Royals Designate Dairon Blanco For Assignment
The Royals announced they’ve designated outfielder Dairon Blanco for assignment. Kansas City also reinstated center fielder Michael A. Taylor from the COVID-19 injured list, activated newly-acquired reliever Albert Abreu and optioned southpaw Foster Griffin to Triple-A Omaha.
Blanco spent about two weeks on the roster, coinciding with Taylor’s absence. The speedster picked up a pair of starts in center field and tallied his firsts seven big league plate appearances, collecting a pair of singles. Prior to his call-up, Blanco hit 113 times with the Storm Chasers and had a solid .263/.381/.442 slash line. The 29-year-old swiped 13 bases in only 31 games, hitting five home runs with an excellent 15% walk rate but a lofty 25.7% strikeout percentage.
Kansas City will have a week to trade Blanco or place him on waivers. A Cuba native, he didn’t make his affiliated debut until his age-25 season. His advanced age has diminished his prospect status, but he draws praise for blistering speed and has a solid track record in the upper minors.
Taylor returns after a couple weeks out of action, where he’ll presumably assume his standard everyday center field role. Signed to a two-year, $9MM extension shortly before he would’ve hit free agency last winter, he’s gotten off to a nice start this year. Taylor is hitting a roughly league average .238/.333/.337 with a pair of homers.
That kind of offensive production is more than sufficient considering his status as one of the sport’s top defensive outfielders. With the Royals at the bottom of the American League standings, Taylor could draw some trade interest this summer from contenders looking for center field help. He’s under cheap control through 2023, though, so the Royals won’t feel pressured to move him for a mediocre return.
Royals Select Dairon Blanco
The Royals announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Dairon Blanco from Triple-A Omaha and placed outfielder Michael A. Taylor on the injured list. Royals skipper Mike Matheny told reporters last night that Taylor was in contact tracing under the league’s health-and-safety protocols, though it’s not clear yet whether he’s tested positive. Regardless, it’ll be Blanco assuming his spot on the roster at least in the short term. Kyle Isbel is in center for the Royals’ series finale against the White Sox today.
The 29-year-old Blanco will be making his big league debut if he gets into a game. Originally signed out of Cuba by the Athletics back in 2017, Blanco was one of two players the Royals received when trading lefty Jake Diekman to Oakland back in 2019. He had a rough go of it in Double-A following that trade, but Blanco has posted solid minor league numbers in 2021 (.277/.350/.441) and so far in 2022 (.263/.381/.442) between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
Blanco swiped 41 bases in 55 tries last year, and he’s out to a 13-for-13 start in that department so far in 2022. At 29 years of age, he’s older than your standard “prospect,” though he still got a brief mention on FanGraphs’ 2021 rankings, where Eric Longenhagen credited him with 80-grade speed (on the 20-80 scale) and praised his strong exit velocities at the plate. He’s played center field and left field extensively with the Royals but has just one appearance in right.
It should be noted that the Royals did not specify Blanco as a Covid-related “substitute” or “replacement” when announcing they’d selected his contract. Each team’s wording tends to vary a bit on transactions of this nature, but they all typically make specific mention when someone is a pure substitute player. Those players can be sent back to the minor leagues without first passing through waivers. However, the Royals stating that Blanco’s contract has been formally selected ostensibly signals that there’s some permanence behind the move. Assuming Blanco is on the 40-man roster to stay, he’ll give the Royals some additional, optionable outfield depth for the foreseeable future.
As for Taylor, his placement on the Covid list could be due to a positive test, symptoms or continued contact tracing. If he did test positive, health protocols technically call for a 10-day absence, although players can return sooner than that with a pair of negative tests and approval from a joint MLB/MLBPA panel (one appointed medical expert from each party). In 117 plate appearances this season, Taylor is hitting .238/.333/.337 with strong marks in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.
Roster Notes: Nationals, A’s, Royals
Andrew Stevenson of the Nationals has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, per the team. Stevenson can provide solid defense and baserunning, but those aren’t particular needs for a Washington team planning to start Lane Thomas and Victor Robles alongside superstar Juan Soto. Yadiel Hernandez and Gerardo Parra are the pure outfielders remaining in camp with a chance to win the fourth outfielder spot, while Ehire Adrianza is also capable of playing in the grass. As for Stevenson, he will have 48 hours to accept his assignment or elect free agency. Let’s check in on some other roster updates from around the game…
- The A’s have optioned southpaw Sam Selman to Triple-A, per the team, lowering the number of players in camp to 38. Selman appeared in each of the past three seasons with the Giants, but also made 18 appearances with the Angels after being acquired as part of the Tony Watson deal. Oakland later claimed Selman off waivers. He’ll continue to serve as bullpen depth in Oakland for the time being.
- The Royals announced a handful of minor league assignments today. Colten Brewer, Jose Cuas, Brad Peacock and Arodys Vizcaino; infielders Gabriel Cancel, Iván Castillo, Clay Dungan and Vinnie Pasquantino; and outfielders Dairon Blanco, Brewer Hicken and JaCoby Jones were all assigned to minor league camp.
A’s Sign Cuban Outfielder Dairon Blanco
The A’s announced yesterday that they’ve inked free-agent outfielder Dairon Blanco. The 24-year-old left his native Cuba back in the spring of 2016 and was declared a free agent by MLB last November. Terms of the deal weren’t reported, but the A’s are in the metaphorical “penalty box” after blowing past last year’s international pool, so the deal can’t guarantee Blanco more than $300K.
Blanco is a lifetime .303/.369/.409 hitter in parts of four pro seasons in Cuba (916 plate appearances). At the time of his departure from Cuba and MLB’s declaration of free agency for the right-handed hitter, Blanco was said by Baseball America’s Ben Badler and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen to possess 80-grade speed on the 20-80 scale but a lesser set of other tools. Longenhagen put a 40 on his arm last November, and Badler questioned his natural hitting abilities.
By the time Spring Training gets underway, it will have been more than two years since Blanco has suited up for a pro game. He’ll assuredly require some minor league time in 2018 and possibly beyond the coming season before he emerges as a viable option for the A’s. But, Oakland has no clear option in center field and could very well need a left fielder during or after the 2018 campaign, depending on the status of Matt Joyce, who’s entering the second season of a two-year deal.
Certainly, the team hopes that Dustin Fowler will be able to hold down a regular spot in their outfield (ideally, in center) for years to come, though his ability to contribute is tied directly to his ability to recover from a significant knee injury suffered in his MLB debut with the Yankees last year. Expecting Blanco to emerge as a candidate to log significant big league time this coming season seems optimistic, though his apparently blistering speed and a Gold Glove award in Cuba could make him an intriguing fourth outfield option at the very least, if he can prove competent with the bat.
Oakland’s assistant GM Dan Feinstein spoke highly of Blanco to Melissa Lockard of OaklandClubhouse.com, telling her that the A’s have been scouting Blanco for more than a year during his workouts in the Dominican Republic. “[Blanco] has a track record of success in the Cuba, and possesses tools that are hard to come by,” said Feinstein. “He’s very athletic, and a true 80 runner with the ability to play all three outfield spots. Profiles as leadoff hitter who will occasionally put one in the seats.”
Cuban Outfielder Dairon Blanco Declared Free Agent
Fleet-footed Cuban outfielder Dairon Blanco has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America (via Twitter). Badler reported back in May that Blanco had left his home country in search of a contract with a Major League club. Though he’s 23 years of age — the minimum to be exempt from international bonus pools — Blanco only has four years of pro experience in Cuba and is therefore still subject to those league-allotted pools.
Per Badler’s May writeup, Blanco has 80 speed on the 20-80 scale and has been clocked from home to first at under four seconds from the right-handed batter’s box. He’s a career .303/.369/.409 hitter in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, and he hit a career-high eight homers with a career-best 29 steals in a 2015-16 season that saw him post a .296/.352/.427 slash line. Blanco has punched out in just 12.9 percent of his professional plate appearances in Cuba and has walked at an 8.9 percent clip. Badler notes that he’s played both center and right field, writing that despite some occasional shaky defensive instincts in 2015-16 he did win a Gold Glove in 2014-15. His mechanics at the plate, however, could seemingly use some refinement.
Blanco actually participated in a showcase just yesterday, and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez was in attendance. Sanchez tweeted out several photos as well as video of Blanco taking batting practice, adding that the speedster notched a 6.25 in the 60-yard dash, which would indeed be considered an 80 by most scouts. Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, too, tweeted some video of Blanco’s BP and agreed that he has 80 speed but placed a below-average 40 grade on his throwing arm, which would suggest that left field is his best placement on the diamond.
While Blanco appears to be an intriguing addition to the free-agent market, it’s also worth noting that he’ll probably require some degree of minor league work before jumping directly into the mix against MLB pitching. Still, with his age and pro experience, it’s not out of the question to think that he could be an option in the Majors at some point in 2017
Quick Hits: Orioles, Brinson, Blanco, Viera
Let’s wrap up some news items as we head into the new week…
- The Orioles have made a few notable August acquisitions during Dan Duquette’s tenure with the club, and Duquette tells Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun that he has again been looking at the waiver market. “So we’ve been working on it….You want to make your bench as strong as you can make it, and also get as much pitching depth as you can,” Duquette said.
- Since joining the Brewers organization, Lewis Brinson has been on fire, entering today’s action with a 1.099 OPS over 68 plate appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that Brinson could be a September callup for the Brew Crew, though the club’s outfield is already pretty crowded. Brinson was the centerpiece of the trade package (fellow top prospect Luis Ortiz and a player to be named later) Milwaukee acquired in the deadline blockbuster that sent Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress to the Rangers.
- Cuban outfielder Dairon Blanco and right-hander Carlos Juan Viera will hold a showcase in the Dominican Republic on September 5, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter). Blanco, a 23-year-old described by Baseball America’s Ben Badler as owning blazing speed but somewhat raw hitting and fielding skills, still has to receive clearance from MLB to officially become a free agent. Blanco is subject to international signing guidelines and the 27-year-old Viera appears to be as well, since he has only four seasons under his belt in Cuba’s top league, the Serie Nacional.
Outfielder Dairon Blanco Leaves Cuba To Pursue MLB Career
Cuban outfielder Dairon Blanco has left his home nation to pursue a major league career, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 23-year-old falls within international signing restrictions, which will function to shape and limit his market.
Blanco’s primary calling card is speed, with Badler calling him an 80-grade runner. He’s a major threat on the bases who’s also capable of playing in center, though the report suggests he could use some polish in the outfield.
That’s also the case with regard to his bat. Blanco owns a .303/.369/.409 slash in 916 plate appearances over four seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, with 52 steals to go with a fairly promising 118:81 K/BB ratio. Though the high batting average, low strikeout rate, and wheels suggest that Blanco could be a useful contact hitter, Badler says that he hasn’t exhibited “natural hitting rhythm and actions” even though he’s generally succeeded against Cuba’s uneven pitching talent.
All told, Blanco looks to have an intriguing skillset but also a long way to go to the majors. He’ll also still have some time to wait before signing in the first place, as Badler notes that there’s essentially no chance he will be able to receive clearance before this year’s July 2nd signing period wraps up in mid-June. Still, Blanco could factor into the subsequent signing period, when he’ll join a growing list of Cuban players at different stages of their development in what promises to be a fascinating market.