AL Notes: White Sox, Ramirez, Angels
Ken Williams lost out on a chance to become the Blue Jays’ new president and CEO this offseason, but he’s enjoying his current role with the White Sox, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports. “I can’t worry about something that I have no control over,” he says, but he’s clearly thrilled about this year’s team after adding Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson, Melky Cabrera, Adam LaRoche and Zach Duke in the offseason. “I hesitate to say, because I don’t want to disrespect any of the other teams we’ve had, but I don’t know if I’ve been this optimistic and excited to see a team play on a day-to-day basis,” he says. Here’s more from the American League.
- One player worth watching in Mariners camp is pitcher Erasmo Ramirez, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune writes. Ramirez is out of options. The Mariners will likely try to get him through waivers since there’s no space for him on the team (unless the Mariners option both Carson Smith and Dominic Leone), but another team is likely to claim him. (Ramirez posted an underwhelming 5.26 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 2014, but since he’s 24, has big-league experience, and can start or relieve, some team might find him to be an attractive waiver claim.) The M’s could deal Ramirez, but since he could wind up on the waiver wire anyway, there isn’t much incentive for teams to give up much for him.
- Angels reliever Cory Rasmus has a core injury that will cause him to miss six to eight weeks, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com writes (Twitter links). That will leave two open spots in the team’s bullpen. One of those will likely go to Vinnie Pestano, and Gonzalez thinks it’s possible that the other will be occupied by Matt Lindstrom, who is an Article XX(B) free agent.
- Nonetheless, the Angels are impressed with Scott Snodgress, who they see as a potential hard-throwing lefty bullpen option, Gonzalez writes. They signed Snodgress as a minor-league free agent over the winter. Snodgress spent most of last season as a stater with Double-A Birmingham in the White Sox system, posting a 3.89 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9, but the Angels saw him as a reliever. “This is a team that, for the most part, has gone through the last year and a half without a consistent presence on the left-handed side of the bullpen,” says GM Jerry Dipoto. “From Day 1, we’ve talked about bullpen being a role, and I think that intrigued him.”
Rangers Discussing Trade Involving Marlins Pitchers
Hoping to add pitchers, the Rangers are in trade talks with the Marlins, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. One possibility might be Brad Hand, who is out of options and could start or relieve. Another is Mike Dunn, who could help the Rangers as a lefty reliever. The Marlins had more than one scout watching Rangers players Friday, Grant adds.
As of yesterday, the Rangers were also reportedly discussing a deal with the Phillies to acquire Cole Hamels. That trade did not appear imminent, however, and it appears the potential deals the Rangers are discussing with the Marlins are more minor.
Hand, who turned 25 yesterday, made 16 starts and 16 relief appearances for the Marlins in 2014, posting a 4.38 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9. He did induce ground balls at a 50.3% rate last season. The results he’s gotten so far in his career haven’t been spectacular, but he has two more years before he’s arbitration-eligible, and his versatility could help a Rangers staff that can use extra innings given the recent injury to Yu Darvish. Hand appears unlikely to make the Marlins’ rotation to start the season.
Dunn, 29, posted a 3.16 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 57 innings of relief last season. Dunn is prone to fly balls, but he’s a hard thrower with a track record of getting strikeouts, with 286 in 254 2/3 career innings. Dunn would pair with Alex Claudio to give the Rangers two potentially strong bullpen lefties. Dunn is signed through 2016 for a total of $5.8MM.
Minor Moves: Blanke, Santos, Kussmaul
Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.
- The White Sox have traded catcher/pitcher Mike Blanke to the Diamondbacks for cash, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The 26-year-old Blanke hit .226/.302/.340 for Double-A Birmingham in 2013, but in 2014 he made the switch to pitching, striking out ten batters and walking 12 in 13 1/3 innings for Great Falls in the Pioneer League. He evidently throws 95-98 MPH, perhaps suggesting the pitching experiment is one worth continuing. Nonetheless, he’ll be back at catcher this season, Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona tweets. It appears likely he will be minor-league depth, not a solution to the Diamondbacks’ catching uncertainties at the big-league level.
- The Giants have released Adalberto Santos, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Santos, who plays second, third and the outfield, has an impressive .303/.388/.428 line for his minor-league career, but he’s never received an extended opportunity at Triple-A. The 27-year-old began 2014 in the Pirates organization before heading to the Giants in a minor trade in June.
- The White Sox have released righty Ryan Kussmaul, according to the International League transactions page. Kussmaul, 28, posted a 4.08 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 68 1/3 innings split between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in 2014. He’s never received a shot in the Majors despite a career 10.4 K/9 in the minors.
Latest On Astros’ Roster Decisions
The Astros have listened to trade ideas regarding their surplus of position players, but are not actively looking to deal, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. There’s currently no way to get Jason Castro, Evan Gattis, Jon Singleton, George Springer, Colby Rasmus, Jake Marisnick and Chris Carter in the lineup all at the same time, Drellich points out. But their depth gives them options in case players get hurt or struggle. In particular, Gattis and Rasmus have significant injury histories, while Singleton and Marisnick are unproven. The team could also platoon Gattis and Rasmus in left field. Here’s more from Drellich on the Astros.
- If the Astros were to make a trade this Spring, it might involve a depth player like Alex Presley rather than one of the more regular players mentioned above. Robbie Grossman could beat out Presley for the last outfield spot. Presley is out of options, and there’s at least some possibility the Astros could lose him if they expose him to waivers. From this vantage point, the risk seems minimal, given that Presley didn’t hit well last year and is making above the league minimum (at $1MM). But given the depth he represents, that possibility is at least worth considering.
- Hank Conger has struggled this spring, but he’s still penciled in as Castro’s backup at catcher.
- Three players whose situations are unresolved are minor-league free agent pitchers Joe Thatcher, Roberto Hernandez and first baseman Dan Johnson, Drellich says. Thatcher and Hernandez are Article XX(B) free agents, so before Opening Day, the Astros must decide whether to add them to the active roster, release them, or pay them $100K retention bonuses (and give them June 1 opt-out date). Thatcher is likely to make the team as the Astros’ second bullpen lefty. Johnson, who is not an Article XX(B) free agent, also has an opt-out date, although not until after the start of the regular season.
East Notes: Mets, Phillies, Papelbon, Blue Jays
The Mets weren’t a particularly strong team even before losing Zack Wheeler to a torn UCL, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. Losing Wheeler hurt, but the Mets do at least have plenty of rotation depth with which to replace him. Their bullpen is a weakness, and only Juan Lagares stands out for them defensively. “I don’t subscribe to the notion that we’re going to have a lousy defense. I don’t believe that’s the case,” says GM Sandy Alderson. “But at the same time, I don’t assume, nor do I think, all of our success is predicated on being outstanding defensively.” Here’s more from the East divisions.
- The Blue Jays need a closer, but they aren’t a great match for Jonathan Papelbon and the Phillies, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes (Insider-only). Papelbon’s contract (including his 2016 option, which will vest at 48 games finished) is too expensive and complex for such a deal to make sense. Also, Papelbon has hidden value to the Phillies, in that using him at closer rather than Ken Giles will limit the amount of money Giles will make in arbitration once he becomes eligible.
- Phillies reliever Mario Hollands has elbow discomfort and will have an MRI today, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Hollands says the pain feels about how it felt when he had a flexor strain late last season. When healthy, the lefty posted a 4.40 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in his rookie year in 2014. He might have joined fellow lefty Jake Diekman in the Phillies’ bullpen. An injury to Hollands might further encourage the Phillies to keep Rule 5 pick Andy Oliver, a lefty who has performed well in Spring Training.
AL Notes: Giavotella, Zito, Madson
Now with the Angels, infielder Johnny Giavotella is hoping for another chance in the Majors, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes. Giavotella collected 465 plate appearances in parts of four seasons with the Royals, but never quite caught on, hitting .238/.277/.334 in the process before joining the Angels in a minor trade this winter. “In my opinion, Triple-A to the big leagues is the biggest jump, and there is an adjustment period to be had,” Giavotella says. “I never feel like I got that adjustment period to fail and make that adjustment.” Giavotella, who is out of options, is competing with Josh Rutledge, Grant Green and Taylor Featherston for the Angels’ second base job, which opened when the team traded Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers. Here’s more from the American League.
- Barry Zito now looks like a legitimate long relief option for the Athletics, Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com writes. “You take a year off … It’s pretty impressive what he’s doing,” says A’s manager Bob Melvin. After a year away from the game following an ugly 2013 season with the Giants, Zito signed a minor-league deal with the Athletics hoping to reestablish himself. He’s still hopeful he can make the team as a starter, although Stiglich suggests the bullpen is more likely.
- Another minor-league signee, Ryan Madson, has impressed the Royals in camp, writes Doug Miller of MLB.com. “To come in, you look at it as a flyer, and then you watch and he’s got his fastball back up to 91, 92, he’s always had that devastating change. He’s a pretty interesting guy,” says manager Ned Yost. Miller notes that Madson, who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2011, likely won’t make the Royals out of camp, but he could be a name to watch after he’s spent some time at Triple-A Omaha.
Red Sox Unlikely To Make Big Move Before Season
Ben Cherington and the Red Sox aren’t expecting to make a significant trade before the season begins, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald writes. Any moves the Red Sox might make before the end of the month are likely to be small ones. “You never know exactly who might be available right at the end … but I would say it’s much more likely that the 25 guys (who will break camp with the team) are already here,” says Cherington.
Independent of context, that’s more of a truism than a noteworthy statement. As Lauber points out, key trades rarely occur in Spring Training. Teams tend to be healthier (this year’s rash of pitcher injuries notwithstanding), and executives tend to be more optimistic about the players they already have on hand. “Since it’s the beginning of the year, you’re likely to have more healthy players,” says Cherington. “But the biggest thing is, you’ve put all this together. So there’s a sense of, give it a chance to see what it can do.”
The idea that the Red Sox are planning on going with the roster they have is perhaps noteworthy in their specific case, however. They have an abundance of outfielders, with Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, Shane Victorino, Rusney Castillo, Allen Craig and Daniel Nava all on hand. They’ve also repeatedly been connected to Cole Hamels of the Phillies, although nothing appears close on that front.
Week In Review: 3/14/15 – 3/20/15
Here’s a look back at this week at MLBTR.
Key Moves
- The Marlins extended outfielder Christian Yelich for seven years plus a club option.
- The White Sox extended outfielder Adam Eaton for five years, also getting two club options.
Options
- Brewers – exercised 2016 option on manager Ron Roenicke
Trades
- Giants – acquired C Jackson Williams from Angels for cash considerations
Released
- Braves – IF Tyler Pastornicky (link), P Jose Veras (link)
- Nationals – IF Jeff Kobernus (link)
- Phillies – OF Xavier Paul (link)
- Rangers – P Michael Kirkman (link)
Key Minor League Signings
- Royals – IF Rafael Furcal (link)
- Blue Jays – P Randy Wolf (link)
Out Of Options 2015
The following 40-man roster players have less than five years service time and are out of minor league options. That means they must clear waivers before being sent to the minors. I’ve included players on multiyear deals. This list was compiled through MLBTR’s sources. For context on each team’s situation, please check out my six-part series.
Angels
Drew Butera, Johnny Giavotella, Cesar Ramos
Astros
Chris Carter, Alex Presley, Luis Valbuena, Sam Deduno
Athletics
Fernando Abad, Jesse Chavez, Sam Fuld, Evan Scribner, Stephen Vogt
Blue Jays
Scott Barnes, Brett Cecil, Josh Donaldson, Kyle Drabek, Liam Hendriks, Todd Redmond, Justin Smoak, Steve Tolleson, Danny Valencia
Braves
Zoilo Almonte, Juan Jaime, Josh Outman
Brewers
Mike Fiers, Hector Gomez, Jeremy Jeffress, Luis Jimenez
Cardinals
Cubs
Drake Britton, Welington Castillo, Felix Doubront, Neil Ramirez, Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop, Jacob Turner, Travis Wood
Diamondbacks
Dodgers
A.J. Ellis, Chris Hatcher, Juan Nicasio
Giants
Erik Cordier, George Kontos, Jean Machi, Ehire Adrianza, Yusmeiro Petit, Gregor Blanco, Travis Ishikawa
Indians
Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, Nick Hagadone, Zach McAllister, Brandon Moss
Mariners
Dustin Ackley, Erasmo Ramirez, Justin Ruggiano
Marlins
Mike Dunn, Brad Hand, Adeiny Hechavarria, Bryan Morris
Mets
Wilmer Flores, John Mayberry, Jenrry Mejia, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Cesar Puello, Ruben Tejada, Carlos Torres
Nationals
Xavier Cedeno, Sandy Leon, Jose Lobaton, Tyler Moore
Orioles
Brad Brach, Zach Britton, David Lough, Brian Matusz, Jimmy Paredes, Travis Snider, Chris Tillman
Padres
Yonder Alonso, Tim Federowicz, Tyson Ross, Dale Thayer, Alex Torres
Phillies
Cesar Hernandez, Phillippe Aumont, Justin De Fratus, Freddy Galvis, Andy Oliver
Pirates
Pedro Florimon, Stolmy Pimentel, Vance Worley, Jeff Locke, Arquimedes Caminero, Radhames Liz, Mark Melancon, Francisco Cervelli, Chris Stewart, Pedro Alvarez
Rangers
None
Rays
Chris Archer, Jeff Beliveau, Brad Boxberger, Alex Colome, Ernesto Frieri, Kevin Jepsen, Jake McGee, Rene Rivera, Brandon Guyer
Red Sox
Reds
Rockies
Christian Friedrich, DJ LeMahieu, Michael McKenry, Tyler Chatwood
Royals
Louis Coleman, Jarrod Dyson, Erik Kratz
Tigers
Jose Iglesias, Hernan Perez, Andrew Romine
Twins
Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez, Trevor Plouffe, Jordan Schafer
White Sox
Maikel Cleto, Conor Gillaspie, Javy Guerra, Dan Jennings, Hector Noesi
Yankees
Central Notes: Eaton, Henderson, Perez, Jackson, Wood
Today’s biggest transactional news came out of Chicago, as the White Sox continued to set the stage for the future by extending outfielder Adam Eaton. The 26-year-old expressed plenty of excitement for the new deal, though it sounds as if he did not quite enjoy the process that it took to reach agreement, as Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com tweets. “I didn’t sleep much,” said Eaton. “Very stressful. I don’t know how the other side felt. It was long.”
Let’s have a look at a few more notes from the central divisions:
- Former Brewers closer Jim Henderson was reassigned to minor league camp today as he continues to show slow progress in his return from shoulder surgery, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. Henderson has been throwing his fastball at about five to ten miles per hour below his peak mid-to-upper-90s offering from recent seasons.
- Fellow righty Corey Knebel has also been shipped to the minor league side of camp by the Brewers, writes McCalvy, leaving Chris Perez, Tyler Thornburg, and Rob Wooten to battle over the final pen role. Perez is in camp on a minor league deal and has Article XX(B) protection, meaning that the team will either need to put him on the active roster, pay him a $100K bonus in the minors (and give him a June 1 opt-out date), or release him. The other two players still have options.
- Cubs skipper Joe Maddon says he is talking with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein about a creative means to fit both Edwin Jackson and Travis Wood on the 25-man roster, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat tweets. Jackson is in the midst of a substantial free agent contract, while Wood is out of options. A transaction would be necessary should either player not make the club out of camp.