Braves To Designate Jose Ramirez For Assignment
The Braves will designate right-handed reliever Jose Ramirez for assignment, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Ramirez’s departure from the 40-man roster will allow the Braves to add left-hander Hunter Cervenka and right-hander Joel De La Cruz to the 40-man and 25-man rosters. The Braves still need to clear another spot on the 40-man, though presumably they could do so by transferring left-hander Jesse Biddle or right-hander Daniel Winkler (who, sadly, fractured his elbow in yesterday’s contest) to the 60-day disabled list.
Ramirez, 26, began last season with the Yankees but was traded to the Mariners alongside Ramon Flores in exchange for Dustin Ackley. The new Seattle front office subsequently flipped Ramirez to the Braves in exchange for a player to be named later (Ryne Harper) this offseason.
Ramirez appeared in two games for the Braves, and though he struck out four batters in his two innings of work, he also surrendered six runs on five hits and four walks. Ramirez throws hard, having averaged 95.1 mph on his fastball in the Majors, and he’s said to have a plus changeup to pair with that velocity. Ramirez, though, does have a lengthy injury history, and his performance in the Majors and upper minors has yet to line up with his raw stuff. The right-hander’s 2016 struggles have caused his Major League ERA to balloon to 10.53 (in a small 19 2/3 innings sample), and he has a 4.06 ERA in 106 1/3 minor league innings as well.
Cervenka and De La Cruz, each 26 years old, will be making their big league debuts with the Braves. Neither was drafted by Atlanta (Cervenka was drafted by the Red Sox, while De La Cruz was initially signed by the Brewers), but each signed a minor league deal with the Braves this past year and were in camp as non-roster invitees. Cervenka has displayed a penchant for missing bats but also questionable control of the strike zone, as evidenced by career averages of 9.1 strikeouts and 5.9 walks per nine innings in the minors. Last year, he held lefties to a .224/.318/.241 slash while pitching for the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate . De La Cruz, meanwhile, has a 3.99 ERA in 128 1/3 Triple-A innings. Last year he split the season between the Yankees’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, combining to throw 84 1/3 innings of 3.41 ERA ball with 4.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.
Stewart: D-Backs “Not In A Position To Take On More Salary”
The loss of A.J. Pollock for what could be the entire season rocked the D-backs late in Spring Training, but while there’s been talk of potentially adding some help from outside the organization, it doesn’t sound as if the Diamondbacks will spend any significant money to make an upgrade in center field, writes Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. In fact, GM Dave Stewart tells McManaman that the D-backs aren’t likely to make any significant payroll increases at any point this season.
“We’re not in a position to take on more salary,” Stewart explained. “We are where we are when it comes to salary and taking on more money. We can’t do that.” The D-backs opened the season a payroll just under $100MM — the second-largest Opening Day mark in franchise history. Some fans might wonder, then, whether Stewart would make potential trade deadline upgrades by parting with more young talent, but the GM also downplayed the possibility of further depleting his farm system after already having traded Dansby Swanson, Aaron Blair, Isan Diaz and Touki Toussaint within the past year.
“You can’t sell the organization,” said Stewart. “There have been a lot of organizations that have gone out and thought they were in a position to win and they get rid of prospects, then you look at your minor-league system and all of a sudden you have nothing.” Stewart said he dislikes the notion that he doesn’t care about trading prospects, explaining to McManaman that it was difficult to part with each promising young player he’s traded away.
The actions of the Diamondbacks late in the offseason exemplified those lines of thinking; Arizona only sprung to sign right-hander Tyler Clippard to a two-year deal after saving about $4MM in the trade that sent Diaz, Chase Anderson and high-priced veteran Aaron Hill to the Brewers. And while the club took a long look at signing Howie Kendrick, the D-backs ultimately neglected to commit the money that was necessary or surrender the required draft pick in order to add Kendrick. As Stewart explained to Brett Ballantini in a recent MLBTR interview, the decision not to sign Kendrick, though, was motivated largely by the belief that Chris Owings would rebound after battling through shoulder problems in 2015. Owings, of course, has now been playing some center field in Pollock’s absence.
Circumstances, of course, can change quickly. Stewart also noted to Ballantini in the aforementioned interview that he never dreamed that ownership would give him the green light to pursue Zack Greinke this winter — even as the early stages of free agency began to play out. And, as McManaman’s colleague, Nick Piecoro, explained to Jeff Todd on a recent edition of the MLBTR Podcast, owner Ken Kendrick is typically open to expanding the budget a bit if it appears that the club has a chance to win as the trade deadline nears. That said, it would seem that Stewart is operating under the assumption that he’ll have to ride out the remainder of the season with what the club has in house. A small addition (e.g. Michael Bourn, who would only be owed the pro-rated league minimum if and when he is released by the Braves) still seems plausible even in light of Stewart’s comments, but for the time being it appears that the D-backs’ extravagant dealings will be limited to the right-handers that they acquired this offseason.
Latest On Diamondbacks’ Stadium
Diamondbacks chief executive Derrick Hall is lobbying for the city of Phoenix to take over for Maricopa County as Chase Field’s landlord, reports Craig Harris of the Arizona Republic. Hall says the switch would ensure the club’s long-term future in downtown Phoenix. That became a public issue last month when Hall threatened to “pursue other stadium options” because of the county’s failure to honor its alleged obligation to handle $187MM-plus in maintenance and repair costs through 2027.
Should the Diamondbacks swap landlords, it would enable them to potentially secure a Chase Field renovation or even a new ballpark “by taking advantage of the stadium’s municipal authority,” as Harris writes. The Maricopa County Stadium District doesn’t have the authority to raise taxes as a way to aid the Diamondbacks.
Phoenix nearly took the reins as the landlord four years ago, according to Hall, but he said the county put the kibosh on the idea because its officials didn’t want to lose the tickets, suites and free parking they enjoy. Maricopa County spokesman Fields Moseley confirmed that a deal for Phoenix to become the Diamondbacks’ landlord was on the table four years ago, but the county wasn’t interested in giving away a ballpark that cost $238MM in sales tax to build and has no mortgage. Moseley added that the potential loss of a stadium suite isn’t an issue to the county.
“We don’t even use the suite. It’s continually given to non-profits to use. Politicians and management don’t use the suite. We seek out non-profits to benefit,” he said.
In Hall’s plan, the Diamondbacks would pay for the projected $187MM in repairs and renovations at the ballpark over the next 12 years, which would take them to the end of their 30-year Chase Field lease. In return, the D-backs would pay less in rent than their current $4MM-plus per year, control the bookings of non-baseball events, and collect the revenue from those events. For its part, the County Stadium District wouldn’t have to assist in paying for Chase Field improvements. Phoenix, meanwhile, would oversee the property and receive rent from the team. Further, the city would be able to build a major sports facility downtown and expand CityScape, in which Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick is a significant investor. CityScape is a high-rise development that features residential, retail and hotel components.
As of now, there are no negotiations taking place for Phoenix to become the Diamondbacks’ landlord, Hall said, and city mayor Greg Stanton wasn’t available for comment Sunday, per Harris.
On the prospect of the Diamondbacks suing the county to break their lease, Hall stated, “If there is a lawsuit, it’s to find another partner to keep us here. It’s not about greed. It’s about staying here.”
The Diamondbacks have called Chase Field home since their inception in 1998. Only 15 ballparks are newer.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Lucroy, Archer, Red Sox, Dodgers
The Pirates surrendered the third-fewest runs in baseball last year, when center fielder Andrew McCutchen and left fielder Starling Marte lined up deeper than most at their respective positions, but the data-driven Bucs are experimenting with a shallower outfield alignment this season in hopes of allowing even less scoring. “Reviewing the numbers last year, there was so much collateral damage done in front of us last year — balls that fell in, extra bases that were taken by guys trying to get to balls,” manager Clint Hurdle said (via Adam Berry of MLB.com). “It was glaringly apparent that we could make an adjustment on our end, especially with the athleticism we have with our outfielders, and change the dynamic of what’s gone on as far as run prevention goes,” he continued. Both McCutchen and Marte have taken to the changes, according to Hurdle. “You give them the numbers, you show them the charts, you show them where damage is done or not done. They’re really good about understanding and trusting.”
More from around the majors:
- Robinson Chirinos‘ fractured forearm put the Rangers’ already below-average catcher situation in an even worse position than it was in previously, though they have not engaged in any recent discussions with the Brewers about Jonathan Lucroy, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). The Rangers have been linked to the Brewers as a potential trade partner for Lucroy since the offseason. General manager Jon Daniels said the team did its “due diligence” on outside options in the aftermath of Chirinos’ Saturday night injury, but not for a “major” addition, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com.
- Rays ace Chris Archer has stumbled out of the gate with a a 7.20 ERA in his first two starts this year while experiencing a dip in velocity, but he feels fine and doesn’t believe concern is warranted. “I’ve seen some headlines, and it’s comical, “because I was throwing 92-96 (mph) last game instead of 94-97, and it’s a big deal,” he said (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). “My slider was 85-88 instead of 86-90 and it’s a big deal. And I don’t know why. I think people just need something to talk about, something to write about, something to justify me not having the greatest start.”
- The Red Sox‘s Class-A team, Salem, boasts the most talented roster in the minor leagues, Jim Callis of MLB.com opines in a piece highlighting the minors’ premier clubs. Boston has three of MLBPipeline.com’s 25 best prospects in Salem – second baseman Yoan Moncada (No. 6), third baseman Rafael Devers (No. 16) and outfielder Andrew Benintendi (No. 24) – as well as breakout candidates in righty Travis Lakins, middle infielder Mauricio Dubon and first baseman Nick Longhi, Callis writes.
- Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal and second baseman Howie Kendrick have completed their injury rehab assignments and should be active for the team’s home opener Tuesday, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The Dodgers will have to make a couple roster moves with both coming back, as Plunkett notes, putting Austin Barnes‘ spot in jeopardy. On whether the Dodgers would keep Barnes on the roster, thus giving them three catchers, manager Dave Roberts said, “We’re kind of playing with some different scenarios.”
Rangers Notes: Mazara, Darvish, Catcher
The latest on the Rangers, who lost to the Angels on Sunday but got the first major league glimpse of a player who could be a long-term linchpin:
- Newly promoted right fielder Nomar Mazara, the aforementioned potential building block, began his career in red-hot fashion Sunday. Mazara – the youngest player in the league (20 years, 350 days) – went 3 for 4 with a home run in a 3-1 defeat, and Jim Callis of MLB.com believes he’s capable of rivaling the injured Shin-Soo Choo‘s offensive production while providing superior defense. On Mazara’s offensive skills, manager Jeff Banister said (via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News), “He controls the strike zone. He can be patient, but he can jump on a fastball early if he needs to. Offspeed stuff did not seem to bother him that much this spring. He can hit when he’s down in the count.” That assessment proved true Sunday, as Grant writes.
- In the next step in his recovery from March 2015 Tommy John surgery, Rangers ace Yu Darvish will throw live batting practice Wednesday, per T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. “Now it’s time to turn him loose,” pitching coach Doug Brocail said. “He’ll throw some live batting practice and then get in games.” The Rangers plan for Darvish to throw three BP sessions and then have him begin a minor league rehab assignment toward the end of April. Darvish would then make six starts in the minors before rejoining the Rangers in late May, according to Sullivan. The Rangers will monitor Darvish’s pitch counts when he returns to the big leagues and want him to pound the strike zone with more fastballs. “I’m not asking [Darvish] to throw 25 percent more fastballs,” Brocail stated. “I’m asking him to trust it more to get more quick outs. Just more strikes so he doesn’t have to go deep in counts.”
- In the wake of catcher Robinson Chirinos‘ forearm fracture, general manager Jon Daniels said that he considered outside options Sunday morning, but it was merely “due diligence” (link via Sullivan). The Rangers ultimately called up Brett Nicholas to serve as the backup to Bryan Holaday, who will be their regular catcher for at least a little while. “We’ve got a good start with Holaday here,” Banister said after Chirinos got hurt on a hit by pitch Saturday. “We are working through all of our other options right now. We’ve got limited, but multiple options.” The Rangers have two other potentially useful catchers under control in Chris Gimenez and Michael McKenry, but the former is recovering from a bacterial infection and the latter is on the mend from an abdominal strain.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/10/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball:
- Longtime major league first baseman Dan Johnson has signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). Johnson will both pitch and play the field for the Bluefish, according to Topkin. The 36-year-old raised eyebrows in March when he signed a minor league deal with the Rays in hopes of cracking their roster as a knuckleball pitcher. Tampa ultimately released Johnson a few weeks later, thus dashing his dream – at least temporarily – of moving from first to the mound in the bigs. Johnson spent last season with the Cardinals and Reds organizations, logging 21 plate appearances in St. Louis. Over 1,625 major league PAs with six different teams, Johnson has hit a serviceable .234/.335/.405. He’s perhaps most famous for a dramatic home run in 2011 that helped send the Rays to the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.
AL Notes: Weaver, Vazquez, Yanks, Chisenhall
Angels righty and former ace Jered Weaver, who’s coming off a career-worst season in which his fastball velocity sat in the low 80s, made his 2016 debut Sunday and threw six innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 win over Texas. Weaver allowed seven base runners (six hits, one walk), struck out four, and was encouraged afterward. “It makes me look forward to the future in baseball as opposed to thinking about shutting it down,” he told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (Twitter link). Weaver’s fastball resided in the 82 mph range Sunday and he didn’t generate many grounders (a common career trend), but he effectively used his curveball and changeup to keep Rangers hitters at bay. Whether he can continue to get by that way is up for debate, but Weaver seems confident, saying, “Haters equals motivation for me. I feed off of it.”
More from the American League…
- Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez is recovering well from Tommy John surgery and could rejoin the team by the end of the month, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. “Everything points to [the 20-day rehab timeline] being more than enough time for him right now,” manager John Farrell said Sunday. Vazquez’s rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket lasts until April 28, at which point the big league club will either have to call up the 25-year-old or option him to the minors. The Red Sox currently employ two capable catchers in Blake Swihart and Ryan Hanigan, though the latter has been mentioned as a trade candidate in the past.
- The Yankees, who opened the season in less-than-ideal weather in the Bronx and then went to frigid Detroit for their second series, have already had two games postponed (one of which was made up). Manager Joe Girardi isn’t pleased with the schedule makers’ decisions, per Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “I’m not sure why it happens,” he said in regards to MLB’s choice to start the Yankees in cities prone to poor conditions. “I’d really like to see us start within (the American League East) in the first month as much as you can and I know there’s five teams, and those games you try to go to warmer cities. It didn’t happen and we’ll have to deal with it,” he added.
- Bad weather is also serving as an annoyance to the Indians and slowing right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall‘s comeback from a left wrist impingement, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Before beginning his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Columbus, Chisenhall hadn’t played since March 27 – thanks in part to the postponement of Columbus’ previous three games. Chisenahll, who went hitless in three at-bats Sunday, is eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list early in the upcoming week. However, the Indians might not activate him until Thursday because they face lefty starters Tuesday and Wednesday. Chisenhall owns an uninspiring career line of .241/.288/.371 against lefties.
- Royals southpaw reliever Tim Collins will undergo his second Tommy John surgery since March 2015 on Friday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tweets. The news that Collins needed the surgery after his previous elbow graft failed was revealed last month. Collins, 26, posted a 3.54 ERA, 9.4 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 211 relief innings for the Royals from 2011-14.
West Notes: Butler, Angels, Coors Field
Athletics designated hitter Billy Butler has sat four straight days and could be relegated to facing only lefties, Jane Lee of MLB.com writes. Manager Bob Melvin wouldn’t commit to putting Butler back in the lineup Monday against Angels righty Nick Tropeano, per Lee, saying that he’ll definitely play Tuesday when the A’s deal with lefty Hector Santiago. Butler, whom the A’s signed to a three-year, $30MM contract in November 2014, has batted just .262/.323/.386 since the beginning of the ’14 campaign and been the least valuable player in baseball by the standards of fWAR during that time frame. The soon-to-be 30-year-old has been vastly superior against lefties than right-handers historically, though that wasn’t the case last season. So far this year, nine of Butler’s 10 plate appearances have come versus southpaws.
Here’s more from MLB’s West divisions:
- Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs, who’s on the comeback from August 2014 Tommy John surgery, made his 2016 debut for Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday. The 24-year-old threw 42 pitches over three innings, struck out one and allowed a run on three hits (two bunt singles) and two walks, according to Taylor Blake Ward of InsideTheHalos.com. Skaggs’ fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range, which is right in line with his 2014 average of 92 mph (Twitter links). That year, Skaggs tossed 113 innings of 4.30 ERA ball for the Angels to go along with a 6.85 K/9 and 2.39 BB/9. ERA estimators like FIP (3.55) and xFIP (3.65) indicated that Skaggs deserved a better fate with respect to results.
- The Angels entered Sunday having applied defensive shifts more than any team in the majors (79 times over five games), according to data from Fangraphs (link via Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com). Their 15.8 shifts per game represents a marked increase for a team that was around the middle of the pack in shifting over the previous four seasons. First-year general manager Billy Eppler is largely behind the Halos’ change in philosophy, having installed an analytics team that judges when the team should employ the shift, per Gonzalez.
- The Rockies will explore further ways to make Coors Field more friendly to pitchers, owner Dick Monfort told Nick Groke of the Denver Post. “[W]e’re going to continue to find ways to make it not so offensive a park,” said Monforto. “We all know it’s the most offensive park in baseball. Part of that, there’s nothing we can do about it. But if there are things we can do to take some of the offense away from it, that’s what we should try to do.” The Rockies raised the wall in right-center field by eight feet, nine inches prior to the season and also added height to the wall straight down the left-field line. Those changes didn’t halt offensive production during the first series of the year at Coors Field, however, with Colorado and San Diego amassing 47 runs in three contests.
NL Injury Notes: Winkler, Gonzales, Solarte, Edgin
Braves righty Daniel Winkler, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 and missed most of last season, left the club’s game Sunday in agony with a fractured elbow, Mark Saxon of ESPN.com was among those to report (on Twitter). Winkler, whom Atlanta took from Colorado during the offseason’s Rule 5 draft, was off to a hot start as a member of the Braves’ bullpen. Prior to the injury, he had gone 2 1/3 innings without allowing a hit or a run, adding four strikeouts against one walk. It’s currently unknown how much time Winkler will miss, but given the significance of the injury, the rest of the season seems like a strong possibility for the 26-year-old.
Here’s more injury news from around the National League:
- Cardinals lefty Marco Gonzales is deciding whether to undergo elbow surgery after consulting with doctors, including renowned orthopedic surgeon Neal ElAttrache, tweets Saxon. It’s unknown what type of surgery Gonzales is considering, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. If the 24-year-old undergoes Tommy John surgery, he’d face a 12- to 18-month recovery, Langosch notes. Prior to notifying the Cardinals’ medical staff of elbow discomfort during the final week of Spring Training, Gonzales was expected to serve as rotation depth for the club this season. Gonzales, who dealt with shoulder issues last season, has logged a 4.82 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9 in 37 1/3 MLB innings.
- Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte is headed to the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring injury, paving the way for the call-up of utility man Alexi Amarista, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Solarte slashed an eye-popping .375/.474/.563 over his first 19 plate appearances this year. Amarista fared well in a minuscule sample size for Triple-A El Paso to start the year, but he recorded a weak .204/.257/.287 in 357 PAs for the Padres last season and hasn’t exactly been stellar in his 1,575 big league PAs (.227/.274/.325). He does, however, offer versatility, having spent time at six different positions in the infield and outfield during his career.
- Another past Tommy John recipient, Mets reliever Josh Edgin, began a rehab assignment Sunday with 2/3 of an inning at Class-A St. Lucie and is on track for an early May return, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The southpaw last saw action in 2014, when he served as a shutdown option for the Mets in compiling a 9.22 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 to accompany a stingy 1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.
East Notes: deGrom, Inciarte, Aybar, Biagini
The Mets will skip Jacob deGrom‘s next turn in the rotation, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. Logan Verett will get a spot start in his place. Mets manager Terry Collins says deGrom’s sore lat muscle has “improved, but it’s not enough.” The team has not placed deGrom on the disabled list, though, and deGrom says he and the team are merely “erring on the side of caution.” DeGrom showed diminished velocity in his first start of the season Friday (throwing mostly in the low 90s, rather than the mid 90s), but he got good results overall, and the Mets don’t believe his lack of velocity is connected to his lat trouble. Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The Braves have placed outfielder Ender Inciarte on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes. The team has promoted prospect Mallex Smith to take his place, as Bowman had previously suggested was a possibility. Smith, one of the players the Braves acquired when they dealt Justin Upton to San Diego, is a very speedy center fielder who’s gotten base and stolen bases at very high rates throughout his time in the minors. MLB.com currently rates him as the Braves’ 11th-best prospect.
- The Braves are already considering moving Erick Aybar out of the starting shortstop job, writes Bowman. The Braves won’t consider early promotions for top prospects Dansby Swanson or Ozzie Albies, but they could move Aybar to second base — where his glove won’t be so exposed — and promote Daniel Castro, a better defender, to take his place at short. They would likely then send Jace Peterson to Triple-A Gwinnett.
- Rule 5 Draft pick Joe Biagini is contributing to the Blue Jays not only with his 95-MPH fastball, but with his sense of humor, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith writes. When asked if he’s always been a pitcher, Biagini replied, “After I was born. I wasn’t really a pitcher before I was born.” The 25-year-old Biagini has done well on the mound, too, keeping Red Sox batters off the board while pitching his first two innings of his big-league career over the last two days. Last season, the righty was a starter for Double-A Richmond in the Giants system, posting a 2.42 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 130 1/3 innings.