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AL Central Notes: Zagurski, Dozier, Molitor, Dyson

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Left-hander Mike Zagurski, currently in Triple-A with the Indians, has a June 1 opt-out date on his current minor league deal, reports MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter). The 31-year-old Zagurski has posted a 2.08 ERA and whiffed a third of the hitters he’s faced in his 13 innings for Columbus, Dierkes points out, though he’s also walked 10 in that time. Teams in need of left-handed bullpen depth will likely keep an eye on the veteran as his opt-out draws closer.

More from the American League Central …

  • Tyler Mason of FOX Sports North spoke with Twins second baseman and leadoff man Brian Dozier about the transformation he’s made in 2014. Dozier’s OBP is up from .312 to .366 thanks to the fact that he’s doubled his walk rate, and he’s also stolen 12 bases after swiping just 14 all of last season. Dozier credits new coach and Hall of Famer Paul Molitor for the change: “[W]hat’s kind of revamped everything has been having [Molitor] on the staff. It’s been night and day compared to every other year, as far as dissecting pitchers, knowing exactly what they do, their tendencies, stuff like that.” As Aaron Gleeman points out at NBC’s Hardball Talk, Molitor is also responsible for the team’s increased reliance on infield shifts in 2014.
  • MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel interviewed Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson about his ascension from growing up in the projects of McComb, Miss. to Major League outfielder. Dyson’s road hasn’t been an easy one, as Kaegel chronicles, but he credits the Royals for giving him a chance by selecting him in the 50th and final round of the MLB Draft in 2006. Dyson feels that he’s still not done developing and that he can be a regular leadoff hitter and center fielder in the Majors, whether in Kansas City or elsewhere. His preference, however, is to remain where he is: “I’d love to be here the rest of my career, because the Royals gave me an opportunity.”

Prospect Notes: Buxton, Astros, Rodon, Polanco

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Byron Buxton, the Twins’ top prospect and perhaps the top prospect in all of baseball, re-injured his wrist today while sliding into third, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan tweets. The extent of the injury isn’t yet known, and Buxton will soon have an MRI. 2014 has likely been a frustrating season for Buxton — he injured his wrist in spring training and sat out the entire season until last week. He has played just five games so far this season, all at Class A+ Fort Myers. Here are more notes on prospects.

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was in Raleigh yesterday to watch NC State pitcher Carlos Rodon, a candidate to be taken first overall in next month’s draft, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart writes. Rodon struck out nine batters and walked one in seven innings. “We’re still gathering information,” says Luhnow. “I know where I personally stand, but I haven’t seen these guys near as much and seen nearly as many guys as everybody else.”
  • Calling up Gregory Polanco this weekend would have been a great move for the Pirates, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Polanco continues his hot hitting for Indianapolis (he’s currently at .374/.434/.580), and the Pirates are short on outfielders, with Travis Snider serving a suspension (and with Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen both currently out of Saturday’s game with injuries). The Pirates will also be on “Sunday Night Baseball” this weekend. Of course, Polanco’s arbitration status will likely be a factor in the Pirates delaying his promotion until mid-June, by which point he will be past the Super Two threshold.

AL Notes: Ramirez, Baker, Twins, Hoffman

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MLB is nearing agreement on a plan to send an All-Star squad off to Japan this November for a series against the Japanese national team, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Of course, the league has a rich history of sending its best on tour to one of the world’s great ballplaying nations.

Here are some notes from around the American League:

  • Manny Ramirez is still looking for another opportunity, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. While recent contact with the Orioles failed to materialize into an offer, a scout who has seen Ramirez work out recently said that the 42-year-old slugger looks fit and was impressive with the bat. Agent Alex Esteban tells Heyman that most of the interest has come from American League teams, though several NL clubs have checked in as well. MLBTR’s Zach Links reported back in February that Ramirez had elected to join Miami Sports Management.
  • The Rangers regretted the need to designate Scott Baker for assignment after a brief call-up, reports MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan. With Baker needing several days of rest after throwing 5 1/3 innings of relief in his only appearance, and the bullpen looking overworked, GM Jon Daniels said the move was an unfortunate necessity. “He did everything we asked,” said Daniels. “Unfortunately we are at a spot where the bullpen is taxed because our starters are not getting deep into games.” (Of course, the most recent Rangers starter — ace Yu Darvish — did manage to go deep in tonight’s game.) As for Baker’s fate, Daniels says that the club will “see if there is trade interest” but otherwise will place him on outright waivers.
  • With the fifth overall slot in the upcoming amateur draft, the Twins could be eyeing either high school shortstop Nick Gordon or college righty Aaron Nola, ESPN.com’s Keith Law wrote in a chat yesterday. Law also notes that the Blue Jays could be a player for injured righty Jeff Hoffman, who could also intrigue several other AL clubs (Law lists the Astros, Royals, and Red Sox, while also citing the Nationals as a possibility).

Twins Designate Kenny Wilson For Assignment

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The Twins announced that they have designated outfielder Kenny Wilson for assignment as part of a series of roster moves. Minnesota has purchased the contract of Chris Parmelee and also activated outfielder Aaron Hicks from the seven-day concussion list. Their 25-man roster spots were opened yesterday when the team optioned Pedro Florimon and Chris Herrmann to Triple-A Rochester.

Wilson’s tenure with the Twins has been short-lived, as the 24-year-old defensive whiz was recently claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays. Minnesota claimed the center fielder to replace outfielder Darin Mastroianni, whom the team was forced to DFA in order to make room for waiver claim Sam Fuld. Wilson didn’t hit much for the Twins and has struggled all season between Minnesota and Toronto, slashing just .204/.276/.291 in 118 PAs at the Double-A level.

Parmelee was outrighted off the team’s roster during Spring Training, and the former first-round pick again displayed the ability to pummel minor league pitching after being sent to Triple-A. Parmelee batted .305/.378/.542 with seven homers in 135 PAs in Rochester — numbers that aren’t too different from his career line of .295/.395/.530 at that level. However, the 26-year-old hasn’t been able to carry that success to the Majors, as he’s compiled a career triple-slash line of just .246/.322/.395 in 631 PA. Most of the damage he’s done in the Majors came in a brilliant 21-game September call-up back in 2011. He’s posted a .666 OPS in 543 PAs since.

AL Central Links: Indians, Carroll, Tigers, Guerrier

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In his latest piece for Fangraphs, Tony Blengino breaks down the Indians’ pitching staff and why the team’s ERA has yet to live up to its peripheral stats. Blengino points out the lack of quality infield defenders as well as some difficulties in limiting contact that make it unlikely for Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister to live up to their own peripherals. Blengino concludes that while the staff is better than its 3.97 ERA, it’s not as good as its 3.40 FIP would indicate, and it isn’t good enough to save Cleveland from a mediocre defense and middling offense that ranks 12th in the AL in runs, 12th in OBP and last in slugging percentage.

More out of the AL Central…

  • Scott Carroll, who is on the mound for the White Sox against the Cubs tonight, may not have been in the Majors were it not for a stroke of good luck, writes Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. Carroll was home rehabbing from Tommy John surgery when he saw an “HBO Real Sports” special in which Steve Delabar explained how a weighted ball program saved his career following an injury. Carroll decided to try the program, and eight months removed from surgery, he had his fastball up to 94 mph.
  • While many Tigers fans are calling for Corey Knebel to replace Phil Coke in the team’s bullpen, Chris Iott of MLive.com looks at why that’s unlikely at this time. While the club will likely have to switch to six right-handers eventually, it’s more likely that that scenario will happen when Joel Hanrahan is ready to join the team. Iott spoke with GM Dave Dombrowski, who said: “It is good for [Knebel} to continue his development. At this point, we have not discussed moving him, but that does not mean it cannot happen if we decide this is the best thing for him.”
  • Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that the Twins never officially asked Matt Guerrier to move back his opt-out clause before selecting his contract today. Guerrier says that he’s very happy to be back with the Twins, with whom he spent the first six years of his career. “This is where I wanted to be,” said Guerrier.

Amateur Notes: Top Picks, Gordon, Zimmer, Hoffman, Nola

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Baseball’s amateur talent season is in full swing, even if it generates less national hype than the football version. (Of course, if you follow the NFL, you’ll want to pay close attention today to MLBTR’s sister site, ProFootballRumors.com, for the latest draft news and rumors.) The Rule 4 amateur draft is set to begin on June 5, with the July 2 international amateur signing period just behind it. Here’s the latest:

  • Despite some recent questions, N.C. State lefty Carlos Rodon still lands atop the first mock draft of Baseball America’s John Manuel. While the Astros will surely be tempted by an attractive group of prep arms that includes Tyler Kolek and Brady Aiken, says Manuel, Rodon’s two primary offerings are good enough to make him a big league pen option right now, though obviously he’ll be taken as a starter. Ultimately, his “combination of stuff, physicality and track record” makes Rodon the most likely pick for Houston, in Manuel’s estimation. The first position player off the board in the mock is high school shortstop Nick Gordon, who Manuel has going to the Twins fifth overall.
  • Aiken takes top billing in the top 100 draft prospect list produced by ESPN.com’s Keith Law (Insider link), based upon his wide arsenal of offerings and lofty ceiling. One of the largest gaps among the top potential choices (as between Law’s ranking and Manuel’s draft projection) belongs to University of San Francisco outfielder Bradley Zimmer. Law places him at fifth overall, citing his size, athleticism, and projectable power, while Manuel believes he could fall into the second half of the first round.
  • It was recently reported that Jeff Hoffman, who had been viewed as a top-five choice, will undergo Tommy John surgery. While that surely bumps him down the board, Law still has Hoffman as the 25th-best player available, while Manuel thinks the Blue Jays will take a chance on his rehab with the second of the team’s two early-round choices (9th and 11th overall).
  • In response to reader questions, MLB.com prospect guru Jim Callis joins the consensus holding Rodon, Kolek, and Aiken as the three top players available. While the White Sox may hope to get a college arm, says Callis, Chicago will probably take whoever is left from that trio (even if it is not Rodon) with the third choice in the draft.
  • Profiling Louisiana State righty Aaron Nola, Callis says that Reds hurler Mike Leake is a good comp as a command-first, quick-to-the-bigs arm. But Callis opines that Nola has somewhat more upside than Leake, who was the most recent player to jump straight to MLB out of the draft.
  • After recently discussing the set of international players expected to be signed to cap-busting bonuses, Ben Badler of Baseball America profiles five other July 2 prospects who are making waves. Leading the pack is Venezuelan outfielder Brayan Hernandez, who Badler says could near the $2MM level in his contract. According to Badler, Hernandez is both well-rounded and projectable, and could be headed to the Mariners.

Angels Claim Brooks Raley Off Waivers From Twins

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12:58pm: Berardino updates things from the Twins’ side (Twitter links), writing that Raley was actually designated earlier in the week and put on outright waivers on Tuesday. Thinking through the reasons that the move was kept under wraps, Berardino posits that the club may have hoped to maintain leverage with Guerrier’s agent as the parties discussed the reliever’s opt-out date. (The club ultimately purchased Guerrier’s contract after he made clear he would not extend the opt-out date.)

12:34pm: The Angels have claimed southpaw Brooks Raley off waivers from the Twins, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on Twitter. Raley, 25, was apparently exposed to outright waivers to create 40-man space for Matt Guerrier.

This marks the second time in 2014 that Raley has been nabbed via waiver claim; Minnesota acquired him from the Cubs by that mechanism back in February. As Berardino notes in another tweet, it is not yet clear why the Twins placed Raley right on the waiver wire rather than first designating him for assignment.

Raley had been working at the Twins’ top affiliate this year, throwing 14 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball while generating a promising 11.7 K/9 against a less-stellar 6.8 BB/9. After spending most of his professional life as a starter, Raley worked primarily as a reliever this year, though he just received his first start of the season. Across two brief stints with the Cubs — first in a starting role (in 2012) and then from the pen (2013) — Raley has accumulated a 7.04 ERA in 38 1/3 MLB frames.

Twins To Purchase Contract Of Matt Guerrier

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The Twins will purchase the contract of reliever Matt Guerrier after today’s game, reports LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (via Twitter). Young lefty Logan Darnell will be optioned to create room on the active roster.

Guerrier had a May 8 opt-out clause and was reportedly unwilling to extend it. Faced with the possibility of the 35-year-old righty testing the open market, Minnesota decided to give him a big league job. In 42 2/3 innings last year with the Dodgers and Cubs, Guerrier threw to a 4.01 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 and a 42.7% ground ball rate, all of which were in line with his career marks over 595 big league frames.

As the club’s 40-man roster is full, a corresponding move will need to be made to create space for Guerrier. As Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com noted earlier today on Twitter, Chris Nelson of the Reds had an opt-out clause that came due today, while Randy Wolf of the Diamondbacks and Adam Moore of the Padres both have upcoming dates.

Potential Top 5 Pick Jeff Hoffman To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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2:14pm: Perfect Game’s Frankie Piliere has more details on the situation, noting that Hoffman was recently shut down due to what was thought to be swelling in his elbow but turned out to be a small tear. A meeting with Dr. James Andrews led to the recommendation for Tommy John, which will happen next week.

Piliere reports that many teams were aware of this situation prior to today’s news, and there are even clubs with picks in the No. 5-10 range that are still considering Hoffman. One of the teams in the range to which Piliere refers — the Twins, who pick fifth — will not consider Hoffman in the first round, reports 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson (via Twitter)

1:44pm: East Carolina University right-hander Jeff Hoffman — a projected Top 5 pick in this year’s amateur draft — will miss the remainder of the season with an arm injury, reports Kendall Rogers of PerfectGame.org (via Twitter). ESPN’s Keith Law adds that the news is even worse than that, as Hoffman will require Tommy John surgery (Twitter link).

Scouting reports indicate that Hoffman is an excellent athlete with a fastball that reaches 97 mph and a plus curveball when he’s at his best. The 6’4″, 192-pound right-hander has posted a 2.94 ERA in 67 1/3 innings this season, striking out 72 batters against 20 walks and holding opponents to a .216 batting average.

Hoffman’s injury doesn’t necessarily preclude him from being selected in the first or second round of the draft. In 2012, right-hander Lucas Giolito was considered a potential No. 1 overall pick before he sprained his UCL, causing him to drop to the Nationals with the 16th pick. Last season, injury concerns over former projected Top 5 pick Sean Manaea caused him to fall to the Royals with the No. 34 pick. Clubs with extra draft picks and/or large draft pools could take a chance on Hoffman, conceding the year of development time and a slower start to his career in order to land a Top 5 talent far later than originally anticipated.

Central Notes: Guerrier, Coke, Taveras, Cardinals

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Here are a few notes out of the game’s central divisions:

  • Twins right-hander Matt Guerrier has a May 8 opt-out clause in his minor league contract and isn’t willing to push that date back to wait for a future opportunity, agent Joe Bick tells Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Guerrier has thrown well in the minors as he rehabs from flexor mass repair surgery last August, allowing just one earned run on eight hits and four walks with eight strikeouts in eight innings between Double-A and Triple-A (four at each level). Guerrier, who is earning $90K in the minors, would earn a $1MM base salary and earn an additional $250K for reaching 45, 50, 55 and 60 appearances, Berardino writes.
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press breaks down the challenges behind the Tigers potentially jettisoning left-hander Phil Coke. For starters, the 31-year-old Coke is earning $1.9MM this season, all of which is guaranteed after he broke camp with the club. Additionally, there are no left-handed relievers in the minors who have stood out in a meaningful way. Detroit would like to keep two lefty relievers if possible, and Lowe wonders if Robbie Ray could take Coke’s bullpen spot when Anibal Sanchez returns from the DL. The team has already cleared a roster spot for Ray by outrighting Jordan Lennerton off the 40-man roster.
  • While plenty have argued that the time is now for the Cardinals to call up top prospect Oscar Taveras, GM John Mozeliak plans to keep him in the minors for the time being, reports Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I know a lot’s being made out of Oscar … coming to St. Louis,” Mozeliak said, “but right now I don’t even think it’s a logical thing to do. There are a lot of question marks going on in the outfield to begin with, and I think that would muddy it up.” Looking ahead, Mozeliak said that if Taveras continues at his present level of play, “that will make it a very difficult decision at some point.” As I documented a few weeks back, Taveras is one of those prospects with no MLB service time for whom Super Two status has now become the primary consideration (apart from development and team need, of course).
  • Also in that piece, Hummel provides injury updates on two once-key cogs of the St. Louis pitching corps. Former closer Jason Motte has upped his heater into the mid-90s, while starter Jaime Garcia is still battling through injury issues but is nevertheless progressing through a rehab assignment. Needless to say, either or both of these two arms could give a real boost to a Cardinals club that is off to a somewhat sluggish start. While the team’s issues have generally not been on the pitching side of the ledger, added depth always opens up new possibilities.
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