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Rangers Outright R.J. Alvarez

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The Rangers announced this afternoon that right-hander R.J. Alvarez has been assigned outright to the minor leagues. Texas just claimed Alvarez off waivers from the Cubs over the weekend, though it now looks as though Alvarez was claimed with the intent of the Rangers trying to sneak him through outright waivers themselves. Texas succeeded and will therefore be able to retain Alvarez for the time being without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him.

The 25-year-old Alvarez was once a well-regarded prospect within the Angels’ farm system and has been included in a pair of high-profile trades — going from the Halos to the Padres in the Huston Street deal and going from San Diego to Oakland in the Derek Norris swap. The Cubs picked him up off waivers earlier this season, but he struggled considerably with Chicago’s Double-A affiliate in Tennessee.

In 27 innings split between Triple-A, Double-A and Class-A Advanced this season, Alvarez has a 7.00 ERA, and while the 35 strikeouts he’s racked up in that time are impressive, they also come with a dozen walks, a pair of hit batters and six wild pitches. Those troubles are reflective of the control issues that have plagued Alvarez throughout his minor league career, as he’s averaged 5.8 walks per nine innings pitched since being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft (by the Angels). Alvarez’s brief time in the Majors hasn’t gone any better, as he’s posted a 7.39 ERA in 28 big league innings, again showing a penchant for missing bats (32 strikeouts) but a susceptibility to bases on balls (18 walks).

AL West Notes: Perez, Astros, Weaver, Prospects

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Earlier today, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reported that the Astros have reached an agreement with Cuban southpaw Cionel Perez on a $5.15MM signing bonus (which will cost the team a total of $10.3MM after luxury tax considerations). Ben Badler of Baseball America provides an updated scouting report on the newest member of the Astros’ farm system, noting that since leaving Cuba he’s added a two-seam fastball to his repertoire and made improvements to his slider. Badler also adds that Perez had been slated to pitch in the Dominican Winter League this summer, though it’s possible that the new signing could impact that schedule. Moreover, Badler reports that Houston has already reduced the bonuses of two high-profile international prospects — Anibal Sierra and Freudis Nova — after their physicals revealed some causes for concern. With Perez’s deal still pending a physical, it’s possible that his bonus could change.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • ESPN’s Buster Olney opines that even with the postseason eligibility deadline having passed, the Astros should pursue trades for rotation upgrades to help ensure that they’re even able to reach the playoffs. With the Pirates recently suffering a sweep and falling six back in the NL Wild Card race and the Marlins presently five back in that same hunt, Olney suggests right-handers Ivan Nova and Andrew Cashner as possible targets for Houston. Of course, neither would be likely to make more than three starts for Houston anyhow, and the Astros themselves aren’t in much better shape than Pittsburgh or Miami. Houston currently sits 3.5 games back in the AL Wild Card race, and they’re trailing Baltimore, Toronto, New York and Detroit in the standings at the moment.
  • Jered Weaver is dealing with more uncertainty than he ever has in his professional career, writes Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, as the lifetime Angels right-hander doesn’t know whether he’ll be back with the team next season. “It’s definitely a ball of confusion going on in my head, but I’m trying to focus on going out and pitching,” said the 33-year-old. Per Fletcher, even the Angels may be uncertain as to whether they’re truly interested in re-signing Weaver, as that interest level is likely dependent on whether ace Garrett Richards ultimately requires Tommy John surgery or not. Weaver’s diminishing velocity has been a notable storyline in Anaheim for the past couple of seasons, though as Fletcher points out, it’s actually ticked upward late in the 2016 campaign. Weaver has a 3.97 ERA and a 21-to-5 K/BB ratio over his past four starts, so perhaps even getting his heater back up into the mid-80s is enough for him to rediscover success. However, he’s also currently leading the league with 195 hits and 35 homers allowed, which has resulted in a 5.25 earned run average.
  • The Mariners are likely to recall first base prospect Dan Vogelbach, whom they acquired in the trade that sent Mike Montgomery to the Cubs, per Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune (Twitter link). While Vogelbach didn’t hit quite as well as he did in the Cubs’ minor league system following the trade, he did slash .240/.402/.422 with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, demonstrating a keen eye at the plate and some pop to go along with it. Vogelbach could factor into the picture for the Mariners at first base and/or DH next season, so getting a look at him over the final few weeks of the year, even if it’s in a limited capacity, should give the Seattle front office a chance to plan for the 2017 season.
  • Meanwhile the Athletics are bringing up even more young players now that the Triple-A season has ended, announcing that Renato Nunez and Matt Olson are joining the club. (Olson’s contract was selected to the 40-man roster and will fill the spot that was vacated by Billy Butler’s release.) Both players rank among Oakland’s top 15 prospects, with Nunez in particular receiving high praise from outlets like MLB.com and Baseball America. Nunez struggled somewhat as one of the youngest players in the Pacific Coast League, slashing just .228/.278/.412, and his primary position (third base) is presently occupied by fellow youngster Ryon Healy. However, Nunez has seen some time at first base and in left field in the minors and could be evaluated for a potential fit at either spot. Olson, meanwhile, entered the season as a Top 100 prospect at MLB.com (No. 100, to be exact) but struggled through the first half before salvaging his season with a .260/.349/.462 batting line from July 1 through season’s end. He’s seen more time in right field than at first base this season but has plenty of experience at both spots.

Astros To Sign Cuban Left-Hander Cionel Perez

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The Astros have agreed to sign left-handed pitching prospect Cionel Perez for a $5.15MM signing bonus, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). The 20-year-old Perez, a client of Octagon according to Sanchez, was declared a free agent by Major League Baseball just last week after having left Cuba back in May of 2015. Due to his age and limited professional experience, Perez qualifies as an international amateur, meaning he is subject to international bonus pools. The Astros are already over their $2.197MM pool allotment, so the signing of Perez will come with a 100 percent luxury tax, thus making this a $10.3MM expenditure for Houston.

Perez currently rates fourth on Sanchez’s list of top 30 international prospects at MLB.com. Perez currently has a fastball that sits 92-95 mph, per Sanchez, though there’s room to add to his growing frame still, so some scouts feel the velocity will tick up another couple of miles per hour. Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote back in December that Perez had shown some improvements with his once-fringe breaking pitch, which at the time was flashing the potential to be an average or better offering. He’s also added a changeup that he’s still working on since leaving Cuba.

Per Sanchez’s report, the Astros were joined by the Orioles, Padres and Reds in their pursuit of Perez, but it’ll be Houston who adds the intriguing young arm to its farm system. The aforementioned report from Badler noted that Perez could be ready for Low-A ball, but it’s of course possible that he begins his pro career in the United States a level higher now that he’s a year older — especially if he puts in some work over the winter. Perez appeared in just two seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, logging 139 innings with a 2.20 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in his age-17 and age-18 seasons.

Quick Hits: Sanchez, Zimmermann, Relievers

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Here’s the latest from around baseball…

  • A nagging blister problem bothered right-hander Aaron Sanchez during his rough outing against the Red Sox today, the Blue Jays ace told reporters (including MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm).  Sanchez has been dealing with the sore spot on his middle right finger since Spring Training, with the affected area going from “hot spot” to blister at various times during the season.  While Sanchez’s performance obviously hasn’t been much hampered by his minor injury for much of the season, one need only look at Rich Hill’s problems over the last few months to note how a blister can develop into a major issue.  Sanchez’s next start was expected to be at least a couple of days later than normal anyways, Chisholm notes, as part of the Jays’ plan to monitor their young star’s innings.
  • Jordan Zimmermann will throw a simulated game rather than make his next scheduled start for the Tigers, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press).  Two separate DL stints due to a neck strain have limited Zimmermann to just two starts since the end of June, and the righty didn’t look good in either outing, allowing a combined 10 earned runs over just 2 2/3 innings.  The 80-pitch sim game isn’t due to another injury, however, but rather simply give Zimmermann a chance to build up arm speed and regain his mechanics.  Zimmerman had no issue with the Tigers’ decision, saying “I can’t be going out there pitching like dog crap, not giving our team a chance to win. We need to win now.”
  • Newly-acquired relievers are playing a huge role in this season’s pennant races, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes, ranging from the blockbuster deals at the trade deadline to less-heralded deals like the Blue Jays’ trades for Jason Grilli and Joaquin Benoit.  With the cost of relief pitching so high, an AL manager and AL general manager both suggest to Gammons that clubs could focus more on drafting pitchers they specifically groom as relievers or even old-school “fireman” types who can pitch multiple innings in any game situation.

AL West Notes: Butler, Gray, Lincecum, Fowler

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It was 50 years ago today that Nolan Ryan made his Major League debut, tossing two relief innings (and recording three strikeouts) for the Mets during an 8-3 loss to the Braves.  Ryan spent his first five big league seasons in New York, including winning his only World Series ring as part of the 1969 Miracle Mets squad.  Still, Ryan is probably much better remembered for his stints with the Angels, Astros and Rangers during his legendary career.  Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • The clubhouse fight between Billy Butler and Danny Valencia in August didn’t play a role in the Athletics’ decision to release Butler today, A’s GM David Forst and manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including CSNBayArea.com’s Joe Stiglich) today.  Butler was released because it was simply “the right time to move on.  It’s something we’ve discussed,” Forst said.  “A lot of the younger players are here now, potentially more coming once [Triple-A] Nashville’s done.  The at-bats just were not there. It’s time for us to move our focus beyond.”
  • Butler also comments within the piece, saying the release wasn’t unexpected but he feels he could’ve used more at-bats to prove himself.  His rough 2015 season “was definitely below what my expectations of myself are,” Butler said.  “This season, it’s hard to even judge that.  I haven’t even had many opportunities to play.  When I did, I thought I helped the team.”
  • Sonny Gray threw 11 pitches off a mound in a short bullpen session on Sunday, and the A’s righty told the media (including MLB.com’s Michael Wagaman) that he is still hopeful of pitching again this season, even if it’s just a relief outing or two.  Earlier reports this week suggested that Gray’s 2016 season was probably over, given the nature of his injury (a right forearm strain) and the fact that the A’s are well out of the pennant race.
  • Tim Lincecum won’t pitch again for the Angels in 2016, but GM Billy Eppler tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he’ll touch base with the righty in the offseason.  In fact, Eppler said he has already “spoke at length with [Lincecum] about some thoughts for the wintertime and I’ll probably have more dialogue with him to see what he’s doing from a rehabilitation and strengthening standpoint.”  Shea figures Lincecum will have to accept a minor league contract and be more open about converting to relief pitching if he hopes to continue his career.  The Giants were interested in Lincecum as a reliever last winter, so a reunion could be possible if Lincecum indeed accepts a role change.  While Lincecum struggled badly in limited duty with the Halos, Shea feels a proper offseason of conditioning and a full Spring Training could be greatly beneficial for the right-hander.
  • This weekend’s Cubs/Astros series has led to some reflection about Houston’s decision to pass on Kris Bryant in the 2013 draft, but ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers looks back at another connection between the two clubs.  In January 2015, the Astros traded Dexter Fowler to Wrigleyville for Luis Valbuena and Dan Straily, a deal GM Jeff Luhnow said the two sides discussed for over a month before Straily’s inclusion clinched things.  While Fowler has been a star over his two seasons for the Cubs, Luhnow has no regrets, given that Fowler was a year away from free agency and Valbuena has been a pretty solid player for the Astros.  (This isn’t mentioned in Rogers’ piece, but moving Straily may actually be the bigger loss for Houston.  Straily was traded to San Diego in March for Erik Kratz, and the righty developed into a good rotation piece for the Reds this season.)

Dodgers Release Randy Choate, Matt West

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The Dodgers released left-hander Randy Choate and right-hander Matt West at the start of the month, Eric Stephen of the True Blue LA blog reports.  Neither pitcher appeared in the big leagues in 2016, with Choate tossing 17 2/3 innings at three levels of the Dodgers’ farm system while West threw 46 relief innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Choate posted a 7.13 ERA, 10.2 K/9 and 2.5 K/BB rate this season, though that inflated ERA is somewhat misleading.  Choate has been strictly a lefty specialist for years in the bigs, yet in the minors, he actually faced more right-handed batters (who had a whopping 1.143 OPS against him in 43 PA) than he did left-handed batters (who managed just a .578 OPS in 41 PA).

It’s probably unlikely, though not totally out of the question, that a team looking for southpaw bullpen depth down the stretch could sign Choate with an eye towards using him in his old LOOGY role.  Choate signed his minor league deal with the Dodgers in June after he was released by the Blue Jays in Spring Training, and (this is purely speculation on my part) Toronto stands out as one contender who has struggled to find effective left-handed relief pitching this season.  If Choate does manage to catch on somewhere and appear in a big league game, the 41-year-old will have officially played in parts of 16 Major League seasons.

West, 27, had a strong year at Triple-A, posting a 2.33 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 4.75 K/BB over his 46 frames.  A second-round pick for Texas in the 2007 draft, West converted from infielder to pitcher in 2011 and has a 3.54 ERA over 203 2/3 career innings in the minors.  He had cups of coffee with the Rangers (three games) in 2014 and the Dodgers (two games) in 2015.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/11/16

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Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, all from Matt Eddy of Baseball America unless otherwise credited.  Check out Roster Resource for updated roster information for the teams cited here and every other team in the majors.

  • The Rays have outrighted Hank Conger to Triple-A Durham, after the catcher was designated for assignment earlier this week.  Conger managed just a .194/.265/.306 slash line and three homers over 137 plate appearances for Tampa this season.  Perhaps even most ominously, Conger’s struggles worsened after he was optioned to Triple-A in July, as he has managed just a .503 OPS over 116 PA for Durham.
  • The Rays have selected the contract of veteran southpaw Dana Eveland, the team announced.  He’ll take the 40-man roster spot of Tyler Sturdevant, who was DFA’ed earlier today.  Eveland has himself been designated for assignment twice this season by the Rays (accepting outright assignments both times), and the lefty has an 8.55 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 6.8 BB/9 over 20 relief innings out of Tampa Bay’s bullpen this season.
  • The Blue Jays outrighted third baseman Matt Dominguez to Triple-A, the club announced last week.  Dominguez was designated for assignment on September 2.  He owns a .269/.315/.421 slash line and 18 homers over 514 PA for Triple-A Buffalo this season, plus he also appeared in five games for the Jays to clock his first big league action since 2014.  Once a well-regarded prospect, Dominguez enjoyed a 21-homer season with Houston in 2013 but has hit only .231/.273/.371 in 1369 career PA in the majors.
  • The Blue Jays released outfielder Quintin Berry.  The base-stealing specialist just signed a minor league pact with the Jays on August 31, potentially putting him in line for a reprise of his past role (with the Tigers and Red Sox) as postseason pinch-running depth.  Berry appeared in just 31 MLB games in 2013-15 and he hasn’t played in the bigs in 2016, spending much of the year with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Braves released right-hander Wilfredo Boscan.  The 26-year-old made his Major League debut this season, tossing 15 1/3 innings over six games (one of them a start) for the Pirates and posting a 6.46 ERA.  Atlanta claimed Boscan off waivers in August and then outrighted him off the 40-man roster to make room for September call-ups.
  • The Braves have selected the contract of catcher Blake Lalli from Triple-A, the team announced.  Lalli will replace A.J. Pierzynski, who hit the 15-day disabled list earlier today.  Lalli, who has 22 big league games under his belt, will be looking for his first taste of MLB action since 2013 when he was a member of the Brewers.  He has since played in the Diamondbacks and Braves farm systems.
  • The Marlins released right-hander Andre Rienzo.  The Brazilian hurler posted a 2.85 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 2.3 K/BB rate over 41 innings split between four levels of the Miami farm system, though 32 1/3 IP came at the Triple-A level.  Control was again an issue for Rienzo, as it was during his 140 1/3 career MLB innings with the White Sox and Marlins from 2013-15 when he had a 4.7 BB/9 (not to mention a 1.6 HR/9 that contributed to his 5.90 ERA).

White Sox Release Ryan Webb

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The White Sox have released right-hander Ryan Webb, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  The 30-year-old reliever signed a minor league deal with Chicago in July after being released by the Rays earlier this season.

Webb signed a one-year, $1MM Major League deal with Tampa in February but wasn’t very effective in his brief stint as a Ray, posting a 5.19 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 3.67 K/BB rate over 17 1/3 innings.  The peripherals numbers weren’t too far removed from Webb’s career marks, and there was certainly some batted-ball misfortune (.417 BABIP) that led to Webb’s inflated ERA.

It was certainly a step down from Webb’s usual performance, as the righty had posted a solid 3.35 ERA (with a 6.2 K/9, 2.15 K/BB and 56.5% grounder rate) over 376 innings from 2009-15 for the Padres, Marlins, Orioles and Indians.  His 2016 struggles continued at the Triple-A level, however, as Webb tossed only 2 2/3 innings (with a 13.50 ERA) for the top White Sox farm club.  He hasn’t pitched since July 20, so there could well be an injury at play, making it even more unlikely that another team would sign Webb for the September stretch run.

Cafardo’s Latest: Sox, Dozier, Votto, Jays, Puig, Braun

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Here are the latest rumblings from the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who’s looking ahead to the offseason:

  • The Red Sox will be in the market for a big bat to replace retiring designated hitter David Ortiz, which could lead them to pursue free agents-to-be Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Carlos Beltran, Mark Trumbo and Mike Napoli. Boston is quite familiar with all of those players – Encarnacion, Bautista and Trumbo are currently in its division, while Beltran was in the AL East until the Yankees traded him to Texas in July. Napoli, who’s in the midst of a bounce-back year in Cleveland, is the only member of the group with past Red Sox experience. The soon-to-be 35-year-old was with Boston from 2013-15 and was a key part of its latest World Series-winning team in his first season with the club.
  • If the Twins shop slugging second baseman Brian Dozier during the winter, they’ll likely want front-line pitching in return, per Cafardo. Dozier, who is one home run shy of joining Rogers Hornsby, Ryne Sandberg and Davey Johnson as the only second basemen to hit 40 in a season, is on an eminently affordable contract over the next two seasons. The 29-year-old power and speed threat is owed a combined $15MM through the 2018 campaign.
  • Even though the Blue Jays have undergone a regime change since they tried to acquire first baseman Joey Votto from the Reds last summer, talks could restart if Toronto loses both Encarnacion and Bautista in free agency. Cincinnati would also have to eat some of the $192MM left on Votto’s contract to make a deal possible, according to Cafardo. Votto, a Toronto native, is enjoying yet another brilliant season, having slashed .315/.433/.525 with 23 homers in 589 plate appearances.
  • While the White Sox will listen to teams’ proposals for left-handed ace Chris Sale after the season, a deal seems unlikely. “The odds of getting what we feel we need to get are slim. That’s why I think Chris will be with us in 2017,” a White Sox source told Cafardo. That jibes with an earlier report from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, who relayed that White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t want to move Sale.
  • The Brewers and Dodgers are likely to revisit talks centering on outfielders Ryan Braun and Yasiel Puig in the offseason, a Dodgers source told Cafardo. Los Angeles placed Puig on revocable waivers in August, and the Brewers won the claim. The teams then discussed him and Braun, but a deal didn’t come to fruition.

Rays Designate Tyler Sturdevant For Assignment

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The Rays have designated right-hander Tyler Sturdevant for assignment, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

The 30-year-old Sturdevant is in his first season with the Rays organization. He has thrown 18 1/3 major league innings this year and recorded a 3.93 ERA, 6.87 K/9 and 2.95 BB/9. Sturdevant was even better with Triple-A Durham, where he logged a 3.66 ERA, 11.25 K/9 and 2.75 BB/9. Previously, he spent seven years with the Indians organization after going in the 27th round of the 2009 draft. Sturdevant served a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs last season.

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