Minor MLB Transactions: 1/6/17
Here are the day’s minor transactions:
- The Tigers have outrighted righty Angel Nesbitt to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a team announcement. Nesbitt, 26, was bumped from the 40-man recently to make way for the signing of Alex Avila. He has a bit fastball and drew grounders during his brief major-league action in 2015, but didn’t make it back to the bigs last year. Nesbitt ended up spending the entire season at Triple-A, where he worked to a 4.91ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over 47 2/3 frames.
- Also outrighted, per the MLB.com transactions page, was Pirates first baseman/third baseman Jason Rogers. He, too, was designated to clear roster space for a new addition — in his case, righty Nefi Ogando. The bulky 28-year-old has seen scattered time in the majors over the last three years, and hit well in 2015 for the Brewers, but didn’t enjoy a productive season in his first go-round in the Pirates organization. Pittsburgh acquired Rogers in a deal that sent Trey Supak and Keon Broxton to the Brewers last offseason. But he ended up seeing just 33 MLB plate appearances and struggled to a .263/.338/.371 slash with four home runs in his 420 trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors.
Duquette On O’s Plans After Seth Smith Trade
After picking up outfielder Seth Smith from the Mariners in a deal that sent Yovani Gallardo to Seattle, Orioles VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette told the media that his organization still wants to add to its outfield mix, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com was among those to report. Baltimore is also interested in adding some pitching depth with Gallardo leaving town.
Duquette seemingly framed the approach as one of seeking depth, but presumably the O’s will at least consider something more. It probably doesn’t hurt that turning Gallardo into Smith also freed up a bit of financial flexibility. The organization would surely like to add some more thump to its lineup, which no longer includes Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez.
Currently, Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource projects Trey Mancini to take DH duties. But while the 24-year-old had a solid season in the upper minors last year, he only made it to the majors for five games of action. And though it’s nice that he hit three home runs in his 15 MLB plate appearances, Mancini hit a relatively unexceptional twenty long balls and slugged. 458 in 611 trips to the plate in the minors. Point being: despite his promise, there’s reason to believe the O’s ought to seek a near-term upgrade.
Of course, both Trumbo and Alvarez are still available via free agency. The former is at least capable of playing the outfield, though defensive metrics have long cast doubt on that characterization. Among the free agent outfielders still available are Brandon Moss, Michael Saunders, Colby Rasmus, and longtime O’s nemesis Jose Bautista.
As for the rotation, Duqutte said that he felt the club was in a good position to move a starter. “We dealt from an area of surplus – we had six starters – to fill an area of need and that was left-handed hitting, on-base capability and an outfielder,” he said. “So, we liked the trade from that perspective. We reallocated some of our resources and I think, in the process, we strengthened our team.”
Given that assessment, it certainly sounds as if Baltimore will limit itself to swingman types or minor-league free agents. There are quite a few possible candidates still remaining that could meet that general description, so it’s all but impossible to assess where the team’s gaze might end up landing. Given Duquette’s propensity for waiting out the market, it could well be some time before we find out the full slate of arms that the O’s will have on hand this spring.
Morosi’s Latest: Hammel, Rangers, Quintana, Braun, Dodgers, Feliz
The market has finally seen some movement, both via trades and free-agent signings, in recent days, and there’s plenty more to come with Spring Training just six weeks away. Here’s the latest chatter on various potential player movements, all via Jon Morosi of MLB Network (all links below are to his Twitter feed).
- Though Jason Hammel has seemingly had trouble finding active pursuers, the Rangers are now in the mix for the righty. That’s certainly promising news for Hammel, who may no longer be under consideration for the Mariners now that they’ve added Yovani Gallardo. Of course, Seattle also just parted with Nate Karns, and GM Jerry Dipoto says he’s still amenable to bolstering his staff (via Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune, on Twitter). As for Texas, the level of interest remains unclear, though it’s certainly plausible to imagine the team deciding that Hammel would be a worthwile bet to provide some solid innings. The biggest question, perhaps, is whether they’ll instead land Tyson Ross first.
- As the White Sox continue to discuss trade arrangements involving Jose Quintana, the Astros remain one of the rival organizations most fervently in pursuit. That’s hardly surprising, as Houston has long been said to be engaged on the talented lefty. Certainly, it still seems there’s sufficient momentum towards a deal for something to get done, though it remains to be seen whether the ‘Stros or another club will come up with the best offer.
- The Giants are not actively pursuing Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun. And though the Dodgers still remain a possible match with Milwaukee, the Los Angeles organization is currently still focused on trying to work out a trade for second baseman Brian Dozier. It’s not known whether the Dodgers would embark upon a pursuit of Braun if they’re able to add Dozier. While they obviously play different positions, Dozier would accomplish the goal of adding right-handed pop while occupying a position of greater need for L.A., which has a rather lengthy list of potential outfielders.
- Meanwhile, the Dodgers are on the hunt for a righty set-up man. One possibility, per Morosi, is live-armed 28-year-old Neftali Feliz, who is arguably the best-remaining relief pitcher. MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth recently took a look at Feliz’s free-agent case.
Mariners Acquire Jarrod Dyson From Royals For Nate Karns
The Mariners have moved swiftly on a second trade of the day, officially adding outfielder Jarrod Dyson from the Royals in exchange for righty Nate Karns, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune first reported (via Twitter). The speedy Dyson will take the place in the Seattle outfield just vacated by Seth Smith, while Karns will presumably enter the rotation mix for Kansas City.
For Seattle, this swap plainly functions in concert with the Smith deal, which brought in starter Yovani Gallardo. Evidently, the M’s prefer the combination of the veteran Gallardo and Dyson to the team’s preexisting assets. GM Jerry Dipoto cited Dyson’s “elite level defense and base running” as the motivating factors for his addition (via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, on Twitter).
While the earlier swap involved a pair of short-term veterans (though Gallardo does come with an option), the Mariners sacrificed some control with this move. Dyson, 32, is entering his final year of team control, though he’s still plenty affordable with a projected $2.5MM arbitration salary. The 29-year-old Karns, meanwhile, is still controllable through 2020 as a 2+ service-class player.
[RELATED: Updated Mariners & Royals Depth Charts]
Though Dyson, like Smith, hits from the left side, they are otherwise quite different players. Dyson isn’t quite as adept with the bat in hand as is Smith. He has never finished a year with even an average batting line. Last year, though, was his best yet in the majors, as he hit .278/.340/.388 over 337 plate appearances. Though he hit well in very limited duty against southpaws last year, Dyson has generally struggled without the platoon advantage, limiting his ability to play as a regular.
Unlike the lumbering Smith, Dyson earns his keep on the basepaths and in the field. On a rate basis, Dyson is perhaps the game’s most valuable overall baserunner. Despite just 1,091 plate appearances over the past four years, he has accumulated the sixth-highest total BsR score from Fangraphs (23.2); for reference, Billy Hamilton comfortably paces the league with 36.6 BsR, though he has taken nearly 50% more trips to the plate. Dyson is also a consistent threat to run, having tallied 176 total steals in his seven full or partial major-league seasons.
Dyson is equally impressive with the glove. In that same four-year span, he’s 13th in the game in total defensive value (by Fangraphs’ UZR-based measure). Again, that compares favorably to the game’s very best fielder, Andrelton Simmons, who has nearly hit the century mark in defensive runs since 2013 but has over twice Dyson’s trips to the plate. Though Leonys Martin, another left-handed hitter, could conceivably hold onto his job as the regular in center, Dyson is obviously capable of playing there as well. That’s not to say that Dyson can’t impact the game from a corner spot, if that’s where he ends up; Seattle certainly now has plenty of options with a defensive unit laden with quality fielders.
Still, it could end up being a hefty price to pay if Karns can harness his evident talent. Last year, he compiled only a 5.15 ERA over 94 1/3 innings, which he compiled over 15 starts and seven relief appearances. But even as he struggled with his command (4.3 BB/9) Karns managed to strike out more than a hitter per inning. And he was a highly productive, MLB starter as recently as 2015, when he gave the Rays 147 frames of 3.67 ERA ball with 8.9 K/9 against a more palatable 3.4 BB/9.
Karns’s struggles in 2016 may be attributed at least in part to some misfortune, as he allowed a slightly elevated .327 BABIP and ended up with a rather low 69.0% strand rate. He also managed to show a return to the 93 mph average range with his fastball after dropping a bit in the prior year. And despite the increased walks, Karns actually worked in the zone more than ever before (48.8%) while increasing his swinging-strike rate to a personal-best 10.9%.
There are some areas of concern, though. Karns spent a lengthy stretch on the DL with a back strain, though he did nearly return to action late in the season. And he had shoulder surgery earlier in his career, which delayed his advancement to the majors. For what it’s worth, this is also the third time he has been traded since 2014. (He was originally shipped from the Nationals to the Rays that spring, in exchange for Jose Lobaton, Felipe Rivero, and Drew Vettleson, and later moved to the Mariners in the fall of 2015 in in a six-player swap.)
It’s not immediately clear what role Karns will play in Kansas City, but he ought to at least have a chance to compete for a starting job in camp. Other options for the back of the rotation include Jason Vargas, Chris Young, Matt Strahm, Mike Minor, and Alec Mills. If he isn’t immediately utilized as a starter, it’s possible that K.C. could look to find out whether Karns’s stuff might play up in a full-time relief capacity. He also can still be optioned for one more season, so it’s possible he could end up opening the year at Triple-A.
Parting with Dyson also opens up the outfield competition for the Royals, who otherwise likely would have used him in a platoon of some kind. But his importance to the organization was lessened by the acquisition of Jorge Soler, who the club will hope is capable of playing regularly alongside Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain. Other players in the outfield mix include Paulo Orlando, Whit Merrifield, Billy Burns, and perhaps prospects Hunter Dozier, Bubba Starling, and Jorge Bonifacio. While only Gordon and Burns hit from the left side (the latter as a switch-hitter), there are obviously plenty of options on hand.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mariners Intend To Add An Outfielder
After dealing away Seth Smith today, the Mariners are looking to acquire another outfielder, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The team doesn’t have a strong preference between a right-handed and left-handed-hitting piece, per the report, though it’s not immediately clear whether the M’s are looking at a particular target.
While Seattle’s trade of Smith bolstered the organization’s rotation depth by returning Yovani Gallardo, it’s hard to say that was the sole motivation. The club had reportedly been looking to move Smith for some time, after all, perhaps due to an inclination to make better use of payroll space and perhaps also due to the addition late last year of lefty corner piece Ben Gamel.
It’s fair to wonder, though, whether the Mariners have their eye on a strike to add a regular or semi-regular hitter that they like better than Smith. With a variety of big bats still floating around in free agency, there are any number of interesting possibilities.
Mark Trumbo is the top-rated free agent still left unsigned, but the former Mariner has already been traded away twice by GM Jerry Dipoto (once when the two were with the Angels). Jose Bautista would certainly represent an intriguing target to put into the middle of the lineup along with fellow Dominican stars Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz, though adding him (as with Trumbo) would mean sacrificing a first-round pick (currently, the 17th selection). Neither is a likely addition for Seattle, though, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
Other open-market outfield bats include another former Mariner, Michael Saunders, and big lefty slugger Brandon Moss. It’s imaginable, too, that Seattle would prefer to pick up a player capable of spending some time in center. While Leonys Martin was strong there in 2016, he’d look even better with a solid platoon option available as needed. Right-handed, center-field capable hitters still on the market include Austin Jackson and Desmond Jennings.
Of course, that’s just scratching the surface of the options. The M’s have already struck one significant trade this offseason and could pursue another with heavy hitters such as Ryan Braun, J.D. Martinez, and Andrew McCutchen all potentially available. Or, they might find value on a part-time player through a swap. Regardless, it seems that the Smith trade will set up more moves, rather than representing a capstone to the heavy winter lifting for Dipoto and his team.
White Sox Claim Willy Garcia, Designate Jason Coats For Assignment
The White Sox announced on Friday that they’ve claimed outfielder Willy Garcia off waivers from the Pirates and designated fellow outfielder Jason Coats for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Garcia was designated for assignment by the Pirates last weekend to open space for Ivan Nova on Pittsburgh’s roster.
The 24-year-old Garcia posted solid numbers throughout his minor league tenure until reaching the Triple-A level, where he’s struggled to a .245/.290/.388 batting line in 790 plate appearances across the past two seasons. However, Garcia delivered strong production at the Double-A level in parts of two seasons, hitting .285/.324/.467 with 23 homers and 11 steals in 698 trips to the plate. Baseball America rated him 12th among Pirates prospects just last offseason, praising his “incredible” arm and above-average speed. While Garcia’s plate discipline is a major concern, per BA (and he indeed at a near-27 percent clip last year), their post-2015 scouting report noted that improvement in that regard could lead to an everyday corner outfielder.
Coats, meanwhile, will turn 27 next month. The former 29th-round pick made his big league debut in 2016, tallying 58 plate appearances and batting .200/.298/.340 in that brief cup of coffee. Coats did post a huge season with Triple-A Charlotte last season, slashing .330/.394/.519, and he’s delivered reasonably productive results throughout his minor league career. A right-handed hitter, Coats is primarily limited to the outfield corners.
White Sox, Cody Asche Agree To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have agreed to a minor league pact with former Phillies third baseman/outfielder Cody Asche, reports Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (on Twitter).
The 26-year-old Asche, non-tendered by the Phils last month, was long rated as one of Phildelphia’s top organizational prospects. However, his bat never came around during a two-year audition at the hot corner in the Majors, and the arrival of Maikel Franco on the scene pushed Asche from third base into left field. His offense didn’t improve following the position switch, however, and Asche’s big league time in Philadelphia ultimately culminated in a .240/.298/.385 batting line with 31 homers in 1287 plate appearances. Defensively, he’s received poor grades from both DRS and UZR regardless of his positioning on the diamond.
However, Asche has yet to see his 27th birthday, and he did post career-high marks in walk rate (8.7 percent) and hard contact (33.4 percent) this past season. He won’t be guaranteed anything with the now-rebuilding White Sox, but he gives the team a potential depth option at third base or in the outfield in the event that Todd Frazier or Melky Cabrera is ultimately traded. Asche has three-plus years of service time, so if a change of scenery and new coaching input can help him to more closely approximate his career .297/.359/.491 Triple-A line (644 plate appearances) at the Major League level, then the Sox can control him for another three years via arbitration.
White Sox To Sign Geovany Soto
JAN. 6: Soto’s chances of making the big league roster indeed appear to be quite strong. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that the contract includes not only a $2MM base salary but a club option for the 2018 season, lending credence to the notion that the Sox are banking on Soto more than the typical veteran minor league signee.
JAN. 5: The White Sox have struck a minor-league deal with free-agent catcher Geovany Soto, according to Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Soto, who has played previously in Chicago with both the White Sox and Cubs, will turn 34 in two weeks’ time.
After providing the South Siders with a .219/.301/.406 batting line over 210 plate appearances in 2015, Soto returned to the open market in search of a new opportunity. He ended up landing with the Angels on a one-year, $2.8MM contract.
This time, Soto will have to earn his way onto a roster in camp. Though he hit quite well in Los Angeles — .269/.321/.487 — Soto managed only 86 trips to the plate in 26 games. The problem was a knee issue that hindered him throughout the year and ultimately forced him to the DL for good in mid-August.
It seems reasonable to expect that, as Levine notes, Soto will have a solid chance at taking an active roster spot. The top two catchers on the depth chart, at present, are Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith — each of whom made his major-league debut in 2016. Alfredo Gonzalez and Roberto Pena perhaps also represent options.
Bobby Wilson Agrees To Minor League Deal With Dodgers
Veteran catcher Bobby Wilson has agreed to a minor league deal with the Dodgers that comes with a $1MM base salary should he make the big league roster, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Spots (via Twitter).
The 33-year-old Wilson, a client of Jet Sports, split the 2016 season between the Tigers, Rangers and Rays, batting a collective .237/.270/.355 with seven homers in 251 plate appearances. Wilson has appeared in the Majors in eight of the past nine seasons, with most of his experience coming as a backup in the Angels organization. He struggled in terms of throwing out runners last year (17 percent) but has otherwise done so at a roughly league-average rate throughout his big league career. He’s also consistently drawn average or better pitch-framing marks in throughout his Major League and minor league tenure, per Baseball Prospectus. Prior to his deal with L.A., Wilson had been connected to both the Blue Jays and the Rays.
The Dodgers are largely set at catcher in the Majors, with Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes set to split playing time behind the dish. Barnes does have experience as an infielder as well, though, and did play both second base and third base in the Majors last year, so perhaps there’s an opportunity for the Dodgers to creatively work all three onto the roster. Wilson may also simply head to Triple-A to serve as a veteran depth option, and he could conceivably land elsewhere this spring as injuries with other clubs create new opportunities.
Rangers, Travis Snider Agree To Minor League Deal
The Rangers and outfielder Travis Snider have agreed to a minor league contract, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Snider’s deal will pay him a base salary of $1MM if he makes the big league roster in Texas.
Snider, a CAA Sports client, spent the 2016 season with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate and batted a disappointing .245/.340/.350 in 322 plate appearances. The former first-round pick once rated among the game’s top 10 prospects, per both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, but that potential was never fulfilled. Snider debuted as a 20-year-old back in 2008 and held his own through parts of three seasons from ages 20-22, hitting .255/.318/.446 with 25 homers in 675 plate appearances.
While Snider’s production tailed off in the coming years, he did enjoy a very nice 2014 campaign in Pittsburgh, hitting .264/.338/.438 with 13 home runs in 359 plate appearances. But, a trade to the Orioles that offseason yielded more struggles, and Snider didn’t appear in the Majors at all last year.
For the Rangers, Snider provides a depth option with MLB experience that can compete for a bench job in Spring Training or head to Triple-A and wait in the wings in the event of an injury. At present, the Rangers project to utilize Nomar Mazara, Carlos Gomez and Shin-Soo Choo in the outfield, though the possibility of adding an outfielder and shifting Choo to the DH slot does exist. Texas is also likely to bring Josh Hamilton back on a minor league contract, so Snider will presumably be competing with him this spring as well.