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Geovany Soto

AL West News & Rumors: Cishek, Lind, Soto, Gurriel, Astros

By Mark Polishuk | July 17, 2016 at 6:26pm CDT

Here’s the latest from around the AL West…

  • Some rival evaluators feel the Mariners could make Steve Cishek, Adam Lind and/or other veterans available before the deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports in his latest subscriber-only news column.  Lind has hit just .229/.258/.429 this season and lost playing time to Dae Ho Lee at first base, so in moving Lind, the M’s would be able to shift Nelson Cruz back to DH and improve their outfield defense.  Cishek struggled in his last few outings prior to the All-Star break but has overall been quite solid as Seattle’s closer, notching 22 saves and posting a 3.07 ERA, 11.63 K/9 and 3.79 K/BB despite an ungainly 18.9% homer rate.  The Mariners fell to the .500 mark after today’s loss to the Astros, so the M’s could certainly turn into deadline sellers barring a quick turnaround.
  • Also from Olney, some teams see Angels catcher Geovany Soto as a possible deadline trade chip.  Soto has been limited to 22 games this season thanks to a torn right meniscus, though he has hit .284/.333/.478 over 74 plate appearances.  It’s worth noting that Soto has missed the last two games with soreness in his left knee.  MLBTR’s Steve Adams listed Soto as a trade candidate in his overview of the catching trade market earlier this week.
  • Yulieski Gurriel’s five-year contract with the Astros has drawn some split reaction from rival front offices, Olney writes.  One executive called the contract “a good deal — three years ago,” while another noted that Gurriel was being outperformed by some former North American minor leaguers when he played in Japan in 2014.  On the flip side, other evaluators praised Gurriel’s character.
  • With Gurriel and probably top prospect Alex Bregman joining the already-crowded infield mix in Houston, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that the added depth will allow for Jose Altuve to receive some DH days.  The Astros obviously want to keep their superstar second baseman (who has played in 183 consecutive games) as fresh as possible down the stretch, and the likes of George Springer or Carlos Correa could also get some DH time for similar reasons.  Altuve delivered four hits as Houston’s designated hitter today against the Mariners.
  • It’s been a busy day for AL West news here at MLB Trade Rumors, as we’ve also covered the Rangers’ search for pitching and a number of Athletics-related items, including Oakland’s acquisition of lefty Ross Detwiler from the Indians.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Seattle Mariners Adam Lind Geovany Soto Steve Cishek Yuliesky Gourriel

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Injury Notes: Ross, Teixeira, Salazar, Soler, Angels

By Jeff Todd | June 6, 2016 at 10:47pm CDT

While Padres righty Tyson Ross is progressing through his throwing program, he is not expected to make it back until after the All-Star game, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. The expectation is that Ross will begin throwing bullpens in a few weeks, and his timeline should gain more clarity once he reaches the mound. A return in mid-July could in theory put him in play at the trade deadline, but it seems increasingly likely that Ross won’t be shopped until after the season.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the game:

  • Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira will forego surgery on his right knee in hopes that he’ll be game-ready in three weeks’ time, as Roger Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be expected at the major league level at that point, as the length of his layoff could require at least a brief rehab stint. The struggling veteran has already been placed on the 15-day DL after being diagnosed with a cartilage tear.
  • Indians righty Danny Salazar will miss his next start due to shoulder fatigue, the club announced. It seems that the hope is it won’t be much more than that, as he’d likely be placed on the DL to free a roster spot otherwise. Salazar’s status remains worth watching, however. The 26-year-old has been outstanding in his first 11 starts. Cleveland will go to Cody Anderson for the spot start. While he’s struggled at times this year in the majors, Anderson has dominated in three Triple-A starts and is as good an insurance policy as you’ll find around the game.
  • The Cubs had to pull outfielder Jorge Soler from tonight’s action due to a hamstring injury, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He’s headed in for an MRI tomorrow, but it seems as if a DL stint could be in his future. Veteran minor-leaguer Matt Murton could get consideration if that proves necessary, but skipper Joe Maddon also suggested that prospect Albert Almora could receive consideration.
  • Meanwhile, the Angels continue to sort through a host of pitching ailments, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Of immediate concern, set-up man Joe Smith is hoping to stave off a trip to the DL with a hamstring injury. Starters Tyler Skaggs and C.J. Wilson are both in different stages of the rehab process. The former is expected to head out on a rehab assignment after a five-inning extended spring appearance tomorrow. And the latter hopes to re-start a throwing program this week.
  • The Angels are also waiting for some position players, as Fletcher further covers. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons (thumb surgery) could return to the majors as soon as Friday; outfielder Daniel Nava (groin) has only just returned to baseball activities; and catcher Geovany Soto (knee surgery) is throwing but has yet to hit or get into the crouch.
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Chicago Cubs Cleveland Guardians Los Angeles Angels New York Yankees San Diego Padres Albert Almora Andrelton Simmons C.J. Wilson Daniel Nava Danny Salazar Geovany Soto Joe Smith Jorge Soler Mark Teixeira Matt Murton Tyler Skaggs Tyson Ross

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Geovany Soto Out Four To Six Weeks Due To Torn Meniscus

By Steve Adams | May 18, 2016 at 6:09pm CDT

Angels catcher Geovany Soto will miss the next four to six weeks due to a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery, GM Billy Eppler told reporters, including Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times (links to Twitter). Catching prospect Jett Bandy will join the Angels tonight, Moura adds.

Soto becomes the latest in a seemingly ceaseless cavalcade of injuries for the Angels, who currently have Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.J. Wilson, Andrelton Simmons, Huston Street, Daniel Nava, Craig Gentry, Cory Rasmus and Cliff Pennington on the Major League disabled list. That list doesn’t include left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery but has had some recent setbacks at the Triple-A level.

Soto, 33, has hit well in limited action with the Halos this season, batting .283/.338/.483 with three homers in 67 trips to the plate. He signed a one-year, $2.8MM contract with the Angels this offseason. With Soto on the shelf, Bandy will pair with 25-year-old Carlos Perez behind the plate to comprise the Angels’ primary catching tandem. Bandy made his big league debut for the Angels in 2015 but received just two plate appearances in his brief promotion to the Majors. The former 31st-round pick rated 23rd (MLB.com) and 27th (Baseball America) in a weak Angels farm system heading into the season. He’s off to a .274/.314/.411 start with a pair of homers at Triple-A Salt Lake this season, and he’s caught 13 of 27 potential base thieves (48 percent). Bandy has halted 36 percent of stolen base attempts over the course of six minor league seasons.

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Los Angeles Angels Geovany Soto

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AL West Notes: Trumbo, Angels, Soto, Astros

By Steve Adams | November 24, 2015 at 11:44pm CDT

Multiple execs around the game tell ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick that they expect Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto to trade Mark Trumbo for a second time (Twitter link). Dipoto, formerly the Angels GM, sent Trumbo to Arizona in a trade that netted him Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs prior to the 2014 season and again inherited the first baseman upon taking over in Seattle. He’s targeted defense and on-base percentage in many of his early moves at the helm in Seattle, and Trumbo doesn’t necessarily fit with that type of philosophy. Trumbo projects to earn $9.1MM in 2016 and is a free agent following next offseason.

A few more notes from the division…

  • The Angels announced a wave of front office hires today, including the previously reported addition of former Padres manager/former Angels pitching coach Bud Black as a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler. Former Yankees scouting director Steve Martone has also been brought on as assistant GM (also previously reported but not official), and 27-year-old Jonathan Strangio has been promoted to AGM also. Strangio, a Harvard grad that joined the Angels as an intern in 2012, spent last season as the team’s manager of Major League operations. The Angels also promoted Bobby Scales from director of player development to special assistant; Justin Hollander from director of baseball ops to director of player personnel; and Mike LaCassa from assistant director of player development to director of minor league ops. The team also announced that A’s third base coach Mike Gallego has been hired as its new director of baseball development.
  • Eppler tells MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez that Geovany Soto, who inked a one-year, $2.8MM contract with the Angels today, will compete with young backstop Carlos Perez for the team’s starting role behind the plate next spring (Twitter link). The situation could ultimately result in a timeshare more than a standard starter/backup alignment, Gonzalez notes.
  • Brian McTaggart of MLB.com spoke to Astros GM Jeff Luhnow about his team’s upcoming arbitration decisions and was told that there are no budgetary constraints dictating whether or not the team will tender or non-tender any of its eight arb-eligible players. Nonetheless, McTaggart writes that one of Chris Carter, Luis Valbuena, Evan Gattis or Jason Castro is likely to be non-tendered, with Carter representing the likeliest option. With prospect A.J. Reed representing an affordable alternative, the team can probably afford to cut bait with Carter. Valbuena and Jed Lowrie are capable of handling first base in his stead if needed, McTaggart adds.
  • The Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich breaks down the Astros’ search for a reliever. While ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported recently that Houston is “hell-bent” on adding a closer, Luhnow said that’s not necessarily the case and he’s more “hell-bent” on improving the team by any avenue necessary. Of course, Luhnow isn’t likely to openly tip his hand about how strongly he wants a given asset, and Drellich points out that it makes sense to downplay this report in particular due to Luke Gregerson’s status as a well-respected leader in the bullpen. Luhnow again noted that it’d be nice to add an arm that can throw 95 to 100 mph, stating that he likes the notion of being able to give plenty of “different looks” to opposing lineups, though he didn’t characterize the need to add to the ’pen as any kind of top priority. Drellich writes that Houston would probably take Tony Sipp back on a two-year deal right now, but setup men like him — Sipp is arguably the market’s top lefty — tend to seek three years. The general expectation, though, seems to be that the Astros will add at least one relief arm (McTaggart noted that it’s likely in the above-linked piece as well). Luhnow told Drellich that for the time being, trade talks are more active than free-agent talks.
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Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Seattle Mariners Bud Black Carlos Perez Chris Carter Evan Gattis Geovany Soto Jason Castro Jed Lowrie Luis Valbuena Mark Trumbo Tony Sipp

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Angels Sign Geovany Soto

By Steve Adams | November 24, 2015 at 6:35pm CDT

The Angels announced that they’ve signed catcher Geovany Soto to a one-year, Major League contract. He’ll presumably pair with young catcher Carlos Perez as the Halos’ primary catching tandem. MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets that Soto will earn $2.8MM in 2016.

Soto, 33 in January, hit .219/.301/.406 in 210 plate appearances with the White Sox in 2015. While his 30 percent strikeout rate limited his batting average and on-base percentage, Soto walked at a healthy 10 percent clip and provided the ChiSox with defensive value as well. The former National League Rookie of the Year (2008) caught 30 percent of attempted base-stealers and rated 5.6 pitch-framing runs above average, per StatCorner.com’s catching report. Soto has never consistently stacked up to the Rookie of the Year production, he’s been a roughly league-average bat dating back to the 2010 season over the course of 1703 plate appearances.

Gonzalez adds (via Twitter) that with Soto’s signing, which comes just one day after former Angels catcher Chris Iannetta signed with the division-rival Mariners, the Angels sit about $20MM south of the luxury tax threshold. Considering the number of holes that new general manager Billy Eppler needs to fill — catcher, third base, second base, left field chief among them — the addition of Soto represents a low-cost upgrade that will allow the club to spend to address other areas on the roster. While the upcoming Dec. 2 non-tender deadline represents an avenue for most teams to save some cost, outfielder Collin Cowgill ($1MM arbitration projection) is the Angels’ only true non-tender candidate. As such, trades figure to be a more plausible means of creating some separation if the Angels do indeed wish to come in beneath the $189MM cutoff.

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Los Angeles Angels Newsstand Transactions Geovany Soto

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Rosenthal’s Latest: Redmond, Cubs, Harvey, O’s, White Sox

By Steve Adams | April 20, 2015 at 9:58am CDT

It would be foolhardy for the Marlins to fire manager Mike Redmond this early in the season, opines FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal in his latest notes column. Redmond is well-respected among the industry, Rosenthal notes, and he cannot be blamed for the fact that Henderson Alvarez is injured and Mat Latos has struggled so greatly. (Latos’ diminished velocity is likely a significant culprit in that regard.) Rosenthal writes that owner Jeffrey Loria needs to realize that the unstable culture he creates by cycling through managers so willingly is part of the problem in Miami.

A few more notes from Rosenthal’s latest column…

  • In the video atop his column, Rosenthal notes that Cubs top prospect Addison Russell has begun playing some second base and may eventually get a look there in the Majors. However, because he is their best defensive shortstop, Russell may eventually push Starlin Castro to third base and Kris Bryant to the outfield, or his arrival may lead to a trade of Castro.
  • Rosenthal writes about former Mets GM Omar Minaya’s decision to draft Matt Harvey with the seventh pick in the 2010 draft. The team had been deciding between Harvey and Chris Sale, but the Mets, like many other clubs, had some reservations about whether or not Sale would last as a starter. Minaya became convinced of Harvey after watching him in an April start at the University of Miami, though as Rosenthal notes, others in the front office/scouting department, including Marlin McPhail, Rudy Terrasas and Bryan Lambe all played large roles as well. Interestingly, Rosenthal adds that the White Sox were thrilled to get Chris Sale at No. 13, as they feared the Royals would select him fifth overall. Kansas City instead selected Cal State Fulelrton infielder Christian Colon.
  • Delmon Young told the Orioles that he wanted to regain some of his lost athleticism, and so the team had him work extensively with outfielder-turned-executive Brady Anderson in Spring Training. Young was the first to the clubhouse every day during Spring Training and is now has the fastest 10-yard dash time on the Orioles, per manager Buck Showalter. Rosenthal also notes that Everth Cabrera told the O’s that he knew advanced metrics pegged him as a below-average defender, and he expressed an interest in improving in that area. Baltimore is working with Cabrera to correct a tendency to retreat with his hands and “baby” the ball, as Rosenthal put it.
  • The White Sox weren’t as successful in upgrading their catching position as they’d have liked, but for the time being, they’re content with Tyler Flowers and Geovany Soto. Rosenthal notes that while Welington Castillo is widely believed to be available, the Sox and Cubs rarely make trades.
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Baltimore Orioles Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Kansas City Royals Miami Marlins New York Mets Addison Russell Chris Sale Christian Colon Delmon Young Everth Cabrera Geovany Soto Lance Lynn Matt Harvey Mike Redmond Starlin Castro Tyler Flowers Welington Castillo

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Roster Moves: Hernandez, Enright, Robinson, Uggla, Ciriaco, Stults, Petit

By Mark Polishuk and Brad Johnson | April 4, 2015 at 9:54pm CDT

Here’s a roundup of some 40-man roster news as teams decide who will break camp for Opening Day….

  • The Diamondbacks have announced (via Twitter) that Archie Bradley, Gerald Laird, and Jordan Pacheco have made the roster. Bradley, a top prospect, will join the rotation. Laird will serve as the backup catcher while Pacheco will probably take on a super utility role that includes some catching.
  • The Astros have selected the contract of Roberto Hernandez, per the MLB transactions page. The right-handed sinker specialist has a 4.60 ERA in 1,264 innings. He split the 2014 season between the Phillies and Dodgers.
  • The Dodgers have released right-handed pitcher Barry Enright, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Enright is a veteran of four major league seasons, although he struggled at the top level. He owns a 5.57 ERA, 4.60 K/9, and 3.15 BB/9 in 148 innings.
  • The Nationals will select the contract of outfielder Clint Robinson, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Times. Robinson, 30, is a career minor leaguer with just 14 major league plate appearances. In 1,771 Triple-A plate appearances, he’s hit .303/.392/.494. Janes also notes that the club is almost certain to retain second baseman Dan Uggla. He’s one of just five healthy infielders with the club.
  • The Blue Jays have opted to roster eight relievers for the start of the season with Liam Hendriks making the cut, writes Sean Farrell of MLB.com. The righty appeared for the Jays and Royals last season. He has a career 5.92 ERA in 188 innings. Second baseman Ryan Goins was optioned in a corresponding move.
  • Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that utility man Pedro Ciriaco and pitcher Cody Martin will probably make the team. Ciriaco is a career .270/.299/.372 hitter over 498 plate appearances split over five seasons. The pair were added at the expense of outfielder Todd Cunningham and pitcher Michael Foltynewicz.
  • Also making the Atlanta roster is pitcher Eric Stults, writes Bowman. The soft-tossing lefty has a solid big league career with a 4.12 ERA, 5.69 K/9, and 2.53 BB/9. His best season came with the Padres in 2013 when he pitched 203 innings with a 3.93 ERA.
  • The Yankees have selected the contract of infielder Gregorio Petit, reports Chad Jennings of LoHud. Petit, 30, is a career .278/.301/.391 hitter in 156 plate appearances.
  • Rangers GM Jon Daniels says Anthony Bass will travel with the club to Oakland, reports Stefan Stevenson (via Twitter). He’ll make the team barring a last minute acquisition. The 27-year-old reliever struggled with the Astros last season. In 27 innings, he allowed a 6.33 ERA with 2.33 K/9 and 2.33 BB/9.
  • The Phillies have selected the contracts of right-handed reliever Jeanmar Gomez and left-handed reliever Cesar Jimenez, the team announced on Twitter. Gomez owns a career 4.41 ERA with 5.23 K/9 and 3.14 BB/9. He pitched well this spring in 12 and two-thirds innings, allowing a 0.71 ERA with nine strikeouts and one walk. Jimenez is familiar with the Phillies as he’s bounced between Philadelphia and Triple-A over the past two seasons. In 81 innings, he has a career 4.32 ERA with 6.09 K/9 and 3.09 BB/9.

Read more

  • The Nationals have assigned Mike Carp to Triple-A, MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko reports (Twitter link).  Carp can choose to either accept the assignment or exercise the out in his minor league deal with the Nats and become a free agent.
  • Outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. and right-hander Keone Kela told reporters (including Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) that they’ve been told they’re making the Rangers’ Opening Day roster.  DeShields was a Rule 5 Draft pick off of the Astros roster while Kela, a 12-round pick in 2012, is doing from Double-A to the majors after an impressive spring performance.  Texas will need to make another move to make room for Kela on the 40-man roster.
  • After some roster cuts yesterday, the Angels will keep Rule 5 Draft pick Taylor Featherston on their 25-man roster, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez writes.  Featherston entered December’s Rule 5 Draft as a Rockies minor leaguer, only to be selected by the Cubs and then later dealt to the Halos for cash.
  • The Orioles are trying to find a spot for Rule 5 Draft righty Jason Garcia but Garcia himself “has no idea if he’s on the team” or on waivers, he tells MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link)
  • Buddy Carlyle can opt out of his minor league deal with the Mets prior to Opening Day if he isn’t on the 25-man roster, ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin reports, though it seems as if he’ll make the team since the Mets are leaning towards using an eight-man bullpen in the early going.
  • Catcher Geovany Soto, infielder Micah Johnson and righty Matt Albers have all made the White Sox and will be added to the 40-man roster, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes.  Kyle Drabek and Eric Surkamp are fighting for the last bullpen job on the Opening Day roster.
  • The Rays announced that former first overall draft pick Tim Beckham, veteran catcher Bobby Wilson and right-handers Kirby Yates and Steve Geltz have all made the Opening Day roster, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.  Wilson will need to be added to the 40-man, and a spot will be created once Matt Moore is shifted to the 60-day DL, MLB.com’s Bill Chastain notes.  Of the non-roster invites who didn’t make the cut, infielder Jake Elmore has accepted his assignment to Triple-A rather than elect free agency, while Juan Francisco has until tomorrow to let the Rays know if he’ll be accepting his own minor league assignment.

 

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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Chicago White Sox Los Angeles Angels New York Mets New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Rule 5 Draft Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Anthony Bass Bobby Wilson Buddy Carlyle Cesar Jimenez Clint Robinson Delino DeShields Jr. Eric Stults Geovany Soto Gregorio Petit Jeanmar Gomez Juan Francisco Liam Hendriks Matt Albers Micah Johnson Mike Carp Pedro Ciriaco

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Article XX(B) Free Agent Updates: Tuesday

By Steve Adams | March 31, 2015 at 9:09pm CDT

Per the latest iteration of Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, players with six years of service time who finished the 2014 season on a 40-man roster or on the 60-day DL but signed Minor League deals over the offseason are entitled to a $100K retention bonus if their new team wishes to assign them to the Minor Leagues. Otherwise, they must be added to the MLB roster or Major League disabled list. Players who do receive the retention bonus are also given June 1 opt-out dates in their Minor League pacts.

MLBTR’s Jeff Todd ran down a list of this year’s Article XX(B) free agents earlier in the month, and we’re now arriving at the juncture of Spring Training where decisions must be made on these players — the deadline will come at 11am CT tomorrow. Many such players have already been released or granted their release today (some will re-sign with the teams that released them, as Chris Perez did in Milwaukee), but here are updates on players who were paid this bonus or learned that they’ve made their respective teams…

  • Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that utility man Kelly Johnson has made the Braves’ 25-man roster. Johnson inked a Minor League pact that included a yet-unreported base salary. His versatility, the organization’s familiarity with him and the fact that the 32-year-old slashed a hefty .273/.396/.523 with a pair of homers in 54 plate appearances this spring likely all factored into the decision.
  • The Nationals will pay left-hander Rich Hill the $100K retention bonus, tweets James Wagner of the Washington Post. The 35-year-old yielded a pair of runs in 7 1/3 innings this spring and will give the Nats some left-handed relief depth. Of course, the Nats also just traded away some lefty relief by dealing out-of-options southpaw Jerry Blevins and his $2.4MM salary to the Mets.

Earlier Updates

  • Padres catcher Wil Nieves has received a $100K retention bonus, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Nieves is still in the running for the team’s backup catching slot, Lin adds. Tim Federowicz was slated to be the team’s backup, but knee surgery has sidelined him for the next several months. The team must make a final call by this Sunday.
  • The D-Backs and catcher Gerald Laird and agreed to a five-day extension that will allow him to remain in big league camp, reports Jack Magruder of FOX Sports Arizona (on Twitter). Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic adds some clarity, noting that Laird still received the $100K retention bonus but will have the opportunity to fight for a roster spot (Twitter link). The five days will give the Snakes a bit more time to determine whether or not they want to take the veteran Laird north with them to open the season.
  • The Blue Jays have paid the $100K retention bonus to both Johan Santana and Munenori Kawasaki, tweets Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. Both players were on Minor League deals, but Santana didn’t get into a game with the big league club as he continued to rehab from injury. Kawasaki hit .333/.481/.571 in 27 plate appearances but didn’t make the big league roster. He’ll head to Triple-A and wait for a call to the Majors in an organization with which he is quite familiar and where he is quite popular among the coaches and his teammates.
  • Right-handers Brad Penny and Jesse Crain both received retention bonuses from the White Sox, Passan also reports (on Twitter). The duo will remain in the Minors in the hopes of a spot opening with the big league club. Penny struggled to a 6.89 ERA in 15 2/3 innings this spring, though little can be gleaned from such a small sample, and he did issue only four walks along the way. Crain, like his former Twins teammate Santana in Toronto, didn’t pitch in a big league game as he continued to rehab from injuries that cost him the entire 2014 season in Houston.
  • Both Geovany Soto and Matt Albers, on the other hand, have made the White Sox’ roster and will be added to the 40-man, Passan reports in the aforementioned tweet. Presumably, Soto will be in the mix for everyday at-bats behind the plate following a strong spring performance. Albers will slot into the bullpen and bring an experienced arm to serve as a right-handed setup option. Soto’s base salary is an unknown, wheres Albers stands to reportedly receive a $1.5MM base for making the club.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves San Diego Padres Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Brad Penny Geovany Soto Gerald Laird Jesse Crain Johan Santana Kelly Johnson Matt Albers Munenori Kawasaki Rich Hill Wil Nieves

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AL Central Notes: Johan, Hughes, Reimold, Swisher, Sox

By Steve Adams | January 23, 2015 at 6:54pm CDT

Though Johan Santana’s comeback attempt briefly stalled when he experienced some shoulder discomfort, it appears he’s back on course, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the former Cy Young winner will throw a bullpen session today and is tentatively scheduled to pitch Game 5 of the Venezuelan Winter League finals next week. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (via Twitter) that the Twins will be scouting each of those showings, though his sense is that a return to his former stomping grounds isn’t in the cards for Santana.

More on the Twins and their division…

  • Right-hander Phil Hughes told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that he was excited to sign a long-term extension with the Twins in December due to the high level of comfort that he felt in his first year with the club. Hughes implied that he entered the offseason hoping to work out a longer deal and was clearly able to do that, signing for an additional three years and $42MM on Dec. 22. However, Hughes noted that he wouldn’t have signed if he didn’t think the team was close to contending in the near future. Minnesota’s enviable farm system and their willingness to spend on veterans, demonstrated by signing Torii Hunter and Ervin Santana this winter, were both factors in Hughes’ decision as well.
  • The Indians are showing a great deal of interest in Nolan Reimold, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Cleveland is trying to sign the former Oriole to a minor league deal, Kubtako notes, though he adds that the Orioles remain in the mix as well. Reimold, 31, has battled significant injuries over the past few seasons but does own a solid .251/.324/.439 batting line in 1134 big league plate appearances.
  • Nick Swisher struggled through the worst season of his career last year with the Indians, though many of his struggles were likely attributable to knee problems that plagued him all season. Swisher, who underwent surgery on both knees in August, explained to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince that his knees were so bad that he literally could not walk to the bathroom at night (Twitter links). He admitted to Castrovince that he wished he’d had the operations sooner, but wanted to play through the pain due to the investment that the Indians made in him. Cleveland inked the Ohio native to a four-year, $56MM pact two offseasons ago.
  • At their annual Sox Fest event earlier today, White Sox GM Rick Hahn told reporters, including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, that bullpen depth and another utility infielder to use versus left-handed pitching were the two primary items remaining on his offseason wishlist (Twitter link). Hahn also said that minor league signee Geovany Soto has a good chance to make the team out of Spring Training, so long as he can show that he is healthy (via CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes).
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White Sox To Sign Geovany Soto

By Steve Adams | January 22, 2015 at 1:54pm CDT

The White Sox and catcher Geovany Soto have agreed to terms on a minor league contract for the 2015 season, reports Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com. The Kinzer Management Group client will be invited to Major League Spring Training and compete for a 25-man roster spot, Levine adds (Twitter links).

Soto, 32, missed much of the 2014 season as he recovered from offseason surgeries on his left foot and right knee, and a groin injury sidelined him for two weeks in July as well. That trio of physical ailments limited him to just 87 plate appearances between the Rangers and Athletics, though he was expected to handle the bulk of Texas’ catching duties at the onset of the season. Overall, Soto batted .250/.302/.363 with one homer on the year. The former NL Rookie of the Year looked much sharper with the Rangers in 2013 when he batted .245/.328/.466 with nine homers in 184 trips to the plate.

Soto’s performance has fluctuated fairly significantly on a year-to-year basis, but the cumulative sum of his efforts over the past five seasons and over the entirety of his career has been roughly a league-average bat, in terms of OPS+. A lifetime .248/.334/.436 hitter, Soto offers above-average plate discipline and pop for a catcher when he’s healthy, but he does come with a fairly lengthy injury history.

Tyler Flowers currently projects to be the everyday catcher for the White Sox, with 2014 backup Adrian Nieto, waiver claim Rob Brantly and minor league signee George Kottaras all fighting for time behind the dish as well. I’d wager that Soto’s track record gives him a leg up over much of the competition, provided he’s healthy. Ultimately, I could see him overtaking Flowers as the starter, given the fact that Flowers’ .241/.297/.396 batting line was bolstered by an unsustainable .355 average on balls in play. If that number regresses toward his career mark of .308 and Flowers continues striking out at a 35 to 36 percent clip, it wouldn’t be surprising if another starter emerged for the ChiSox eventually.

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