Twins Release Jordan Schafer
The Twins have released outfielder Jordan Schafer, director of communications Dustin Morse announced on Twitter. He had been on the DL with a knee sprain.
Schafer, 28, had a nice run with the Twins last year after being claimed off waivers from the Braves. That led the team to tender him a contract through arbitration, ultimately agreeing upon a $1.55MM pact.
This year, however, has been a disappointment. Schafer owns a meager .217/.250/.261 slash over 74 plate appearances. The typically fleet runner has also gone 0-for-3 in stolen base attempts.
With top prospect Byron Buxton up to man center, Schafer did not seem to have a significant role going forward. Minnesota has also deployed Shane Robinson and the injure Aaron Hicks up the middle.
Pitcher Ronald Bolanos Leaves Cuba
Cuban hurler Ronald Bolanos, a 19-year-old righty, has left the island nation and has his sights set on joining a MLB organization, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports. Bolanos has also spent time in the outfield, but looks like a better prospect on the hill.
According to Badler, Bolanos fell just outside the top-twenty Cuban prospect list that he just compiled. He works in the 88 to 93 mph range with his fastball, and has a promising slider as well. The youngster lacks polish and has mostly worked in a relief capacity, but remains a fairly interesting arm.
As Badler explains, Bolanos is young and inexperienced enough that he’ll ultimately be subject to international signing bonus limits. He’s a ways away from the market: in addition to all the regular barriers he’ll have to clear, Bolanos will not be eligible to register until the signing period that begins on July 2, 2016.
Royals Agree To Terms With Nolan Watson
The Royals have agreed to an at-slot, $1,825,200 bonus with 33rd overall selection Nolan Watson, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. That pick came to the club for losing James Shields in free agency after he declined a qualifying offer.
Kansas City has also put its other two highest selections in the books, with Ashe Russell‘s signing announced yesterday and second-round pick Josh Staumont also reportedly agreeing to terms. All said, K.C. is just $6K over its draft pool from those three signings, and it has locked in significant savings from several choices further down the line.
Watson earned the 36th spot on the board of Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs, the top slot awarded by a draft pundit. Something of a late-bloomer who played high school ball in Indiana, Watson impressed with a mid-90s fastball. MLB.com, which ranked him 61st among draft-eligible players, also noted that Watson owns three promising offspeed offerings.
ESPN.com’s Keith Law had Watson in the 50th overall spot, while Baseball America rated him 56th. Law likes Watson’s ceiling due to his quick arm, but notes that the youngster could ultimately end up as a pen piece if he can’t clean up his mechanics somewhat.
Trade Notes: Taylor, Cueto, Cards, Indians, Rangers, White Sox
The Nationals and Athletics have matched up on trade deadline rentals (and other deals) with some frequency of late, and the clubs have reportedly discussed both Ben Zobrist and Tyler Clippard this year. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports, nothing has gained significant traction as of yet. Oakland has expressed interest in young Nats outfielder Michael Taylor, who has found himself playing a significant role on the club this year as a fill-in for Denard Span (to start the year) and Jayson Werth (currently on the DL). The A’s have also asked about the Nats’ young arms, per Rosenthal, who argues that the Taylor ask suggests that Oakland GM Billy Beane could be looking to “operate as both a buyer and seller” this summer. From my perspective, looking to add an unpolished but big-league-ready and controllable piece like Taylor is to be expected, whether or not Beane thinks his club has enough time to get back in contention this season. I’d also add that the Nats seem unlikely to move Taylor with Span set to hit free agency after the season.
Here are some more notes on the trade market:
- The Yankees are getting a good look at Reds starter Johnny Cueto, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports tweets. New York has sent a scout to watch both of Cueto’s last two starts, per the report. Of course, they surely are not alone in dedicating attention to the player who could be the best arm available this July.
- Though he doesn’t call for a trade directly, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch breaks down the flaws in the Cardinals bench alignment. In particular, utility infielder Pete Kozma has struggled badly at the plate for some time. And the team’s resources have been stretched somewhat with Mark Reynolds needed to fill in for the injured Matt Adams. Certainly, as the team looks to fortify itself for a stretch run and hopeful post-season berth, reserve players could be on the wish list.
- The Indians remain in a somewhat uncertain position in a tough AL Central; entering today’s action, the team remains four games under .500 and eight back in the division. In an appearance on MLB Network Radio (Twitter link), Cleveland GM Chris Antonetti certainly sounded more like a buyer. “We’re still learning about our team,” he said. “We’re still trying to find out where we’ll need to supplement.”
- In his own recent MLB Network Radio spot several days ago (via Twitter), Rangers GM Jon Daniels explained that he is preparing to take a hard look at the trade market. “If someone out there can help us, we have to be open-minded,” said Daniels. “We’ll evaluate our own guys first and go from there.” As both of these executive quotes indicate, one somewhat underappreciated factor in the slow onset of serious trades is the fact that many clubs are interested in obtaining an extended look at multiple internal options — all while seeing how other teams’ players are performing — before deciding whether to part with assets.
- The White Sox are in an even tougher spot than their division rivals from Cleveland, but GM Rick Hahn emphasized that the team is still focused on crawling back into contention, as Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports. “The organization still absolutely believes in this team,” Hahn said. “The focus on the ballgames and the belief we will win ballgames is there.” Of course, as Levine rightly notes, the best way to get back in the hunt — improved performance — is also the optimal means of building trade value. Hahn went on to explain that he had no interest in giving public insight into the team’s strategic thinking. “Do we have thoughts on potential moves to reinvigorate the 2015 club and put us in a better position to contend going forward? Absolutely,” said Hahn. “As for the timing or the nature of those moves, that is not something that we will lay out in advance.”
- ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark lays out his top ten targets, rating Cole Hamels of the Phillies as the biggest trade piece. One executive tells Stark that Hamels has probably increased his value over the first few months of the season, though of course he is out right now with what is hoped to be a relatively minor hamstring issue. Teams that have had contact with the Phils are indicating that GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is still insisting on young players that possible buyers have said they’re not willing to move. One source tells Stark that a “more creative” approach will be needed to get something done. Amaro has obviously taken a lot of heat for his handling of the team’s trade chips, though at this point it is probably best to withhold judgment; after all, Hamels is a somewhat unique trade commodity given his large but manageable contract, and a bidding war remains a plausible scenario.
Marlins Sign Second-Rounder Brett Lilek
The Marlins have announced the signing of second-round pick Brett Lilek, a lefty out of Arizona State. Lilek will receive a $1MM bonus, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis (via Twitter).
The 50th overall selection, with which Miami took Lilek, came with a $1,196,800 slot value. That means that the club saved $196.8K with the signing. The Marlins had already gone over slight by about half a million dollars to sign catcher Justin Cohen and righty Chris Paddack, so those savings were obviously needed to help the team manage its board.
Miami has now announced the signings of eight of its top ten picks. Surprise first-round pick Josh Naylor has yet to agree to terms, and the same holds true for ninth-rounder Reilly Hovis.
MLB.com was the only outlet that rated Lilek as a top-100 prospect, putting him in the 84th position on its draft board. His fastball reaches the mid-90s at times, but it is mostly an average pitch. But the MLB.com team likes his curve and change to become average-grade MLB offerings.
Lilek has had control issues at times, which Baseball America cited before the draft as the reason he had slid down some draft boards. But he still managed to rate just inside the top fifty on draft day.
Mets Sign Desmond Lindsay, Max Wotell
The Mets have announced the signings of the team’s top two selections in this year’s draft. New York sacrificed its top selection to sign outfielder Michael Cuddyer, who had declined a qualifying offer from the Rockies.
Second-rounder Desmond Lindsay inked for a full-slot value of $1,142,700, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. And third-round selection Max Wotell has agreed to a payday of $775K, also per Callis (Twitter link). The 88th slot with which he was taken came with a $666,500 value, meaning that the Mets went over $100K above slot to draw him from the University of Arizona.
Lindsay, a high school outfielder out of Florida, was limited by injury this year but shows a nice overall blend of tools, per Baseball America. He rated 102nd on BA’s board, which credited his hands and bat speed at the plate, plus running ability, and potential to play center field as a pro. ESPN.com’s Keith Law had the highest grade on Lindsay, ranking him 72nd among draft-eligible prospects. Law does note that the youngster’s “plate discipline is still an open question.”
Wotell placed as high as 140 on pundits’ lists, with that slot awarded by Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs. The high school southpaw “has exceptional projection,” per Baseball America, which notes his “wiry frame and loose arm.” Per that report, Wotell will need to develop his change to throw along with his low-to-mid-90s fastball and solid breaking ball.
Minor Moves: Wang, Wilson, Ramirez, Crabbe
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- Brewers lefty Wei-Chung Wang cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to the club’s Class-A affiliate, the team announced. Milwaukee carried Wang all last year on its major league roster to keep him trough the Rule 5 process, but needed a 40-man spot when third baseman Matt Dominguez himself became a 40-man casualty of the Astros. Wang’s struggles at the High-A level (5.93 ERA in 60 2/3 innings) led the club to expose him to an outside claim.
- Rays backstop Bobby Wilson has accepted an assignment with the club after being outrighted, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The veteran defensive stalwart played in 24 games for the big league club earlier this year, and figures to be a good bet to return at some point. He has never produced much at the plate, and this year was no different: Wilson has slashed just .145/.203/.145 in 59 plate appearances.
- Right-hander J.C. Ramirez cleared outright waivers after being designated for assignment and has been outrighted to Triple-A Reno by the Diamondbacks, tweets Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic. Removed from the roster to create a spot for Allen Webster, the 26-year-old Ramirez had worked to a 4.11 ERA with an 11-to-4 K/BB ratio out of the Arizona bullpen this season. This marked his second stint with the big league club and his first since 2013. In 39 1/3 career innings at the Major League level, Ramirez has a 6.18 ERA. He’s worked to a 3.82 ERA in 125 Triple-A innings.
- The Diamondbacks also dealt righty Tim Crabbe to the White Sox for cash or a player to be named later, the club announced (via MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert, on Twitter). Crabbe, 27, has spent all of the past three years in the upper minors and has recently converted to relief pitching exclusively. He owns a 5.50 ERA over 34 1/3 innings this year at Triple-A, with 8.7 K/9 but a rough 6.0 BB/9.
Maicer Izturis Likely Out For Year After Shoulder Surgery
Blue Jays infielder Maicer Izturis has undergone a surgical procedure on his right shoulder, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports on Twitter. That will likely bring an end to the year for Izturis, per the report.
Of course, an end to the year would also mean that the book is closed on a disappointing tenure in Toronto for Izturis. All said, he’s contributed just a .240/.291/.310 slash over 437 plate appearances since joining the Jays before the 2013 season.
The Blue Jays originally added Izturis by promising him $10MM over three years. While it wasn’t a major price to pay, Toronto has scuffled along with virtually no production from the second base position since making the move (at least until Devon Travis showed up).
That contract includes a $3MM club option for next year, but that seems a virtual lock to be bought out (for $1MM). Izturis, now 34 years of age, has suffered a variety of ailments in recent years and has not been a productive player since 2011.
Braves To Sign Austin Riley
The Braves have agreed to a $1.6MM bonus with supplemental first round pick Austin Riley, a client of MVP Sports, Jim Callis of MLB.com tweets. Riley’s payout is a shade under $100K north of the $1,506,400 slot allocation for the 41st pick.
Riley offers two-way potential out of high school, profiling as a third baseman on the position side. It appears that Atlanta will utilize him at the hot corner, though it’s always nice to have some down-the-line pitching potential if things don’t work out.
The Braves obviously viewed Riley more favorably than did most draft observers. The highest grade placed on Riley came from MLB.com, which rated him the 106th-best player available while noting that his ability to hit pro-level fastballs is a question mark. Baseball America had Riley in the 164th slot, crediting his power upside (and bat speed) while noting that he’ll have work to do to boost his standing in the field.
Riley becomes Atlanta’s earliest selection to sign. The club has yet to agree to terms with first-rounder Kolby Allard and comp pick Mike Soroka.
Indians Designate Shaun Marcum For Assignment
The Indians have designated veteran righty Shaun Marcum for assignment, the club announced. Fellow right-hander Jeff Manship will be called up, taking Marcum’s 40-man spot. Southpaw Kyle Crockett has been recalled from Triple-A as well, with infielder Zach Walters headed to Columbus in his place.
This is the second time that Marcum has been put into DFA limbo by Cleveland this year. He accepted an outright assignment the last time around. A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Marcum had not thrown at the big league level since 2013.
The 33-year-old has worked to a 5.40 ERA this year with 7.7 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 over 35 innings. He’s been hurt by the long ball, permitting 2.3 long balls per nine on a 20% homer-to-flyball rate. But at least some indicators show promise: Marcum does carry a 4.22 xFIP and 3.97 SIERA.