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Rangers Designate Eliezer Alvarez

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June 2nd: Alvarez has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Double-A Frisco. The news was tweeted by John Blake, the Rangers’ Executive Vice President of Communications.

May 29th: The Rangers have designated infielder/outfielder Eliezer Alvarez for assignment, per a team announcement. His 40-man spot will go to righty Ricardo Rodriguez, who was activated from the 60-day DL.

Alvarez, 23, has mostly played at second base in the minors but has also shown up at short and in left field. He was playing this year at the Double-A level, where he carries a .189/.279/.283 slash through 185 plate appearances. Alvarez was acquired via trade during Spring Training.

As for the 25-year-old Rodriguez, he’s back from biceps tendinitis. He’ll look to maintain the momentum he gathered during an 11-inning rehab stint in which he allowed only one earned run. Rodriguez reached the majors briefly in 2017 after racking up a 61:10 K/BB ratio and working to a 1.34 ERA in 47 minor-league frames on the year.

Indians Sign Oliver Perez, Designate Jeff Beliveau

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The Indians search for bullpen help continues, as Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports that the club has signed lefty Oliver Perez to a major league deal. The club has designated fellow left-hander Jeff Beliveau for assignment in a corresponding move.

The Yankees released Perez from his minors contract just yesterday; as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd pointed out at that time, he’d received a June 1st opt-out date in his contract with the club due to his status as an Article XX(B) free agent. Perez struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings while walking 3.9 across the past two seasons with the Washington Nationals, and the Indians will hope he can serve as another reliable lefty reliever behind Tyler Olson while former ALCS MVP Andrew Miller rehabs a knee issue.

As Bastian aptly pointed out, Perez will end up being the 15th relief pitcher used by the Indians this season, whereas they only used 13 relievers for the entirety of 2017 (position players and starters coming out of the bullpen excluded). Those relievers have combined to post an ERA north of 6, good for the worst mark in the majors. While it would be silly to think that Perez can have a significant impact on that figure, he’s got a long resume of effective performance against same-handed hitters. On the whole, he’s limited those lefties to a .228/.318/.365.

In any case, that makes him an upgrade over Beliveau, who’s at times seemed incapable of getting any outs at all. Beliveau’s got a gargantuan ERA of 11.57 this season, and remarkably, his FIP suggests he’s been lucky to have posted even that figure. Of course, this all comes in a 4 2/3 inning sample size, but Indians fans will surely be glad to see Beliveau replaced in the bullpen regardless.

 

Red Sox Place Dustin Pedroia on 10-day DL

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Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has landed back on the disabled list due to what is being described as left knee inflammation, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Globe was among those to tweet (separate links). The move is retroactive to May 30th.

It’s clearly a concerning development for the Red Sox, who waited patiently during the first quarter of the season for Pedroia to return to the field after undergoing offseason surgery to address a cartilage issue in the same knee. Pedroia collected just one hit and two walks in 13 plate appearances in his brief time between DL stints, and no timetable has been given thus far for his return.

Pedroia’s initial activation from the DL resulted in the recent DFA of Hanley Ramirez, whom Boston just released. Clearly, Boston did not expect Pedroia to reaggravate his knee so soon, and thus the removal of Ramirez from the roster now seems like a questionable decision. That’s particularly true considering Swihart is hitting just .163/.250/.186 on the season, and is looking more and more like a strain on the club’s roster.

One has to wonder about the long-term ramifications of Pedroia’s knee issues as well. Long a productive member of the Red Sox infield, Pedroia is now 34 and coming off an injury-shortened 2017 campaign that saw him post his lowest fWAR total since his rookie season. For the time being, it seems likely that Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez will see reps at the keystone. The club has also recalled Sam Travis to boost its depth for the time being.

Poll: Where Will Hanley Ramirez Sign?

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Hanley Ramirez’s release became official yesterday afternoon when he went unclaimed on waivers, and he’s now a free agent who is eligible to sign with any big league team. Because the Red Sox are paying the roughly $15MM remaining on his 2018 salary, any new club can sign him to a big league deal that guarantees him only the pro-rated league minimum — roughly $358K. The vesting option that was on his last contract was torn up the moment he was released, so he’s free to sign anywhere on a straight one-year deal.

The 34-year-old Ramirez was outstanding in April (.330/.400/.474) and abysmal in May (.163/.200/.300), and his overall .254/.313/.395 batting line through 195 plate appearances checks in well south of a league-average bat in the estimation of metrics like OPS+ (88) and wRC+ (90).

It’s not especially difficult to see what contributed to his downfall when looking at his batted-ball data in each month. Fangraphs credited Ramirez with a whopping 40.3 percent hard-contact rate in April, and he posted an excellent 24.7 percent line-drive rate that month. In May, his hard-hit rate plummeted to to just 20.9 percent, and his line-drive rate dropped to 4.5 percent. The cause of that deterioration in quality of contact, of course, will be up to his next team to determine, but it’s clear that Ramirez was going through something more than a mere BABIP-fueled slump.

Where exactly he’ll sign in the coming days figures to be a source of no small amount of speculation (both here and elsewhere). Ramirez’s recent plate appearances were clearly not encouraging, nor was a 2017 season in which he battled shoulder injuries and hit just .242/.320/.429, albeit with 23 homers. Ramirez hasn’t had a healthy, productive full season in the big leagues since slashing .286/.361/.505 with 30 big flies and 28 doubles in 620 PAs with the 2016 Red Sox. It’s a lot to expect him to return to that at age 34, even if his shoulder is recovered from 2017’s injuries.

Still, Ramirez is a no-risk proposition for any club that signs him, and if he can provide even slightly above-average production at the plate, he’d be a fine asset to acquire at the minimum rate. Given his track record and the relative peanuts he’ll cost, it’s a virtual lock that Ramirez will sign with what will be his fourth MLB organization over the next few days.

The Rockies jump out as an immediate potential fit. Ian Desmond has been their primary first baseman, but they’ve cycled through a few players at the position and received a disastrous .190/.277/.346 from their first basemen on the season. Ramirez wouldn’t even need to improve upon his overall season output to date in order to represent a massive upgrade for the Rox; merely hitting at a below-average but still-competent rate would improve their lineup substantially.

The Mets have been an oft-speculated fit for Ramirez on Twitter, but Adrian Gonzalez and Wilmer Flores have formed roughly average platoon at first base, and it’d be a surprise to see the Mets jettison one veteran first baseman with an average bat to pick up another who hits from the same side of the dish as Flores.

Braves fans have suggested that Ramirez could play third for them as a bridge to prospect Austin Riley, but it doesn’t seem likely that any club would give Ramirez regular reps at a position other than first base. Still, Atlanta did roll the dice on a comeback tour at the hot corner for Jose Bautista, so perhaps the idea shouldn’t be entirely dismissed.

Generally speaking, the bulk of the contending clubs in the National League have received solid production at first base, so it’s seems far more likely he’ll end up in the American League rather than get buried as a bench bat on an NL roster. After all, the DH slot can help mask the fact that he’s somewhat of a defensive liability.

The Orioles and Royals are the only two teams who have failed to get above-replacement-level production from both their first base and DH slots on the whole. With that in mind, though, the Orioles already have three first base/DH types on their roster and therefore would have to jettison one of Pedro Alvarez or Danny Valencia. Both of those players have been generally productive on the year, so a move to acquire Ramirez wouldn’t make much sense. The Royals, though, have been rolling out Hunter Dozier at first base. He has options remaining, and Ramirez could prove an upgrade if he’s able to put an ugly May behind him.

One has to wonder how much longer the Blue Jays will be willing to send Kendrys Morales to the plate; after being worth -0.6 fWAR last season due to a wRC+ of just 97 across 608 plate appearances, he’s already matched that negative fWAR total in just 141 PA in 2018 thanks to a .208/.284/.344 batting line. Ramirez would provide the Jays with a clear upgrade at DH.

The Rays and White Sox both stand out as teams who would benefit from having Ramirez in the lineup. The Rays haven’t gotten much out of Brad Miller this season or last, while the White Sox seem to have a rotating cast of rookies and sophomores cycling through that slot in their lineup. Still, being that both clubs are in rebuilding phases, it’s possible that they’d benefit more from simply seeing what they have in young players.

We’ll leave it up to the readers at this point. Where do you think Ramirez will end up? (Poll link for app users)

Latest On Giants’ Roster Outlook

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The Giants activated Joe Panik from the DL yesterday, as Henry Schulman reports in his latest piece for the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s not even the most interesting news, however, as Schulman also reveals a flurry of insight into the clubs plans for utilizing their other players in the near future.

Perhaps chief among these tidbits is the confirmation that veteran Hunter Pence will play in a backup role when he returns from the disabled list, where he’s been shelved with a sprained thumb since mid-April. Skipper Bruce Bochy couldn’t have been more direct, making it clear that Mac Williamson is the club’s primary left fielder while stating that he’d like to get Pence in later in games, “like I would with a fourth outfielder.”

Although Bochy’s plans are hardly surprising considering how much injuries and the aging curve have slowed Pence’s production across the past few seasons, it’s surely disappointing news for the three-time All-Star. Pence was once one of the great players in the game, ranking 33rd in fWAR from 2008-2014 with at least 20 homers in every one of those seasons. This year, however, Pence kicked off the season by hitting .172/.197/.190 with just one extra base hit an alarming 22 strikeouts in 61 plate appearances. He’s in the final year of his five-year, $90MM contract and thus will reach free agency at season’s end.

The oddest thing to come out of Schulman’s piece is the news that Pablo Sandoval is taking ground balls at shortstop. “He’s got good hands and a good first step,” said Bochy. When the club activated Panik, they optioned Kelby Tomlinson to the minors in a related move, leaving Sandoval as the only reserve infielder on the major league roster. That’ll change soon when Alen Hanson returns from his hamstring injury (Schulman notes that this will probably happen early next week), but for the time being it would seem as though the club is prepared to turn to Sandoval as its emergency shortstop in the event that Brandon Crawford has to come out of a game for any reason.

At least one more move is coming, as Madison Bumgarner is slated to make his season debut against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Betts, Cabrera, Donaldson, Kershaw, Panik

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(June 1st)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

  • CLEVELAND INDIANS | Depth Chart
    • Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Bradley Zimmer
      • Zimmer was not in the starting lineup on Friday. Greg Allen played CF and batted 9th.
    • Optioned: SP Shane Bieber
      • The Indians do not need a No. 5 starter until June 12th.
  • DETROIT TIGERS | Depth Chart
    • Activated from 10-Day DL: 1B Miguel Cabrera
      • Cabrera played 1B and batted 3rd on Friday.
    • Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Ryan Carpenter (strained oblique)
      • The Tigers will need to fill Carpenter’s rotation spot on Tuesday.
    • Promoted: RP Zac Reininger
    • Designated for assignment: INF Pete Kozma

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/1/18

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • Former MLB hurler Ross Detwiler is joining the Mariners organization, per an announcement from the Atlantic League. The 32-year-old had been pitching with the York Revolution, In his nine years in the majors, Detwiler has compiled 578 innings of 4.36 ERA pitching. Detwiler isn’t the only pitcher moving from the Atlantic League to Tacoma. Righty Tyler Higgins, who was with the New Britain Bees, will be doing the same. The former Marlins farmhand has never previously pitched above the Double-A level.
  • The D-backs acquired infielder Tyler Ladendorf from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. A second-round pick of the Twins back in 2007, Ladendorf eventually reached the Majors with the A’s but hit just .123/.149/.154 in 68 plate appearances. Ladendorf appeared in just two games with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate and went hitless in six plate appearances, but he’s a career .256/.324/.347 hitter in parts of eight Triple-A seasons.
  • The Reds acquired right-hander Tommy Bergjans from the Phillies in exchange for cash, also per Eddy. Bergjans, 25, went from the Dodgers to the Phillies in the 2016 Carlos Ruiz/A.J. Ellis trade. He struggled to a 6.57 ERA with solid control but just 7.1 K/9 and a whopping 2.37 HR/9 in 50 1/3 innings at the Double-A level last season. He’s allowed just two runs through seven innings this season but has failed to record a strikeout in that time.

Yankees Release Oliver Perez

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The Yankees have released veteran lefty Oliver Perez, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter). He had joined the organization on a minors deal right at the start of the season after spending spring camp with the Reds.

Perez, 36, received a June 1st opt-out date by virtue of being an Article XX(B) free agent. He spent the past two years with the Nationals, making 114 appearances but throwing only 73 total innings of 4.81 ERA ball with 10.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.

Thus far in 2018, Perez has allowed just four earned runs in his 12 1/3 frames at Triple-A. He has recorded 13 strikeouts against three walks in that span. While there wasn’t an opening for him in the New York pen, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 15-year MLB veteran sign on with another organization that has a greater opportunity available.

Giants Activate Mark Melancon, Designate Jose Valdez

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The Giants have activated veteran reliever Mark Melancon from the disabled list, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area was among those to report (via Twitter). To create a roster spot, the club designated righty Jose Valdez for assignment (technically, after activating him from the 10-day DL).

Melancon will appear for the first time this season. He has dealt with ongoing elbow and forearm issues since joining the San Francisco organization on a four-year, $62MM contract before the 2017 season.

Though he signed to be a closer, Melancon is expected to spend some time working up to speed before his role settles out. Hunter Strickland has handled the ninth inning to open the year, performing well though perhaps not putting the job in a stranglehold, either.

It remains to be seen how that’ll all shake out. Generally, it’s preferable to have that problem than for Melancon still to be on the shelf. It is fair to wonder, though: since the Giants are paying Melancon top dollar, perhaps they would prefer to see him return to closing rather than running up Strickland’s future arbitration tab by giving him save opportunities.

Valdez, 28, has been knocked around in five MLB innings on the year, allowing three long balls among eight total base hits. He carries a 6.34 ERA in 55 1/3 total frames at the game’s highest level over the past four seasons.

Cameron Rupp Opts Out Of Rangers Contract

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Catcher Cameron Rupp has exercised his opt-out clause with the Rangers, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reported  (Twitter link) and the team has since announced. The Texas organization passed on adding Rupp to its MLB roster and has instead given him his release.

Rupp ought to generate interest in free agency, as there’s always a need for catching depth and he has quite a bit of recent MLB experience. He appeared in 274 games for the Phillies in the past three seasons, slashing a combined .236/.301/.417 with 39 home runs.

That power-heavy output is quite solid for a backstop. And Rupp has had no trouble squaring up the pitchers he has faced thus far at Triple-A.In his 125 plate appearances for Round Rock, he’s slashing .264/.328/.509 with seven long balls.

Though he graded poorly as a framer last year, he was within range of average in prior seasons. And Rupp has generally received solid marks in throwing and block. Though it’s hard to know exactly how organizations leaguewide view Rupp’s work behind the dish, it’s notable evidence that he was trusted with so much time by a Phillies organization that was bringing along some young hurlers over the past few years.

All things considered, there’s a case to be made that Rupp could sign directly onto a major-league roster. At a minimum, he should be widely pursued by teams that have any uncertainty at the MLB level and/or opportunity available at Triple-A. Rupp will also be eligible for arbitration at least two more times. He had agreed to a $2.05MM salary this year with the Philadelphia organization, which paid him a buyout of just over half a million dollars by cutting him loose late in camp.

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