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Minor MLB Transactions: 12/17/22

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There’s been a few minor league deals coming through of late, so here’s a quick recap.

  • The Dodgers have brought in catcher Patrick Mazeika on a minor league deal, per his MLB transactions log. Mazeika made big league appearances for the Mets over the past two seasons, slashing a combined .190/.236/.279 with a pair of home runs across 159 plate appearances. He was claimed off waivers by the Giants in August, before being released at the end of the season. Across 188 plate appearances between the Mets’ and Giants’ Triple-A affiliates, Mazeika slashed .253/.356/.352 with four home runs. The Dodgers have Will Smith and Austin Barnes tabbed to handle the catching duties this year, so Mazeika will provide some depth in the upper minors.
  • Oakland has added right-hander Garrett Williams on a minor league pact, per his MLB transaction log. Williams was originally drafted by the Giants in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, but made his way over to the Cardinals prior to the 2021 season. He showed some promise early on his minor league career, but has struggled in the upper minors. He owns a 4.46 ERA in 240 1/3 Double-A innings, and a 6.75 ERA in 80 Triple-A innings. He has flashed decent strikeout staff, boasting a 10.5 SO/9 in Triple-A, but control has been a huge problem, averaging a 7.9 BB/9 at the highest level of the minor leagues.
  • Colorado has signed shortstop Connor Kaiser to a minor league contract, per his MLB transaction log. The Pirates took Kaiser in the third round of the 2018 draft, and he briefly made it up to Triple-A with the Bucs before being released in May of this year. He latched on with the Padres, spending the rest of the year at Double-A and hitting .202/.299/.360 with seven home runs in 207 plate appearances.
  • The Nationals have added shortstop Nick Shumpert on a minor league deal, per his MLB transaction log. Shumpert was drafted out of high school in the seventh round by the Tigers in 2015, but he turned that down to go to college. He struggled at college, and wound up being taken in the 28th round a year later by the Braves. After three years in the minor leagues with Atlanta, Shumpert was released and turned to independent ball. The 26-year-old has spent the last four years there, and most recently slashed .265/.310/.421 with eight home runs in 375 plate appearances for the Cleburne Railroaders.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Stairs, Giants

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Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi tells J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group that Gabe Kapler’s departure to become the Phillies’ new manager now leaves the Dodgers with the onerous task of finding a new person to fill the “toughest job in baseball.” Kapler spent three years as the Dodgers’ director of player development/farm director, and Hoornstra notes that the new ideas he brought to the table have helped the lay the foundation for the team’s current run of success. “You’ve got to be able to relate to a lot of different factions and constituents between the front office, the major league club, major league manager, coaches, players throughout the system, affiliates, minor league players, minor league coaches,” said Zaidi of the unique challenges the role presents. Per Zaidi, the team will be casting a “wide-open net,” and the search could take a few weeks. Hoornstra points out that Jeremy Zoll, Kapler’s top assistant who could have been a leading internal candidate, has already been scooped up by the Twins to serve as their farm director in 2018 and beyond.

More from the NL West…

  • Newly minted Padres hitting coach Matt Stairs plans to bring an emphasis of on-base percentage and selectivity to the lineup, writes MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. Cassavell notes that Stairs’ famous one-liner, “Swing like you live: hard,” leads to some misconceptions about his philosophy; Stairs doesn’t necessarily preach swinging often but believes in being aggressive when deciding to do so. “I’ve always been a guy that always preaches — even when I wasn’t coaching — about not giving at-bats away, being a stubborn hitter,” said Stairs. “…I’m a firm believer in passing the baton and taking the walk. Let the guy behind you pick you up.” The Padres ranked 25th in MLB with a 7.7 percent walk rate last year and somewhat incredibly finished the season with a sub-.300 OBP as a collective unit, ranking last in the Majors at .299.
  • MLB.com’s Chris Haft writes that young Giants relievers Kyle Crick, Reyes Moronta and Garrett Williams are all likely to get the chance to cement themselves in the 2018 season. Krick, 25 next month, may have the best chance to do so early in the year after already experiencing some success in the second half of the 2017 season, though his 7.8 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 will need to trend more closely toward his respective Triple-A marks of 12.0 and 4.0. Williams has yet to even pitch in Double-A, but the 23-year-old lefty tore through two Class-A levels last season, and left-handed bullpen help is a need in San Francisco. Of course, the Giants still seem likely to add to the bullpen in some capacity this winter, though with myriad holes to fill throughout the roster, the presence of some internal options will be key.
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