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Franklin Barreto

Nationals Sign Franklin Barreto To Minors Deal

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The Nationals have signed infielder Franklin Barreto to a minor league deal, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

Barreto, 27 in February, was an international amateur signing of the Blue Jays but was traded to Oakland as part of the 2014 Josh Donaldson trade. A highly-touted prospect, Barreto was featured on Baseball America’s list of the top 100 youngsters in the game for four straight seasons beginning in 2015.

Unfortunately, Barreto has struggled as he’s reached higher levels of competition, particularly in terms of strikeouts. From 2017 to 2020, he got into 101 big league games but struck out in 42.2% of his plate appearances. For reference, this year’s league average was 22.4%, barely half of Barreto’s rate. Overall, he’s hit just .175/.207/.342.

Oakland moved on from him in 2020, trading him to the Angels for Tommy La Stella. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2021 and was outrighted at the end of the year. The Astros signed him to a minor league deal for 2022, but he hit just .162/.259/.274 in 73 Triple-A games while striking out 37.2% of the time.

It’s been a pretty rough stretch for Barreto, to say the least. That being said, there’s little harm in the Nats taking a look at him in Spring Training. They were the worst team in baseball in 2022 and aren’t likely to suddenly emerge as contenders in 2023, meaning they’re among the teams best suited to take fliers on faded prospect stars. Barreto is still young enough that he could take a step forward in his age-27 season and make good on his previous pedigree. If he does, the Nats can keep him around fairly cheaply for a few more years via arbitration since he has just over three years of MLB service time.

Astros, Franklin Barreto Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Astros are signing Franklin Barreto to a minor league contract, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com (Twitter link). The 26-year-old remains in the AL West after stints with the A’s and Angels.

Barreto is probably best-known for being part of the A’s four-player return from the Blue Jays in the Josh Donaldson deal. That offseason marked the first of four straight in which the right-handed hitting infielder was ranked among Baseball America’s Top 100 overall prospects. He was a top 50 farmhand each season from 2016-18, flashing a promising combination of bat-to-ball skills, power and defensive ability.

While those physical tools have translated to a .285/.356/.505 line in parts of four Triple-A seasons, Barreto has yet to find any success at the big league level. He saw some MLB action in each year from 2017-20, but he only managed a cumulative 237 plate appearances. Barreto owns just a .175/.207/.342 mark in that time, with a dreadful combination of a 42.2% strikeout rate and a 3% walk percentage.

The A’s moved on from Barreto at the 2020 trade deadline, flipping him to Anaheim for Tommy La Stella. Barreto would only appear in six games as an Angel, though. He began last season on the injured list and underwent Tommy John surgery in May, ending his campaign before it began. The Angels outrighted him off the 40-man roster at the end of the year, at which point he elected minor league free agency.

Things obviously hasn’t gone as planned for Barreto at the big league level, but there’s little harm for the Astros in getting a look at him this spring. He’s still relatively young and not all that far removed from being regarded as one of the more promising hitting prospects in the game. Second base — Barreto’s primary position — is obviously spoken for by José Altuve in Houston, but Carlos Correa’s departure has left some uncertainty at shortstop. Barreto will be behind top prospect Jeremy Peña and utilitymen Niko Goodrum and Aledmys Díaz in the organizational pecking order, but he could serve as an upside depth flier at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Angels Outright Three Players

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The Angels announced that three of their players have been outrighted to their Triple-A Salt Lake affiliate— right-handers Luke Bard and James Hoyt, and infielder Franklin Barreto. Of these three players, Barreto is the only one with more than three years of service time, a distinction that will allow him to elect free agency after this outright assignment should he choose to do so.

Bard has seen some action out of the Angels bullpen dating back to 2018 but, as today’s transaction indicates, has yet to establish himself as a reliable option. During this time, the righty has limited baserunners at an above average clip but has been undermined by a sky-high home run rate, allowing nearly two home runs per nine innings. The 30 year-old scarcely pitched in the big leagues the past two seasons, most recently owing to season-ending hip surgery this past May. He’ll look to shave some points off his career 5.05 ERA if he’s able to return to the Majors next year.

For the 35 year-old Hoyt, the outright is reflective of his recent career history, where he has been regularly shuttled on and off the Major League rosters of four different teams. While the 2021 season didn’t go as planned for Hoyt in the Majors, where he gave up six runs in eight innings, or the minors, where he put up a 9.42 ERA, his overall track record is much more encouraging. Prior to his time with the Angels, Hoyt had never pitched at the highest level with a strikeout rate south of 30% and just last year had a brilliant 20-game run with the Marlins, pitching to a 1.23 ERA (albeit with a too-high walk rate).

Acquired by the Angels in the deal that sent Tommy La Stella to the A’s last summer, Barreto comes with the highest pedigree of the bunch. The middle infielder regularly checked in on top prospect lists but has been unable to make much of an impact for either the Athletics or the Angels. Barreto has stepped to the plate just eighteen times as an Angel, owing to a number of surgeries including Tommy John surgery this past May. Now that he’s out of minor league options and can elect free agency, it’s quite possible that Barreto, owner of a .175/.207/.343 slash at the highest level, will look to establish himself elsewhere.

Franklin Barreto To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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The Angels announced that infielder Franklin Barreto will undergo Tommy John surgery, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com was among those to report. He’ll miss 10 to 12 months as a result.

This is another disappointing development in the career of Barreto, a 25-year-old who hasn’t lived up to the considerable hype he received as a prospect. Barreto was a key part of the package the Athletics received from the Blue Jays for superstar third baseman Josh Donaldson going into the 2015 season, but he was never able to establish himself in Oakland. While Barreto did appear in the majors with the A’s in each season from 2017-20, he hit just .180/.210/.360 over 219 plate appearances.

Barreto’s time in Oakland came to an end when it traded him to Los Angeles for infielder Tommy La Stella last summer. The Angels were surely hoping Barreto would benefit from a change of scenery, but that hasn’t been the case yet. He totaled 18 PA as an Angel last season and hit .118/.167/.118 before undergoing shoulder surgery, and elbow problems will prevent him from playing at all this year. Considering Barreto is out of minor league options, his Angels future looks rather iffy at this point.

Angels Select Jose Rojas, Juan Lagares

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MARCH 31: The Angels announced they’ve selected the contracts of Rojas and outfielder Juan Lagares. To create 40-man roster space, right-hander Kyle Keller was designated for assignment, while Barreto was placed on the 60-day injured list.

MARCH 27: The Angels have informed José Rojas that he’ll make the Opening Day roster, manager Joe Maddon announced to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). The club will need to formally select him to the 40-man but has an available roster spot to do so. The 28-year-old is now in line to make his major league debut.

Rojas has made a rather remarkable ascent over the past few weeks. A former 36th-round draft pick, the left-handed hitting infielder only once made Baseball America’s ranking of Los Angeles’ top 30 prospects (coming in at 28th entering 2019). The Anaheim native earned himself a Spring Training invitation this year with strong career numbers at both Double-A (.277/.339/.486) and Triple-A (.284/.347/.539).

He has absolutely torn the cover off the ball this spring. Over 41 plate appearances, Rojas has mashed at a .333/.488/.667 clip. Spring Training statistics aren’t always reliable indicators of a player’s true talent, but Rojas apparently impressed Angels’ brass on an everyday basis. Franklin Barreto’s season-opening injured list stint partially opened the door for Rojas to claim a utility job, but he also simply outplayed Luis Rengifo. Rojas will now back up the Angels’ infield group of Anthony Rendon, José Iglesias, David Fletcher and Jared Walsh/Albert Pujols.

Health Notes: Barreto, Eflin, Teheran, A. Wood

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A few injury-related items from around the majors…

  • The Angels are shutting down infielder Franklin Barreto for four to six weeks because of elbow inflammation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com relays. It’s yet another disappointing development for the 25-year-old Barreto, a former top 100 prospect who hasn’t matched the hype in the pros. Barreto, who’s out of minor league options, joined the Angels last summer in a trade that sent second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Athletics. He collected just two hits in 18 plate appearances with the Halos after that deal. Barreto’s injury means the Angels will likely open the season with Luis Rengifo in a utility role, Bollinger notes.
  • Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin has dealt with a back issue since last week, but it doesn’t look as if it will keep him from making his first start of the regular season. Eflin will throw a simulated game Wednesday and then appear in a Grapefruit League game next Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. While Eflin’s pitch count might be somewhat limited in early April, he’s still on track to be part of the Phillies’ rotation at the outset of the season. Eflin enjoyed a career year last season with 59 innings of 3.97 ERA/3.50 SIERA pitching and a tremendous strikeout-walk percentage of 22.4.
  • Righty Julio Teheran exited his appearance Monday with back tightness, according to an announcement from the Tigers. The injury doesn’t seem serious, but it’s notable because Teheran is pushing for a spot in the Tigers’ rotation after signing a minor league contract in free agency. Detroit has to make a decision on Teheran’s status this week, as his deal includes an opt-out clause. As of now, the former Brave and Angel is “likely” to wind up on their roster, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
  • Giants lefty Alex Wood threw a bullpen session Monday and “felt really good,” Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Wood, who underwent an ablation procedure on his spine earlier this month, will throw a live bullpen later in the week, per Pavlovic. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day. The Giants signed the ex-Brave, Red and Dodger to a one-year, $3MM guarantee during the offseason.

AL Notes: Tigers, White Sox, Anderson, Angels, Barreto, A’s, Pinder

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After Ron Gardenhire’s sudden retirement this weekend, the Tigers have a managerial opening that could be one of the more appealing around baseball. Lloyd McClendon has taken over managerial duties for the rest of this season, and he’ll get a look for the full-time job over the winter. A.J. Hinch, Will Venable, George Lombard, Vance Wilson, Don Kelly, Pedro Grifol, and Mike Redmond are also expected to enter the conversation, per MLB Insider Jon Morosi (via Twitter). Of course, it’s still too early to call this a comprehensive list.

Though they haven’t had a winning season since 2016 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, Detroit has had plenty of time to build a deep arsenal of interesting young arms that are nearing ML-readiness. Casey Mize, the first overall pick of the 2018 draft made his Major League debut this season, as did fellow prospects Tarik Skubal and centerfielder Daz Cameron. Matt Manning and Alex Faedo aren’t far behind, while the selection of power bat Spencer Torkelson at 1-1 replenishes the system with a top shelf offensive prospect to dream on. But there’s still some season to be played this year, so let’s check in on some injury news from around the game…

  • Tim Anderson is suffering from cramps in his right hamstring that may keep him out of a game or two, per James Fegan of The Athletic (via Twitter). His official status is day-to-day, but the White Sox won’t want to be long without their chirpy leadoff hitter. Anderson could be closing in on his second consecutive American League batting title. The 27-year-old shortstop has unexpectedly morphed into an all-around terror at the plate with a triple slash of .366/.401/.611 and a league-leading 43 runs scored. Even limited to a 41-game sample and coming off a batting title, it’s still fairly shocking to see Anderson put up a season that will merit serious MVP consideration. While Southsiders would no doubt love to see Anderson return to bolster his case, the organization’s priority will be to ensure his health for the postseason.
  • Los Angeles Angels infielder Franklin Barreto will undergo shoulder surgery on Tuesday, though it’s unclear as of right now what kind of recovery timeline Barreto will face, per Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group (via Twitter). Barreto appeared in six games for the Halos after being acquired from the A’s for Tommy La Stella. It was a rough year on the whole for Barreto, who slashed .074/.107/.074, though he only had opportunity for 27 plate appearances between both clubs.
  • Athletics utility player Chad Pinder took some hacks in the batting cage while returning to baseball activities today, per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). It remains entirely unclear if he’ll return before the postseason. The 28-year-old Pinder may not look like much from his .226/.281/.396 slash line, but he could play an important role for the A’s in the playoffs. With Matt Chapman out for the year, Pinder has a good chance to get the start at third base against southpaws while Jake Lamb and Vimael Machín fill out the hot corner rotation. Pinder boasts a 108 career wRC+ against lefties versus 89 wRC+ against same-handed hurlers.

 

AL Injury Notes: M. Chapman, Jays, Angels

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A few notable injury notes from around the American League…

  • Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman will resume baseball activities Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. It’s still unclear how much longer the AL West-leading A’s will go without Chapman, though. The 27-year-old has been out since he left their game Sunday with a right hip strain. Chapman batted a power-driven .232/.276/.535 with 10 home runs in 152 plate appearances before his injury.
  • Blue Jays first baseman Rowdy Tellez is dealing with right knee discomfort and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. Tellez has been one of the bright spots for the playoff-contending Blue Jays, who have benefited from his .291/.355/.555 line en route to a 24-18 record.
  • More on the Blue Jays, whose top reliever, Ken Giles, may be on track to return this weekend, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star tweets. Giles has only pitched twice this year – on July 24 and 26 – because of a forearm strain. The long absence could affect the 29-year-old’s earning power entering free agency, though the Blue Jays have carried on well without him. Their bullpen entered Tuesday ranked fourth in the majors in ERA and sixth in FIP.
  • The Angels placed infielder Franklin Barreto on the injured list Tuesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com tweets. They recalled infielder Matt Thaiss in a corresponding move. Barreto, whom the Angels acquired from the division-rival Athletics for fellow infielder Tommy La Stella before the trade deadline, has struggled in his time in the majors and hasn’t provided any value to LA so far. Since joining the Angels, Barreto has collected two hits in 18 trips to the plate.

Angels Announce Roster Moves

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The Los Angeles Angels announced a number of roster moves today. Luis Rengifo and Ryan Buchter have been recalled from the team’s alternate site, while Hoby Milner hits the 10-day IL and the recently-acquired Franklin Barreto has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

Barreto’s placement on the COVID IL is a matter of protocol, as it will take a couple of days to complete the intakes tests before joining his new squad. Barreto was acquired on Friday in a straight-up swap for Tommy La Stella. La Stella, however, is already in the Oakland lineup for tonight’s game against the Astros.

Rengifo re-joins the club and figures to get some extra playing time at the keystone until Barreto passes testing protocols. David Fletcher steps in as the de facto everyday second baseman now that Andrelton Simmons has returned to shortstop. Fletcher, however, can play all over the diamond and will likely continue to do so in order to give some run to Rengifo and/or Barreto.

Presumably, Maddon and the Angels will give time to all three players with the hopes of clarifying their second baseman arsenal ahead of 2021. Thus far, Barreto has managed just a 50 wRC+ mark in 211 at bats spread across four seasons, while Rengifo saw semi-regular playing time last year in his debut season. He’s off to a slow start this year, however. In total, Rengifo owns a 82 wRC+ mark across 466 at bats.

On the pitching side, Milner heads to the injured list with right back spasms. The move is retroactive to August 26th. Milner, 29, has been utilized liberally this season out of the pen by Maddon. Across 11 appearances, the journeyman southpaw has managed a 3.86 ERA with 6 strikeouts to 2 walks in 7 innings.

Buchter takes over at least temporarily as a lefty option for Maddon. The former Oakland Athletic has made 9 appearances this season with the Angels, sporting a 5.40 ERA across 5 innings. Like Milner, the 33-year-old Buchter has been called upon fairly often, but rarely for more than a couple of batters at a time.

Athletics Acquire Tommy La Stella For Franklin Barreto

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10:26pm: Both teams have announced the trade.

9:15pm: The Athletics have acquired infielder Tommy La Stella from the division-rival Angels, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Fellow infielder Franklin Barreto is headed to the Angels, per Rosenthal.

Now 31 years old, La Stella was a capable part-time player with the Braves and Cubs from 2014-18, but he has found another gear since joining the Angels before last season. Going back to 2019, La Stella has slashed .289/.353/.483 (125 wRC+) with 20 home runs and as many walks as strikeouts (35). La Stella even earned his first All-Star nod a season ago, though he was unable to play in the game after suffering a fractured tibia.

To his credit, La Stella has come back strong from his injury this year. He could soon emerge as the No. 1 option at second base for a contending Oakland club that has relied on Tony Kemp to handle the position so far.

Although La Stella was terrific as an Angel, they’re well out of contention, and he’s a pending free agent. As such, it made sense for the club to move on from La Stella and take on the 24-year-old Barreto, a former top prospect who didn’t receive consistent playing in Oakland.

Originally acquired from the Blue Jays as part of the two teams’ Josh Donaldson trade before 2015, Barreto batted a woeful .180/.210/.360 with nine homers in 219 plate appearances as an Athletic, and he has totaled just 10 trips to the plate this year. However, in addition to his prospect pedigree and youth, Barreto owns a strong track record in Triple-A, where he has hit .285/.356/.505 with 53 HRs in 1,285 PA. The Angels are obviously hoping Barreto will tap into his potential in their uniform, but because he’s out of minor league options, they won’t have the luxury of demoting him without possibly losing him.

Defensively, most of Barreto’s MLB playing time has come at second, where La Stella and Luis Rengifo have gotten the lion’s share of action for the club this year. But as the Angels go through the final month of what’s very likely to be another non-playoff season, they should be in position to evaluate Barreto as a possible everyday option at the keystone. The A’s, on the other hand, are taking a chance that La Stella will provide yet another weapon on a team aiming for an AL West title and a World Series this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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