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Branden Kline

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/13/21

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Let’s catch up on the latest minor moves from around the game …

  • Right-hander Branden Kline announced his retirement Wednesday on Instagram. Kline, a hard-throwing Maryland native, joined the Orioles as a second-round pick in 2012 and ranked as one of their most promising prospects early in his career. But four arm surgeries, including the Tommy John procedure Kline underwent in 2015, slowed him, and his injury issues kept him out of minor league action until 2018. Kline did rebound well enough to appear majors from 2019-20, pitching to a 5.48 ERA with a 20.2 strikeout percentage and a 10.8 walk percentage in 46 innings, but the Orioles outrighted him last fall.
  • If Kline’s retirement came surprisingly early, the opposite might be said of former MLB righty Manny Corpas. Panamanian journalist Aurelio Ortiz conveys Corpas’s decision to hang up his spikes, via Twitter. Though he’s far removed from his time in the majors — he last appeared in 2013 — the 38-year-old has until now continued to ply his trade in the indy ball and international ranks. Corpas wraps up his career with 374 1/3 frames of 4.14 ERA pitching at the game’s highest level.
  • Corner outfielder Dillon Thomas has an agreement with the Mariners, per Robert Murray of Fansided (Twitter link). The minor-league accord includes an invitation to participate in MLB Spring Training. Thomas, 28, is a former fourth-round pick who has only briefly reached the highest level of the minors. In 2019, he turned in a .265/.339/.434 slash over 504 Double-A plate appearances.

Orioles Outright 4 Players

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The Orioles have outrighted three hurlers –  David Hess, Branden Kline and Kohl Stewart – as well as infielder/outfielder Andrew Velazquez to Triple-A Norfolk, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report. The right-handed Hess is now a  free agent, per Kubatko. Kline and Stewart have also elected free agency, the team announced.

Hess, an Oriole since they chose him in the 2014 draft, reached the majors in 2018 and wound up combining for 183 1/3 big league innings between then and the next season. However, Hess struggled to a 5.84 ERA/6.44 FIP with 6.97 K/9, 3.29 BB/9 and a paltry 33.7 percent groundball rate during that 44-appearance, 33-start span. Hess was barely a factor for this year’s Orioles, with whom he tossed seven innings of five-run ball.

The hard-throwing, right-handed Kline was a second-rounder of the Orioles in 2012, though he has only logged 46 innings and a 5.48 ERA/5.47 FIP in the bigs so far.

Stewart, the fourth overall pick of the Twins in 2013, saw his time in Minnesota slowed by injuries. The righty did combine for 62 innings of 4.79 ERA/4.80 FIP pitching as a Twin from 2018-19, but he struck out fewer than five batters per nine along the way. Stewart signed with the O’s last winter, though the Type 1 diabetic opted out of pitching in 2020 because of concerns over the coronavirus.

Velazquez, the lone position player in this group, became an Oriole when they claimed him from the Indians on waivers during the offseason. Although Velazquez did receive 77 plate appearances with Baltimore, he only mustered a .159/.274/.206 line and failed to hit a home run.

Orioles Place Alex Cobb On Injured List, Outright Mason Williams

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The Orioles announced Friday that righty Alex Cobb has been placed on the injured list. Right-hander Branden Kline has been selected from the team’s alternate training site in his place. Additionally, outfielder Mason Williams cleared waivers and was assigned outright to the alternate site, while infielder Ramon Urias has been added as the 29th man for today’s twin bill.

No reason was provided for Cobb’s IL placement, and manager Brandon Hyde would only state that the club is “following protocol” and hopes Cobb can return soon (Twitter link via MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski). That will surely lead to Covid-19 speculation, although it’s worth reminding that a player can be placed on the Covid-19 IL not only for testing positive but also for exhibiting symptoms or coming into contact with someone who has since tested positive. Righty Tom Eshelman will start in Cobb’s place today.

Cobb, 32, is in the midst of what has been a mostly solid rebound campaign. He was torched by the Blue Jays in his most recent start but still carries a 4.33 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.27 HR/9 and an impressive 55.9 percent ground-ball rate. He was viewed as a possible trade candidate prior to the deadline earlier this week, though Baltimore surely would’ve had to pay down the bulk of his contract in order to facilitate a deal; Cobb is being paid a $14MM salary in 2020 (prorated to $5.04MM) and is also set to be paid $15MM in 2021 — the final season of his four-year, $57MM deal.

The 28-year-old Kline was hit hard in his debut campaign last year, yielding a 5.93 ERA with a 34-to-19 K/BB ratio and nine homers allowed in 41 innings. Last year’s poor showing aside, however, Kline has had some success in the upper minors. The 2012 second-rounder missed all of the 2016-17 seasons but came back with a brilliant 1.64 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 through 65 2/3 minor league frames. He’ll give the O’s some depth in the ’pen with Cobb sidelined for a yet-to-be-determined period of time.

Williams, 29, went 2-for-11 with the O’s in a small sample before he was removed from the roster. The former Yankees prospect had a solid showing with the 2018 Reds when he hit .293/.331/.398 in a career-high 132 plate appearances, but he hasn’t had much success (or opportunity) at the MLB level outside that 51-game stint. He’ll stay on hand as depth in the team’s 60-man player pool and is eligible to rejoin the club later this season, should a need arise.

Kline, Urena Remain With Orioles

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10:15am: Connolly tweets that the both Kline and Urena remain with the Orioles organization and neither has been released. We regret the inaccuracy.

8:50am: Right-hander Branden Kline and infielder Richard Urena were both among the Orioles’ wave of recent releases, according to J.J. Cooper and Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. The Athletic’s Dan Connolly previously reported that the Baltimore org had cut 37 low-level minor leaguers, but both Kline and Urena add two former big leaguers to the list of Baltimore cuts. Both had been removed from the 40-man roster back in February, however.

Kline, 28, appeared in 34 games for the O’s last season, tallying 41 innings of relief in his debut campaign at the Major League level. Things didn’t go particularly well, however, as Kline was clobbered for a 5.93 ERA (5.87 FIP) with averages of 7.5 strikeouts, 4.2 walks and 1.98 homers per nine innings pitched. The 2012 second-round pick’s work in Triple-A wasn’t any better. That said, Kline is a season removed from pitching to a combined 1.64 ERA in 65 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced (20 2/3 innings) and Double-A (45 innings). He averaged 9.7 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 while recording 17 saves that year, although it should be pointed out that he was a fair bit older and more experienced than the average competition at those levels.

As for Urena, the 24-year-old had spent his entire career with the Blue Jays organization prior to being claimed off waivers by the Orioles back in January. Baltimore designated Urena for assignment in February upon claiming fellow infielder Andrew Velazquez, and the O’s were successful in passing Urena through waivers, thus keeping him in the organization without committing a 40-man roster spot to him.

Urena appeared in a combined 91 games with the Jays from 2017-19, appearing at shortstop, second base and third base (in addition to three innings in left field and one inning on the mound in a blow0ut game). But while Urena is a versatile defender, he’s yet to show much at the plate in the Majors or upper minors. He’s a career .253/.300/.336 hitter in 263 MLB plate appearances and a .250/.289/.373 hitter in 670 plate appearances with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo.

Orioles Outright Branden Kline, Stevie Wilkerson

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3:49pm: While Wilkerson had the option to elect free agency, he’s instead chosen to accept his assignment to Norfolk, the Orioles announced. Both Kline and Wilkerson will be in Major League camp as non-roster invitees during Spring Training.

12:37pm: The Orioles have outrighted righty Branden Kline and utilityman Stevie Wilkerson, per Dan Connolly of The Athletic (via Twitter). Both cleared waivers after recently being designated for assignment.

Kline, a former second-round draft pick, struggled to a 5.93 ERA in his first taste of the majors last year. He throws hard but didn’t fool many hitters, managing only 7.5 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 while allowing nearly a fifty percent hard contact rate and 2.0 homers per nine innings. Kline will remain with the Baltimore organization, as he does not have the right to elect free agency.

As for the 28-year-old Wilkerson, he will have the right to choose a trip onto the open market. He has spent his entire career to date with the O’s after being selected in the eighth round of the 2014 draft. Wilkerson got a long look in 2019 but limped to a .225/.286/.383 batting line in 361 plate appearances. He has put up solid numbers at the plate in the upper minors and is capable of playing just about anywhere on the diamond

Orioles Claim Pat Valaika, Designate Branden Kline

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The Orioles announced Thursday that they’ve re-claimed infielder Pat Valaika off waivers from the Diamondbacks and designated right-hander Branden Kline for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Baltimore designated Valaika for assignment earlier this month, surely hoping to pass him through waivers and retain him without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to the 27-year-old. Instead, the Diamondbacks claimed him and briefly hung onto him until needing a roster spot of their own following the acquisition of Starling Marte. The O’s have been on the lookout for infield depth since losing Valaika, and they’ll now welcome him back into the organization at Kline’s expense.

A career .214/.256/.400 hitter who has shown plenty of pop from the right side of the dish, Valaika has experience at each of second base, shortstop and third base. However, he’s also punched out in nearly 29 percent of his trips to the plate in the big leagues, which has contributed significantly to his inability to reach base at a passable rate. Valaika does have a minor league option remaining and a career .275/.315/.498 slash 695 Triple-A plate appearances, making him a reasonable depth option for the rebuilding Orioles to carry on the roster even if he doesn’t break camp with the club this spring.

The 28-year-old Kline made his MLB debut in 2019 but was hit hard, logging a 5.93 ERA and a 34-to-19 K/BB ratio in 41 innings of relief. He averaged a hearty 96.3 mph on his four-seamer in that time but generated below-average spin and yielded hard contact at far too great a clip (49.2 percent, per Statcast). Kline has had some success up through the Double-A level but has yet to post strong numbers in limited time with Triple-A Norfolk or in the Majors.

Orioles Designate Keon Broxton For Assignment

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The Orioles announced today they’ve designated outfielder Keon Broxton for assignment. Right-handed reliever Branden Kline is up from Triple-A Norfolk to take Broxton’s place on the active roster.

So continues a lost season for the 29-year-old Broxton, who enters DFA limbo for the second time in three months. A former third-round draft choice of the Diamondbacks, Broxton was most famous for his time in Milwaukee, where he totaled 796 plate appearances between 2016 and 2018, showing flashes of plate discipline, power and elite defense in center field. The Brewers’ outfield depth, combined with concerns about Broxton’s huge swing-and-miss tendencies, led the club to flip him to the Mets in January for a package of three fringe prospects.

Broxton’s strikeouts have gotten completely out control in 2019, though, leading the Mets to send him to Baltimore in May for cash considerations. Those problems have gotten only more worrisome since, leading the Orioles to cut bait on the out-of-options outfielder. It’s not out of the question he’ll draw some interest around the league given the tools he’s shown in the past, but his .184/.244/.289 slash line and 43% strikeout rate make it seem more likely he’ll clear waivers for the first time in his career.

As for Kline, the 27 year-old rookie has gotten off to a slow start to his big-league career. Like seemingly every Oriole pitcher, Kline’s been plagued especially by the home run, allowing 2.49 HR/9, en route to a 6.75 ERA, with a 21.6% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate in 25.1 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/8/19

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We’ll use this post to track some minor moves around the majors…

  • The Yankees placed Masahiro Tanaka on paternity leave so he could be with his wife for the birth of their second child, the team announced. He will miss his scheduled start on Sunday. Lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. has been called up from Triple-A in the meantime. This will be Cortes Jr.’s second stint with the big league club this season. He made four appearances in May, soaking up eleven innings as a long man with a 4.91 ERA. He is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in Triple-A, making six starts and one appearance out of the pen. Cortes could certainly slide in for a spot start on Sunday, but the Yankees have not yet made that determination. Tanaka leads the Yanks in innings pitched with 76 1/3 across 13 starts. He is 3-5 with a 3.42 ERA (4.09 FIP). He should be ready to rejoin the club by Tuesday.
  • The Rangers have called up lefty Joe Palumbo from Double-A, while David Carpenter has been designated for assignment, per MLB Roster Moves. Palumbo, 26, will be making his major league debut after pitching to a 3.38 ERA across nine starts for the Frisco RoughRiders. Carpenter, 33, made just one appearance with the Rangers after collecting a 1.76 ERA in 15 appearances for their Triple-A club. The veteran righty has pitched for the Astros, Blue Jays, Braves, Yankees and Nationals, though his lone appearance with the Rangers on Tuesday was his first in the majors since 2015. He owns a solid 3.74 career ERA, earned across 219 career appearances from 2011 to 2015.
  • The Orioles recalled Evan Phillips from Triple-A after optioning Branden Kline yesterday as they continue to seek personnel to get outs out of their bullpen, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza (via Twitter). Phillips has struggled to find a foothold in the big leagues with a 9.85 ERA across 21 appearances, including a 6.92 ERA in 12 appearances for Baltimore this season. He came to Baltimore from Atlanta as part of the Kevin Gausman deal at last year’s deadline. Kline, for his part, heads to Triple-A with a 5.89 ERA in 15 appearances, though he has been particularly ineffective of late. He was tagged with an earned run in each of his last five appearances, taking two losses in that span. Of the ten pitchers who have pitched out of the Oriole bullpen and made at least 10 appearances on the season, only Gabriel Ynoa (4.96 ERA, 4.92 FIP), Paul Fry (3.51 ERA, 4.67 FIP), and Shawn Armstrong (1.93 ERA, 4.57 FIP) can boast an ERA under 5.00. Although, amongst those in that same group, Phillips actually holds the lowest FIP on the season at 3.76, helped by 11.8 K/9.

Orioles Select Contract Of Branden Kline

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The Orioles announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Branden Kline. He would otherwise have qualified for minor-league free agency.

Kline, 27, was a second-round pick out of the University of Virginia back in 2012. His path up the ladder in the Baltimore system was slowed by arm injuries, however. Kline missed most of 2015 and the entirety of the following two seasons owing to a terrible run of injuries.

Now that he has battled through a surgically repaired broken leg, Tommy John surgery, and other procedures, Kline will likely feature only as a reliever. But he showed quite some promise in that capacity in 2018, when he threw 65 2/3 innings over 44 appearances at the High-A and Double-A levels, working to a 1.64 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.

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