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Corban Joseph

Camp Battles: Cubs’ Second Base Mix

By Anthony Franco | February 23, 2020 at 12:47am CDT

The Cubs started seven different players at second base in 2019 with generally uninspiring results. Addison Russell, Ben Zobrist and Tony Kemp are now gone. Let’s take a look at the options who remain to fill that spot on the north side in 2020.

  • Jason Kipnis: Chicago signed Kipnis to a minor-league deal after Cleveland cut bait last offseason. The former star has slumped to a .236/.305/.403 (85 wRC+) mark over the past three seasons, especially struggling against left-handed pitching. His defensive metrics are mixed, with UZR more bullish than DRS or Statcast. At 32 (33 in April), the Illinois native probably won’t be returning to his 2015-16 heights, but there’s hope he can offer reasonable production on both sides of the ball. With that in mind, Kipnis looks to be a good bet to make the Opening Day roster, Patrick Mooney of the Athletic reported today.
  • David Bote: Bote got the lion’s share of playing time at second last season, although he’s capable of bouncing around the infield. The 26-year-old has put up league average numbers over his first 566 plate appearances (.257/.362/.422). There’s a lot of swing-and-miss to his game, though, and his career 11.1% walk rate seems a bit inflated by some opportunities hitting in front of the pitcher. The organization clearly believes in him, having extended him through 2024 (with a pair of club options) last spring.
  • Nico Hoerner: The Cubs’ top prospect, Hoerner made it up for a September cameo. A polished hitter coming out of Stanford, he always profiled as a fast riser, but the club may prefer to slow things down a bit. Mediocre results over his first 82 MLB plate appearances certainly won’t sour the organization on him, but Hoerner only logged 294 plate appearances in the high minors, all in Double-A. There’s a case to be made for giving him some seasoning at Triple-A.
  • Daniel Descalso: A late-career swing change seemingly reinvigorated Descalso’s career in Arizona in 2018. The Cubs bought in, signing him to a two-year deal last offseason. Unfortunately, he fell completely flat, hitting just .173/.271/.250 (42 wRC+) in 194 plate appearances. 2018 now looks like an outlier rather than a breakout, as Descalso’s been at least ten percentage points below average at the plate in every other season of his career.
  • Robel García: García, 26, is a phenomenal story, having parlayed a stint in Italy to a return to affiliated ball (and eventually his MLB debut) in 2019. He obliterated the minors to the tune of a .284/.369/.586 line in 388 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A. That came with a 30.9% strikeout rate, though, and the whiffs became an even bigger issue in his MLB audition. García struck out in 35 of his 80 MLB plate appearances with an unpalatable 20.9% swinging strike rate. That he’s even in consideration for the job is remarkable considering where he was a year ago; he’ll have to alleviate the swing-and-miss to be a viable everyday option, though.

Also in camp as non-roster invitees are Corban Joseph, Carlos Asuaje and Hernán Pérez. Joseph has intrigued teams recently with quality minor-league numbers, but he’s a 31-year-old with 94 MLB plate appearances to his name. Asuaje, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing tenure in the KBO, while Pérez has hovered around replacement-level over parts of eight seasons as a utility option. Each would seem to need an eye-opening spring to earn the job. Ditto prospect Trent Giambrone, who is also in camp but was left unprotected for (and went undrafted in) the Rule V draft.

Ian Happ could have added another name to the mix. However, the coaching staff considers Happ more of an option in center field, Mooney reports. Thus, it seems likeliest one of the names above picks up the slack at the keystone in 2020.

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Chicago Cubs Carlos Asuaje Corban Joseph Daniel Descalso David Bote Hernan Perez Ian Happ Jason Kipnis Nico Hoerner Robel Garcia Trent Giambrone

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Cubs, Corban Joseph Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 31, 2020 at 1:51pm CDT

The Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with infielder Corban Joseph, tweets Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The PSI Sports Management client will be in Major League camp this spring.

Joseph, 31, has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past two seasons — albeit on a very limited basis. He’s played in just 44 MLB games, tallying 94 plate appearances and posting a tepid .170/.213/.261 batting line with a homer and five doubles.

That said, Joseph is a fairly accomplished Triple-A hitter with some defensive versatility. In parts of six Triple-A seasons, he’s a .294/.362/.457 hitter, and he has experience at second base, third base and first base over the course of a 12-year professional career.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Corban Joseph

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Pirates Outright Three Players

By Jeff Todd | October 25, 2019 at 6:31pm CDT

The Pirates have outrighted a trio of players, per the International League transactions page. Catcher Steven Baron and infielders Corban Joseph and Jake Elmore were all dropped from the Pittsburgh 40-man roster.

It’s not at all surprising to see this group of names exiting the premises. They’re all reliable hands to have around, but not valuable enough to hold a roster spot through the offseason. Each will have the right to elect free agency, though certainly a return to the Pirates organization can’t be ruled out.

The 28-year-old Baron has enjoyed three cups of coffee in the majors but doesn’t have anything approaching a statistically significant track record at the game’s highest level. The former first-rounder will surely take up another depth spot at Triple-A entering the 2020 campaign.

Joseph received brief time with three big-league clubs last year. He’s a three-year MLB vet but still hasn’t quite cracked the century mark in total plate appearances. Soon to turn 31, he’s a .294/.362/.457 hitter in 1,710 career trips to the dish at the Triple-A level.

Both of those players are on the same general track as the 32-year-old Elmore, who has circled the block a few more times but also will be viewed by the market as a depth option. He has appeared in over two hundred MLB contests over parts of six seasons, slashing a cumulative .215/.292/.275 over 527 plate appearances.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Corban Joseph Jake Elmore Steven Baron

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Pirates Claim Corban Joseph

By Steve Adams | September 16, 2019 at 2:14pm CDT

The Pirates announced Monday that they’ve claimed infielder Corban Joseph off waivers from the Giants. Right-hander Chris Archer was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL in order to make room on the 40-man roster.

Joseph, 30, is the younger brother of Diamondbacks catcher Caleb Joseph. He returned to the Majors with the 2018 Orioles five years after his 2013 MLB debut and has seen time with both Bay Area teams in 2019. The Giants had recently designated him for assignment. In a combined 57 plate appearances between Oakland and San Francisco in 2019, he managed an unsightly .151/.193/.245 batting line. That said, Joseph utterly laid waste to Pacific Coast League pitching, logging a .371/.421/.585 batting line with 13 home runs, 35 doubles and four triples in 493 plate appearances.

That production is miles ahead of Joseph’s career output in Triple-A, where offensive numbers are up throughout the league. But, it’s still 44 percent better than the league average in 2019 (per wRC+), and Joseph does have a history of performing well at the top minor league level. In parts of six Triple-A seasons, he’s a .294/.362/.457 hitter. He’s been primarily a second baseman but also has experience at both corner outfield and corner infield positions.

Archer was shut down for the season over the weekend after missing the past several weeks due to shoulder discomfort, so the move to the 60-day injured list, at this point, was a pure formality in order to get Joseph onto the roster.

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Pittsburgh Pirates San Francisco Giants Transactions Chris Archer Corban Joseph

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Giants Designate Corban Joseph For Assignment

By George Miller | September 14, 2019 at 4:54pm CDT

The Giants made a number of roster moves today, with Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group reporting that the club has designated infielder Corban Joseph for assignment. Taking his spot on the 40-man roster will be Cristhian Adames, who had his contract selected. He’ll be joined on the Major League roster by Mike Gerber, who was also promoted.

After the Giants claimed him off waivers from the crosstown Athletics, Joseph only made 17 plate appearances with San Francisco, mustering lackluster numbers. He tallied a .180 OPS—albeit in just eight games—with the fourth organization of his career.

There’s a chance that number will grow to five, as rival teams will have a chance to claim Joseph on waivers, though he may be traded, released, or assigned outright if he goes unclaimed. He hasn’t yet gotten a real extended chance in the big leagues, as he hasn’t earned more than 57 plate appearances in a single season.

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San Francisco Giants Corban Joseph Cristhian Adames Mike Gerber

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Giants Claim Corban Joseph

By Jeff Todd | September 3, 2019 at 1:03pm CDT

The Giants have claimed infielder Corban Joseph off waivers from the Athletics, per a club announcement. Righty Tanner Anderson was outrighted after clearing waivers, the Oakland organization also announced.

It’s yet another addition for the insatiable Giants, who placed Pablo Sandoval on the 60-day injured list to clear roster space. The 30-year-old Joseph becomes the latest player to catch the eye of president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. Just what kind of opportunity he’ll have late this season remains to be seen.

Joseph debuted way back in 2013 but has appeared in only 27 lifetime MLB contests. He struggled this year with a brief chance in Oakland, but spent most of the season at Triple-A. In 425 plate appearances in the Pacific Coast League, he slashed a robust .371/.421/.585 with 13 long balls. The left-handed-hitting Joseph is primarily a second baseman; he could see some time there along with the righty swinging Mauricio Dubon.

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Oakland Athletics San Francisco Giants Transactions Corban Joseph Tanner Anderson

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A’s Designate Tanner Anderson, Corban Joseph

By Anthony Franco | September 1, 2019 at 9:38am CDT

The A’s announced today they have designated right-hander Tanner Anderson and infielder Corban Joseph for assignment. The moves clear space for their previously-reported additions of Sean Murphy and Sean Manaea.

Oakland acquired Anderson from the Pirates last offseason. The 26 year-old started five MLB games but mostly served as rotation depth at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he pitched to a 6.00 ERA with underwhelming peripherals, even in the context of the environmental challenges he was dealt. He does come with two additional option seasons, so he offers roster flexibility even if his most recent performance has been underwhelming.

The 30 year-old Joseph, meanwhile, got his most extensive big league action (40 plate appearances) this season in Oakland. In his limited big league time, he’s started games at first, second and third base and mashed this year in Las Vegas, but between his age and limited track record, he seems likely to clear waivers.

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Oakland Athletics Corban Joseph Tanner Anderson

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Athletics Designate Beau Taylor

By Jeff Todd | August 14, 2019 at 12:45pm CDT

The Athletics announced that they have designated catcher Beau Taylor for assignment. His 40-man spot was needed for the team to select the contract of Corban Joseph, as had previously been reported. Outfielder Nick Martini was optioned for active roster space.

Taylor, 29, has spent his entire career with the Oakland organization since being taken in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. He has seen minimal action at the MLB level in each of the past two seasons. In 240 plate appearances at Triple-A in 2019, Taylor carries a strong .257/.408/.461 slash line with eight long balls.

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Oakland Athletics Transactions Beau Taylor Corban Joseph Nick Martini

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Athletics Expected To Select Contract Of Corban Joseph

By Jeff Todd | August 13, 2019 at 3:04pm CDT

The Athletics appear to be preparing to select the contract of infielder Corban Joseph. He was just pulled from today’s game at Triple-A, Clint Scoles of Royals Academy tweets. He’s expected to be added to the active roster for tomorrow’s game, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).

Joseph, 30, has seen only minimal MLB time to this point in his career. He joined the Oakland organization on a minor-league pact over the winter.

While he has been a solid offensive performer in the upper minors at times in the past, Joseph has never produced numbers like those he owns in 2019. Through 422 plate appearances with Nashville, he owns a .373/.422/.588 slash line with 13 long balls.

That must be taken with a grain of salt or two, given the Pacific Coast League’s offensive environment, but it’s still 44% above the league mean by measure of wRC+. Joseph has played mostly at second base this year and seems likely to get some opportunities there in Oakland.

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Oakland Athletics Transactions Corban Joseph

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Minor MLB Transactions: 1/25/19

By Steve Adams | January 25, 2019 at 10:40am CDT

Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Athletics announced a wide slate of non-roster invitations to Spring Training, revealing within that they’ve signed left-hander Kyle Crockett, infielders Corban Joseph and Eric Campbell, and righty Brian Schlitter to minor league contracts. Crockett, 27, has the most significant big league experience among the new additions, having logged 9 1/3 innings with the Reds last year and 74 2/3 innings over the past five seasons. Crockett was a 2013 fourth-rounder who skyrocketed through the minors and impressed in a 2014 MLB debut (1.80 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 in 30 innings). He’s managed just a 5.04 ERA in 44 2/3 frames since, though his 45-to-17 K/BB ratio in that time is solid. Joseph, 30, posted a .541 OPS in 19 plate appearances with the O’s last season and hit .312/.381/.497 in 523 Double-A PAs last year. Campbell, 31, had a three-year run as an up-and-down utility piece for the Mets from 2014-16 and hasn’t been in the Majors since. He’s a career .221/.312/.311 hitter and enjoyed a .313/.420/.445 slash in 402 Triple-A PAs with Miami last year. Schlitter, 33, hasn’t been in the Majors since 2015. He has an ugly 5.40 ERA in 71 2/3 innings with the Cubs but worked to a solid 3.36 ERA in 67 innings with the Dodgers’ top affiliate last season.
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Oakland Athletics Transactions Brian Schlitter Corban Joseph Eric Campbell Kyle Crockett

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