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Minor Moves: Wagner, Cooper, Baltz

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Here are some minor league transactions from around baseball…

  • The Brewers purchased the contract of right-hander Tyler Cravy from Triple-A, the team announced.  Cravy, a 17th-round pick in 2009, has a 3.71 ERA, 2.97 K/BB rate and 8.7 K/9 over 460 2/3 career minor league innings.
  • In a corresponding move, the Brewers sent down righty Tyler Wagner, whose contract was just purchased earlier today so Wagner could start Milwaukee’s game against Arizona.  Wagner allowed five ER on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings in his first Major League appearance and start, yet his debut was a memorable one as the Brewers eventually beat the D’Backs in a 17-inning marathon.  The long game necessitated the need for Cravy’s fresh arm in the bullpen for the Brewers’ game tomorrow.
  • The Mets have released first baseman David Cooper earlier this week, Lynn Worthy of the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin reports (Twitter link).  Cooper plans to retire, ending an eight-year pro career that began when he was picked 17th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2008 draft.  The 28-year-old Cooper hit .293/.370/.451 over 2575 career plate appearances in the Jays, Indians and Mets farm systems, and he also appeared in 72 Major League games with Toronto in 2011-12.  We at MLBTR wish Cooper the best in his retirement.
  • The Padres released outfielder Jeremy Baltz, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports (via Twitter).  Baltz was San Diego’s second-round pick (68th overall) of the 2012 draft, and he hit .267/.351/.436 over 1293 minor league PA, topping out at the high A-ball level.

Minor Moves: Fox, Cooper, Jimenez, Swarzak

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

  • Infielder Jake Fox has agreed to a deal with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization, Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net reports (via Twitter).  Fox was playing for the Blue Jays’ Double-A affiliate after signing a minor league deal with Toronto during the offseason, and Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports that the Jays released Fox to facilitate his move to KBO. Fox last played in the majors in 2011 and has since bounced around between the minors, independent leagues and Mexican leagues.
  • ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports (via Twitter) that the Mets have signed former Blue Jays and Indians first baseman David Cooper to a minor league deal. Cooper, a former first-round pick, was batting .273/.351/.394 in 18 games for the independent Lancaster BarnStormers when the Mets brought him on board. He’ll serve as a depth piece for the organization and has been assigned to Double-A Binghamton, according to Rubin.
  • Infielder Luis Jimenez has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Red Sox, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Jimenez, 27, received just one plate appearance with Boston and has 17 on the year between the Sox and Brewers. He’s a career .217/.253/.268 batter in 168 trips to the plate but has authored an impressive .295/.327/.485 triple slash in 287 Triple-A games throughout his minor league career — all in the Angels’ system.
  • Right-hander Anthony Swarzak has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus after clearing waivers, the Indians announced (on Twitter). Cleveland designated Swarzak for assignment when they needed a 40-man roster spot for Bruce Chen. The DFA was somewhat of a surprise, given that Swarzak has produced excellent results this season after signing a minor league deal this winter. The long-time Twins swingman has tossed 13 1/3 innings, yielding five earned runs for a 3.38 ERA. Swarzak did surrender 18 hits, but those knocks come as a result of a .395 BABIP. The 29-year-old punched out 13 hitters against just three unintentional walks with the Indians and averaged 92.2 mph on his heater. Swarzak’s uptick in strikeouts may be the result of his conversion to a two-pitch pitcher, as he’s thrown nothing but four-seamers and sliders in 2015, jettisoning a two-seamer, his curve and a rarely used changeup.

Minor Moves: Cooper, Flores, Perez

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • Indians first baseman David Cooper has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, the club announced on Twitter. He'll be back in camp as a non-roster invitee. Cleveland designated him for assignment to make room for Justin Sellers on the 40-man roster.
  • The Royals have inked catcher Jesus Flores to a minor league deal that doesn't include a Spring Training invite, according to the team's transactions page. Flores, 29, hasn't appeared in a big league game since 2012 with the Nationals but spent parts of five seasons with Washington's Major League team. In 1014 career plate appearances in the Majors, the Venezuelan backstop is a .241/.289/.375 hitter.
  • The Rays have signed right-hander Sergio Perez to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league Spring Training, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The signing marks a homecoming for the 29-year-old, who was born in Tampa and played college ball at the University of Tampa. The Astros selected Perez in the second round of the 2006 draft, and he's climbed as high as Triple-A in the minor leagues, posting a career 4.74 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9. He began the 2013 campaign with the Athletics and wound up spending the bulk of the season pitching for the Mexican League's Pericos de Puebla.

Indians Acquire Justin Sellers, Designate David Cooper

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The Indians have acquired infielder Justin Sellers from the Dodgers in exchange for cash considerations, the club announced.  In a corresponding move to create a 40-man roster spot for Sellers, the Tribe has designated first baseman David Cooper for assignment.

Sellers was himself designated for assignment by L.A. last week and the move to Cleveland frees him from DFA Limbo.  Sellers was originally a sixth-round draft pick for the Athletics in 2005 and he has 266 Major League PA under his belt as a Dodger from 2011-13.  The 28-year-old has a career .199/.278/.301 slash line in the bigs, though he has much more impressive numbers over his last four minor league seasons.

Sellers has experience at second and third but has primarily been a shortstop for much of his professional career.  He gives the Tribe more middle infield depth, as he'll be in the mix with Mike Aviles and Elliot Johnson as the primary infield backup to Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera.

Cleveland signed Cooper to a Major League deal in December, and MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (via Twitter) that the Tribe will keep Cooper as a non-roster player in camp if he clears waivers.  Cooper last played in the Majors in 2012 as a member of the Blue Jays as he struggled with a possible career-ending back injury before undergoing surgery and recovering enough to play 13 minor league games for the Indians last season.  The left-handed hitting first baseman was Toronto's first round pick (17th overall) in 2008 and he has a .301/.376/.470 line over 2298 career PA in the minors, plus a .750 OPS in 226 Major League PA.

Ohio Notes: Reds, Indians, Carroll, Axford

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Here's the latest from both teams in the Buckeye State…

  • The Reds are lacking in shortstop depth behind Zack Cozart and MLB.com's Mark Sheldon wonders if the club will address this issue before Spring Training.  The pickings are slim on the utility backup shortstop market, and they became even slimmer when Jamey Carroll recently signed with Washington.  The Reds weren't in on Carroll, Sheldon reports.  (The Indians, however, were one of Carroll's suitors.)
  • It's been a quiet offseason for the Reds, and ESPN's Dave Cameron (Insider subscription required) argues that the team has done little to keep pace in the NL Central.  Cameron suggests three moves involving Homer Bailey, the rotation and the backup outfield spot that would help upgrade the Reds' roster for 2014 and beyond.
  • After he was traded to the Cardinals last summer, John Axford was surprised to learn from St. Louis coaches that he was tipping his pitches, the reliever told John Lott of the National Post.  Axford discusses the adjustments that led to turning his season around as a Cardinal, and his subsequent signing with the Indians.
  • The Indians may have a few million dollars in remaining payroll to spend, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.  The front office plans to wait until right before Spring Training and then use these potential funds if a player they like is still on the market.
  • Also from Pluto, David Cooper also received a Major League contract offer from the Rays before the first baseman chose to re-sign with the Indians in December.
  • Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer covers a number of Indians-related topics in a reader mailbag, including whether or not there's a spot for Michael Young on the Tribe's roster.
  • Roto Authority, MLBTR's fantasy baseball-focused sister site, has relaunched for 2014 with all-new content.  One of the many articles from RA's opening week was Alex Steers McCrum's piece about how the Tribe's plan to give Yan Gomes the bulk of playing time behind the plate makes Gomes a strong fantasy catching option.

Indians Sign David Cooper

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The Indians announced that they have signed first baseman David Cooper to a Major League contract. Cooper is represented by CAA Sports.

As profiled in an excellent piece from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick earlier this year, Cooper made a comeback from a career-threatening back injury in 2013. A radical thoracic spinal surgery saved Cooper's career and allowed him to begin a comeback attempt with Cleveland's minor league affiliates in 2013. Cooper hit .314/.364/.373 in 55 plate appearances between the Rookie League and Triple-A last year. Formerly selected 17th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2008 draft, Cooper batted .300/.324/.464 in 145 PAs for the Jays in 2012.

Cooper likely will provide the Tribe with a bench bat that has enough upside to potentially grow into a larger role. The 26-year-old is a career .341/.417/.525 batter in parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level.

Crasnick was the first to report that the two sides were close to a deal.

Indians Nearing Deal With David Cooper

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The Indians are closing in on a Major League deal with first baseman David Cooper, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link).

The 26-year-old Cooper was the 17th overall selection by the Blue Jays in the 2008 draft and began a comeback from injuries with the Indians' minor league affiliates in 2013. Cooper batted .314/.364/.373 in 55 PAs with the Tribe's Rookie league and Triple-A affilates last season. In parts of three Triple-A seasons, Cooper is a .341/.417/.525 batter. He batted .300/.324/.464 in 125 PAs with the Blue Jays in 2012.

Earlier this season, Crasnick profiled Cooper's career-threatening spinal injury that was alleviated by a radical thoracic spinal surgery.

David Cooper Opts Out Of Contract With Indians

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First baseman David Cooper has opted out of his contract with the Indians, the team announced on Twitter. The lefty signed a minor league deal with the Tribe earlier this month that included a clause permitting him to opt out if he was not added to the big league roster by the end of August. 

Cooper had shown promise, but saw his career derailed when a serious back injury led to his release by the Blue Jays this spring. Still just 26, Cooper put up a .300/.324/.464 triple slash in 145 plate appearances for the Jays in 2012. Since signing with Cleveland a few weeks ago, Cooper has put up a .192/.250/.192 line in 26 Triple-A plate appearances, although his stint at the Rookie ball level was more successful given his collective .314/.364/.373 line over 55 total plate appearances in the Cleveland system.

 

Indians Sign David Cooper

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The Indians announced that they have signed first baseman David Cooper to a minor league deal.  Cooper can opt out of the contract in late August if he's not added to the major league roster by that time, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The 26-year-old is a client of CAA Sports.

Cooper appeared in 45 games for the Blue Jays in 2012 as a first baseman and designated hitter and posted a .300/.324/.464 batting line in 145 plate appearances, including four home runs.  He was released in March by Toronto after missing significant time with a back injury.  The problem was apparently serious enough to make retirement a possibility.

Yankees Notes: Rivera, Chamberlain, Cooper

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While it’s possible to replace Mariano Rivera for a day or even for a season, replacing him for 15 to 20 years represents another challenge altogether, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out. “You are replacing someone who has done things in the game that may never be done again,” Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild told Sherman. “You are replacing someone who is basically irreplaceable.” Rivera will retire following the 2013 season.

Here are more Yankees-related notes…

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