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Chien-Ming Wang

Blue Jays Designate Chien-Ming Wang For Assignment

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WEDNESDAY: Wang would accept an assignment to Triple-A Buffalo instead of electing free agency, agent Alan Chang of Octagon told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

TUESDAY: MLB.com's Gregor Chisolm reports (on Twitter) that the Blue Jays have designated right-hander Chien-Ming Wang for assignment. Toronto has confirmed the move and announced that a corresponding roster move will be made tomorrow, and Chisholm tweets that it will be Todd Redmond who is promoted.

The 33-year-old Wang pitched to a 2.61 ERA with 10 strikeouts and five walks in 20 2/3 innings over his first three starts for the Jays, but his last two outings have been disastrous. Wang allowed six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Tigers tonight, giving him 13 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings over his past two outings. He's been solid in Triple-A this season, posting a 2.33 ERA in 58 innings for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate.

Twins Notes: Jimenez, Wang, Draft

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Here are some Twins-related items, courtesy of 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson…

  • The Twins "are dealing…heavily" with Amauris Nina, a trainer/agent tied to several international prospects, most notably 16-year-old Dominican outfielder Elon Jimenez.  The Cubs are considered to be a "heavy favorite" to sign Jimenez once the international signing period begins on July 2.
  • The Twins didn't have any interest in right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who signed with the Blue Jays earlier this week.
  • Club vice president Mike Radcliff said he expects the Twins will sign 27 or 28 of their 40 picks from this year's amateur draft.  He doesn't expect the club will sign 29th-round pick Logan Shore, a high school right-hander who is committed to the University of Florida.  Shore was ranked as the 202nd-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, who speculated that Shore could've gone as high as the third round had he found a particularly interested suitor.
  • A Twins source tells Wolfson that "they fully expect" to sign fourth round pick Stephen Gonsalves.  The high school southpaw has committed to the University of San Diego and was ranked by MLB.com as the 98th-best member of this year's draft class.

Blue Jays Notes: Reyes, Lawrie, Wang, Arencibia

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Jose Reyes ran the bases yesterday and today practiced taking double-play relays. The big question posed to GM Alex Anthopoulos, when he met with reporters before the Blue Jays' three-game winning streak ended with a 6-4 loss to the Rangers, was the timing of Reyes' return. "Our medical staff had said about 10 days or so, maybe a little bit less, but he’s certainly getting close and it’s great to see," Anthopoulos said (as quoted by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca). "Then it will be a question of how many at-bats is he going to need and how do his legs feel playing seven innings, nine innings, and so on. We’re definitely going to be anxious to have him back." Based on that timeline, Davidi speculates Reyes, on the disabled list since April 13 with a left ankle sprain, could begin his rehab June 19 and rejoin the Jays for the start of a four-game series in Boston June 27. In other Blue Jay notes:

  • The injury news isn't as encouraging for Brett Lawrie, who is now wearing a protective boot to speed the healing of his high left ankle sprain. "I don't really have a timeline [for his return], because it just takes time to heal," said Anthopoulos (as quoted by MLB.com's Evan Peaslee). "Again, he's going to have to get back to running and all those kind of things. It's not as severe as Reyes, but it seems like it's certainly healing very slowly right now."
  • Anthopoulos is taking a game-by-game approach with right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who was signed Friday to a $500K contract, reports Davidi. "We hope he makes a lot of starts for us, but we don’t want to go in and promise x-number amount of starts," the GM said. "Hopefully, he does well and we catch lightning in a bottle with him. But he understands, his agent understands, that if things don’t work out, we have the right to turn the page."
  • Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star feels the offseason moves made by Anthopoulos will only be judged as a total failure if he starts a firesale at the Trade Deadline and continues in the off-season to quickly turn some of his off-season acquisitions into prospects because he would invariably receive less in return than what he surrendered.
  • Asked in a readers' mailbag about the possibility of trading slumping catcher J.P. Arencibia, Griffin writes this is one question the organization has to really think about moving forward, but there are no internal, minor-league options after trading away Travis d'Arnaud. If Arencibia (owner of a .220/.240/.436 line with 72 strikeouts and five walks in 225 plate appearances this year) were to be dealt, Griffin thinks it would only happen during the off-season when a quality replacement could be acquired.
  • Griffin still sees the Blue Jays as contenders in the AL East because, even though all five clubs could finish with winning records, it is unclear whether there is a 100-win team in the division and 90 wins could quite possibly be enough for the second Wild Card berth.

Chien-Ming Wang To Sign With Blue Jays

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Chien-Ming Wang is set to sign with the Blue Jays, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Wang is expected to start for the Jays on Tuesday of next week.

Wang, 33, posted a 2.33 ERA with 3.9 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 58 innings for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate this season, allowing just two homers along the way. He also fired 12 scoreless frames in this year's World Baseball Classic.

Wang neglected to exercise multiple opt-out clauses in his contract prior to this date, stating that he would only ask for his release from the Yankees if a Major League opportunity presented itself elsewhere. The Taiwanese sinker artist is represented by Octagon and has a 4.26 ERA in 765 1/3 innings between the Yankees and Nationals.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Yankees Release Chien-Ming Wang

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Chien-Ming Wang has exercised the opt out clause in his contract and the Yankees granted him his release, according to Andy McCullough of the Newark Star-Ledger (via Twitter).  Wang, who has been pitching for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, could have opted out on May 31st but put off the decision until today.

We heard last week that the right-hander had interest from six clubs but was unlikely to trigger his opt out clause as none of those teams were willing to offer him a major league deal.  Wang made nine starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, posting a 2.33 ERA with 3.9 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9.

AL Central Notes: Twins, Wang, Iwakuma, Brett

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While the Twins have struggled to be contenders on the field, the club once again figures to be players in the international market.  The team sits at 23-28, good for fourth place in the division.  Here is a look around the AL Central..

  • The Twins are not among the six teams interested in Chien-Ming Wang, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500.  Wang would be available if he chooses to opt out of his minor league contract with the Yankees today. The right-hander has reportedly intrigued several clubs after pitching to a 2.65 ERA, 4.1 K/9, and 1.6 BB/9 in 51 Triple-A innings this season.  
  • Wolfson also issued a reminder of the Twins’ failed pursuits of Hisashi Iwakuma , who will start against them tonight for the Mariners (Twitter Link).  The Twins were twice unable to land Iwakuma, bidding unsuccessfully for the right-hander during his posting process, as well as in free agency.  The 32-year-old has pitched to a 2.86 ERA, 7.7 K/9, and 2.5 BB/9 in 198 innings since coming to the big leagues in 2012.  
  • The Royal’s appointment of George Brett to hitting coach could signal a potential move into a managerial role, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Heyman cites sources who say the Brett hiring could work as a “trial balloon”, or even “step one” for the Hall of Famer.  But while the club is clearly disappointed with their slow start, Royals GM Dayton Moore reportedly “isn't there yet” on firing manager Ned Yost.

Six Teams Interested In Chien-Ming Wang

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Six teams have shown in right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). However, at this point the right-hander is unlikely to opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees because none of the six suitors are willing to offer him a Major League contract.

The Taiwanese right-hander has a clause in his contract that allows him to opt out today if he wishes, but it was reported earlier in the week that the only way he would do that would be for a Major League roster spot on another team. In 51 innings for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, Wang has posted a 2.65 ERA with 4.1 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. The consensus from scouts, however, has been that his stuff doesn't look nearly as good as it did during his peak years with the Yankees.

Wang's contract has three more opt-out dates: June 30, Aug. 10 and Aug. 31. The Orioles are one team who has reportedly shown interest in the 33-year-old, but that was said to be more due diligence than genuine intrigue.

Quick Hits: Wang, Padres, Bochy, Tigers, Peavy

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Before Jake Peavy was traded to the White Sox in July 2009, he almost arrived in Chicago a few months earlier as a member of the Cubs.  Peavy was the centerpiece of a proposed trade between the Cubs and Padres (and possibly also the Orioles and Braves) during the 2008-09 offseason, and as Peavy tells CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien, the deal seemed to be virtually finalized before either then-Cubs owner Sam Zell or then-Padres CEO Sandy Alderson pulled the plug on the blockbuster.

Here are some more items from around baseball…

  • Chien-Ming Wang can opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees on Friday, and the Orioles are one of several teams scouting the right-hander, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports.  The Orioles' interest appears to be only of the due-diligence variety, as Connolly says the team doesn't "appear to be too interested," plus Wang won't exercise his opt-out clause unless he sees a clear opportunity at a Major League starting job with another team.
  • The Padres should extend their entire starting infield, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune opines.  I'm not sure if Yonder Alonso, Everth Cabrera or Jedd Gyorko had proven themselves as deserving as Chase Headley of a multiyear commitment, nor are the Padres in any real need to lock the three younger players up.  Cabrera is already controlled through 2016, Alonso through 2017 and Gyorko through at least 2018 and perhaps longer if he attains Super Two status.
  • Before the Giants' win over the Athletics today, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle) that the club wasn't planning any significant changes in light of its recent slump.  The Giants' victory today was just their sixth in their last 16 games, and the World Series champions are 29-25 on the season.
  • John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press discusses a number of Tigers topics during a live chat with readers, including whether the Tigers might yet make moves to upgrade their bullpen or catching or if the club will extend Jhonny Peralta's contract.
  • In another live chat, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News feels that the outfield is a long-term issue for the Rangers (David Murphy and Nelson Cruz are free agents after this season) and the team could address this problem by using Jurickson Profar to acquire Giancarlo Stanton.  Grant also thinks the Rangers could attempt to acquire Cliff Lee this summer, though it will depend on how Martin Perez and Colby Lewis perform after they return from the DL.

New York Notes: Tejada, Overbay, Davis, Wang

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The Yankees and Mets currently stand on opposite ends of the spectrum, with the Yankees nine games above .500 and the Mets at nine games below. The Bombers have dropped three in a row, however, and the Mets have won three straight. Game two of their Subway Series will get underway later tonight, but here's some news on both teams to tide New York fans over until then…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that he will continue to pursue stopgap options at shortstop rather than look to trade for an established player at the position.
  • Within that same piece, Martino notes that there's been talk of sending Ruben Tejada down for Omar Quintanilla, but Quintanilla isn't on the 40-man roster. Plus, if the Mets call Quintanilla up, he would need to clear waivers in order to be sent back to the minors. If he were claimed by another team, the organization would be thin on shortstop depth.
  • With Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis on rehab assignments, the Yankees face a decision on Lyle Overbay, writes Dan Martin of the New York Post. Overbay seems headed for a reduced role or a new team, but he voiced his preference to remain with the Yankees rather than play elsewhere, even if it means less at-bats: “Do I want to play every day and be miserable?” Overbay said. “That opportunity might not be as good as it is here. I think it will work itself out.”
  • Ike Davis will not be optioned to the Minor Leagues today, reports the Post's Mark Hale. There's been plenty of speculation that some time at Triple-A is coming for Davis, who went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts and batted eighth last night for the Mets. He's currently in a 4-for-53 slump and batting just .152/.237/.247.
  • Chien-Ming Wang can opt out of his contract on Friday, but he won't do so unless he has a Major League offer from another club, writes the Post's Joel Sherman. A Mets official told Sherman that they wouldn't be interested in Wang as a replacement for Jeremy Hefner or Dillon Gee. Sherman writes that the sense is that Wang's stuff is nowhere near as good as it was from 2006-07 with the Yankees.
  • Also from Sherman's piece, a panel of eight Post writers and seven New York executives were asked to rank the Top 10 rookies from last year's class, and Matt Harvey ranked fifth behind Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Yu Darvish (in that order). 

Minor League Pitchers With Out Clauses Nearing

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When players with significant Major League experience settle for minor league contracts, it's commonplace for these deals to contain opt-out clauses. If the player hasn't been added to the 25-man roster by a certain point, he can exercise the clause and seek employment with another organization. Such clauses aren't always made publicly available, but here's a list of some of the pitchers who have known opt-out dates that are nearing…

  • Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees: Wang can opt out of his contract on May 31. In five starts spanning 31 2/3 innings at Triple-A thus far, the 33-year-old has a 2.84 ERA, 4.3 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9. The Yankees have said they don't feel Wang's minor league success will translate to the Majors just yet, as they want him to rely more on his breaking pitches than just his sinker.
  • Tim Stauffer, Padres: Stauffer can opt out of his deal "around June 1," according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He appeared in just one game for San Diego before needing season-ending surgery but posted a 3.24 ERA in 341 1/3 innings for the Friars from 2009-11. So far in Triple-A, the 30-year-old has a 3.16 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 42 2/3 innings.
  • Sean O'Sullivan, Padres: Currently Stauffer's rotation-mate, O'Sullivan has the same opt-out clause in his contract (near June 1) despite being just 25 years of age. O'Sullivan has a 4.19 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 43 innings for Triple-A Tucson. He's had a rough time in the Majors, however, as evidenced by his 6.13 ERA in 193 2/3 big league innings.
  • Jeremy Bonderman, Mariners: Bonderman's opt-out date is June 1, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Still just 30 years of age, Bonderman has been solid for Triple-A Tacoma. He's pitched to a 3.70 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in eight starts spanning 48 2/3 innings. Olney feels Bonderman will opt out if he's not called up in the next couple of weeks, and I'm inclined to agree.
  • Jair Jurrjens, Orioles: Jurrjens has an opt-out date of June 15. After a drastic fall from grace in the Braves organization, the 27-year-old has looked sharp at Triple-A Norfolk in 2013. He's compiled a 2.62 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in seven starts spanning 44 2/3 innings.

All of the pitchers listed here have pitched well enough that they could make a case for helping a Major League team with a struggling rotation. It seems likely that by mid-June, each could force his way onto a Major League roster, even if it's with a new organization. If you see a notable omission with a known opt-out date, speak up in the comments section.

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