Minor MLB Transactions: 12/14/17
Here are the latest minor moves, with newer signings at the top of the post…
Latest Transactions
- The Royals officially announced the minor league signings of both Broadway and third baseman/outfielder Cody Asche via their official Twitter feed. Asche has a .234/.293/.376 slash line over 1349 career PA from 2013-17, as he has yet to break out after years as a well-regarded prospect in the Phillies’ system. Asche spent 2017 with the White Sox, where he posted a big .887 OPS over 347 Triple-A plate appearances and also appeared in 19 games with the big league club.
Earlier Today
- The Rays announced their list of 13 players invited to their MLB spring camp on minor league deals (Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times has the breakdown). Some of the signings have been reported on MLBTR already, though the list also includes such notable former big leaguers as Jonny Venters, Brandon Snyder, and Colton Murray. Venters is back for his third year in Tampa’s minor league system, as the former Braves All-Star is trying to make an extraordinary comeback from four Tommy John surgeries, three of which have come since 2013.
- The Marlins signed infielder Cristhian Adames to a minor league contract, Antonio Puesan of Magnus Media reports (Twitter link). The deal contains an invitation to Miami’s Spring Training camp. All ten of Adames’ pro seasons have come in the Rockies organization, including 166 games at the Major League level over the last four seasons. Adames actually appeared in 121 games for Colorado in 2016, though largely in a backup infield role. Still just 26, Adames has a .279/.344/.384 slash line over 3314 career minor league plate appearances and a .561 OPS over his 343 PA in the bigs.
- The Royals signed right-hander Mike Broadway to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invitation, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports (via Twitter). Originally a fourth-round pick for the Braves in the 2005 draft, Broadway reached the big leagues a decade later, posting a 6.75 ERA over 22 2/3 relief innings for the Giants in 2015-16. The righty spent last season in the Nationals and Rays farm systems.
Phillies Announce Six Outrights
The Phillies have outrighted six players, per a club announcement. Infielder Emmanuel Burriss, outfielder Jimmy Paredes, lefty Patrick Schuster, and righties Frank Herrmann, Dalier Hinojosa, and Colton Murray all lost their roster spots.
It’s no surprise to see Philadelphia partaking in some aggressive roster trimming. The organization has been utilizing a variety of temporary options while its best young talent develops in the minors. With another offseason at hand, the Phils will need to protect a new round of players from the Rule 5 draft while also pursuing new additions from the group of players that will inevitable enter the open market as other organizations make their winter decisions.
Paredes, 27, struggled badly in his 150 plate appearances, posting a .217/.242/.350 slash a season after providing the Orioles with an approximately league-average bat last year in over 100 games of action. Likewise, Burris didn’t show much at all in his fifty plate appearances, which represent his most extensive MLB action since way back in 2012.
The southpaw Schuster, who is still just 25, was bombed in his two major league innings. But he showed quite well in 44 2/3 Triple-A innings on the year, allowing just six earned runs on 31 hits and 18 walks while punching out 46 batters.
As for the righties, Herrmann earned a return to the majors for the first time since 2012 but was hit hard in 15 frames. The 30-year-old Hinojosa held opponents to four earned runs in 11 innings, with eight strikeouts and three walks, and also carried a 2.86 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 5.1 BB/9 in his 28 1/3 innings at the highest level of the minors.
Among these players, only Murray was drafted and developed by the Phils. He was coming off of two straight quality campaigns in the upper minors and continued to perform well at Triple-A, but didn’t impress in the bigs. Over 31 2/3 innings, Murray worked to a 6.25 ERA with 8.8 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. Though ERA estimators suggest he was a bit unlucky, he was quite susceptible to the long ball and gave up a ton of hard contact (41.1%).
Phillies Place Dalier Hinojosa on DL, Recall Colton Murray
The Phillies announced this evening that they have placed right-handed reliever Dalier Hinojosa on the disabled list retroactive to Friday with a hand contusion. To take his place on the roster, the team recalled fellow right-handed bullpen option Colton Murray from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Hinojosa, 30, totaled 11 innings in 10 appearances before a line drive struck him on the hand Thursday, compiling a 3.27 ERA to go with a 6.55 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9. He logged 19 appearances (18 with the Phillies, one with the Red Sox) last season, his first in the majors, and put up a stunning .73 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. However, Hinojosa’s K/BB ratio (2.09) was underwhelming, and an inflated strand rate (93.6 percent) and ultra-low batting average on balls in play (.212) aided in his great results.
The 26-year-old Murray got his first taste of big league action last season when he recorded 7 2/3 innings for the Phillies. Murray struck out nine, walked two and surrendered five earned runs during that stretch. He threw 10 1/3 frames in the minors this year prior to his call-up and fanned 14 while walking five and allowing seven earned runs. Murray owns a 3.39 ERA, 9.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 321 career minor league innings.