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Brewers Claim Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Josmil Pinto, Andy Wilkins

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2:46pm: Milwaukee has made the claim of Niewhenhuis official and also announced two other additions off the wire: backstop Josmil Pinto, from the Padres, and first baseman Andy Wilkins, from the Rangers.

Pinto has shown some real upside at the plate at times, but has gone through rougher times more recently. And he’s always been raw defensively. But he certainly makes sense as a depth piece with some upside in Milwaukee.

With yet another claim, Wilkins is making a strong bid for most-moved player of the winter: Milwaukee becomes his sixth organization in 2015. A lifetime .274/.324/.490 hitter at the Triple-A level, he could compete to fill the role of the traded Adam Lind.

1:17pm: The Brewers have claimed outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis off waivers from the Mets, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter.

Nieuwenhuis has never really gained traction in his four years in the majors. New York briefly lost him to the Angels last year, then re-claimed him and outrighted him, only to call him back up for some time later in the season. After adding fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Alejandro De Aza, it seemed unlikely there would be a place for Nieuwenhuis in New York in 2016.

For Milwaukee, meanwhile, the 28-year-old represents a possible part of the team’s outfield mix. Nieuwenhuis has played center field and shown some pop at times, and it’s arguable he has a bit of upside left given his relatively young age.

Angels Claim Bobby LaFromboise, Rob Rasmussen; Outright A.J. Achter, Release Rafael Lopez

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The Angels have claimed southpaws Bobby LaFromboise and Rob Rasmussen off waivers, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports (Twitter links). To clear roster space, the club outrighted right-hander A.J. Achter and released catcher Rafael Lopez.

The 29-year-old LaFromboise threw the ball well last year in the Pirates organization, though he spent most of his time at Triple-A. At Indianapolis, he worked to a 2.98 ERA with 8.6 K/9 versus 3.5 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings. Though LaFromboise has only received 11 2/3 MLB innings in the past two years, he’s struck out 12 opposing batters and permitted only nine baserunners and two earned runs in that time.

Rasmussen, 26, comes from the Mariners, who acquired him at the trade deadline as part of the swap that sent Mark Lowe to Toronto. He tossed 15 1/3 MLB innings last year, striking out 17 but walking eight batter and permitting 17 earned runs. Rasmussen has shown some promise in the upper minors, though; last year, he put up a 2.30 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 in 42 Triple-A frames.

Achter, meanwhile, has already pinballed around the league this winter. The 27-year-old has shown some promise at Triple-A, including 48 frames of 2.63 ERA ball (with 8.8 K/9 vs. 2.4 BB/9) last year.

The 28-year-old Lopez put up a .266/.339/.335 slash in 246 plate appearances at the Triple-A level last year. He split his time between the Cubs and Halos organizations.

Angels Claim Rey Navarro

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The Angels have claimed infielder Rey Navarro off waivers from the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com hears (via Twitter).

Recently designated, the 26-year-old reached the bigs last year briefly in Baltimore. He put up only a .261/.310/.372 batting line over 394 Triple-A plate appearances, but is highly regarded with the leather up the middle.

AL West Notes: Mariners, Rangers, Angels

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After re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma, GM Jerry Dipoto is satisfied with the Mariners’ rotation, MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. The Mariners had already added Wade Miley and Nate Karns in trades this offseason. “Now if you line up a rotation with Felix (Hernandez) and Wade Miley and James Paxton and Taijuan Walker and Nathan Karns and add Hisashi Iwakuma, that gives us the kind of depth and innings we want to get out of our starting rotation,” says Dipoto. “We’re very happy with that group.” Dipoto notes it’s crucial to have more than five pitchers capable of making solid starts. He adds that, even though it had looked like the Mariners were already at their budget limit prior to the Iwakuma signing, it took “less than five minutes” to get the Mariners’ ownership to approve spending once Iwakuma’s deal with the Dodgers fell apart and it became clear he was available. Here’s more from the AL West.

  • In an offseason in which salaries for setup men have skyrocketed, the Rangers’ bullpen is talented and cheap, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. That means they could potentially use a reliever to upgrade elsewhere, or they could keep all their current talent to provide the team with a variety of strong relief options. Wilson notes that GM Jon Daniels said at the Winter Meetings that other teams asked him about ten different relievers. And even beyond closer Shawn Tolleson, the Rangers have plenty of other bullpen options with at least some closing experience, including newcomer Tony Barnette, who registered 41 saves for Yakult in Japan last season.
  • It might be in the Angels’ interest not to exceed the $189MM luxury tax threshold for next season, if only because of the headache it could cause this time next year, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes. Fans might argue that if the Angels exceeded that threshold for 2016, they could get back under it when Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson’s contracts expire after the season, meaning that they would avoid the escalating penalties for repeat luxury tax offenders. The problem is that they’re already committed to spend a significant amount in 2017 (and will have non-mandatory, but necessary, expenditures for arbitration-eligible players like Garrett Richards, Hector Santiago and Kole Calhoun). They’ll also likely have to spend to bolster their rotation, infield and bullpen.

Angels Claim A.J. Achter From Phillies

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The Angels have claimed reliever A.J. Achter off waivers from the Phillies, as Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register tweets.  The right-hander still has options remaining, Fletcher notes.

This marks the second time this offseason that Achter has been claimed off waivers. In late November, the Phillies claimed Achter off waivers from the Twins when teams were doing some Rule 5-related roster jostling. Achter, 27, has a career 5.18 ERA in the Majors but a stronger track record in Triple-A, where he most recently logged an impressive 2.63 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 48 innings. Achter’s ERA in Triple-A is well south of 3.00, and he’s displayed good control throughout his career, but he lacks velocity as well, having averaged just 90 mph on his fastball in the Majors.

As the MLBTR DFA Tracker shows, there are now only four players remaining in DFA limbo: Dan Otero (Phillies), Rey Navarro (Orioles), Tyler Olson (Mariners), and Chris Johnson (Indians).

AL West Notes: Angels, Cespedes, Upton

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Here’s tonight’s look at the AL West:

  • Angels owner Arte Moreno said the Halos didn’t make any serious offers to any of the big free agents out there this winter, Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register tweets.  More specifically, Moreno indicated that Angels did not make an offer to Jason Heyward and that the club is not in serious talks with Yoenis Cespedes, Justin Upton, Alex Gordon, or Chris Davis (Twitter link via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times)
  • Angels GM Billy Eppler told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter), that the team is still “engaged in conversations” with other outfielders even after the signing of Daniel Nava.  Nava, it appears, is being counted on to provide the Halos with depth in left field, right field, and at first base.  For his part, Eppler feels that there are still going to be opportunities to improve the club, even without the addition of marquee names, Fletcher tweets.
  • Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) gets the impression that the A’s were among those willing to bid more on Bartolo Colon than the Mets did.  On Wednesday, Colon and the Mets agreed to a one-year, $7.25MM deal and he reportedly received more lucrative offers elsewhere.  Colon enjoyed great success in Oakland, pitching to a 2.99 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 between 2012 and 2013.

Angels Sign Daniel Nava

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6:00pm: It’s a one-year, $1.375MM deal for Nava, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

5:32pm: The Angels announced that they have signed outfielder Daniel Nava to a one-year, major league deal.  Nava, 32, was a free agent for the first time in his career this winter.

Nava, 33 in February, suffered through the worst season of his career but has been a regular or semi-regular contributor in each season dating back to 2010 (primarily with Boston). The switch-hitter batted only .194/.315/.245 in 166 plate appearances between the Red Sox and Rays this year but is a career .265/.358/.383 hitter overall and sports an even more impressive .281/.377/.409 batting line against right-handed pitching.  Nava was projected to earn $1.9MM through arbitration in 2016 but the Rays designated him for assignment, prompting the veteran to elect free agency.

Nava’s track record against righties and history of above-average defense in the outfield corners led to interest from multiple teams this offseason.  Nava could form a platoon in left field with the newly-signed Craig Gentry but it’s not immediately clear if that’s the plan.  Gentry inked a one-year deal with the Halos that could be worth up to $1MM.  Gentry is a career .274/.354/.366 hitter against lefties with a less impressive .256/.321/.311 line vs. righties.

The Rays wanted to bring Nava back on a minor league deal but they were rebuffed as he searched for a better opportunity.  The Padres were also believed to have interest in Nava.

Central Notes: Frazier, Rodriguez, Melancon, Royals

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The Indians and White Sox were both rumored to be interested in Todd Frazier during last week’s Winter Meetings (the Royals, too, are said to have discussed him as a possible left field option), and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports adds a few more teams to the list of interested clubs. The Dodgers, Nationals, Rangers and Angels are all “believed to have some involvement or interest,” in the Reds’ third baseman, Heyman writes. Talks are “starting to percolate,” says Heyman. Last week, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Reds are “heavily” shopping Frazier.

A few more notes from the game’s Central divisions…

  • Utility man Sean Rodriguez is generating interest from four clubs at the moment, including the Pirates and Tigers, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. The 30-year-old batted just .246/.281/.362 in 240 PAs with the Pirates last season, but his ability to play all four infield positions as well as the outfield corners is a selling point, Crasnick notes.
  • In an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Pirates GM Neal Huntington confirmed that he’s willing to listen to offers on closer Mark Melancon (Twitter link). However, he also added, “We’re gonna have to get something that really makes sense to even consider moving him.” The Pirates recently freed up some money by trading Charlie Morton to the Phillies and may have saved a bit of cash in the Neil Walker/Jon Niese swap, so there may not be as much pressure, financially speaking, to move him as there was even one week ago.
  • Despite last season’s World Series Championship, the Royals are expected to operate with a payroll that is similar to 2015’s mark of $115MM, writes the Kansas City Star’s Sam Mellinger. As such, it’s unlikely that the club is able to retain Alex Gordon, barring unforeseen circumstances. Specifically, Mellinger writes that the club could circle back to Gordon if he lingers on the open market, unable to find a significant pact (presumably, one of five years). Mellinger notes that recent Royals free agents James Shields and Ervin Santana saw their price drop substantially later in the offseason, and the team does believe that the crowded outfield market means that supply and demand are working in its favor with regards to the outfield market, Mellinger writes. It does seem unlikely (to me, anyhow) that Gordon’s price will dip back into Kansas City’s comfort zone, although the Royals do have to be encouraged to hear that the Cardinals aren’t likely to embark on an aggressive pursuit of Gordon.

AL West Notes: Gordon, Eppler, A’s, Beane, Forst, Astros

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Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • The Angels are “kicking all the options around” on adding an outfielder, GM Billy Eppler told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times).  Eppler also said he’s still “having conversations” with the agents of such players as Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes or Chris Davis.  DiGiovanna wonders, however, if Eppler’s other comments about the importance of “getting guys who make contact, who have an idea of the strike zone” and don’t rely on power could be a hint that the Angels may really be targeting Alex Gordon.  Gordon brings excellent defense, a high OBP and (unlike Upton or Cespedes) is a left-handed hitter that would help balance the Angels’ mostly right-handed lineup.
  • Athletics executive VP of baseball ops Billy Beane and GM David Forst spoke to reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle and CSNBayArea.com’s Joe Stiglich) about the team’s signing of John Axford.  Between Axford, Ryan Madson and Rich Hill, Beane said the A’s are pursuing a strategy of pursuing players who enjoyed comeback years in 2015 but whose poor recent track records could scare other clubs off.  “If we’re right, we’re gonna be smart.  If we’re wrong, you’ll know why we’re wrong — because we dealt with a small sample size,” Beane said.
  • As for other potential A’s moves, Forst said “Starting pitching is something we’re still looking at.  We’re having those conversations, but I don’t have a great sense of how long they’ll take or if anything will come of it.”
  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow tells the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich that he thinks his club is “going to look at either bringing in another pitcher for the rotation or a bat of some sort” as the next item on the offseason to-do list.  As Drellich notes, the Astros have enough financial space and roster depth to make any number of moves to address their needs.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/13/15

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Let’s catch up on some recent minor league transactions, all from Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise noted.

  • The Reds announced the signing of right-hander J.C. Ramirez to a minor league contract earlier this month.  Ramirez posted a 5.32 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with the Diamondbacks and Mariners in 2015, and he was outrighted by the M’s after the season.
  • The Athletics signed left-hander Eric Surkamp to a minors deal.  Surkamp pitched in just one MLB game in 2015, a 3 1/3 inning relief stint for the Dodgers.  He has a 6.47 ERA over 57 innings with the Dodgers, White Sox and Giants in a career that was slowed by missing all of 2012 due to Tommy John surgery.
  • The Giants signed infielder Ramiro Pena to a minors contract.  Pena hit .244/.288/.330 over 610 PA as a utilityman with the Yankees and Braves from 2009-2014, and he spent 2015 with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Angels signed veteran right-hander Ramon Ramirez to a minor league contract.  Ramirez threw at least 63 2/3 innings in all but one season from 2006 through 2012, soaking up innings as a bullpen workhorse and posting a 3.32 ERA over 428 frames for five different clubs in that span.  After being dealt to the Giants at the 2010 trade deadline, Ramirez posted an 0.67 ERA in 27 relief innings to help San Francisco reach the postseason in what ended up as a World Series championship year.  Ramirez has pitched just 6 2/3 Major League innings over the last three seasons, however, and he spent 2015 in the Mexican League.
  • The Indians signed righty Felipe Paulino to a minors deal.  Paulino posted a 4.93 ERA, 7.2 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 over 104 innings with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.  The 32-year-old looked to have turned a corner as a Major Leaguer after joining the Royals in 2011 and he got off a hot start in K.C.’s rotation in 2012 before injuries forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery.  He last appeared in the majors in 2014 as a member of the White Sox, and he has 403 2/3 career innings over six years in the bigs.
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