Athletics Claim Jai Miller Off Waivers
The Athletics claimed outfielder Jai Miller off waivers from the Marlins and optioned him to Triple A, according to the team's Twitter feed. Miller had been designated for assignment five days ago, as the Marlins cleared spots for Mike Lamb and Jose Veras.
Miller, 25, hit .289/.360/.510 in his second Triple A stint for the Marlins last year, playing right and center field. Back in their '08 Handbook, Baseball America said his doubters wonder if "Miller isn't merely the next Reggie Abercrombie, a tools-laden player whose skills never fully transferred to the diamond." Two years later, they wrote that "some in the organization still see him as a late bloomer with Mike Cameron characteristics."
Offseason Questions For The NL East
The offseason is officially over, but we've still got a few questions. Our Offseason In Review series can be found here, and questions for the NL East are below.
- Will the Braves regret not finding a way to keep Javier Vazquez in the 2010 rotation? Will an extra two weeks of Jason Heyward justify free agent eligibility after the 2015 season?
- Having already cut many of their scrap heap relief pickups, will the Marlins' streak of unearthing bullpen diamonds in the rough end? Will bypassing Major League free agency cost the team wins in 2010?
- Could the Phillies have signed Placido Polanco or a comparable player for a significantly smaller commitment? Will they regret trading Cliff Lee for prospects?
- Did the Mets overcommit to Jason Bay, given the lack of comparable offers? Given the team's array of needs, will they rue putting all their eggs in the Bay basket?
- Could the Nationals have matched the production of Jason Marquis and Ivan Rodriguez with smaller commitments to different players? Will they lament letting pitching prospect Marco Estrada go in favor of reliever Tyler Walker?
Odds & Ends: Brewers, Marlins, Red Sox, Calero
Sunday night links..
- While other clubs did some last minute tinkering today, Brewers GM Doug Melvin decided to stand pat with his lineup, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- For the first time in three years, the Marlins won't have the lowest payroll in baseball on Opening Day, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. Florida's payroll of $46MM ranks ahead of the Padres and Pirates.
- Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com (via Twitter) didn't expect Scott Schoeneweis to make the BoSox roster after being released by the Brewers. Edes adds that he expects Alan Embree to make his way to the big league squad after he puts in more work in the minors.
- The Mets have demoted reliever Kiko Calero to their Triple-A affiliate, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Calero's deal – which he signed in early March – does not allow Calero to opt-out upon being assigned to the minors.
- Jeff Zrebiec and Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun write that O's outfielder Nolan Reimold took ground balls at first base yesterday. Orioles GM Andy MacPhail told the Sun not to read too much into it, as they were only seeking to increase the 26-year-old's versatility. However, an item on ESPN's rumor page wonders aloud if the fielding practice could be about the club's future plans at the position without Luke Scott and Garrett Atkins.
- A major league insider told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com that the extension given to Adam Lind is a good deal for both parties. The Blue Jays signed Lind to a four-year, $18MM pact yesterday morning.
- Ken Gurnick of MLB.com points out that Carlos Monasterios is just the fourth Rule 5 draftee to make a Dodgers Opening Day roster.
Marlins Designate Miller, Martinez For Assignment
The Marlins have designated outfielder Jai Miller and righthander Cristhian Martinez for assignment, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The moves open up 40-man roster spots for Mike Lamb and Jose Veras.
The 25-year-old Miller has one big league plate appearance to his credit, coming back in 2008. He's a .277/.354/.489 hitter in 888 Triple-A plate appearances, and is a threat to steal once he reaches base.
Martinez, 28, posted a 5.13 ERA and a 6.2 K/9 with a 2.7 BB/9 in 26.1 innings of relief for the Marlins last year. He's never spent a day in Triple-A, but his minor league walk rate is impressive at 1.8 BB/9.
Odds & Ends: Rays, Reds, Pettitte, Robertson
Here are some links for the day…
- Rays GM Andrew Friedman told Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times that he "doesn't expect" to go outside of the organization for bullpen help (Twitter link). The Rays already added Virgil Vasquez today.
- Reds GM Walt Jocketty told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that the team could make a midseason deal or two.
- Andy Pettitte hinted to the YES Network's Jack Curry that this may be his last season. The lefty says he wants to spend more time with his family.
- Nate Robertson tells Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald that he's glad to be back in Florida, especially since he's surrounded by a number of former Tigers.
- Jayson Werth says he isn't thinking about his upcoming contract year, but Phillies hitting coach Milt Thompson told Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer that it can become a distraction for lots of players.
- Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle says Buster Posey will likely start the year in the minors, partly because the Giants wouldn't mind slowing down the catcher's service time clock.
- Johnny Damon tells the Associated Press that he has been impressed with the Tigers this spring.
- Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the team's front office has been a "pleasant surprise" so far.
Odds & Ends: Rangers, Pirates, Dye, Schoeneweis
A few Thursday evening links….
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that, with all their spring acquisitions, the Rangers have potentially turned their bench from a weakness into a strength.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Twitter) hears that the Pirates are engaged in "very minor" trade talks with the Rays. Kovacevic says that right-hander Virgil Vasquez could be involved.
- Anthony Witrado of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel speaks to Brewers GM Doug Melvin, who does not deny that the team has or had interest in Jermaine Dye.
- Scott Schoeneweis has earned the final spot in the Red Sox bullpen, reports Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Schoeneweis signed with Boston on a minor league deal, and will earn $500K for making the big league roster.
- Despite not spending a single dollar on a major league free agent this year, the Marlins' use of revenue sharing money has satisfied league officials, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post.
Minor League Transactions
Matt Eddy of Baseball America is back with his weekly list of minor league transactions, and here are a few of the familiar names on the move…
- RHP Chad Orvella, who last played in the majors for Tampa Bay in 2007, was released by the Angels after signing with the club earlier this month.
- The Dodgers released outfielder Brian Barton. Barton was one of just two non-pitchers to appear in a game last season without making a plate appearance. He entered his only major league game of 2009 as a pinch-runner and was caught stealing.
- Jesse Foppert was released by Florida. Foppert's last major league game was in 2005 with San Francisco, but the right-hander has been pitching in the Giants' (and, briefly, the Mariners') system ever since. Prior to the 2003 season, Foppert was the fifth-highest ranked prospect in the game by Baseball America.
- And finally, if you see a spate of "Boston Releases Papelbon" headlines, it's not an April Fool's joke. The Red Sox released right-hander Josh Papelbon, Jon's younger brother.
Odds & Ends: Dodgers, Giants, Lo Duca, Stults
Tuesday night linkage..
- The Dodgers' ownership issue won't be resolved until the end of the season, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The trial to determine the owner of the club will begin on August 30th.
- Sergio Santos – formerly a shortstop in the Diamondbacks organization – has made it to the major leagues as a pitcher for the White Sox, writes Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.
- Todd Wellemeyer isn't sure that the Giants' rotation is better than the Cardinals starting five that he was a part of, writes Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. While it has yet to be announced, Wellemeyer will likely be crowned the fifth starter in San Francisco's rotation.
- Rockies catcher Paul Lo Duca will accept his reassignment to the minors, tweets Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
- Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times supports the Dodgers' sale of Eric Stults to the Hiroshima Carp. This year marked Stults' ninth with the organization.
- Dontrelle Willis is sad to see Nate Robertson go to Florida, writes Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Willis' inclusion in Detroit's rotation was a big reason why the Tigers were able to part with Robertson.
Marlins Acquire Nate Robertson
The Marlins acquired lefty Nate Robertson and cash considerations from the Tigers for minor league reliever Jay Voss, according to a Tigers press release. The Tigers are paying $9.6MM of the $10MM owed to Robertson, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
Robertson originally came up through the Marlins' system, and was traded to the Tigers in the Mark Redman deal in January of '03. The 32-year-old posted a 5.44 ERA, 6.3 K/9, and 5.1 BB/9 in 49.6 innings last year. He started the '09 season in the Tigers' bullpen and hit the DL in May with a back strain. In June, he had surgery to remove four masses in his elbow. He rejoined the rotation in September, but strained his groin shortly thereafter. Robertson had November surgery to repair that tear. With a fresh start in Florida, perhaps Robertson can chew up 175 innings with an ERA around 4.50. The trade opens the Tigers' fifth starter spot for Dontrelle Willis.
Voss, also a southpaw, turns 23 in April. He spent '09 as a reliever, posting a 2.72 ERA, 8.3 K/9, and 3.3 BB/9 at High A and Double A. Baseball America ranked Voss 23rd among Marlins prospects, seemingly projecting a future as a lefty specialist.
Marlins Release Seth McClung
The Marlins released pitcher Seth McClung, according to the team. McClung allowed nine hits and nine earned runs in six spring appearances, and was unable to secure a bullpen job.
The Marlins signed the 29-year-old McClung to a minor league deal in February. He'd been non-tendered by the Brewers after posting a 4.94 ERA, 5.8 K/9, and 5.7 BB/9 in 62 innings. McClung's chief asset remains his fastball, which typically sits around 93.
Tim Wood and Rick VandenHurk are competing for the Marlins' last bullpen job. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro speculated yesterday that Leo Nunez, Brian Sanches, Jose Veras, Burke Badenhop, Renyel Pinto, and Dan Meyer would take the other spots.