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Andrew Susac

Orioles Acquire Andrew Susac

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The Orioles announced that they’ve acquired catcher Andrew Susac from the Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Susac was designated for assignment in Milwaukee earlier this week.

The 27-year-old Susac ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects on multiple lists prior to the 2015 campaign and was a frequent presence near the top of the Giants’ organizational prospect rankings as well. The Brewers acquired him in a 2016 swap that sent lefty Will Smith to San Francisco, though, and he’s struggled in both organizations over the past couple of seasons.

In 274 MLB plate appearances, Susac has batted just .232/.299/.396 with an alarming 82 strikeouts against 23 walks. He’s been more effective in his Triple-A career, hitting at a .247/.338/.425 clip, and strikeouts haven’t been nearly as much of an issue for him there. Durability, on the other hand, has been a major factor for the former second-rounder (Giants, 2011); Susac has appeared in more than 100 games just twice in a season, and he’s totaled just 142 games over the past two seasons combined. In his young career, Susac has already dealt with wrist, trapezius, finger and shoulder injuries on separate occasions.

The O’s have been looking to supplement their catching corps and now have four catchers on the 40-man roster in Susac, Chance Sisco, Caleb Joseph and Austin Wynns. Joseph heads into Spring Training with a roster spot all but secured, and while many have presumed Sisco to be the favorite to join him, reports out of Baltimore have suggested that there will be a competition in that regard. Susac will join Sisco and Wynns in vying for playing time, but he has a minor league option remaining, so he can be sent to Triple-A Norfolk without needing to be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t secure a spot.

Brewers Designate Andrew Susac For Assignment

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The Brewers announced that they’ve designated catcher Andrew Susac for assignment today in order to clear a spot on the roster for righty Matt Albers, whose previously reported two-year deal with the team is now official.

Susac, 27, was once one of baseball’s very best overall prospects, ranking in the Top 100 on multiple lists prior to the 2015 campaign and frequently appearing on the Giants’ organizational rankings. He went to Milwaukee in a 2016 swap that sent lefty Will Smith to San Francisco, though, and has struggled in both organizations over the past couple of seasons.

In 274 MLB plate appearances, Susac has batted just .232/.299/.396 with an alarming 82 strikeouts against 23 walks. He’s been more effective in his Triple-A career, hitting at a .247/.338/.425 clip, and strikeouts haven’t been nearly as much of an issue for him there. Durability, on the other hand, has been a major factor for the former second-rounder (Giants, 2011); Susac has appeared in more than 100 games just twice in a season, and he’s totaled just 142 games over the past two seasons combined. In his young career, Susac has already dealt with wrist, trapezius, finger and shoulder injuries on separate occasions.

With Manny Pina, Stephen Vogt and Jett Bandy all on the 40-man roster, the Brewers seemingly feel set on catching depth. It’s possible that Susac clears waivers and remains in the organization, though he does have a minor league option remaining, so he could hold appeal to another organization that is thin at the position.

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.

NL Central Notes: Iribarren, Kang, Pina/Marinez, Williams

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Hernan Iribarren has enjoyed a largely unremarkable major league career, but he still has an interesting personal tale to tell C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Once a reasonably notable prospect, Iribarren hasn’t quite yet appeared in fifty MLB games. And at 32 years of age, he’s unlikely to make a significant on-field impact for the Reds organization even if he does crack the MLB roster. Still, writes Rosecrans, Iribarren’s presence will continue to be felt, as he has provided invaluable mentoring to a variety of Cincinnati players — most notably, fellow Venezuelan infielders Jose Peraza and Eugenio Suarez.

Here’s more from the NL Central:

  • GM Neal Huntington suggested that the Pirates are basically resigned to the fact that third baseman Jung Ho Kang will not be available on Opening Day, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on Twitter. There still has not been any movement on Kang’s visa application following his conviction for driving drunk in his native South Korea. Even assuming he’s able to make it over in short order, there’ll probably be at least some time required for him to get up to speed.
  • The Brewers have informed catcher Manny Pina and righty Jhan Marinez that they’ll be on the active roster to open the year, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports (Twitter links). Both were among the many Milwaukee 40-man members who enter the year without any options, so the news means that the club will avoid the need to expose them to waivers. Pina, 29, has a thin MLB track record but will share duties behind the plate with either Jett Bandy or Andrew Susac; the latter is currently dealing with neck and back issues, clouding his outlook, though both still have options. As for Marinez, he will have a chance to follow up on his solid 2016 season, in which he threw 62 1/3 innings of 3.18 ERA ball with 7.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
  • Meanwhile, the Brewers received some disappointing news on the farm, as righty Devin Williams is headed for Tommy John surgery, per Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). In the most recent prospect rankings of the MLB.com team, Williams takes the 18th spot among Milwaukee farmhands. The 22-year-old, a second-round pick in 2013, reached the High-A level last year and is said to carry future mid-rotation upside.

Central Notes: Brantley, Rosenthal, Brewers Catchers, Haley

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Indians outfielder Michael Brantley partook in a live batting practice session yesterday, which seems to have gone as hoped. The resulting optimism was still guarded, however, given his history. As Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets, skipper Terry Francona heaped praise upon Brantley while remaining wary of how things will proceed. “I mean, if this ends up where he’s not healthy, there is nothing more that he could have done,” said Francona. “He has worked his [tail] off. I’ve been proud of him. Now, I’m starting to get excited for him, because he’s getting closer. But, I think you have to temper it … .”

Here’s more from the central divisions:

  • There was a bit of a scare for the Cardinals when righty Trevor Rosenthal went in for an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder and back, but as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the news was good. The hope is he’ll be ready to begin throwing again by the end of the week, though GM John Mozeliak noted the hurler will begin “preventative care” right away. It’ll hopefully be little more than a blip, but the time off does impact Rosenthal’s effort to work as a starter in camp. Whether he’ll move back to relief work upon his return isn’t yet known.
  • The Brewers are pushing their trio of catching competitors hard in camp, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. Manager Craig Counsell says that’s by design, as the club seeks to find out just what it has in backstops Manny Pina, Andrew Susac, and Jett Bandy. With the Brewers still haven’t tipped their hand as to which will make the roster and how the time will be shared, but Counsell says he’s pleased with how things have gone thus far. “As young players, we’re putting a lot of responsibility on them, also,” he said. “We’re all pleased with how they’ve accepted that responsibility.”
  • Twins Rule 5 pick Justin Haley is impressing the organization with his attitude in camp, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press writes. Skipper Paul Molitor praised the righty’s quiet competitiveness, which seems to be by design. “I’ve definitely made it a point, to kind of put it crudely, to shut up and listen,” Haley explains. “I came over here with open eyes and open ears.” Haley will be looking to carve out a role in the pen, but could still factor as a starter if he’s able to stick on the roster. He split his time last year between Double-A and Triple-A, combining for 146 2/3 innings of 3.01 ERA ball with 7.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.

Giants Acquire Will Smith

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The Giants acquired left-handed reliever Will Smith from the Brewers, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.  The Brewers will receive minor league pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.  The trade is now official, according to the Brewers.

May 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Will Smith (13) shown just before being ejected from the game against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Brewers 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Smith, 27, has a 3.68 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.23 HR/9, and a 33.3% groundball rate in 22 innings for the Brewers this year.  He dealt with a torn LCL in his knee in March, making his season debut on June 2nd after rehabbing the injury. Notably, the southpaw is exhibiting nearly a two-tick decline in his average fastball as against his prior numbers, and that remains a concern. The knee is an obvious question mark in that regard, though certainly it’s possible that Smith will just need to continue building back full body strength after the injury.

Health is always an important factor, but never more than when making an investment in a player that goes into the future. While San Francisco won’t be promising any future salary to Smith, they were buying into his control rights and paid to do so. He is under team control through 2019 as an arbitration eligible player. That contract status also conveys some real upside, especially if Smith can get back to his former trajectory. He was particularly tough in 2015, with a 2.70 ERA and 12.9 K/9.

The first-place Giants have received a middling 3.76 ERA from their relievers, and paid a trade deadline premium to acquire the controllable Smith. Drafted in the seventh round by the Angels in 2008, Smith was dealt to the Royals in the 2010 Alberto Callaspo trade.  Later, after the 2013 campaign, the Brewers acquired him for Nori Aoki.

Now, Milwaukee has cashed in on the southpaw — in addition to moving late-inning righty Jeremy Jeffress in a separate trade. The haul seems to be rather promising, and swaps out the valuable-but-risky seasons remaining on Smith’s control rights for many more years of control on two solid young assets.

Bickford, 21, was drafted 18th overall by the Giants last year and is currently working at High-A.  In their midseason prospect rankings, Baseball America had Bickford 50th overall, while MLB.com ranked him 65th.  BA says Bickford’s fastball is known for its movement, and he throws a plus slider.  The jury is out on whether he’ll wind up a reliever.  Bickford had been drafted tenth overall by the Blue Jays in 2013, but did not sign.

Susac, 26, could take over as the Brewers’ starting catcher if Jonathan Lucroy is traded today.  Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, Susac has been blocked by Buster Posey.  He did get some Major League experience in 2014 and ’15, but has spent all of this year at Triple-A.  He’s hitting .273/.343/.455 in 239 plate appearances at that level.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Notable Opening Day Roster Decisions

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With Opening Day fast approaching, and a variety of deadlines hitting clubs around the league, we’re seeing plenty of final roster and initial playing time decisions being made. While many don’t necessarily implicate control rights or other contractual matters, some are particularly noteworthy. Among them:

  • Ricky Nolasco has won the Twins’ final rotation spot, with the club optioning Tyler Duffey to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger tweets. The 25-year-old Duffey had an impressive ten-game debut last year, but was outperformed in camp by the high-priced veteran Nolasco, who struck out 14 in his 13 1/3 innings. Duffey, meanwhile, surrendered a 7.30 ERA in 12 1/3 innings, with six walks to go with just six strikeouts. Minnesota also seems to have set its pen and the rest of its 25-man Opening Day roster, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune tweets, by reassigning Logan Darnell to minor league camp. It appears that Fernando Abad will function as the sole lefty middle reliever on the club.
  • It appears that reliever Craig Breslow has made the Marlins’ roster, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com tweets.  Breslow inked a minor league deal with Miami this winter and will earn $1.5MM in 2016 if he makes the roster.
  • The Giants have optioned catcher Andrew Susac and will go with Trevor Brown in the reserve role to open the season, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area was among those to report on Twitter. Susac has dealt with injuries this spring and could certainly stand to receive more steady playing time. That creates a nice opportunity for the 24-year-old Brown, a glove-first receiver who has a lot to prove with the bat.
  • The Brewers will go with Yadiel Rivera and Rule 5 pick Colin Walsh as bench infielders, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. That leaves Hernan Perez without an apparent role. He’s out of options, so a roster move could be coming for the 25-year-old. Meanwhile, Walsh will get a chance to stick in Milwaukee, which is obviously intrigued at the idea of keeping his future rights.

West Notes: Preller, Belt, Susac, Story, Skaggs, Wandy, Cotts

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The Padres very nearly passed on A.J. Preller in the club’s 2014 general manager hiring process, Bryce Miller of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. President Mike Dee says he had settled on another candidate — very likely, now-Angels GM Billy Eppler, but took Preller up on his request for a final sit-down “just as a kind of courtesy, because he was so good throughout the process.” Preller obviously made a great final impression, because Dee left the meeting convinced in the young executive and told San Diego chairman Ron Fowler the next morning that he’d “had a change of heart overnight.” The story details how the organization’s current leadership group came together, and is well worth a full read.

Here’s more from out west:

  • The Giants plan to meet with representatives of first baseman Brandon Belt this week to discuss a long-term contract, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports. Baggarly takes a deep and excellent look at the complicated matter of valuing the soon-to-be 28-year-old, talking with Belt and GM Bobby Evans about the upcoming talks. For his part, Belt says he hopes to remain in San Francisco but notes: “It’s all going to come down to what’s fair. And, you know, I hate to say it like that, but that’s the reality.” Evans declined to offer any thoughts on what might be fair from the team’s perspective, but said that the organization “believe[s] in his bat, his defense, his character and the continuity that he, if healthy, can add to our lineup.” He went on to note some of the matters that may hold down the team’s bottom-line on price: “Strikeouts are certainly a challenge for him, but he’s also a guy who gets on base at a pretty fair clip. It’s a fair debate in the sense of the different perspectives. But on some level, injuries have been more of an issue than performance.”
  • While Angel Pagan is showing well this spring, the Giants are dealing with concerns at the catching position, Baggarly further reports. In particular, presumed backup Andrew Susac is struggling with soreness in his right wrist, which was operated on last fall. While there are options on hand, including veterans George Kottaras and Miguel Olivo, and the younger Trevor Brown, Susac has long been viewed as a legitimate talent and will be looking to play an increasingly important role in support of the great Buster Posey.
  • Trevor Story has made a strong case to take over at shortstop for the Rockies this spring, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. GM Jeff Bridich wouldn’t commit to a decision, but praised Story’s ability and approach in camp and certainly suggested he’d continue to have every opportunity to win the job as camp draws to a closer — regardless of service-time considerations. Meanwhile, promising backstop Tom Murphy has been sent down to minor league camp, with expectations that he’ll get plenty of time at Triple-A, but could well find his way to the majors at some point during the season to come.
  • Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs will return to competitive action on Thursday for the first time since his Tommy John procedure, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The Halos’ rotation hasn’t developed quite as hoped this spring, making Skaggs’ already-important comeback all the more critical. Fletcher suggests he could be ready for regular season action as soon as late April.
  • The Astros are getting close to making some decisions in rounding out their bullpen, as MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart explains. Lefties Wandy Rodriguez and Neal Cotts have opt-out dates of Saturday, per the report, and they are embroiled in competition with a group of other arms — including the out-of-options Dan Straily.

Injury Notes: Harvey, Stanton, Pedroia, Aoki, Susac, Sanchez, Feldman

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The still-brewing shutdown controversy between Matt Harvey and the Mets still has an uncertain conclusion, but there are plenty of incremental updates to share. Noted Tommy John expert Neal ElAttrache, who is said to have consulted with agent Scott Boras on Harvey, spoke about the matter with Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. He explained that there could be a reasonable path for Harvey to throw in the postseason by “spacing out his starts and keeping his arm live, using him if necessary in September to keep him competitive and save some bullets for the postseason.” But ElAttrache also noted that even 180 innings pitched “does start to raise some flags, because now he’s in no man’s land” in comparison to past pitchers recovering from a TJ procedure. Boras, meanwhile, said that both the team and the player want him to continue throwing, and that his concern “is that the medical experts are involved in the process of determining what Matt Harvey can do.”

Here’s more on Harvey and some other injury situations around the game:

  • It remains unclear where things will go from here, but one Mets official indicated to ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin that the team strongly expects to utilize its righty in October (Twitter link). Mike Puma of the New York Post adds on Twitter that Harvey “didn’t anticipate the backlash” and “might have a few second thoughts about his comments” from yesterday. Meanwhile, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Insider link) are among those who have suggested that the current situation could — and, perhaps, should — provide impetus for the team to trade Harvey over the coming winter.
  • Marlins star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton acknowledges that there’s a chance he won’t return this year, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Stanton, who is still trying to work back from a broken hamate bone, is still holding out hopes of a return, and at worst should certainly be at full speed next spring.
  • Dustin Pedroia of the Red Sox, meanwhile, could play as soon as Tuesday, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. The veteran second baseman has been working back from a hamstring injury.
  • Giants outfielder Nori Aoki is dealing with recurring concussion symptoms that could jeopardize his season, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports. The 33-year-old, who owns a .287/.353/.380 slash and 14 steals over 392 plate appearances on the year, has struggled to remain healthy and productive in the second half. He can be controlled through a $5.5MM club option next year, which looks to be an appealing price tag so long as he is able to recover from the injury.
  • The Giants are also going to be without promising young catcher Andrew Susac the rest of the way, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter links). Susac, 25, has suffered ligament damage to his wrist which will also cost him a chance to play winter ball, though it seems he should be ready for Spring Training. It’s another blow to San Francisco’s depth as the club struggles to remain in the hunt down the stretch. Susac has seen his name come up as an acquisition target for other clubs, particularly given the presence of Buster Posey behind the dish for the Giants. The injury could take him out of such consideration for at least some time, though the team’s level of interest in dealing him has never been clear. Fellow backstop Jackson Williams has had his contract purchased, with Susac hitting the 60-day DL to clear 40-man space.
  • Fellow Giants backstop Hector Sanchez may also be out of action until 2016, as Shea tweets. The 25-year-old Sanchez has an injured ankle and hamstring.
  • The outlook for Astros righty Scott Feldman “doesn’t seem good,” according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The 32-year-old is dealing with right shoulder inflammation, and while a recent MRI revealed no structural damage, it seems that his throwing session yesterday did not go well. Fortunately for Houston, the club has a variety of rotation options to fill in, though it certainly hurts to lose another solid arm. Houston has Feldman under contract for one more season after this one at a $8MM salary.

Cole Hamels Rumors: Wednesday

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7:44pm: Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area tweets that one scenario which was discussed between the Giants and Phillies was centered around young catcher Andrew Susac as well as right-hander Tyler Beede and two more minor leaguers. Clearly, that’s a sizable ask, but the much ballyhooed Susac would be a logical target for the Giants, as he’s blocked in San Francisco by Buster Posey, and the Phillies are in need of a long-term solution behind the plate.

2:07pm: A deal on Hamels is not likely to come together until tomorrow or possibly Friday, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com tweets.

12:12pm: The Giants are “fading” back of the pack chasing Hamels, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. San Francisco has not communicated with the Phillies on a deal in the last 24 hours, he adds.

It’s not entirely surprising to hear that San Francisco could fall out of the running. The club does have plenty of options in its rotation, so the immediate need is not pressing. And the Giants arguably lack the same stable of high-upside minor leaguers that other teams with interest can dangle.

8:51am: The Red Sox appear unlikely to land Phillies lefty Cole Hamels, according to a report form Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Boston’s pursuit of the veteran has been complicated throughout by his no-trade clause, per the report.

While the Red Sox have seemed more an outside contender to add Hamels in recent weeks, the report provides interesting insight into how the Phillies will handle their decision. Philadelphia reportedly asked teams to submit their best offers on Hamels today, and presumably will move to work out a deal with the preferred suitor in relatively short order.

Bradford says there are indications that the Phillies may be devoting more attention to working with interested teams that do not appear on the list of teams over which Hamels has veto power. That may suggest that the clause is a significant barrier — and one, perhaps, that the Phillies do not want to deal with in finalizing an agreement.

As Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com recently tweeted, Hamels can be dealt to two American League clubs (the Yankees and Rangers) or seven National League clubs (the Nationals, Cardinals, Braves, Padres, Dodgers, Cubs, and Mets) without his consent. Of those teams, of course, Texas and Los Angeles have been most heavily tied to Hamels, with the Yankees and Cubs also mentioned at times as teams with possible interest.

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