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Albert Abreu

Reds, Albert Abreu Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have agreed to a minor league contract with free agent righty Albert Abreu, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Vayner Sports client will be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.

Abreu, 29, has pitched in parts of four big league seasons, mostly with the Yankees, but spent the 2024 campaign with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He logged 49 innings out of the Lions’ bullpen and pitched to a strong 2.39 earned run average, albeit with poor rate stats. Abreu fanned only 16.3% of the hitters he faced and issued walks at a 9.9% clip. He’s had a similar run with los Tigres de Licey in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, tossing 22 2/3 frames with a 3.18 ERA, 15% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.

Abreu originally debuted with the 2020 Yankees but was torched for four runs (three earned) in just 1 1/3 innings across two appearances. He fared better in larger samples across the next three seasons — including brief stints with the Royals and Rangers — but mirrored the same shaky K-BB profile he’s displayed in Japan and in winter ball over the past year. In 135 2/3 career innings, Abreu carries a 4.58 ERA, 22.4% strikeout rate and 12.9% walk rate. He’s kept the ball on the ground at a nice 47.4% rate and averaged a whopping 97.8 mph on his sinker, but home runs have also been an issue (1.53 HR/9).

The Reds beefed up their bullpen yesterday with a trade for San Francisco’s Taylor Rogers, though they’ve also subtracted righty Fernando Cruz this offseason (in a trade netting them backup catcher Jose Trevino). Rogers joins Alexis Diaz, Sam Moll, Emilio Pagan, Brent Suter and out-of-options Tony Santillan as virtual locks for the bullpen — health permitting. Former starters Graham Ashcraft and Carson Spiers are in the mix for spots but could also be optioned to Triple-A to either remain stretched out in the Louisville rotation or continue working on a transition to shorter stints. Righties Casey Legumina and Yosver Zulueta are also on the 40-man roster and could factor into the relief corps with a strong spring showing.

Abreu, Bryan Shaw, Alex Young and Ian Gibaut are among the experienced arms who’ll be non-roster invitees this spring and look to grab one of those final spots in new manager Terry Francona’s bullpen.

Franchy Cordero, Albert Abreu Sign With NPB’s Seibu Lions

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First baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero has signed with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, his representatives at Republik Sports announced today on Instagram. He’ll be joined on the Lions roster by another former Yankee, right-hander Albert Abreu, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray, who reports that Abreu is also set to sign there. Abreu is represented by Vayner Sports.

Cordero, 29, has long tantalized Major League teams with his rare blend of immense raw power and plus speed. Persistent plate discipline and strikeout issues have undercut his upside in both departments, however, as indicated by a career .217/.283/.395 batting line in 797 plate appearances between the Padres, Red Sox, Royals and Yankees. He spent the 2023 season with the latter, enjoying a hot first week before falling into a prolonged slump and ending up with a .188/.211/.478 slash in 71 plate appearances.

The allure of Cordero’s raw tools is apparent to anyone who’s seen him enjoy a productive game in the big leagues or even just in glancing at his career line in the minors. He’s a .301/.384/.538 hitter with 54 home runs, 77 doubles, 22 triples and 42 steals (in 50 tries) over the life of 306 Triple-A contests. Cordero’s hit tool (or lack thereof), free-swinging approach and generally sub-par defensive grades in the outfield have all held him back. He’ll look to improve on each in his first venture overseas. He won’t turn 30 until next September, so with a good year or two in Japan, it’s feasible that he could eventually return to North American ball and make an impact.

As for Abreu, he’ll join his former and once-again teammate in his own debut in Asia. The hard-throwing righty was long considered one of the top prospects in the Astros and Yankees organizations — Houston traded him to New York in the Brian McCann swap — but he’s yet to find sustained MLB success.

Abreu tossed 59 innings for the Yankees in 2023, logging a 4.73 ERA with a 22.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate. The Yankees non-tendered him last month rather than pay him a raise in arbitration.

Command has been a consistent issue for Abreu, who carries a career 4.58 earned run average, 22.4% strikeout rate, 12.9% walk rate and 47.4% grounder rate. He’s averaged 97.9 mph on his sinker in his career, including 97.5 mph in 2023, and generates plenty of ground-balls with that pitch. However, Abreu doesn’t miss bats at the level you’d expect from someone with that type of velocity, as evidenced by his pedestrian career strikeout rate, below-average 10.2% swinging-strike rate and a sub-par 28.3% chase rate.

American League Non-Tenders: 11/17/23

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The deadline to tender a contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7:00pm CT. Here’s a rundown of the players on American League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all players eligible for arbitration last month. All players who are non-tendered before this evening’s deadline go directly into free agency, where they’re eligible to sign with any of MLB’s 30 clubs.

Onto the transactions…

Latest Moves

  • Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Rays non-tendered righty Cooper Criswell. He’d been designated for assignment on Tuesday.
  • The Mariners announced this evening that the club has non-tendered first baseman Mike Ford. Ford hit well (.228/.323/.475) in 83 games with Seattle this season but had already been designated for assignment earlier this week.
  • The Yankees announced this evening that the club has non-tendered right-handers Albert Abreu and Lou Trivino in addition to left-hander Anthony Misiewicz. Trivino didn’t pitch in the majors this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in May. Abreu pitched to a 4.73 ERA and 5.26 FIP across 59 innings of work while Misiewicz posted a 7.36 ERA across 11 innings of work for the Diamondbacks, Yankees, and Tigers.
  • The Twins have non-tendered left-hander Jovani Moran and right-hander Ronny Henriquez, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Moran finished the season on the injured list and, per Hayes, will require Tommy John surgery this offseason. Henriquez did not appear in the majors this year and struggled to a 5.68 ERA in 37 appearances at the Triple-A level.
  • The Angels announced this evening that they have non-tendered right-hander Jose Marte. Marte had gotten brief looks out of Anaheim’s bullpen across the past three seasons but struggled to a 8.14 ERA in 24 1/3 combined innings of work over those cups of coffee.
  • The Red Sox have non-tendered right-hander Wyatt Mills, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Mills, 28, did not appear in the big leagues this year and underwent Tommy John surgery over the summer.

Earlier Moves

  • The Rangers announced this evening that they have non-tendered right-hander Matt Bush and left-hander Brett Martin. Bush, 37, struggled to a 9.58 ERA with the Brewers this year and did not make an appearance with Texas. Martin missed the entire 2023 campaign with shoulder issues.
  • The Royals announced this evening that they have non-tendered outfielder Diego Hernandez, left-hander Austin Cox, catcher Logan Porter and right-hander Josh Staumont. All but Hernandez had already been designated for assignment by the club earlier this week. Hernandez has yet to appear in the majors during his career and slashed .245/.302/.291 in 60 games at the Double-A level this season.
  • The Athletics announced today that they did not tender a contract to infielder Kevin Smith. Smith joined the club in the trade that sent Matt Chapman to Toronto and slashed just .182/.218/.314 in 297 trips to the plate with Oakland over the last two seasons.
  • The Blue Jays are expected to non-tender right-hander Adam Cimber this evening, per Ari Alexander of Houston’s KPRC-2. A veteran of six MLB seasons, the 32-year-old Cimber struggled badly in 2023 with a 7.40 ERA in 22 appearances despite a strong 2.53 ERA in 149 appearances with Toronto between 2021 and 2022.

Yankees Place Ron Marinaccio On Injured List

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The Yankees announced the placement of reliever Ron Marinaccio on the 15-day injured list this afternoon, retroactive to October 3. He’s dealing with a stress reaction in his right shin. Bullpen mate Albert Abreu is back from the 15-day IL to take the vacated spot on the active roster.

The IL placement rules Marinaccio out for the American League Division Series. Manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism he could return for the AL Championship Series, should the Yankees advance (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). It doesn’t seem like an especially long-term concern, but the issue is serious enough the Yanks will have to play their ALDS without a reliever who’d have otherwise been very likely to make the playoff roster.

A former 19th-round pick, Marinaccio has overcome a lack of fanfare as a prospect to emerge as a solid bullpen option. He was added to the 40-man roster last offseason and made his big league debut this April, kicking off a successful rookie campaign. The Delaware product has appeared in 40 games and tallied 44 innings, posting a 2.05 ERA. He’s induced swinging strikes on a very strong 13.9% of his offerings and has punched out opponents at a robust 30.9% clip. A 13.3% walk rate certainly isn’t ideal, but Marinaccio has shown the ability to miss plenty of bats and limit damaging contact against left-handed and right-handed hitters alike.

Abreu steps into the vacated roster spot for the final couple days of the regular season. He’s been out since mid-August due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. The out-of-options righty has bounced between a trio of teams this year. Sent from the Yankees to the Rangers before Opening Day in the deal that landed José Trevino in the Bronx, Abreu struggled mightily in Texas. The Rangers traded him to the Royals. He didn’t stick in Kansas City either, and the Yankees eventually brought him back off waivers.

The 27-year-old has pitched pretty well for the Yankees, posting a 3.24 ERA with a 24.2% strikeout rate over 25 innings. He’s only walked 5.7% of batters faced in pinstripes after struggling mightily with free passes in both Arlington and Kansas City. The Yankees have nevertheless mostly deployed Abreu in low-leverage situations, so he seems more of a borderline candidate to land a playoff roster spot.

Injury Notes: Abreu, Britton, Kershaw

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The Yankees placed right-hander Albert Abreu on the 15-day injured list today due to right elbow inflammation. The club didn’t provide any estimated timeline for Abreu’s absence, but an issue with a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always somewhat concerning.

Abreu went from the Yankees to the Rangers in the offseason as part of the Jose Trevino trade. He lasted less than two months in Texas, getting designated for assignment and then traded to the Royals. About three weeks later, he was designated again and returned to the Yankees on waivers. Between the three teams, he has a 3.32 ERA on the year in 38 innings.

Other injury notes from around the league…

  • Though losing Abreu isn’t good news, the Yankees got much better news elsewhere on the roster. Manager Aaron Boone tells Joe Trezza of MLB.com that lefty Zack Britton recently threw a bullpen and is nearing a rehab assignment. Now 34, Britton was one of the best relievers in all of baseball from 2014 to 2016 while with the Orioles. His strikeout rate tapered off after that, though he still got grounders on over 70% of balls in play. 2021 was a down season, as he registered a 5.89 ERA before hitting the injured list in August. He eventually required surgery to repair his UCL, which wiped out what was left of that season and threatened his 2022 as well. In November, general manager Brian Cashman said it was “probable” that Britton would miss all of this season, though it seems he’s still got a shot of returning. There’s just over six weeks remaining in the regular season, but the Yanks are a virtual lock for the postseason, giving Britton a bit more time to make an impact. He’d no doubt love to get back on the hill and help the team, while also showcasing his health before reaching free agency this winter.
  • The Dodgers could potentially get Clayton Kershaw back sooner than expected. Just yesterday, it was reported that he could soon go out on a rehab assignment and return in the second week of September. Manager Dave Roberts now tells J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group that the plan is for the lefty to throw a bullpen on Monday, followed three or four innings in a simulated game later in the week before being activated without a rehab assignment. That would seem to open the door to Kershaw returning before the month of August is complete. Kershaw’s return would only further strengthen the rotation, which also welcomed Dustin May back yesterday. Kershaw’s been dealing with back issues this year, but has a tremendous 2.64 ERA in 85 1/3 innings when healthy.

Rays Acquire David McKay From Yankees For Cash Considerations

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The Rays have acquired right-handed pitcher David McKay from the Yankees in exchange for cash considerations, per the Yankees. McKay will be added to the Rays’ 40-man roster and sent to Triple-A, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Manuel Margot is going on the 60-day injured list, opening a slot for McKay.

McKay was recently designated for assignment by the Yankees as they made room for Albert Abreu, claimed off waivers from the Royals. As part of this deal, the Yankees announced that Abreu has been placed on the active roster. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt was optioned to Triple-A last night after the game, freeing up a spot on the active roster.

McKay actually spent spring training with the Rays, so he’ll be familiar with his new club. The 27-year-old made just two appearances for the Yankees, both scoreless innings. He has also appeared in his career with the Mariners and Tigers, totaling 28 2/3 innings over 28 appearances since 2019 with an overall 5.65 ERA/4.78 FIP.

For the Yankees, they’ll pick up some cash from a division rival while returning to a former prospect in Abreu. Still just 26, Abreu made seven appearances with the Rangers and another four with the Royals this season, and while he has posted a 3.46 ERA over those 13 innings, an 8.44 FIP belies some underlying issues with the overall body of work. Namely, Abreu has struggled from a lack of command, giving out 16 free passes in those 13 innings.

Yankees Claim Albert Abreu, Designate David McKay

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2:06pm: The Yankees announced the claim of Abreu, adding that righty David McKay was designated for assignment to open a spot on the roster.

1:45pm: The Yankees have brought righty Albert Abreu back to the organization, claiming him off waivers from the Royals on Tuesday, Robert Murray of FanSided reports (via Twitter). They’ll need to make a corresponding 40-man move to accommodate Abreu, who was designated for assignment by Kansas City last week.

It’s been just over two months since the Yankees traded Abreu to the Rangers in the deal that brought catcher Jose Trevino to the Bronx. The swap has paid huge dividends for the Yanks, as Trevino has surprised with a .278/.336/.454 batting line through his first 119 plate appearances. He’s also provided excellent defense, as he was previously known for, and generally filled a major void for a Yankees team that otherwise did little to address its catching situation over the winter. New York picked up light-hitting Ben Rortvedt in the trade that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to Minnesota, but he’s been sidelined all season due to injury.

Abreu’s time with the Rangers, meanwhile, proved to be brief. Although he posted a 3.12 ERA in his 8 2/3 innings with Texas, he also issued a staggering 12 walks and plunked a batter. The Rangers understandably weren’t enthused with that alarming lack of command and wound up designating Abreu for assignment and trading him to the Royals. He pitched just 4 1/3 innings for Kansas City and wound up with another four walks and a hit batter before being designated for assignment.

Abreu, 26, has long drawn positive scouting grades for a plus fastball and a pair of above-average secondary offerings (changeup, slider). Command has always been his Achilles heel, however, as evidenced by his perennially lofty walk rates in the minors. He’s out of minor league options, so the Yankees will tuck him back into the big league relief corps for now in hopes of again working with him to harness his command of the strike zone.

As for the 27-year-old McKay, he pitched in just two games with the Yankees, hurling two scoreless innings in the process. Like Abreu, he’s been far too prone to issuing walks at the MLB level, however; in 28 2/3 innings between the Mariners, Tigers and Yankees, McKay has walked 20 of the 127 batters he’s faced (15.7%). McKay has whiffed 34.4% of his career opponents in Triple-A, which surely intrigues some clubs, but his command issues have prevented him from finding any sustained MLB success. The Yankees will have a week to trade him release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

Royals Announce Four Roster Moves

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The Royals reinstated right-hander right-hander Matt Peacock and left-hander Gabe Speier from the injured list.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Albert Abreu was designated for assignment, and righty Arodys Vizcaino was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha.

Kansas City acquired Abreu from the Rangers just two weeks ago, but he loses his roster spot after four appearances. He only allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings with K.C., but he also issued four walks and only fanned three batters. Abreu also had more walks than strikeouts (12:9) during his early-season stint in Texas, and those control woes have pushed him off two rosters.

Abreu can’t be optioned to the minor leagues, so teams have to either keep him on the active roster or designate him for assignment. That status has squeezed the hard-throwing reliever off both the Yankees’ and Rangers’ rosters recently, but he’s drawn the attention of rival clubs both times. Kansas City will now have a week to try to work out another trade or see if he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed.

Vizacino signed a minor league deal over the offseason and made it back to the majors in late May after posting a 1.76 ERA through 15 1/3 frames in Omaha. The former Brave appeared in seven games, tossing 5 2/3 frames of four-run ball. He issued seven free passes and struck out just three hitters, however, and he’ll lose his 40-man roster spot as a result. Having already cleared outright waivers, Vizcaino will have the right to elect minor league free agency and look for opportunities elsewhere if he doesn’t want to rejoin the Storm Chasers.

Royals Acquire Albert Abreu From Rangers

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The Royals have acquired reliever Albert Abreu from the Rangers for minor league pitcher Yohanse Morel, according to announcements from both clubs. Kansas City will announce additional corresponding moves once Abreu reports to the team in the coming days.

Abreu, 26, spent around two months in Arlington. Texas acquired him from the Yankees in exchange for backstop Jose Trevino in the week leading up to Opening Day. The Rangers had acquired Mitch Garver to join a catching group that also included Jonah Heim and Sam Huff, and they felt that freed them to deal from their group behind the plate in hopes of adding a potential long-term bullpen piece.

The acquisition didn’t pan out as the team had hoped, as Abreu struggled mightily over seven appearances. He only allowed three runs in 8 2/3 innings, but he walked 12 batters and surrendered a pair of homers in that limited time. There’s little chance of Abreu sustaining an acceptable ERA so long as he’s struggling with free passes to that extent, and Texas designated him for assignment on Monday.

Strike-throwing has been a problem for Abreu throughout his professional career, albeit not quite to the extent it was during his limited time as a Ranger. A well-regarded prospect during his time in the Astros and Yankees farm systems, he was nevertheless forced to the bullpen because of a lack of control. That has been borne out in his big league work, as the Dominican Republic native walked an elevated 12.2% of opponents over 36 2/3 frames with New York last season — his first with an extended workload at the big league level.

That Abreu has attracted interest from a handful of teams in spite of his control problems is a testament to his high-octane stuff, however. He’s averaged nearly 98 MPH on his fastball in each of his past two seasons, showcasing elite arm speed. He backs that up with an upper-80s slider and changeup that each drew strong reviews from prospect evaluators, and the breaking ball has been a quality swing-and-miss offering at the MLB level.

With that kind of arsenal, it’s not hard to dream on Abreu carving out a future in a big league bullpen. Even if his spotty control limits him to lower-leverage work, the Royals can hope to coax better results out of his intriguing pitch mix. If they can, Abreu could be a long-term option. He won’t eclipse his first full year of MLB service until this season, meaning he’d be controllable through the end of the 2027 campaign. He’s out of minor league option years, though, meaning Kansas City needs to keep him on the active roster or make him available to rival clubs themselves.

That the Royals parted with a young arm to acquire Abreu suggests they’re prepared to afford him that opportunity. Kansas City is near the top of the league in waiver priority, but they parted with Morel to ensure no other team acquired Abreu via a trade of their own. It’s the second trade of Morel’s career, as he was dealt from the Nationals alongside Kelvin Gutierrez and Blake Perkins in the 2018 swap that sent Kelvin Herrera to Washington.

Morel, 21, was a fairly well-regarded prospect very early in his professional career. He twice appeared among Baseball America’s ranking of the top 30 minor league talents in the Kansas City system, but he hasn’t garnered a mention in either of the past two years as he’s struggled at High-A. Morel moved to the bullpen last season but was tagged for a 6.66 ERA through 50 innings. The Royals decided not to add to him to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft (which never ended up transpiring), and he’s repeated the level in 2022.

Through 17 2/3 innings this season, Morel has a more suitable 4.09 ERA. He’s punched out 25.9% of opponents with an elevated 12.3% walk rate. Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin of Fangraphs wrote last week that his arsenal is headlined by a plus split-changeup. He’ll again be Rule 5 eligible this winter if he doesn’t earn a spot on the Texas 40-man roster.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Rangers Promote Josh Smith, Place Brad Miller On IL, Designate Albert Abreu

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The Rangers announced a series of moves today, including the news that infielder Josh Smith and outfielder Zach Reks have been called up from Triple-A.  This will be the Major League debut for Smith, a second-round pick (for the Yankees) in the 2019 draft.  To create roster space, Texas placed Brad Miller on the injured list and designated right-hander Albert Abreu for assignment.

Smith was one of the players acquired from New York in the Joey Gallo trade last July, and both MLB Pipeline (#7) and Baseball America (#9) rank Smith within the top 10 of all Rangers prospects.  The LSU has done nothing but hit during his young pro career, resulting in a quick rise up the minor league ladder.  Smith made his debut at the Triple-A level this season, and has hit .273/.382/.422 over 191 PA for Round Rock.

Smith has strong command of the strike zone for such a young player, as evidenced by his .420 OBP over 683 total PA in the minors.  As noted by Baseball America’s scouting report, Smith “did an excellent job working counts to get pitches to drive, then punished balls from gap to gap.  He rarely chases, and when he swings at pitches in the zone he almost never misses.”  He has yet to develop true power, though Smith does make lots of hard contact and could be more of an extra-bases type hitter.  Smith is also a threat on the basepaths, with 40 steals in 52 career chances.

Originally drafted as a shortstop, Smith has basically split time between shortstop, third base, and center field this year, owing to the presence of Corey Seager in the Rangers’ everyday lineup.  Both BA and Pipeline observe that scouts weren’t entirely sold on Smith’s long-term viability as a shortstop anyway, and it remains to be seen what his ideal defensive position will be, if the Rangers don’t instead use him as a multi-position type of weapon.

For now, Smith will probably see much of his time at third base, essentially taking Miller’s spot as a left-handed hitting third base option alongside Andy Ibanez.  Miller’s IL placement didn’t come with a designation, so it could be related to COVID-19, though Miller also left yesterday’s game due to tightness in his right hip.

Abreu came to Texas in another trade with the Yankees, the April swap that saw catcher Jose Trevino head to the Bronx.  A former top-100 pitching prospect, Abreu has been plagued by a lack of control, and these problems again manifested themselves during his brief stint with the Rangers.  While Abreu managed a 3.12 ERA over 8 2/3 relief innings this season, he had more walks (12) than strikeouts (9).  The DFA doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rangers are giving up on Abreu, but since he is out of minor league options, the Rangers had to designate the righty and risk losing him on waivers before outrighting him to Triple-A.

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