himself asked GM Billy Eppler for one more rehab tune-up because he wasn’t pleased with his ability to command his fastball in that second outing. His third outing proved to be the best of the bunch, as he went seven innings and picked up eight strikeouts while yielding just one hit and one walk. His velocity is still in the 88-91 mph range, Gonzalez notes, but Eppler says that he expects Lincecum will be able to locate his fastball and secondary pitches to get by “with moxie and some deception and pitchability.” Lincecum appears set to join Jered Weaver, Hector Santiago, Jhoulys Chacin and Matt Shoemaker in the Halos’ rotation, as is reflected on their updated depth chart.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/16/16
Some minor moves from around the game…
- Righty Brandon Gomes has been released by the Cubs, as Baseball America’s Matt Eddy recently reported. The 31-year-old had thrown 167 relief innings over the last five years with the Rays, working to a 4.20 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. He had struggled with command this year at Triple-A in the Chicago organization, however. In his 22 2/3 frames, Gomes allowed ten earned runs on 14 hits and 14 walks while striking out twenty.
- The Orioles have re-signed lefty Andy Oliver, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. Oliver, 28, had recently opted out of his minor league pact with Baltimore, but evidently did not find a better opportunity elsewhere. He owns a nice 2.08 ERA over 34 2/3 Triple-A frames on the year, with 8.8 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.
- Veteran catcher Gerald Laird has signed a contract with the Mexican League’s Tijuana Toros, MLBTR has learned. The 36-year-old Laird signed the with D-backs prior to the 2015 season but appeared in just one game before a back injury sidelined him into late August, at which point he was designated for assignment and released. Laird enjoyed a productive season with the Braves back in 2013, when he batted .281/.367/.372 in 141 plate appearances. In parts of 13 Major League seasons, Laird is a career .243/.305/.353 hitter. He’s spent time with the Rangers, Tigers and Cardinals in addition to Arizona and Atlanta.
- The Angels announced that lefty David Huff has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 31-year-old made a pair of spot starts for the Halos this season but struggled in each and ultimately yielded seven earned runs on 13 hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. He’ll have the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency, though he could very well accept due to the fact that the injury-riddled state of the Angels’ pitching staff could afford him another crack at the Majors later this summer.
- Former Major League right-hander Robert Coello has been waived by the Nexen Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization, as Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency writes. In his place, the Heroes will sign right-hander Scott McGregor, who had been pitching for the Somerset Patriots of the independent Atlantic League (Mike Ashmore of MyCentralJersey.com reported the McGregor news earlier this week). The 31-year-old Coello hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2013, when he posted a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings for the Angels. He had a 3.77 ERA in 62 innings out of the Heroes’ rotation this season, but Yoo notes that control problems (42 walks in those 62 innings) led him to be waived. McGregor, a longtime Cardinals farmhand, has a career 4.78 ERA at the Triple-A level and was throwing well for Somerset this season, having posted a 3.36 ERA with a 31-to-6 K/BB ratio in 59 innings.
Angels Sign First-Rounder Matt Thaiss
10:15pm: Thaiss will receive a $2.15MM bonus, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. That leaves just over $500K in added funds for the club to dedicate to other draftees.
9:51pm: The Angels have signed first-round pick Matt Thaiss, the backstop himself tweeted. His bonus remains unknown, but the 16th overall selection came with an assigned value of $2.661MM.
Likewise, the Halos have an agreement in place with third-rounder Nolan Williams, with MLB.com’s Jim Callis reporting (via Twitter) that he’ll earn $950K. The shortstop was taken 96th, which had an assigned $620,100 slot amount.
A catcher at the University of Virginia, the smooth-swinging Thaiss may move around defensively as a professional. Halos amateur scouting director Ric Wilson suggested that his team’s top selection isn’t tied to the position, and many evaluators question whether he’ll be able to stick behind the dish.
Certainly, his bat is good enough that it could play elsewhere. Thaiss has impeccable command of the strike zone, which led ESPN.com’s Keith Law to rank him 21st among eligible prospects. Placing him in the 28th slot, Baseball America noted that he delivers above-average, line-drive pop. MLB.com listed Thaiss 36th on its board.
It’ll be interesting to see where the bonus landed for Thaiss. The Halos went on to select high schoolers with its next three selections, including Williams, though it’s not yet clear just how much extra cash will be needed to round out the team’s draft class.
Angels Designate Kyle Kubitza
The Angels have designated third baseman Kyle Kubitza for assignment, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). He was the club’s seventh-ranked prospect in the estimation of MLB.com, but lost his 40-man spot as the team continued to cycle through pitching.
Kubitza, who’ll soon turn 26, got a taste of the majors last year but struggled in 19 games of action. The former third-round pick had been productive in the lower minors, and showed fairly well last year in his first taste of the hitter-friendly PCL, but he’s off to a tepid .253/.349/.366 start in 2016.
While roster pressures are always tough, it’s somewhat surprising to see the Halos compelled to part with a decent prospect here. The team’s new leadership, under GM Billy Eppler, obviously didn’t quite see eye to eye with its prior front office. Former GM Jerry Dipoto had sent well-regarded young lefty Ricardo Sanchez to the Braves to add Kubitza back before the 2015 season.
