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Marc Rzepczynski

Diamondbacks Release Marc Rzepczynski

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The Diamondbacks have released left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski, according to Roster Roundup. He had been with the organization since signing a minor league deal in February.

The journeyman Rzepczynski has been an effective reliever for most of his career, which began with the Blue Jays in 2009, but hasn’t seen much action at the game’s highest level of late. After a 31 1/3-inning season with the Mariners in 2017, “Scrabble” threw just 10 1/3 frames between the M’s and Indians last year. Opposing offenses battered Rzepczynski during that small sample, collecting eight earned runs on 16 hits and 10 walks.

Prior to his release, Rzepczynski recorded mediocre numbers across 25 2/3 innings with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno. The 33-year-old pitched to a 3.86 ERA/4.74 FIP with 6.31 K/9 and 4.21 BB/9, though he did log a superb 60.5 percent groundball rate. Rzepczynski has also induced grounders at a high clip in the majors (59.7 percent), where he has posted a 3.89 ERA/3.88 FIP and 8.47 K/9 against 4.24 BB/9 in 434 2/3 innings. Most of his success has come at the expense of same-handed hitters, whom he has held to a .227/.296/.305 line.

Diamondbacks Sign Ricky Nolasco, Marc Rzepczynski

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The Diamondbacks have announced deals with two veteran hurlers. Both right-hander Ricky Nolasco and southpaw Marc Rzepczynski are slated to appear in MLB camp as non-roster invitees after signing minor-league pacts.

If he’s able to crack the roster, Rzepczysnki would earn at a $1.5MM rate, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). His deal also includes a $500K incentives package.

Another pair of former MLB relievers is also joining the Arizona organization, albeit without camp invites. Righty Michael Kohn and lefty Lucas Luetge also have minors deals in place. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first tweeted Kohn’s deal.

Nolasco will be looking to break back into the majors after sitting out the 2018 season. He did make 33 starts in the 2017 campaign, and spent camp last year with the Royals, so he hasn’t been on the sidelines for all that long.

Even ignoring the absence, it has been some times since the 36-year-old was effective. Nolasco’s strong 2013 season earned him a four-year deal with the Twins, but he carries a 4.99 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in the 575 innings he has thrown since that time.

The 33-year-old Rzepczynski did see MLB action last year, though he was knocked around in both the majors and minors in stints with the Mariners and Indians organizations. At his best, Rzepczynski is an exceedingly tough assignment for opposing left-handed hitters, who have hit just .227/.296/.305 against him in his career.

Kohn and Luetge are each even deeper comeback candidates. Neither has seen the majors since 2015 and neither played in the affiliated ranks at all in 2018.

Pitching Market Rumors: Giants, Gray, Rangers, Allen, Scrabble

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The pitching market continues to proceed at a steady but unhurried pace, with today’s reunion between the Giants and Derek Holland marking the latest signing of note. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to cover the news from the team’s perspective. While the organization has undergone front office changes since Holland wrapped up a solid performance on a one-year deal in 2018, new president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi still made the call to bring back the southpaw. That was due in no small part to the club’s positive experience with him last year, both on and off the field. Zaidi emphasized that the team still wants to find more rotation depth this winter, though it’s far from clear that any further MLB signings will be pursued. It certainly seems possible that the club will add plausible rotation pieces via trade or on minor-league deals.

Here’s the latest on the pitching market:

  • Talks surrounding Sonny Gray have “ramped up” since Yankees’ lefty CC Sabathia was cleared to resume baseball activities last week, Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets. The Yankees are discussing Gray with six teams, including the Reds, per Heyman, though previous reports had indicated that Cincinnati’s interest had cooled off since adding Alex Wood and Tanner Roark. Gray agreed to a $7.5MM salary over the weekend, falling shy of MLBTR’s $9.1MM projection and perhaps making him a bit more appealing to clubs who’ve already added a fair bit of payroll this offseason.
  • The Rangers are maintaining interest in adding some free-agent arms to their bullpen and have been in recent contact with the representatives for right-handers Adam Ottavino and Cody Allen, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links). However, the likelier route is that the Rangers will add multiple lower-cost relievers rather than one higher-end piece. Rosenthal adds Adam Warren to the list of potential Texas targets and notes that the Rangers are also still looking to add an infielder. Meanwhile, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that the Twins still have interest in Allen. Minnesota was connected to Allen earlier this winter and has since signed Blake Parker, though they’re still in the market for additional relief help. Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey knows Allen quite well from his days in the Indians’ front office.
  • Free-agent lefty Marc Rzepczynski is hosting a showcase for big league teams tomorrow, tweets Fancred’s Jon Heyman. The 33-year-old southpaw struggled tremendously in 2018 both at the Majors and in Triple-A, and he’ll look to audition for clubs on what figures to be a minor league deal with a chance to reestablish himself as a credible option. “Scrabble” has worked as a lefty specialist for the bulk of his career, as he hasn’t topped 50 innings since 2011 despite averaging 64 MLB appearances per season from 2012-17. In his career, he’s held lefties to an awful .225/.296/.305 batting line through 857 plate appearances.

Mariners Re-Sign Marc Rzepczynski To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners have re-signed left-hander Marc Rzepczynski to a minor league deal, per Triple-A broadcaster Mike Curto (Twitter link). MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo first mentioned the reunion (also via Twitter).

Rzepczynski, 32, is technically being paid by the Mariners anyhow, as he signed a two-year, $11MM deal with Seattle in the 2016-17 offseason. However, after pitching poorly in each of the first season and a half of that pact, the veteran southpaw was designated for assignment and ultimately released. He landed with the Indians after that and notched 2 2/3 shutout innings before being designated for assignment and released for a second time.

Left-handed relief has been a need for the M’s for much of the season, in part due to Rzepczynski’s own struggles, and he’ll rejoin the organization as a depth piece. However, with James Pazos, Roenis Elias and the newly acquired Zach Duke — picked up in a Monday trade with the Twins — all in the big league bullpen, Rzepczynski won’t have much of a path to the Majors in the near future. In the event of an injury at the MLB level, though, or perhaps as a September call-up, he could potentially return to the big-league level with Seattle.

In 268 innings from 2011-16, Rzecpzynski worked to a 3.56 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9. In parts of 10 Major League seasons, he’s held left-handed opponents to a timid .227/.296/.305 slash in 857 plate appearances.

Indians Designate Marc Rzepczynski, Activate Tyler Olson

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The Indians have designated lefty Marc Rzepczynski, per a club announcement. That move will open a roster spot for the return of fellow southpaw Tyler Olson.

The 32-year-old Rzepczynski ended up making only five appearances in his second stint with the Cleveland organization. He threw 2 2/3 scoreless frames, but managed only one strikeout to go with one free pass.

Rzepczynski had struggled to open the year with the Mariners, then landed with the Indians after being cut loose by Seattle. Since the start of the 2017 season, he carries a 4.75 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 over 41 2/3 innings in 87 appearances. The lefty specialist will likely end up heading back to the open market in search of another opportunity, with the M’s still on the hook for the balance of his $5.5MM salary.

As for Olson, he’ll be looking to return from both a lat injury and a rough opening to the season. Though he compiled 23 strikeouts (to go with eight walks) in his 17 1/3 innings to open the year, the 28-year-old coughed up 14 earned runs. Olson held opposing lefty hitters to a .216/.275/.378 batting line in that span, but surrendered a whopping 1.083 OPS to the 39 right-handed hitters that stepped into the box against him. Last year, when he turned in twenty scoreless frames in a breakout performance, he dominated hitters of all varieties.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/1/18

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Sunday’s minor moves…

  • The Indians cleared room for Rzepczynski by releasing lefty Shawn Morimando, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com tweets. Morimando, 25, had been with the organization since it selected him in the 19th round of the 2011 draft. He ascended to Triple-A in 2016 and has since pitched to a 4.45 ERA with 6.9 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 in 242 2/3 innings at the minors’ highest level. Morimando also had a 4 2/3-inning stint with the Tribe in 2016.

Earlier moves:

  • The Indians have selected the contract of left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski from Triple-A Columbus, per a team announcement. The club will need to create 40-man room for Rzepczynski, whom it signed to a minor league deal two weeks ago. “Scrabble” had been with the Mariners, who released him after he pitched to a 9.38 ERA with 13 hits allowed, nine walks and 10 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings this season. In doing so, Seattle cut the cord on a player it signed to a two-year, $11MM deal entering 2017. Now, Rzepczynski’s set for his second stint in Cleveland, where he previously pitched from 2013-15. The 32-year-old, a veteran of seven major league teams, owns a 3.92 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 4.25 BB/9 and an impressive 59.7 percent groundball rate in 432 career innings. He has also held southpaw swingers to a weak .222/.295/.303 line in the bigs.
  • The Yankees announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander David Hale from Triple-A. The 30-year-old has yo-yoed between the Yankees and their top affiliate in Scranton this season, and he has also had a stint with the Twins. Hale has combined for just eight innings between New York and Minnesota in 2018, but he has amassed 55 frames in Scranton and pitched to a 4.20 ERA with 7.11 K/9 and 2.75 BB/9.
  • The Orioles announced that they’ve outrighted infielder Corban Joseph to Double-A Bowie. The club designated Joseph for assignment this week after he saw limited action in Baltimore, collecting just 10 plate appearances. The 29-year-old Joseph has spent most of this season with Bowie, where he has hit .332/.398/.534 in 281 PAs.

Indians Sign Marc Rzepczynski

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The Indians announced that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski to a minor league contract. The southpaw, who’d recently been released by the Mariners, has been assigned to Triple-A Columbus.

This’ll mark the second stint with the Indians for Rzepczynski, who pitched for Cleveland from 2013-14 before being traded to the Padres in exchange for outfielder Abraham Almonte at the 2014 non-waiver trade deadline. Since that time, the well-traveled lefty has bounced from San Diego to Oakland to D.C. to Seattle.

[Related: Cleveland Indians depth chart]

Rzepczynski, 32, parlayed a solid 2016 season between the A’s and Nationals into a two-year, $11MM contract with the Mariners. And while he performed reasonably well in the first season of that deal, Rzepczynski struggled enormously in 2018 before being cut loose earlier this month. Nicknamed “Scrabble” due to his spellcheck-busting last name, Rzepczynski posted a 4.02 ERA in 37 1/3 innings for Seattle in 2017, though his 25-to-20 K/BB ratio lefty plenty to be desired. This year, he allowed 11 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and nine walks with 10 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.

Rzepczynski has long been tough on opposing lefties, though, limiting same-handed opponents to a paltry .225/.295/.303 slash through 852 career plate appearances. For a Cleveland club whose bullpen has been among the worst in the Majors this season, he’ll add a veteran depth option that can at least be utilized in situational matchups. That could be all the more important for the Tribe in the near future, as Cleveland currently has both Andrew Miller and Tyler Olson on the disabled list.

The Mariners remain on the hook for the bulk of the $5.5MM salary that Rzepczynski is earning this year. Cleveland will only owe him the pro-rated league minimum for any time he spends at the big league level. That sum, subsequently, would be subtracted from what the Mariners owe him through season’s end.

Mariners Release Marc Rzepczynski

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The Mariners announced today that they have released lefty Marc Rzepczynski. He had recently been designated for assignment.

It’s no surprise to see the 32-year-old clear waivers following the DFA. After all, he hasn’t performed up to the $5.5MM salary he’s promised this year. The M’s will foot that bill the rest of the way, excepting any league-minimum earnings he achieves if he can make it back to the majors elsewhere.

That said, other organizations will surely be glad to add some experienced left-handed relief depth, particularly if they have mechanical or tactical tweaks in mind to get Rzepczynski back to effectiveness. He has struggled mightily in 2018, and wasn’t very effective last year either, but has limited opposing lefties to a .222/.323/.333 batting line over his career.

Mariners Designate Marc Rzepczynski

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The Mariners announced today that they have designated southpaw Marc Rzepczynski for assignment. His MLB roster spot will go to fellow lefty Roenis Elias, who has been recalled from Triple-A.

Rzepczynski, 32, had signed a two-year deal with the Seattle organization before the 2017 season. He’s earning $5.5MM this season under that contract.

Needless to say, the signing has not really turned out as hoped. This year, he has recorded just 7 2/3 innings in his 18 appearances, allowing eight earned runs on 13 hits while carrying a brutal 10:9 K/BB ratio.

Like most of his prior employers, the M’s have tried to limit Rzepczynski to facing left-handed hitters. And he has largely held them in check, as opposing southpaw swingers own a .222/.323/.333 slash against him this year. But Rzepczynski has been completely helpless in 2018 when facing righties, who have gone 7-for-11 with two home runs and five walks.

That sort of output represents a problem even for a LOOGY, as it’s hard to avoid righties altogether. Rzepczynski has been tagged for a .280/.386/.438 cumulative lifetime slash by hitters that carry the platoon advantage, which has been at least palatable enough given the sub-.600 OPS he has allowed over his career to lefties.

Mariners Make Handful Of Roster Moves

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In addition to confirming the signing of left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, the Mariners have inked right-hander Casey Fien to a major league contract, per a team announcement. To make room for those bullpen additions, Seattle has designated southpaw Dean Kiekhefer and righty Zach Lee for assignment.

[RELATED: Updated Mariners Roster]

Fien became eligible for free agency shortly after the Dodgers outrighted him off their 40-man roster in mid-September. In a combined 39 1/3 innings with them and the Twins last season, Fien recorded a 5.49 ERA, 8.01 K/9, 2.29 BB/9 and 33.9 percent ground-ball rate. Fien was much more successful at preventing runs over the previous four years, as he logged a 3.54 ERA, 7.93 K/9, 1.57 BB/9 and 33.6 grounder rate in 223 2/3 frames with the Twins from 2012-15. Home runs weren’t a serious problem then for Fien, but the 33-year-old allowed 13 this past season en route to a bloated ERA.

Fien has a minor league option remaining, but if he earns a place on the Mariners’ roster, he’ll make $1.1MM, according to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link). He’ll vie to join a relief group that, at least for now, also includes righty setup men in the injured Steve Cishek, Nick Vincent, Evan Scribner, Dan Altavilla and Arquimedes Caminero.

Kiekhefer originally joined the Mariners less than a month ago as a waiver claim from the Cardinals. A 38th-round pick in the 2010 draft, Kiekhefer cracked the major leagues for the first time in 2016 and registered a 5.32 ERA, 5.73 K/9, 2.86 BB/9 and 47.3 percent ground-ball mark in 22 innings with St. Louis.

Lee, a former high-end prospect with the Dodgers, became a Mariner when they acquired him for infielder Chris Taylor last June. The 25-year-old Lee, who went in the first round of the 2010 draft, debuted in the big leagues with 4 2/3 frames as a member of the Dodgers in 2015. He spent last season at the Triple-A level and combined for 148 innings – 74 1/3 of which came with the Mariners’ affiliate in Tacoma. Lee struggled to a 7.39 ERA with the Rainiers, though his strikeout and walk rates per nine (6.05 and 2.91) weren’t nearly as ugly.

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