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Phillies Release Bryan Holaday, Ryan Hanigan

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Veteran catcher Bryan Holaday has exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league deal with the Phillies, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick tweets. The Phillies told Holaday he wouldn’t make the team’s Opening Day roster. The Phillies have also released veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan, tweets MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. It therefore appears Andrew Knapp has made the team as the backup catcher to Cameron Rupp, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.

The Phillies signed Holaday and Hanigan over the winter to provide veteran competition for youngsters Knapp and perhaps Jorge Alfaro. Holaday, though, played somewhat sparingly this spring, receiving just 24 at-bats even though he out-hit Knapp in a small sample. Hanigan hit even better and played even less. Of course, a catcher’s job is about far more than hitting, particularly over just a handful of games, and Knapp (the primary catcher at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year) appeared to be the favorite for the job heading into camp.

The 29-year-old Holaday has appeared in parts of five big-league seasons, batting .245/.282/.346. He played for the Rangers and Red Sox last year. Hanigan, a ten-year veteran, also played for the Red Sox in 2016.

Phillies Release Sean Burnett

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The Phillies have released veteran left-hander Sean Burnett, according to a team announcement. The reliever, who had an opt-out in his minor league contract for Sunday, requested his release.

At his best, Burnett was a high-end bullpen option from 2009-12, when he combined for a 2.86 ERA and a 55.4 percent ground-ball rate with the Pirates and Nationals. Arm issues have derailed Burnett’s career since, however, as the two-time Tommy John surgery recipient didn’t throw more than 9 2/3 innings in any of the previous four major league seasons. After missing all of 2015, he returned to the bigs with the Nationals last year and allowed two earned runs on three hits in 5 2/3 frames. Burnett spent most of the season at the Triple-A level as a member of four different organizations – the Nats, Braves, Dodgers and Twins.

While spring training stats don’t carry any significance, the 34-year-old Burnett did fare decently in camp with the Phillies. In nine innings, he yielded two earned runs on six hits and two walks, though he didn’t record any strikeouts. That showing clearly wasn’t enough for the Phillies to hand Burnett a roster spot, and he’ll attempt to catch on with a different organization as a result.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Phillies, Marlins

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The Nationals have “kind of settled on” their choice for a closer, Dusty Baker told Jamal Collier of MLB.com, but the manager hasn’t revealed the decision to anyone competing for the role. Koda Glover, Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen have all been vying for the job this spring, and it appears the inexperienced Glover is the front-runner. Although Glover has just 19 2/3 major league innings on his resume, the hard-throwing 23-year-old is the favorite to handle the ninth, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who adds that Washington likes his “moxie.”

More from D.C. and two other NL East cities:

  • Sticking with the Nationals’ bullpen, right-hander Joe Nathan is still with the team after he didn’t opt out of his contract Friday. However, that wasn’t his only opportunity – the longtime closer actually has a 72-hour window to exit his minor league pact, reports Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). The Nats have taken a good look this spring at the 42-year-old Nathan, who has thrown 10 2/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on 13 hits and three walks (and totaled eight strikeouts).
  • The Phillies are facing a 40-man roster crunch as Opening Day nears, meaning they could pursue a trade to free up space, per Matt Gelb of Philly.com. “We’re trying to come up with the best plan for when we break, and a lot of it has to do with the non-roster players,” said manager Pete Mackanin. “If we make a move, someone has to come off [the 40-man roster] and that’s an issue.” Outfielder Tyler Goeddel, whom the Phillies demoted to Double-A on Friday, and pitchers Adam Morgan, Alec Asher and Luis Garcia are among those on the 40-man bubble, notes Gelb.
  • Marlins left-hander Jeff Locke is making progress in his bout with bicep tendinitis, having thrown off a mound for the first time this spring on Saturday, but manager Don Mattingly suggested he’s likely to at least miss all of April, writes Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Locke, an ex-Pirate whom the Marlins signed to a one-year, $3.025MM deal in December, would have opened the season as either a No. 5 starter or a long reliever had he been healthy. Locke’s ongoing absence will continue to sap the depth of a Miami team which is reportedly looking for rotation help.

NL Notes: Peralta, Aybar, Padres’ Pen, Bradley, Goeddel, Susac

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Cardinals manager Mike Matheny suggested Friday that Jhonny Peralta, not Jedd Gyorko, will win the team’s third base job, according to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s looked as good as we had hoped,” Matheny said of the 34-year-old Peralta, who dealt with a thumb injury last season and slashed a modest .260/.307/.408 in 313 plate appearances. Gyorko posted far superior production last year, when he hit .243/.306/.495 with a team-high 30 home runs in 438 PAs. Nevertheless, it appears he’ll open 2017 as a frequently used utilityman — a role he’s better suited for than Peralta.

Here’s more on some roster situations around the National League:

  • It seems that Erick Aybar currently holds the inside track to the Padres’ starting shortstop job, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Aybar hasn’t hit much this spring — he’s slashing .273/.319/.318 through 16 games — but seems to be the logical solution barring a trade. Luis Sardinas, meanwhile, is competing for a spot as a utility player, per manager Andy Green. He has spent some time in left field in a bid to enhance his versatility, and will seemingly be jockeying with options such as Cory Spangenberg and Rule 5 pick Allen Cordoba.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres are still sorting through a variety of bullpen options, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes. Rule 5’er Miguel Diaz seems to be well-positioned, while either Trevor Cahill or Jarred Cosart will also likely crack the pen if either fails to make the rotation. (The odds of both functioning as starters increased, it seems, with an injury to Christian Friedrich.) Veterans Craig Stammen, Carter Capps, and Kevin Quackenbush are among the notable names also in the running. Capps seems unlikely to be ready in time, per Cassavell, while Quackenbush’s poor showing in camp could result in an assignment to Triple-A.
  • The division-rival Diamondbacks have settled on their own starting five, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports. That grouping — Zack Greinke, Taijuan Walker, Robbie Ray, Shelby Miller, and Patrick Corbin — contains no surprises, but manager Torey Lovullo did note an interesting decision on another hurler. Former top prospect Archie Bradley will open the year in the major league bullpen. The 24-year-old has struggled in his MLB opportunities over the past two seasons and has allowed 13 earned runs on 23 hits over 14 2/3 innings this spring. While he could still factor as a long-term rotation possibility — Bradley has produced quality results of late at Triple-A — the club will see whether the move to a relief role helps spur some positive momentum.
  • When the Phillies optioned outfielder Tyler Goeddel to minor league camp Friday, they informed him he’d likely start 2017 at the Double-A level, writes Matt Breen of Philly.com. Considering he spent all of last season in the majors, Goeddel isn’t thrilled with his multi-level demotion. “I’m not too happy about that but you can’t control it,” said Goeddel, who hit a meager .192/.258/.291 in 234 PAs as a Rule 5 pick in 2016. With Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Dylan Cozens set to comprise the Phillies’ Triple-A outfield, there aren’t any openings for Goeddel at that level. Regarding those three, Goeddel stated: “I know who’s at Triple-A with Cozens, Williams and Quinn. But I was still surprised. They hadn’t really told me anything so it was definitely surprising.”
  • A neck issue has kept Brewers catcher Andrew Susac out of action for the past week-plus, but an MRI on Friday revealed no structural damage to his trapezius, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Susac will be able to ramp up his rehab as a result, though he’ll still start the year on the disabled list. Milwaukee will open with Jett Bandy and Manny Pina as its top options behind the plate.

Indians Return Rule 5 Pick Hoby Milner To Phillies

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The Indians have returned lefty Hoby Milner to the Phillies, per a club announcement. Milner, 26, was taken with the 27th pick in last winter’s Rule 5 draft.

Fresh off of a World Series run, Cleveland obviously would’ve needed to be rather impressed to give the 26-year-old an active roster spot. He did rack up nine strikeouts against three walks in his seven spring innings, though he also coughed up seven earned runs on nine hits.

Milner could factor into the Phillies’ depth plans entering the year now that he’s back in the fold. He did have a rather impressive 2016 season. Despite carrying pedestrian strikeout totals for most of his career to that point, Milner averaged 10.5 K/9 against just 2.1 BB/9 in his 65 frames in the upper minors, with a shiny 2.49 ERA on the year.

Phillies, Blue Jays Interested In Angel Pagan

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The Phillies are the newest team to be linked to Angel Pagan, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter).  The Blue Jays are also still connected to the Pagan hunt, though previous reports had indicated that Toronto was content with its current mix of left field options.

Pagan would be something of a curious fit, at first glance, for a Phillies team that seems pretty set with Odubel Herrera in center and new arrivals Howie Kendrick and Michael Saunders manning the corner outfield slots.  Beyond the starters, Philadelphia also has several internal options (Aaron Altherr and Tyler Goeddel) and veterans on non-roster invites (Daniel Nava and Chris Coghlan) in camp battling for reserve roles.  The Phils have stressed Kendrick’s value as a multi-position player, however, so the club could now be considering giving Kendrick less time in left than originally anticipated.  The right-handed hitting Kendrick isn’t exactly an ideal time-share candidate for second baseman Cesar Hernandez (a switch-hitter), third baseman Maikel Franco or first baseman Tommy Joseph (both right-handed bats), though if Kendrick could spell any of these young players on a regular basis and still maintain an everyday presence in the lineup.

As I noted in my recent look at the Blue Jays’ offseason, there is quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding the team’s left field situation.  Steve Pearce is the Jays’ top option in left, though he has yet to play the position in spring action as he recovers from elbow surgery, and Pearce might eventually be required at first base if Justin Smoak can’t handle an everyday job.  A platoon of Melvin Upton Jr. and Ezequiel Carrera is also not ideal, as Carrera is a reverse-splits batter who hits lefties better than righties and Upton just struggled badly after joining the Jays last summer.  Dalton Pompey, meanwhile, is out of action due to a concussion.

Several teams (including the Braves, Royals, Pirates, Nationals, and Orioles) have been linked to Pagan this offseason, though the veteran is holding out until he receives a Major League contract, reportedly in the neighborhood of $5MM.  Pagan has a case for such a commitment, given that he hit .277/.331/.418 with a career-best 12 homers over 543 PA for the Giants in a 2.1 fWAR season last year.  Pagan is 35, however, and is also just a season removed from a below-replacement level (-0.7 fWAR) year in 2015, though he generated a combined 3.1 fWAR over 167 games in 2013-14.  Pagan is no longer a viable center field defender, though he could fill play there in a pinch; presumably he could also handle right (though he hasn’t played the position since 2010) and he graded out as a decent left fielder last year with the Giants.

The switch-hitting Pagan has been notably better against right-handed pitching over the last few years than he has against southpaws, making him a good fit on a very right-handed Jays roster.  Philadelphia has Hernandez (a switch-hitter) and Herrera and Saunders as left-handed bats in the everyday lineup, while Coghlan and the switch-hitting Nava are the left-handed options amidst the backup outfield contingent.

NL East Notes: Szczur, Johnson, Coghlan, Nava, Phillies

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Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • The Braves have Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur on their list of possible trade candidates, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter).  Szczur is out of options and the Cubs intend to keep him, though a 25-man roster spot could be hard to manage given Chicago’s multitude of depth options.  Szczur has a career .245/.297/.376 slash line over 346 PA since debuting with the Cubs in 2014, and he is a right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions, which fits Atlanta’s known need.  MLB.com’s Mark Bowman recently opined that since the Braves have several out-of-options players, they could deal one such player for another on a rival team.
  • Though Kelly Johnson remains unsigned, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo doesn’t feel there’s any chance of another reunion between he and the Mets, especially not as long as Johnson is still looking for an MLB contract.  The Mets are satisfied with their current backup infield mix, and likely wouldn’t check in on Johnson (either via signing or a midseason trade if he signs elsewhere) unless he’s willing to take a minor league deal or if New York develops a need later in the year.
  • Sunday is the deadline for the Phillies to either release Chris Coghlan upon request, or place him on their 25-man roster within 48 hours, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports.  In other Phils opt-out news, Daniel Nava can request his release if he isn’t on the Phillies’ Major League roster by June 15.  Coghlan and Nava both signed minor league deals with Philadelphia this winter, though as Zolecki explains, the two veterans are in a tight battle for the Phillies’ two remaining bench spots.
  • Koda Glover is a contender to win the Nationals’ closer job, though as Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron notes, the Nats’ decision to use Glover in the ninth inning of spring games is making it difficult to properly evaluate the hard-throwing righty.  Spring Training performances should be taken with a grain of salt anyway, and in Glover’s case, he has faced very few hitters who actually project to be on MLB rosters this season.

Phillies Notes: Roster, Herrera, Klentak, Burnett

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Some notes from The City Of Brotherly Love…

  • With a full 40-man roster, the Phillies have several tough choices to make before Opening Day, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury writes.  Chris Coghlan, Daniel Nava and Brock Stassi are in camp on minor league deals and, if any make the team, someone else would have to be displaced.  The Phils have two bench spots open, in Salisbury’s estimation, plus another bench spot for the backup catcher (either Andrew Knapp or Ryan Hanigan, the latter of whom isn’t on the 40-man).
  • The Phillies’ five-year, $30.5MM extension with Odubel Herrera is already looking like a shrewd move for the team compared to other extensions for center fielders, David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines.  The Braves signed Ender Inciarte to a similar extension (five years and $30.525MM, with a sixth year option) while the Rays locked Kevin Kiermaier up for six years and an option for $53.5MM.  All three are strong-to-great defenders but Herrera is the best hitter of the trio, Murphy notes, plus a year younger.  The extension also allows the Phillies future flexibility under the luxury tax, making it especially valuable for a big-market club that aims to spending freely once it emerges from its rebuilding phase.
  • General manager Matt Klentak sat down with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand for an interview detailing how Klentak got his start in baseball, his path to becoming Philadelphia’s GM, some of the Phillies’ offseason moves and more.
  • Sean Burnett took a rather extreme measure to combat his elbow pain in 2013, the southpaw told PhillyVoice.com’s Ryan Lawrence last week.  Burnett was dealing with a damaged ligament that was not quite damaged enough to require Tommy John surgery (Burnett had already undergone a TJ operation in 2004), so he decided to force the issue.  “I would go back to my [hotel] room, set up some pillows on the headboard and would chuck balls at it hoping it would pop just so I could get it fixed,” Burnett said.  “The pain I was in was excruciating.  I knew it wasn’t going to get any better.  If you throw a ball long enough you know what it’s going to take and how your body feels.”  Burnett’s elbow finally gave out during a game against the Mariners in May 2014 and he underwent the surgery, which kept him out of action until this past September when he returned to the big leagues in the Nationals bullpen.  After signing a minor league deal with the Phillies this winter, Burnett is competing to be the second lefty in Philadelphia’s bullpen.

Phillies, Mariners Swap Joey Curletta, Pat Venditte

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The Phillies have traded outfielder Joey Curletta to the Mariners for ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte, per an announcement from Philadelphia.

This is the second trade since last August involving the 31-year-old Venditte, whom Seattle acquired from Toronto for minor league infielder Tim Lopes. A 20th-round pick of the Yankees in 2008, Venditte debuted in the majors with the Athletics in 2015 and has since logged a 4.97 ERA, 7.46 K/9, 4.09 BB/9 and 36.2 percent ground-ball rate in 50 2/3 innings. Twenty-two of those frames came last year for Venditte, who ran up a 5.73 ERA between the Blue Jays and Mariners.

While he possesses the ultra-rare capability of being able to pitch with either arm, Venditte has been far more successful as a southpaw, having held left-handed hitters to a .179/.242/.366 line. Righty-swingers have handled him, evidenced by a .277/.380/.523 line. Currently pitching for Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Venditte will join the Phillies as a non-roster player when the team is eliminated or the tournament ends, per Jayson Stark of ESPN (Twitter link).

Curletta, who turned 23 this past Monday, has also been involved in a pair of trades since last year. The Phillies acquired him from the Dodgers in September to complete the deal that featured catchers Carlos Ruiz and A.J. Ellis. The Dodgers chose Curletta in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, and he has since ascended to the Double-A level. Curletta struggled there last year, though, as he hit just .206/.280/.371 in 107 plate appearances.

Baseball America previously wrote that the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Curletta is a “physical monster” with “light-tower power” as a right-handed hitter. However, scouts have questioned whether he’ll hit in the big leagues, and BA noted that doesn’t provide any speed or defensive value. Curletta will now head to the Mariners’ minor league camp, tweets Greg Johns of MLB.com.

Pre-Arb Deals: Lindor, Duvall, Sano, Franco, Odor, Realmuto

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You can find a primer on how pre-arbitration salaries work right here. In essence, teams can renew players at whatever price they wish, so long as it meets or exceeds the MLB minimum — which currently sits at $535K. But all teams consider at least nominal raises for players with prior experience. If you really want to dig into the details of the process — and how different teams approach it — be sure to check out this close look from MLBTR’s Zach Links.

We have already covered a few notable salaries for 2017: Kris Bryant set a record at $1.05MM; Mookie Betts didn’t agree with the Red Sox, but still got $950K; and Astros star Carlos Correa was renewed at the minimum after failing to see eye to eye. Here are a few of the latest numbers, all via the Twitter feed of Jon Heyman of Fan Rag unless otherwise noted:

  • The Indians agreed to a $579,300 salary with star shortstop Francisco Lindor. A well-rounded performer at just 23 years of age, Lindor made his first All-Star team after landing just shy of Correa in the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year voting. It’ll be interesting to see whether the sides continue to talk money over the next few years in an effort to reach a long-term deal.
  • The Reds renewed outfielder Adam Duvall at $577,500. He was evidently looking for more after a breakout 2016 campaign in which he hit 33 homers but lagged in the on-base department (.297 OBP). Duvall has established himself as the team’s regular left fielder, though, and did out-earn two other power-hitting players in the same 1+ service class.
  • Third baseman Miguel Sano agreed to a $572,500 payday from the Twins, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. The 23-year old swatted 25 long balls but fell off a bit from his torrid rookie year. He’ll still get a fairly solid pay boost, though, in his 1+ service-class year.
  • Fellow young hot corner slugger Maikel Franco agreed to a $560K deal with the Phillies. Franco, 22, went through a similar sophomore slump as Sano while matching him in the long ball department. These two seem likely to be compared for years to come. Franco, though, will likely qualify for arbitration a year earlier, as he’ll easily reach Super Two status next winter so long as he stays on the MLB roster for the bulk of the upcoming season.
  • The Rangers will pay second baseman Rougned Odor $563,180 in their agreement. The hard-nosed 23-year old delivered 33 bombs from the middle infield, though like Duvall he also fell short of hopes with a .296 OBP. Texas is already weighing a much heftier commitment, though, with reports suggesting the sides are in talks on a deal that could exceed $50MM in guaranteed money.
  • Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto was rewarded for his promising 2016 campaign with a $562,500 deal, per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Realmuto, who’ll soon turn 26, will reach arbitration next winter, where he’ll be paid handsomely if he can repeat his numbers from last season. Over 545 plate appearances, Realmuto slashed .303/.343/.428 and provided 11 home runs and a dozen steals — though he was aided by a .357 BABIP.
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