Dodgers To Sign Brandon Morrow
8:23pm: Morrow will earn at a $1.25MM annual rate for any time spent in the majors, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
8:12pm: The Dodgers have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty Brandon Morrow, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). He is expected to be given a shot at earning a roster spot as a reliever, per the report.
Morrow, 32, had long served as a starter, but made the full-time transition to the pen last year after years of health problems. He didn’t make it up to the majors until late in the season, but provided the Padres with 16 innings of 1.69 ERA ball while posting 4.5 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9. Though the short-sample K rate isn’t exciting, Morrow posted a solid 10.3% swinging-strike rate and showed an average fastball of over 94 mph.
While there’s plenty of risk in relying too heavily on the righty, given his shoulder woes, it’s just a minor-league deal. And Los Angeles has clearly charted a strategy of taking chances on pitchers with questionable medicals of late, trusting the team’s depth pieces and ability to make mid-season moves to cover for any gaps that arise.
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Outrighted: Anthony Gose, Zach Neal, Jabari Blash
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Tigers announced that center fielder Anthony Gose has been outrighted after clearing waivers, per a team announcement. He won’t have an opportunity to reject the assignment, as it’s his first time being outrighted and he hasn’t yet reached three years of major league service. Still just 26, Gose lost his role on the Tigers last year and struggled upon his demotion to the upper minors (in addition to being suspended after a dugout spat with then-Triple-A skipper Lloyd McClendon). He could yet play a role in Detroit’s outfield mix, but will surely need to earn his way back. In 1,252 plate appearances over parts of five seasons in the majors, Gose owns a .240/.309/.348 batting line with 57 steals.
- Also outrighted following a DFA was Athletics righty Zach Neal. The 28-year-old appeared in the majors for the first time in 2016, posting a 4.24 ERA over 70 innings. Reflecting his long history as a low-strikeout, low-walk hurler, Neal retired just 27 opposing batters via strikes but also put only six on base via the free pass. Having cleared waivers, and lacking the ability to reject an assignment, he’ll provide the A’s with some upper-level pitching depth in 2017.
- The same fate awaits outfielder Jabari Blash, who’ll stay with the Padres after clearing outright waivers. The 27-year-old didn’t produce at the MLB level and faced a tough path to playing time with numerous others deserving of opportunities in San Diego. But he has been awfully impressive at Triple-A over the last few years, posting a cumulative .246/.364/.550 slash with 45 long balls over 646 total plate appearances.
Indians Sign Austin Jackson To Minor League Deal
4:31pm: The deal has been announced by Cleveland.
2:31pm: Jackson and the Indians are in agreement on a minor league deal that comes with a $1.5MM base salary, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). He can earn up to $4MM worth of incentives in addition to that base, and Heyman also tweets that Jackson has an opt-out clause in his deal that comes at the end of Spring Training.
2:17pm: The Indians and free-agent outfielder Austin Jackson are closing in on an agreement, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (on Twitter). Cleveland has been seeking a right-handed complement for Tyler Naquin in center field, and Jackson could fill that role at what’s likely to be an affordable rate. Jackson, who turns 30 next month, is represented by Octagon.
[Related: Updated Cleveland Indians Depth Chart]
Jackson spent the 2016 season with the White Sox after signing a one-year, $5MM deal in free agency last February, but he struggled at the plate for two months before ultimately suffering a knee injury that ended his season. In 203 plate appearances with the South Siders, Jackson hit .254/.318/.343 with 12 doubles, two triples and no home runs.
Back in 2010, Jackson finished runner-up to Neftali Feliz in the American League Rookie of the Year voting, and through the first four seasons of his career the former top prospect looked to be a star on the rise. Jackson batted .278/.344/.416 while playing exceptional center field defense and providing strong value on the basepaths as well. However, a 2014 trade to the Mariners marked the beginning of a rapid offensive decline for Jackson, who has produced a rather dismal .255/.302/.345 batting line in 966 plate appearances since first leaving Detroit.
From a defensive standpoint, Jackson’s skills have become more questionable as well. Both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved felt his work in center was roughly average, in the aggregate, from 2014-15. But both metrics soured on his glove in 2016, agreeing that he cost the White Sox about five runs in just 465 innings as a center fielder. With a notable knee surgery now in his recent history as well, it’s certainly fair to wonder if Jackson’s days as even an average center fielder are behind him, although the Indians aren’t taking on much financial risk in order to find out.
And, in a platoon setting, Jackson could still prove productive at the plate. Despite the lackluster nature of his overall batting line since that trade to Seattle, he’s handled lefties at a .287/.329/.452 clip since first being shipped out of Detroit. That output, paired with even passable glovework, would make him a valuable role player in Cleveland this season.
Phillies Sign Ryan Hanigan
The Phillies have signed catcher Ryan Hanigan to a minor-league deal, per a club announcement. Included in the deal is an invitation to MLB camp this spring. He can earn $1.25MM if he makes the major league roster, with $375K in available incentives, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). He’ll also receive a March 28th opt-out date, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.
Hanigan hit the open market when the Red Sox declined a $3.75MM club option after the 2016 campaign. Long valued for his high-contact approach at the plate and solid defensive skills, Hanigan deteriorated in both regards in 2016 while battling injuries.
Now 36, Hanigan posted an anemic .171/.230/.238 batting line over his 113 plate appearances last year. Though he typically draws free passes as much or more than he strikes out, Hanigan uncharacteristically took just seven walks while going down on strikes 27 times. And in the field, Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner both panned his pitch framing.
[RELATED: Updated Phillies Depth Chart]
Still, it’s an easy gamble for the Phils to take. The organization is expected to utilize Cameron Rupp as the starter after his strong 2016 effort, and has several young receivers in the upper levels of the minors. Rather than rush them along, though, it can compete the reserve job between Hanigan and fellow minor-league signee Bryan Holaday.
Red Sox, Drew Pomeranz Avoid Arbitration
The Red Sox and Drew Pomeranz have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $4.45MM, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The two sides had the largest gulf between their filing figures (as shown in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker), with Pomeranz filing at $5.7MM and the Sox filing at $3.6MM.
Ultimately, player and team largely met in the middle. They’ll settle a bit south of the $4.65MM midpoint between those two sums. Pomeranz had been projected by MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz to earn $4.7MM after taking home $1.35MM in 2016.
Pomeranz broke out during the first half of last year, racking up 102 innings of 2.47 ERA ball for the Padres, who eventually shipped him to the Red Sox for top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. A dispute over the medical information made available did not end up impacting the trade, but did lead to a suspension of San Diego GM A.J. Preller.
Though he made 13 starts for Boston, Pomeranz managed only a 4.59 ERA over 68 2/3 innings. Though he largely maintained his K/BB numbers, finishing with 9.8 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 on the year, he coughed up 14 home runs with Boston. Though it had no real impact on his arb salary, it’s worth noting too that Pomeranz ended up dealing with some arm issues late in the year.
Rays Sign Shawn Tolleson
JAN. 25: Topkin has the breakdown of Tolleson’s incentives package as well. Tolleson will earn $50K upon appearing in his 35th game, $75K for his 40th and 45th appearances, $100K for his 50th appearance, $150K for his 55th, $200K for his 60th and $250K for appearances 65 and 70.
JAN. 23: The deal, which has now been announced, will pay Tolleson $1MM, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). It also comes with up to $1.15MM in incentives, per Topkin (via Twitter).
JAN.17, 6:30pm: The deal, if completed, will be a Major League contract, Topkin tweets.
5:30pm: The Rays are close to an agreement with former Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old right-hander was non-tendered by Texas last month after a poor 2016 campaign but was excellent as recently as 2014-15. In that two-year run of success, Tolleson logged a 2.88 ERA with 9.1 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 across 144 innings of relief. Tolleson’s strong performance earned him a ninth-inning role with the Rangers for most of the 2015 campaign, and he racked up 35 saves that season as the primary closer in Texas.
However, the 2016 campaign was disastrous for Tolleson, who saw his ERA spike to an outlandish 7.68 mark over the life of 36 1/3 innings. Tolleson did pick up 11 saves, but he eventually ceded his ninth-inning job to teammate Sam Dyson, who enters the season as the projected closer in Texas once again. Tolleson was eventually outrighted by the Rangers and elected free agency in search of a better opportunity. Topkin notes that while Tolleson missed time with a back injury in 2016, he’s now said to be healthy, which one would think gives him a decent shot at cracking the Rays’ big league bullpen, even if the deal proves to be of the minor league variety.
Should Tolleson return to form in his new surroundings, the Rays will have the added bonus of being able to control him for another season. Tolleson finished the year four years, 109 days of big league service time, so he’ll be eligible for arbitration again next winter and wouldn’t reach free agency until after the 2018 season (unless the Rays elect to cut ties with him sooner).
Athletics Sign Adam Rosales, Designate Dillon Overton
2:10pm: Rosales’ contract will guarantee him $1.25MM, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
12:06pm: The Athletics announced on Wednesday that they’ve signed veteran infielder Adam Rosales to a one-year, Major League deal. MLB.com’s Jane Lee tweets that left-handed pitcher Dillon Overton has been designated for assignment to clear a spot on the roster.
[Related: Updated Oakland Athletics Depth Chart]
Rosales, 34 in May, is certainly no stranger to the Athletics, having spent parts of four previous seasons in Oakland. The Hilliard Sports Management client was notoriously involved in a rapid waiver cycle with the A’s and Rangers back in 2013, during which he went from Oakland to Texas, back to Oakland and back to Texas in a span of 10 days.
Most recently, however, Rosales had a late breakout with the Padres in 2016. Long known for his defensive versatility, Rosales was an unexpected source of power for the Friars last season, batting .229/.319/.495 with 13 homers and 12 doubles in just 248 plate appearances. In particular, Rosales was a weapon against left-handers, as he slashed .237/.348/.495 with six homers in 115 PAs while holding the platoon advantage.
The bulk of Rosales’ defensive work with San Diego came at second base and third base, though he also saw some time at shortstop, in left field and a singular inning at first base. Throughout his career, Rosales has logged more than 1000 innings at second base, more than 900 innings at third base, more than 600 innings at shortstop and more than 500 innings at first base. He’ll give A’s manager Bob Melvin a versatile defensive option to match up with left-handers over the course of the 2017 season.
The 25-year-old Overton was Oakland’s second-round pick back in 2013 and made his MLB debut last season, struggling to an ERA of 11.47 in 24 1/3 innings. The Oklahoma product did have a solid campaign in Triple-A Nashville, where he tossed 125 1/3 innings of 3.29 ERA ball and averaged 7.7 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 to go along with a 34.9 percent ground-ball rate.
Overton ranked as Oakland’s No. 8 prospect as recently as the 2015-16 offseason, per Baseball America, whose scouting report on the southpaw noted that his success would ultimately be determined by how much velocity he could regain following 2013 Tommy John surgery. Overton worked in the mid-90s in college but was in the upper 80s following his operation. The velocity seemingly never returned, as he averaged just 88.3 mph on his heater last year. BA’s report on him did note that he could potentially become a “finesse, back-of-the-rotation lefty,” so perhaps a team with uncertainty in the fourth and fifth spot of its rotation will take a flier on him. He’s performed well at every minor league stop he’s had in spite of the velocity decrease.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Red Sox Claim Steve Selsky From Reds
The Red Sox announced on Wednesday that they’ve claimed first baseman/outfielder Steve Selsky off waivers from the Reds. Cincinnati had designated the 27-year-old Selsky for assignment last week. The waiver claim fills Boston’s 40-man roster.
The 2016 season marked the big league debut of Selsky, who picked up 54 plate appearances and batted a very solid .314/.340/.471 with a pair of home runs in his limited showing. Selsky’s pop has been a bit more limited in a larger sample of work at Triple-A, however, as the former 33rd-rounder has compiled a .283/.369/.425 batting line in 191 games with Cincinnati’s affiliate in Louisville.
Though he’s never ranked as one of the Reds’ best prospects, Selsky has a track record of production in the minors (.295/.379/.459 in his career) and will give the Sox a right-handed option to serve as a bench bat or a depth piece in Triple-A Pawtucket. Selsky does have minor league options remaining, so he can be stashed in Triple-A without needing to be re-exposed to waivers. Boston does, however, have one of the lowest waiver priority rankings in the league, meaning that most of the league passed on the chance to claim Selsky. Knowing that, the Sox could potentially feel confident that they can sneak Selsky back through waivers in the near future and re-open that slot on the 40-man roster (while retaining Selsky as a non-roster player).
Dodgers Designate Carlos Frias For Assignment
The Dodgers announced on Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Carlos Frias for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for newly acquired outfielder Brett Eibner. That trade has been formally announced by the Dodgers as well.
Frias, 27, was a significant part of the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2015, logging 77 2/3 innings with a 4.06 ERA and a strong 55.1 percent ground-ball rate. However, Frias’ strikeout and walks numbers (5.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9) were both considerably less impressive, and he ultimately received just four innings with the Dodgers in 2016. The bulk of Frias’ 2016 innings came with Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa, where he pitched to a 3.95ERA in 43 1/3 innings.