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Hoy Jun Park

A’s, Hoy Park Agree To Minor League Deal

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The A’s have agreed to a minor league contract with utility player Hoy Park, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. He’d reached minor league free agency at season’s end.

Park spent the entire 2023 campaign with the Braves’ Triple-A team in Gwinnett. Atlanta had run him through outright waivers last offseason. The 27-year-old had a decent season, hitting .262/.385/.379 through 389 plate appearances. Park drew walks in a huge 15.4% of his trips against an average 22.1% strikeout rate. He stole 16 bases in 18 attempts while hitting six home runs.

The lefty-hitting Park has a solid minor league track record. He has ridden a patient plate approach to a .258/.385/.402 batting line in just over 1000 Triple-A plate appearances. Park hasn’t carried that over against big league pitching, hitting .201/.291/.346 in 68 games between 2021-22. Virtually all of that playing time came with the Pirates, but Park has also spent time in the Yankees, Red Sox and Braves organizations.

Park has played mostly second or third base during his limited big league action. He has experience at shortstop and spent the bulk of his time in Gwinnett in right field. While Park doesn’t have a ton of power, his plate discipline and defensive versatility give him a shot to compete for a bench role in Spring Training.

Braves Outright Hoy Park

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The Braves announced that infielder Hoy Park has been outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett. He had been designated for assignment last week.

Park, 27 in April, has been bouncing around the league over the past couple of seasons. Originally a Yankee farmhand, he got out to a blistering start in 2021. In 48 Triple-A games, he hit .327/.475/.567 for a wRC+ of 180. On the heels of that torrid stretch, he went to Pittsburgh in the deal that sent Clay Holmes to the Yankees.

Unfortunately, his performance since that deal has made that hot streak look like a mirage. He hit .195/.297/.336 in 45 games for the Pirates after the deal in 2021. In 2022, he spent most of his time in Triple-A, getting into 89 games and hitting just .225/.332/.354 for a wRC+ of 86. He also got into 23 big league games but slashed a meager .216/.276/.373, 79 wRC+.

The Pirates designated him for assignment in November and then flipped him to the Red Sox for prospect Inmer Lobo, only for Boston to send Park back into DFA limbo again a few weeks later. The Sox then flipped him to Atlanta for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Atlanta then designated him for assignment again, with Park having now cleared waivers.

Despite the tepid offense over the past season and a half, Park continues to get interest due to his defensive versatility and speed. He regularly posts double-digit steal totals and can play all three outfield slots as well as the three positions left of first base. If his bat can even take a little step forward to be average-ish, he could be a valuable contributor.

Braves Acquire Eli White From Rangers

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The Braves announced they’ve acquired outfielder Eli White from the Rangers in exchange for cash. Infielder Hoy Park was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot. Texas had DFA White last week.

White, 28, has appeared at the MLB level in each of the last three seasons. A former Oakland draftee who landed with the Rangers in the Jurickson Profar swap before the 2019 campaign, he debuted with Texas the next year. White played a sporadic role for the next few seasons, suiting up in 130 games. He owns a .185/.260/.295 line over that stretch, hitting nine home runs but striking out at a massive 31.6% clip.

While While hasn’t hit much at the MLB level, he’s shown flashes in other areas. He’s stolen 17 bags in 22 career attempts, including a 12-for-13 success rate this year. The Clemson product has demonstrated that athleticism on defense, with Defensive Runs Saved pegging him 11 runs above average through 890 career innings of outfield work. He’s rated as nine runs better than par by Statcast’s Outs Above Average, with most of his time in left and center field.

White’s 2022 season was cut short in June when he fractured his right wrist in an outfield collision. The injury required surgery, but there’s no indication it’ll have any lingering effects on his 2023 preparation. Assuming he holds his 40-man roster spot all winter, he’ll compete for a bench job in Spring Training. Atlanta has Marcell Ozuna, Eddie Rosario, Jordan Luplow and Sam Hilliard all jockeying for left field playing time alongside Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. No one in the left field mix — White included — can be optioned to the minor leagues, so Atlanta may wind up dropping one or two of those players from the 40-man roster before the regular season kicks off.

Park landed in Atlanta less than two weeks ago. The Braves acquired the left-handed hitting infielder from the Red Sox for cash or a player to be named later. He’d just been claimed off waivers by Boston from the Pirates, and he’ll head into DFA limbo for a third time this winter.

The 26-year-old has a .201/.291/.346 line in 210 MLB plate appearances with the Yankees and Bucs in the past two seasons. He’s shown solid plate discipline but hit for below-average power and struck out at a slightly elevated rate. The South Korea native is a .255/.384/.417 hitter in parts of two Triple-A campaigns. He’s played each of second, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots in his limited MLB time. Park has two minor league option years remaining, so another team willing to devote him a 40-man roster spot could keep him in Triple-A for the next couple seasons. He’ll be traded or waived yet again in the next seven days.

Braves Acquire Hoy Park

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The Red Sox announced that they have traded infielder/outfielder Hoy Park to the Braves. In exchange, they will receive a player to be named later or cash considerations. Park was designated for assignment earlier this week.

Park, 27 in April, has been bouncing around the league over the past couple of seasons. Originally a Yankee farmhand, he got out to a blistering start in 2021. In 48 Triple-A games, he hit .327/.475/.567 for a wRC+ of 180. On the heels of that torrid stretch, he went to Pittsburgh in the deal that sent Clay Holmes to the Yankees.

Unfortunately, his performance since that deal has made that hot streak look like a mirage. He hit .195/.297/.336 in 45 games for the Pirates after the deal. In 2022, he spent most of his time in Triple-A, getting into 89 games and hitting just .225/.332/.354 for a wRC+ of 86. He also got into 23 big league games but slashed a meager .216/.276/.373, 79 wRC+.

The Pirates designated him for assignment in November and then flipped him to the Red Sox for prospect Inmer Lobo, only for Boston to send him back into DFA limbo again a few weeks later. Despite the tepid offense over the past season and a half, Park continues to get interest due to his defensive versatility and speed. He regularly posts double-digit steal totals and can play all three outfield slots as well as the three positions left of first base. If his bat can even take a little step forward to be average-ish, he could be a valuable contributor.

For the Braves, they have most of their infield set with Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley in place. Shortstop is still a question mark with Dansby Swanson having hit free agency and still on the open market. If he ends up signing elsewhere, it seems the plan would be to install Vaughn Grissom there. In the outfield, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. have two spots accounted for with Marcell Ozuna, Eddie Rosario and Sam Hilliard candidates for another. Park still has two option years remaining, which will allow the club to keep him in the minors as depth to be brought up as needed. But he could also compete for a bench/utility role with the likes of Orlando Arcia, Braden Shewmake and Ehire Adrianza.

Red Sox Designate Hoy Park For Assignment

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The Red Sox have designated infielder Hoy Park for assignment, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The move is in correspondence with the signing of reliever Kenley Jansen, which the Sox are making official today.

Park, 27 in April, spent most of his career in the Yankees organization before going to the Pirates in 2021 as part of the Clay Holmes trade. Between the two clubs, he’s gotten into 68 MLB contests, but with a tepid .201/.291/.346 batting line to show for it. That amounts to a wRC+ of 74, indicating he’s been 26% below league average.

He has occasionally had better showings with the bat, particularly a 48-game showing at Triple-A with the Yankees prior to the trade. In that stretch, he hit .327/.475/.567 for a wRC+ of 180. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep that going after the deal. In 89 Triple-A games in 2022, he hit .225/.332/.354, 86 wRC+.

Despite that inconsistent work at the plate, Park at least provides speed and defensive versatility. He has regularly put up double-digit steals in the minors and has played the three infield positions to the left of first base as well as all three outfield slots. There was enough intrigue from the Red Sox to acquire him from the Pirates in November, sending prospect Inmer Lobo the other way, but they have now designated him for assignment just three weeks later. They will have one week to try to work out a trade or pass him through waivers. Park has previously been outrighted in his career, meaning he would have the right to reject another outright assignment and elect free agency if he clears waivers.

Red Sox Acquire Hoy Park

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The Pirates have traded infielder Hoy Park to the Red Sox, according to the transactions tracker at MLB.com (hat tip to Chris Cotillo of Mass Live). Park was designated for assignment yesterday. Going the other way is left-hander Inmer Lobo.

Park, 27 in April, has spent most of his career in the Yankees’ organization. He went to the Pirates in 2021 as part of the trade that sent Clay Holmes to the Bronx. Unfortunately, he didn’t find much success with his new team. He was optioned frequently between the majors and minors this year, hitting .216/.276/.373 in the bigs and .225/.332/.354 in Triple-A. Based on that tepid showing, he lost his roster spot when the Pirates claimed Lewin Díaz.

Despite the lackluster offense, the Red Sox likely were intrigued by Park’s defensive versatility and speed. He’s posted double-digit steal totals in each of his professional seasons when combining different levels, in addition to having played all three outfield positions and every infield position except for first base. If his work at the plate can improve at all, he could be a useful utility option for them.

The club’s position player mix has a bit of uncertainty at the moment, with Trevor Story and Enrique Hernández both candidates to play shortstop. Both players are also capable of playing second base with Hernandez also a candidate for work in center field. Christian Arroyo could play some second with Jarren Duran an option for center while Jeter Downs is also in the infield mix. Park’s versatility could have him moving around based on how those situations play out over time.

As for Lobo, he threw 22 dominant innings over five starts in the Dominican Summer League with a 0.82 ERA, 34.1% strikeout rate and 2.4% walk rate. He’s still quite young, as he won’t turn 19 until February, but he’s an intriguing long-term prospect for the Pirates.

Pirates Designate Hoy Park For Assignment

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The Pirates announced they’ve designated infielder Hoy Park for assignment. The move creates a 40-man roster spot for first baseman Lewin Díaz, who has been claimed off waivers from the Marlins as previously reported.

Park landed in Pittsburgh alongside Diego Castillo in the increasingly regrettable deal that sent reliever Clay Holmes to the Yankees. Park had only appeared in one big league game with New York to that point, but he was sitting on an incredible .325/.475/.567 line in Triple-A. He looked like a plug-and-play middle infield option for the Bucs, but he never seized control of a spot in an uncertain second base mix.

The South Korea native hit .197/.299/.339 through 144 plate appearances down the stretch in 2021. He walked at a very strong 12.1% clip but didn’t make much of an impact on batted balls and struck out more than a quarter of the time he came to the plate. Park spent most of this past season as an upper minors depth infielder. He appeared in just 23 MLB games while suiting up 89 times at Triple-A Indianapolis.

In contrast to his incredible 2021 work at the minors’ highest level, Park hit .225/.332/.354 through 375 plate appearances there in 2022. He again showed a willingness to work deep counts, drawing walks at just shy of a 14% clip, and he was successful on all 14 of his stolen base attempts. Still, a 26.4% strikeout rate and a modest 10 home runs and 11 doubles contributed to a below-average offensive performance. He didn’t do much in his 60 MLB plate appearances this year, hitting .216/.276/.373 with a pair of longballs.

The Pirates are lacking a slam-dunk option to play second base after trading Kevin Newman to the division-rival Reds last week. General manager Ben Cherington recently told reporters they were open to addressing the position from outside the organization, and Park clearly had fallen to the bottom of the depth chart among their internal options. As things currently stand, Rodolfo Castro looks like the favorite to join Oneil Cruz in the middle infield, although Castillo and Ji Hwan Bae could battle for reps before accounting for any external pickups.

The Bucs will now have a week to trade Park or try to run him through waivers. His plate discipline and defensive flexibility could draw him some attention. He’s capable of playing anywhere on the infield, although he’s increasingly seen more time at second and third base than at shortstop. Park also has a bit of experience at each of the three outfield positions, making him a possible versatile left-handed bench bat. He’s yet to find much success against big league pitching, but he’s a career .250/.362/.368 hitter over parts of seven minor league seasons. Park still has a pair of option years remaining, so another team could stash him in the upper minors as depth if they’re willing to devote him a 40-man roster spot.

Pirates Designate Josh VanMeter For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated infielder Josh VanMeter for assignment.  In other moves, right-hander Hoy Park and left-hander Eric Stout were called up from Triple-A, with Stout acting as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader with the Mets.

Acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks in March, VanMeter’s first season in Pittsburgh has resulted in a .187/.266/.292 slash line over 192 plate appearances, a step down even from the modest offense VanMeter produced in 649 PA with the Reds and D’Backs in 2019-21.  VanMeter’s biggest asset has been his defensive flexibility, as he has mostly played first and second base this season while also making a few appearances as a third baseman, left fielder, catcher, and three mop-up pitching cameos.

This versatility has kept VanMeter in part-time and bench roles over the last four seasons, though with the season winding down, the Pirates will now open up more playing time for their younger players.  VanMeter is out of minor league options, so the DFA route had to be pursued in order to remove the 27-year-old from Pittsburgh’s roster.  A team in need of infield depth could potentially have VanMeter on the radar for a waiver claim, and the expanded September rosters create a bit of extra leeway for VanMeter’s out-of-options status.

Pirates Place Ben Gamel On IL With Hamstring Strain

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The Pirates announced that Ben Gamel has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring. The outfielder left last night’s game holding the back of his left leg. Infielder Hoy Park has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Claimed off waivers from Cleveland in May of last year, Gamel has been a bright spot on a struggling Pirates team. He started last season in a miserable funk, going .071/.235/.143 while in Ohio. After being claimed by Pittsburgh, he righted the ship and hit .255/.352/.399 the rest of the way for a wRC+ of 105. Through 45 contests this year, his line is .257/.350/.386 for a wRC+ of 113. (Those extra eight points on his wRC+ with a very similar batting line are likely due to the deadened offense around baseball so far this season, as the statistic compares a player’s production to everyone else in the league.)

With Gamel now out of action, this will put a dent in a lineup that was already facing its share of challenges. The team as a whole is hitting .223/.295/.352 for a wRC+ of 86, a mark better than just three teams in the majors (Reds, A’s, Tigers). They’ve also seen many position players head to the injured list, including essentially all of their veterans. Gamel joins Roberto Perez, Jake Marisnick, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Daniel Vogelbach, Kevin Newman and Greg Allen as non-pitchers on the shelf. That leaves the active roster as almost entirely composed of younger and still-developing players. Excluding pitchers, backup catcher Tyler Heineman is the only guy on the team who has been on the planet more than 30 years, while starting catcher Michael Perez is the only one who began this season with more than three years of MLB service time.

Gamel came into this season with over five years of MLB service time, meaning he’s heading into free agency this winter. That gives this injury implications both for him and the team. The Bucs have been in rebuilding mode for years now, meaning that any short-term asset is a potential trade chip, with Gamel certainly fitting that bill. The trade deadline is still two months away, which gives him some time to recuperate and get back on the field before then, though the severity of his injury isn’t clear at this time. For him personally, he will surely be motivated to return to the field and demonstrate his health and abilities before hitting the open market in search of free agent dollars.

Kevin Newman Expected To Miss 3-5 Weeks With Groin Strain

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Pirates shortstop Kevin Newman left last night’s game due to left groin soreness, and the team’s director of sports medicine Todd Tomcyzk told reporters (including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) this afternoon he’s been diagnosed with a strain. The issue is expected to keep him out for three-to-five weeks.

Newman will certainly be placed on the 10-day injured list, leaving the Bucs needing to fill in at shortstop. Newman has started 13 of the first 17 games there, with Hoy Park, Diego Castillo and Cole Tucker accounting for the other four outings. Tucker is on the COVID-19 injured list, so Park and Castillo figure to be in line for the bulk of playing time over the coming weeks. Manager Derek Shelton said it’ll be Castillo who gets the nod for tonight’s game against the Brewers (via Mike Persak of the Post-Gazette).

Castillo and Park both went to Pittsburgh from the Yankees in last summer’s Clay Holmes trade. Both players had solid numbers in the high minors last year, but they’re each already in their mid-20’s. Most public prospect evaluators don’t regard either as a long-term regular, although Castillo checked in 16th at Baseball America and 17th at FanGraphs during those outlets’ respective write-ups of the Bucs’ farm system this winter. Both noted that Castillo isn’t likely to be a long-term fit defensively at shortstop but praised his bat-to-ball skills and suggested he could be a useful bat-first utility type.

While a Castillo – Park pairing seems the likeliest outcome, the Pirates could look elsewhere to hold down shortstop in Newman’s absence. Ke’Bryan Hayes moved to the position from his customary third base spot for the final few innings last night, his first career action there. Hayes, widely regarded as a Gold Glove-caliber player at the hot corner, could probably hold his own at shortstop. It seems, however, the Bucs would rather leave him at third base, where they’re certain he can be a plus defender.

The Pirates also have top shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz on optional assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 23-year-old made a brief big league cameo at the end of last year, but he was optioned to start this season. That seemed to be motivated, at least in part, by service time considerations. Cruz has now spent enough time in the minors that he wouldn’t automatically reach a full year of MLB service in 2022 even if he were called up for good today.

However, the new collective bargaining agreement grants a full season of service to top prospects who finish among their respective league’s top two in Rookie of the Year balloting. On the one hand, that’s a player-friendly provision; yet it can also disincentivize a team like the Pirates — amidst a full rebuild and not in position to compete in 2022 regardless — from calling up a player of Cruz’s talent level until deeper into the season to diminish the chances he compiles Rookie of the Year-caliber numbers to earn that bonus service year.

There’s also the simple matter of Cruz’s early performance in Indianapolis, which has not been good. He’s hitting .203/.288/.339 with just one homer through his first 66 plate appearances. It’s thus unsurprising Shelton didn’t sound as if the team were planning to bring Cruz up at this time. Asked if Cruz was an option to replace Newman, the skipper noted that “everybody in our system who’s on the roster at the upper levels will be given consideration” but added that “there’s still work (for Cruz) to be done. We’re focusing on what that work is” (Mackey links).

In other Pirates’ news, Shelton informed reporters that star outfielder Bryan Reynolds will be back on the roster tonight (via Persak). He hit the COVID list alongside Tucker yesterday, but it would appear he never tested positive and is currently asymptomatic.

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