Padres Acquire Ronald Herrera To Complete Kyle Blanks Trade
The Athletics announced (on Twitter) that they have traded right-hander Ronald Herrera to the Padres as the player to be named later in the Kyle Blanks trade. That deal, which was reached on May 15 this month, also sent outfielder Jake Goebbert to San Diego.
Herrera, 19, has spent the season in the rotation for Oakland’s Class-A affiliate in Beloit, pitching to a 3.38 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of work. The Venezuelan hurler ranked 16th in the A’s farm system, according to MLB.com. Baseball America ranked Herrera 17th among A’s prospects prior to the 2014 campaign.
The A’s signed Herrera for just $20K out of Venezuela back in 2011 (as MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo notes in his free scouting report on Herrera). Mayo writes that Herrera is exceptionally polished for his age and features three pitches, including a fastball that touches 94 mph despite his small frame (he is listed at 5’10” and 168 pounds). Mayo also writes that Herrera’s changeup shows more promise than his curveball, and his fastball features some nice sink. Baseball America agreed in their 2014 Prospect Handbook, noting that Herrera has outstanding command and “has the makings of a solid big league starter” down the line.
Mariners To Sign Xavier Nady
The Mariners have agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Xavier Nady, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The sides were said to be in discussion on a minor league deal, according to an earlier report from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune.
As Dutton explains, Nady will likely join the club’s Triple-A affiliate in hopes of earning a call-up. Should that occur, he would offer an outfield option to slot in against opposing southpaws for a club that has struggled in that department. (Seattle’s outfielders have mustered only a .273 wOBA and 70 wRC+ against lefties, as a unit.)
Though Nady is obviously past his prime, he does carry a career 112 wRC+ against opposite-handed hitters (against a 93 wRC+ against righties). He has continued that trend both in recent major league action and in his solid Triple-A campaign last year, when he put up a .879 OPS in 135 plate appearances against lefties.
Indians Designate Blake Wood For Assignment
The Indians have designated righty Blake Wood for assignment, the club announced via press release. Though Wood had previously been optioned to Triple-A, his 40-man spot was needed for the club’s selection of the contract of catcher George Kottaras.
Wood, 28, had tossed 6 1/3 innings for Cleveland this year, allowing five earned runs and striking out seven while surrendering seven free passes. Over eight Triple-A frames, he had allowed just one earned and struck out seven, though he had also issued a troubling 11 walks. Wood was a mainstay in the Royals pen from 2010-11, but missed the 2012 campaign due to Tommy John surgery and has seen mostly spot time in the bigs since joining the Indians organization before the 2013 season.
Yordano Ventura Has Clean MRI
TODAY: The MRI came back clean and the current expectation is that Ventura will only miss one start, Royals GM Dayton Moore said on MLB Network today (hat tip to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports).
YESTERDAY: Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura left tonight’s start against the Astros after allowing five runs in 2 2/3 innings and exhibiting inconsistent velocity. Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star tweets that Ventura is experiencing “lateral elbow discomfort.” Royals manager Ned Yost says the team’s training staff does not believe Ventura injured his elbow ligament, but Ventura will have an MRI on Tuesday. In 57 1/3 innings this season, Ventura has posted a 3.45 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
A significant injury for Ventura would represent a serious blow not only to the Royals, who would be losing their most exciting young talent, but also to baseball in general, which has suffered a terrible year for pitcher health. Jose Fernandez, Matt Moore, Jameson Taillon, Jarrod Parker, Patrick Corbin, Martin Perez, Ivan Nova, Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are among the pitchers to suffer serious injuries in recent months, along with top draft prospects like Jeff Hoffman and Erick Fedde.
Blue Jays To Sign Mike Zagurski
The Blue Jays have signed southpaw reliever Mike Zagurski to a minor league deal, reports MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter). The 31-year-old southpaw opted out of his prior minor league pact with the Indians on Saturday.
Zagurski has posted strong numbers thus far at Triple-A, working to a 2.76 ERA with 12.1 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9 over 16 1/3 frames. He has been consistently excellent during his time at the highest level of the minors, posting a cumulative 2.87 ERA with 11.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 194 1/3 career Triple-A innings. But he has allowed 7.05 earned runs per nine over 75 1/3 career big league innings, spread over five separate MLB campaigns (including each of the last four).
Reds To Sign Carlos Marmol
The Reds have agreed to terms with free agent right-hander Carlos Marmol on a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Marmol, a client of the Kinzer Management Group, was released by the Marlins on May 19.
The 31-year-old Marmol signed a low-risk, $1.25MM deal with Miami in the offseason but struggled by allowing 12 runs in 13 1/3 innings (8.10 ERA). He whiffed 14 hitters in that time, displaying his typically strong strikeout rate, but he also displayed his typical erratic nature by walking 10 batters, hitting a batter and throwing two wild pitches. His average fastball velocity of 93.7 mph was nearly as strong as it’s ever been, as at his peak he averaged 94.1 mph.
Marmol was an All-Star for the Cubs back in 2008 and saved 114 games for the team from 2008-12, but his command deteriorated after his first two full seasons in the Majors. He averaged a manageable 4.4 walks per nine innings in that time but has walked 6.8 hitters per nine innings since. His solid velocity and power slider have always allowed him to miss bats at an elite rate, but the Reds will need to do wonders with his command for him to reestablish himself as a reliable late-inning reliever.
Red Sox Exploring Trade Market For Center Field Help
While nothing appears imminent at this time, an industry source tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that the Red Sox are exploring the trade market for outfielders — particularly those that can provide some help in center field to remove some pressure from the struggling Jackie Bradley Jr.
One name that often surfaces on the rumor circuit when mentioning outfield trade candidates is the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier, but Bradford reports that he is not someone the Red Sox are interested in at this time. Including the remainder of the 2014 season and the $2.5MM buyout on his vesting option for the 2018 campaign, Ethier is still owed more than $66MM total.
Publicly, as Bradford notes, Cherington said to media members yesterday that it’s “a little bit early to think about trades because teams are not really of that mindset yet,” but that doesn’t mean the team is stating the same thing behind closed doors, of course. Bradley is batting just .193/.280/.283 and has fanned in 30 percent of his plate appearances. Shane Victorino, one logical alternative, is on the disabled list for the second time in 2014 already. And Grady Sizemore, who has played left field more than center field, is hitting just .221/.291/.353.
Cherington touched on the topic of Mookie Betts in the outfield during yesterday’s media session but said the top second base prospect is merely “starting to be exposed to the outfield,” and the GM doesn’t think that will be an option for the team at this point of the season. Betts is hitting .363/.451/.568 with six homers and 22 steals through 48 games at Double-A Portland, but he’s played just seven games in center field this season — the first seven of his pro career.
Mets Release Jose Valverde, Fire Hitting Coach
The Mets have released Jose Valverde and fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports (Twitter links). Vic Black is expected to replace Valverde on the Mets’ active roster, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Hudgens will be replaced by minor-league hitting coordinator Lamar Johnson.
Valverde allowed four runs while blowing a save in the Mets’ 5-3 loss to the Pirates Monday. He had a 5.66 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 10 walks in 20 2/3 innings this season after the Mets signed him to a minor-league deal in February. The 36-year-old has also pitched for the Diamondbacks, Astros and Tigers in his 12-year big-league career, racking up 288 saves. His career began heading downhill with the Tigers in 2012, and he posted a 5.59 ERA in 19 1/3 innings before being released by Detroit last season. His fastball has lost velocity over the years, falling from 95.8 MPH in 2009 to 92.8 MPH in 2013 and 2014.
Hudgens had served as the Mets’ hitting coach since 2011. The Mets’ offense currently ranks 10th in the National League in runs scored and has endured poor seasons from Ruben Tejada and Lucas Duda, as well as disappointing performances from newcomers Curtis Granderson and Chris Young.
Pirates Designate Vin Mazzaro For Assignment
The Pirates have designated right-hander Vin Mazzaro for assignment, the team announced. Righty Brandon Cumpton has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
This is the second time that Mazzaro has been designated for assignment this season, as the reliever was previously DFA’ed at the end of Spring Training. He cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A rather than become a free agent in April.
All these transactions may have more to do with a roster crunch than a commentary on Mazzaro’s performance, as the righty was a big part of the Pittsburgh bullpen in 2013. He posted a 2.81 ERA, 2.19 K/BB rate and 5.6 K/9 in 73 2/3 IP last season and was very effective against both right-handed and left-handed hitters. Mazzaro had a 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings for the Bucs this season, plus 10 2/3 scoreless innings at Triple-A Indianapolis. As a first-time arbitration eligible player last winter, Mazzaro and the Pirates avoided a hearing by agreeing to a one-year, $950K deal for 2014.
Mazzaro joins two other Pirates (Wandy Rodriguez and Phil Irwin) in DFA Limbo according to the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker. Padres right-handers Blaine Boyer and Billy Buckner are the only two other players currently in limbo.
Blue Jays Acquire P.J. Walters, Melky Mesa
The Blue Jays have acquired right-hander P.J. Walters and outfielder Melky Mesa from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports (Twitter link). Both players had been playing with the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate after signing minor league deals in the offseason, and Walters and Mesa will likely also serve as organization depth for Toronto.
Walters, 29, had a brief stint in the Jays organization in 2011 when he came to Toronto from the Cardinals as part of the Colby Rasmus trade package. The righty pitched only one Major League inning as a Blue Jay before becoming a free agent that winter. Walters posted a 5.79 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and a 1.6 K/BB rate over 22 starts (for a -1.2 bWAR) with the Twins in 2012-13 and he also struggled with Triple-A Omaha this year, only managing a 7.97 ERA in 40 2/3 innings.
Mesa, conversely, had been enjoying a nice year in Omaha, slashing .284/.346/.527 with five homers over 81 PA. The 27-year-old has a career .754 OPS over 2892 minor league plate appearances since debuting in the Yankees’ farm system in 2006. Mesa has 16 Major League PA to his name (with New York in 2012-13) and made the most of them, posting a .971 OPS in his brief time in the Show.