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Elected Free Agency: Siegrist, Edgin, Hutchison, Locke, Bolsinger, Van Slyke, Maness

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The indispensable Matt Eddy of Baseball America provides an overview of a vast number of players electing free agency following the 2017 season in his latest Minor Transactions roundup. Eddy largely focuses on players with big league service time (significant service time, in some cases) that were outrighted off the roster that are now hitting the open market for the first time. (Players with three-plus years of service that are not on the 40-man roster at season’s end can elect free agency, as can any player that has been outrighted on multiple occasions in his career.)

While the vast majority of these players seem likely to sign minor league pacts this winter — they did, after all, go unclaimed by 29 other teams on waivers — a number of them are still intriguing with recent success in their past and/or multiple years of arbitration eligibility remaining. Eddy’s rundown also contains a number of re-signed minor leaguers and released minor leaguers without big league experience as well as Arizona Fall League assignments on a per-team basis, so it’s well worth a full look.

We’ve updated our list of 2017-18 MLB free agents accordingly, and here are some of the new names now checking in on the list…

Depth options in the rotation

Josh Collmenter, Asher Wojciechowski, Drew Hutchison, Jeff Locke, Kyle Kendrick, Mike Bolsinger, Christian Bergman, David Holmberg

Collmenter is just two seasons removed from being the D-backs Opening Day starter but hasn’t had much success of late. Hutchison had solid Triple-A numbers and once looked like a long-term rotation piece in Toronto before Tommy John surgery. He can be controlled for another three seasons in arbitration. Locke was injured for most of an ugly first (and likely only) season in Miami, and Kendrick made just two starts for the Red Sox.

Wojciechowski (6.50 ERA in 62 1/3 innings with the Reds), Bolsinger (6.31 ERA in 41 1/3 innings with the Jays), Bergman (5.00 ERA in 54 innings with the Mariners) and Holmberg (4.68 ERA in 57 2/3 innings with the White Sox) all soaked up innings for injury-plagued pitching staffs. Bolsinger has had the most MLB experience of the bunch.

Corner Bats

Scott Van Slyke, Tyler Moore, Cody Asche, Conor Gillaspie, Jaff Decker

Van Slyke has long been a solid bat against left-handed pitching but appeared in just 29 games with the Dodgers and didn’t hit well with their Triple-A affiliate or with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate. (He was included in the Tony Cingrani trade to balance out the financial side of the deal.) Moore, also a right-handed bat, showed power but struggled to get on base.

Once one of the Phillies’ top prospects, Asche hit well in Triple-A Charlotte but flopped in a brief stint with the ChiSox. Gillaspie was unable to replicate his 2016 rebound with the Giants, while Decker showed some on-base skills in the Majors and minors but didn’t hit much overall. (He can play center but hasn’t graded well there in the Majors.)

Utility Infielders

Ruben Tejada, Phil Gosselin, Dusty Coleman, Chase d’Arnaud

Each of the four can play all over the diamond, but none provided offensive value in 2017. Tejada has the most big league experience but hasn’t received much playing time since 2015 (and hasn’t performed well when he has gotten opportunities). Gosselin has a solid defensive reputation but a light bat through 551 MLB PAs. Coleman hit four homers in 71 PAs in his MLB debut this year but logged a .268 OBP. d’Arnaud saw his fair share of 2016 action with the Braves but has never produced much at the plate.

Bullpen options

Kevin Siegrist (L), Josh Edgin (L), Seth Maness, Kevin Quackenbush

Siegrist and Edgin are intriguing names for clubs in need of left-handed bullpen help. Both have recent success on their track records, though Edgin wasn’t as sharp in 2017 as he was prior to 2015 Tommy John surgery. Siegrist’s control eroded in 2017 as he missed time due to a back/spinal injury and tendinitis in his left forearm, but he was one of the Cardinals’ top setup options in both 2015 and 2016. Both lefties are controllable through 2019.

Maness drew headlines for returning from a torn UCL in roughly seven months thanks to an experimental new “primary repair” procedure, but while he stayed healthy in 2017, the results weren’t great in the Majors and especially not in Triple-A (6.13 ERA in 47 innings). Quackenbush was excellent as a rookie in 2014 and solid in 2015-16 before imploding in 2017 (7.86 ERA in 26 1/3 innings). He was better but not great in Triple-A (3.90 ERA, 7.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9). Maness could be controlled through 2019, while Quackenbush would have three more years of control.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/21/17

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

  • The Padres announced that shortstop Dusty Coleman and right-hander Jose Valdez have cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. Both players have subsequently been sent outright to Triple-A El Paso. Coleman, 30, saw his most extensive big league stint to date this season, appearing in 27 games for the Friars and hitting .227/.268/.455 with four homers in 71 plate appearances. He’s only appeared in two Major League seasons, though he’s a veteran of five Triple-A campaigns, where he’s compiled a .239/.296/.414 batting line. Valdez, 27, has seen limited Major League action in each of the past three seasons, though he’s struggled to a 5.72 ERA through 50 1/3 innings in that time. The hard-throwing Valdez has averaged better than a strikeout per inning in the minors but has also averaged more than five walks per inning in that time. Valdez owns a 3.43 ERA with 8.3 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9 through 133 2/3 Triple-A frames.

Padres Designate Dusty Coleman, Jose Valdez

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The Padres have designated infielder Dusty Coleman and right-handed reliever Jose Valdez for assignment, according to an official announcement from the organization. The contracts of catcher Rocky Gale and infielder Christian Villanueva have been selected in a related move. The Padres have also recalled RHP Tim Melville, along with outfielders Travis Jankowski, Hunter Renfroe.

Valdez has thrown a combined 50 1/3 innings for the Tigers, Angels and Padres over the past three seasons, pitching to a 5.72 ERA. While that number may seem high, his 6.66 career FIP shows that he’s actually pitched even worse than that number indicates. He throws hard, averaging 96 MPH on his fastball and 86 MPH on his slider, but he gets hit hard as well; opponents have managed hard-hit balls against him in over 40% of their at-bats. That, combined with his 36% career ground ball rate and the fact that opposing hitters are able to pull the ball against him 41% of the time, has likely been the cause of a 4.00 HR/9 that’s done Valdez in. The 27 year-old right hander was originally signed as an international free agent by the Tigers in 2009.

Coleman, 30, was selected by the Athletics in the 28th round of the 2008 draft (844 overall). Though he garnered five official plate appearances with the Royals back in 2015, this season was his first extended stay in the majors. In 71 trips to the plate with the Padres, Coleman showed some power (4 HR, .227 ISO), but a crippling 46.5% strikeout rate held him back, leading him to a paltry .227 average and .268 OBP.

Gale is a light-hitting catcher who has only seen 17 innings behind the plate at the major-league level. He has spent his entire career in the Padres organization after being selected in the 24th round of the 2010 draft (724 overall). The 29 year-old hit .278/.325/.365 at Triple-A El Paso this season.

Villanueva was part of the 2012 trade between the Cubs and Rangers; he was sent from Texas along with Kyle Hendricks in exchange for Ryan Dempster. He missed the entire 2016 season after suffering a right fibular fracture during spring training, and was subsequently non-tendered that offseason. Since signing a minor-league deal with the Padres in the offseason, he has impressed with a .269/.369/.528 batting line at Triple-A. The 26 year-old third baseman will be getting his first taste of major-league action; he has spent eight years in the minor leagues after being signed as an international free agent by the Rangers in 2009.

Renfroe, a former top prospect, made his major-league debut last season. He burst onto the scene by clubbing four homers and two doubles in just 11 games, but struggled mightily with plate discipline this season (125 K’s against just 26 walks) before being demoted to Triple-A. After hitting over .500 over 61 PA in El Paso with almost as many walks as strikeouts, the Padres will hope he can sustain those skills with the MLB club.

Jankowski played 131 games with the Padres last season, but suffered a foot injury in April that has caused him to miss most of 2017. He’s known far more for his speed and defense in center field than he is for his bat. Both UZR and DRS have rated him well above average for in 148 career games in the majors, but he’s slugged just .305 across that time. Jankowski has been out since April with a foot injury.

Melville was claimed off waivers from the Twins back on August 26th. He’s spent time in the minors with five different organizations and has made three major league starts in his career, none of which lasted more than four innings. He does, however carry some pedigree. Though he fell to the fourth round in the 2008 draft, the Royals spent $1.25MM to sign him; well above slot. Melville has a big frame, standing at 6’5″ and weighing 210 pounds, so perhaps he can still reach the potential that Baseball Prospectus saw in him when he ranked #93 on their top prospects list back in 2012.

Erick Aybar Diagnosed With Fractured Foot

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Padres shortstop Erick Aybar has been diagnosed with a fractured foot, according to Nathan Ruiz of MLB.com (via Twitter). He is said to be looking at an extended absence, with the best-case scenario being a return in the middle of September.

Aybar, 33, was hitting just .227/.295/.346 on the year over 291 plate appearances. He’s still a palatable defender at short, though metrics see him as average or slightly below at the position. All told, Aybar is now well removed from his days as a quality regular.

The news won’t impact the organization’s broader fortunes, as Aybar is a rental player and the club obviously isn’t going to make the postseason this year. There’s no chance that the Pads will be giving up significant value just to plug the hole, then, though a veteran fill-in could be considered and the team will no doubt continue looking for a long-term solution.

In the meantime, though, the Pads will get a longer look at a player who could be an important part of the team’s future. Rule 5 pick Allen Cordoba has struggled to a .225/.283/.312 batting line on the season after a torrid start, but he’ll likely see yet more time down the stretch unless there’s a new addition. San Diego can also utilize the just-recalled Dusty Coleman at short.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/15/15

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league, each coming courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy…

  • The Royals have outrighted infielder Dusty Coleman and right-hander Yohan Pino to Triple-A Omaha. Each player was designated for assignment last week as Kansas City added Joba Chamberlain and Louis Coleman to its bullpen. The 31-year-old Pino delivered 19 1/3 solid innings for the Royals this season, posting a 3.26 ERA with a 13-to-3 K/BB ratio. Coleman, 28, made his big league debut in 2015, though he went 0-for-5 in his brief stint. He batted .292/.364/.442 in 99 games between Double-A and Triple-A.
  • Danny Dorn was outrighted to Triple-A by the Blue Jays, who designated him for assignment last week as well. Toronto claimed Dorn off waivers from the D-Backs, but he wasn’t long for the team’s 40-man roster, lasting just under two weeks. The 31-year-old minor league veteran got his first taste of MLB action in Arizona this season and has a nice Triple-A track record — a .280/.355/.485 batting line in 727 games at the top minor league level.

Royals Designate Dusty Coleman, Yohan Pino

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The Royals announced on Monday that they have designated right-hander Yohan Pino and infielder Dusty Coleman for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for right-handers Joba Chamberlain and Louis Coleman, whose contracts have been selected from Triple-A.

The 31-year-old Pino signed a Major League contract this offseason despite his status as a minor league free agent and wound up pitching 19 2/3 innings for the Royals. In that time, he was effective, notching a 3.26 ERA with a 13-to-3 K/BB ratio. This marks the journeyman’s second season in which he’s accrued some big league service time; Pino debuted as a 30-year-old rookie with the Twins in 2014 and soaked up 60 1/3 innings for an ailing Minnesota pitching staff, posting  5.07 ERA along the way.

Dusty Coleman, 28, made his big league debut this season, though he received just five at-bats and went hitless with three strikeouts. The former 28th-round pick signed a minor league deal with the Royals this winter after spending the 2008-14 seasons with the Athletics organization. He has a lifetime .276/.321/.408 slash line at the Triple-A level.

Chamberlain and Louis Coleman will serve as bullpen depth for manager Ned Yost in the season’s final month. Chamberlain began the season on his second consecutive one-year free agent deal with the Tigers, but his second-half struggles from 2014 carried over into the 2015 campaign, ultimately leading to his release. He briefly latched on with Toronto on a minor league deal but opted out of the deal after struggling at Triple-A. With Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate in his native Nebraska, Chamberlain posted a solid 9-to-2 K/BB ratio but surrendered five runs in seven innings of work.

As for the elder of the two Colemans in this post (Louis), he will be in his fifth stint with Kansas City’s big league ’pen. The LSU product appeared in the Royals’ bullpen each year from 2010-14, totaling 174 1/3 innings with a 3.25 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9. However, he struggled to a 5.56 ERA in 34 innings last season, prompting a DFA and outright to Triple-A Omaha.

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