Carlos Santana Will Be Indians’ Regular Third Baseman
Indians manager Terry Francona said today that Carlos Santana will serve as the club's everyday third baseman, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports on Twitter. Francona emphasized that Santana will not platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall, but said that he will also serve as the team's backup catcher.
Needless to say, it appears that Cleveland's lineup construction will be interesting to watch as the season progresses. Of course, if Santana really does see regular part-time catching duties while playing every day in the field, any benefits from reduced wear and tear could be countered by the physical and mental burden of taking on a new position and receiving little rest. And if the team gives him some straight off days to account for this unusual challenge, rather than slotting him in at DH, it stands to lose his bat on those occasions.
For his part, Chisenhall will make the squad but faces a "fluid" playing time situation, according to a Bastian tweet. We broke down some of the potential hot stove implications of this possible move back in January.
Orioles Claim Adams, Outright De La Cruz
TUESDAY: De La Cruz has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, the Orioles announced.
SATURDAY: The Orioles have claimed David Adams from the Indians on outright waivers, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets. The move clears space on the Indians' 40-man roster for infielder Elliot Johnson. The Orioles have announced that, to make room on their roster for Adams, they have designated pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz for assignment. De La Cruz, 25, posted a 2.67 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in the high minors of the Dodgers system in 2013. The lefty was out of options.
Adams, 26, hit just .193/.252/.286 in 152 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2013, but more robust .268/.366/.405 in 255 plate appearances at Triple-A Scranton / Wilkes-Barre. The Indians signed him to a big-league deal in December after the Yankees non-tendered him.
Both De La Cruz and Adams were signed to big-league deals this offseason despite a lack of MLB experience (De La Cruz has none). It's a strange coincidence, then, that both would be involved in the same transaction. In January, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes looked at the trend of signing young-ish players with little or no MLB experience to big-league deals.
Royals Designate Carlos Peguero For Assignment
The Royals have designated outfielder Carlos Peguero for assignment to create roster space for Rule 5 pick Patrick Schuster, tweets Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star.
The 27-year-old former Mariner has had a sparkling spring, posting a .313/.436/.563 triple-slash in 39 plate appearances. But he always faced an uphill battle in unseating Justin Maxwell for the fourth outfielder role. He could find a new home via trade, though any team acquiring him that way (rather than by signing him if he is waived) would need to consider him a strong candidate for an Opening Day spot, as Peguero is out of options.
Rangers To Sign Chris Snyder
The Rangers have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Chris Snyder, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Snyder was released just yesterday by the Nationals.
The 33-year-old will provide depth to the team while starter Geovany Soto works to return from knee surgery. Snyder's last substantial MLB action came in 2012 with the Astros, when he put up a .176/.295/.308 line in 258 plate appearances. He had a strong spring line in limited action, putting up a .294/.381/.529 triple-slash with one long ball in 21 plate appearances. The Rangers apparently preferred him to other available options, such as Ramon Hernandez and Yorvit Torrealba.
Royals Claim Rule 5 Pick Patrick Schuster
The Royals have claimed Rule 5 choice Patrick Schuster off of waivers from the Padres, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (Twitter links). The 23-year-old southpaw was the first choice in this year's Rule 5 draft.
Kansas City will now have the same rights as did San Diego, meaning the club will need to keep him on its active roster all year in order to keep him going forward. Otherwise, he would once again hit the waiver wire and ultimately (if he clears waivers) be offered back to the Diamondbacks, his original team.
As Dierkes notes, the Royals had seemed ready to give its last pen slot to fellow lefty Francisley Bueno. Instead, perhaps, the club will see if Schuster is able to contribute enough to occupy a valuable roster slot. Of course, Kansas City would need to pass the out-of-options Bueno through waivers to stash him in the minors.
Phillies Outright Kevin Frandsen, Who Elects Free Agency
TUESDAY: Frandsen has elected to forego his salary and become a free agent, the team announced.
SUNDAY: The Phillies have outrighted infielder Kevin Frandsen to Triple-A, reports MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Frandsen has 72 hours to either accept the assignment or reject the move and become a free agent. If the 31-year-old elects free agency, he will forfeit the guaranteed $900K salary agreed to last December when he signed a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
"We're in a situation now with many of the injuries that have happened and the things that have occurred this spring to try and create some roster space for us," Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "That's what we've done. We still think he can be a valuable part of our club. But he's competing. Just like he was before, he continues to compete for a job on the bench."
The Phillies now have 37 players on their 40-man roster, so they "can add him back" if necessary, according to assistant GM Scott Proefrock. Zolecki notes such a scenario is unusual.
Frandsen has spent the past two seasons with the Phillies slashing .280/.333/.389 during his time in Philadelphia, including a .234/.296/.341 mark in 278 plate appearances (119 games) in 2013. Frandsen spent time at every infield position, except shortstop, last year.
Frandsen is a lifetime .259/.316/.359 hitter during his seven-year MLB career with the Giants, Angels, and Phillies.
Twins Re-Sign Matt Guerrier
12:19pm: Guerrier can opt out of his deal on May 8, tweets LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. Financial terms remain the same as in Guerrier's prior deal, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He will earn $1MM while on the MLB roster and could earn up to $1MM more through incentives, with $250K bonuses triggered upon his 45th, 50th, 55th, and 60th appearances.
11:29am: The Twins have re-signed reliever Matt Guerrier after releasing him yesterday, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger (Twitter links). The new deal includes an opt-out clause earlier than the June 1 date from his old contract, Bollinger adds.
By releasing and re-signing Guerrier, Minnesota avoided paying him a $100K retention bonus to stash him in the minors. The 35-year-old righty had hoped to find a big league opportunity elsewhere, but presumably was unable to do so.
Brewers To Add Rule 5 Pick Wang To Opening Day Roster
The Brewers have informed Rule 5 choice Wei-Chung Wang that he will make the club's Opening Day roster, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter). The southpaw has impressed since being taken from the Pirates after his former club declined to protect him by adding him to its 40-man roster.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Wang can stick on the active roster for the duration of the season. The 21-year-old Taiwanese hurler has never thrown above the Rookie ball level, though he was fairly dominant there while working almost entirely as a starter. Wang posted a 3.23 ERA in 41 1/3 innings, with 8.0 K/9 against 0.8 BB/9 and a 0.866 WHIP. Thus far in the spring, Wang has a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings, with six strikeouts and no free passes — quite an impressive showing for a pitcher of his experience level.
Nationals Release Michael Gonzalez
The Nationals have released southpaw reliever Michael Gonzalez, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Gonzalez had a Thursday opt-out date, notes Mark Zuckerman of CSNwashington.com (on Twitter).
The 35-year-old seemed a long shot for a slot after the club decided to add Ross Detwiler to the pen. He joined the Nats just three weeks ago after spending 2013 with the Brewers. Gonzalez was an important part of the Nationals club down the stretch in 2012, after signing mid-season.
Rays Release Erik Bedard
The Rays have released pitcher Erik Bedard, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 35-year-old hurler is expected to seek an MLB opportunity, though Tampa is still interested in bringing him back at the Triple-A level if he does not find a big league roster spot.
Throwing for the Astros last year, Bedard managed a 4.59 ERA in 151 innings over 26 starts and six relief appearances. He struck out batters at a clip of 8.2 K/9 while surrendering 4.5 BB/9 and posting a 36.4% ground ball rate. The veteran southpaw should hold some appeal for clubs looking for an arm to eat innings at the back of a rotation or, possibly, in the bullpen.