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Jair Jurrjens

Reds To Sign Jair Jurrjens

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4:30pm: Jurrjens would earn a $800K annual rate should he crack the big league roster, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

7:38am: The Reds have agreed to to a minor league contract with free agent right-hander Jair Jurrjens, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). The Scott Boras client was said recently to be eyeing a comeback after undergoing knee surgery last fall.

It’s been a rapid decline for Jurrjens, who is still just 28 years of age. The Curacao native was dominant for the Braves in 2011, posting a 2.38 ERA through his first 19 starts of the season. He suffered a knee injury shortly thereafter and would make only four more starts in 2011, allowing 16 runs in 23 1/3 innings.

It’s been downhill for Jurrjens since that time, as he’s posted a 6.63 ERA in 55 2/3 innings since and has undergone multiple knee surgeries as he attempts to revive his once-promising career. While his brilliant 2011 campaign was likely aided by a deflated batting average on balls in play (.267) and an elevated strand rate (81 percent), he still had the makings of a solid big league starting pitcher in his first four seasons with Atlanta.

Jurrjens spent much of last season in Triple-A with the Orioles and Tigers (the organization which originally signed him), pitching to a 4.57 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 134 innings. He’ll serve as additional rotation depth for the Reds, who also have Chien-Ming Wang in their Triple-A rotation. Jeff Francis also occupied a role with that team until he was claimed off waivers by the Athletics this past weekend. Cincinnati has been without Mat Latos all season, but Alfredo Simon has surprisingly stepped up and filled that role masterfully, pitching to a 2.45 ERA in 51 1/3 innings out of the rotation.

Quick Hits: Cardinals, Pirates, Angels, Jurrjens

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So far, the Cardinals haven’t benefited from the offseason trade that sent David Freese and Fernando Salas to the Angels for Peter Bourjos and Randal Grichuk, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Grichuk played well at the Triple-A level before being promoted, but his ability to make contact remains cause for concern, Miklasz argues. Meanwhile, Peter Bourjos has struggled, and so has Matt Carpenter, which means the Cardinals haven’t gotten the third base upgrade they hoped for, either. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.

  • Pirates GM Neal Huntington denies a recent rumor that his team is still seeking a first baseman despite recently trading for Ike Davis, Bucs Dugout’s David Manel reports. “I typically hate to comment on any specific rumor, but it sounds like somebody, somewhere is trying to create a market,” Huntington says. The Bucs currently have Davis and Gaby Sanchez platooning at first.
  • The Angels’ bullpen struggles might lead one to think that they’ll have to go out-of-house for an upgrade, but the answer to their problem might lie in the minors, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.  “It’s funny, but right now, our primary weakness at the major league level is our primary strength at the minor league level,” says GM Jerry Dipoto. “We have some really nice bullpen arms in the system, and that’s fortunate.”
  • Jair Jurrjens is looking to make a comeback after having knee surgery last fall, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. He is currently throwing 90 MPH. After posting a 2.96 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 152 innings with the Braves in 2011, Jurrjens has struggled badly in the big leagues. He spent most of 2013 with the Orioles’ and Tigers’ Triple-A affiliates in Norfolk and Toledo, respectively.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Tigers Sign Jair Jurrjens

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The Tigers announced (via Twitter) that they have signed Jair Jurrjens to a minor league contract. Jurrjens declined an outright assignment from the Orioles last week, electing free agency instead. He will join Triple-A Toledo on Friday.

The 27-year-old Jurrjens returns to the team that signed him as an international free agent back in 2003 after a lengthy stint with the Braves and a half season in the Orioles organization. Jurrjens was traded from the Tigers to the Braves along with Gorkys Hernandez in exchange for Edgar Renteria in 2007. From 2008-11 with Atlanta, Jurrjens pitched to a 3.34 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 671 2/3 innings. He finished third in th 2008 NL Rookie of the Year voting and earned an All-Star berth in 2011.

Following a knee injury, however, Jurrjens has been unable to get his career on track. He's thrown just 55 2/3 innings at the big league level over the past two seasons, posting an unsightly 6.63 ERA. In 94 2/3 innings for Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate this season, Jurrjens posted a 4.18 ERA with 4.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.

Jair Jurrjens Elects Free Agency

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Righty Jair Jurrjens elected free agency, announced the Orioles, rather than accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk after clearing waivers.  Jurrjens had been designated for assignment on Friday, as the Orioles sought a 40-man roster spot for Jairo Asencio.

Jurrjens, 27, agreed to a Major League deal with the Orioles in January worth $1.5MM after being non-tendered by the Braves.  After the team expressed concerns with his physical, Jurrjens agreed to a minor league deal the following month.  His contract was selected in May, and he bounced up and down until being removed from the 40-man roster on June 30th, at which point he chose not to elect free agency.

Jurrjens, an All-Star with the Braves in 2011, made only two big league appearances this year.  At Triple-A he posted a 4.18 ERA, 4.9 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, and 0.48 HR/9 in 94 2/3 innings across 16 starts.

Orioles Designate Jair Jurrjens For Assignment

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The Orioles announced on Twitter that they have designated right-hander Jair Jurrjens for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for Jairo Asencio, who has been called up from Triple-A Norfolk.

The 27-year-old Jurrjens appeared in two games (one start) for the Orioles after agreeing to a minor league contract with Baltimore this offseason, allowing four runs in 7 1/3 innings of work. He pitched well out of the gates for Norfolk but has posted an unsightly 5.32 ERA over his past eight starts for the Tides. In 94 2/3 minor league innings this season he has an impressive 2.3 BB/9 rate but just a 4.9 K/9 rate.

Asencio was acquired from the Brewers in Spring Training for a player to be named later or cash. In 37 2/3 innings for Norfolk this season, he has a 2.15 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9. The Orioles will be the fourth big league team for which the 30-year-old Asencio has pitched. He has compiled 53 1/3 innings of Major League experience betweeen the Braves, Cubs and Indians.

Minor Moves: Owings, Ramirez, Jurrjens

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Today's minor moves from around the league…

  • Justin Thomas exercised his out clause with the Athletics and is now a free agent, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links).  Thomas made 16 starts for the club's Triple-A affiliate, posting a 4.48 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
  • The Nationals have granted Micah Owings his release from Triple-A Syracuse, tweets Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com. The former pitcher had been trying to make the team as a position player. He batted .265/.305/.480 with eight homers and played primarily left field in 57 games for the Chiefs this season.
  • In addition to the two Rays moves below, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the team signed recently released right-hander Ramon Ramirez. The 31-year-old was an elite setup ma from 2008-11, posting a 2.77 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 for the Royals, Red Sox and Giants, but he's struggled the past two seasons in San Francisco.
  • The Rays have released Triple-A right-hander Will Inman and signed outfielder Evan Frey, the team announced on Twitter. Inman, 26, posted a 6.47 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 32 innings. Frey is a .271/.369/.357 hitter in 213 career games at Triple-A. 
  • Jonathan Sanchez has decided against exercising his July 1 opt-out clause with the Dodgers and instead negotiated a new opt-out date, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The lefty signed with the Dodgers in May but only got the opportunity to start two games for Triple-A Albuquerque. Sanchez began the year with the Pirates but didn't last long as he was designated for assignment after just five appearances and an 11.85 ERA.
  • Jair Jurrjens has been officially optioned to Triple-A, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles optioned Jurrjens rather than technically designating him for assignment, though he had the right to refuse the assignment. Jurrjens accepted, and will report to Norfolk in 72 hours (All Twitter links).
  • Nine players are in DFA limbo: Carlos Marmol (Cubs), Francisley Bueno (Royals), Eric Hinske (D-Backs), Luis Cruz (Dodgers), Alex Liddi (Mariners), Clayton Mortensen (Red Sox), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Jeff Francoeur (Royals) and Matt Guerrier (Dodgers).

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Jair Jurrjens Designated For Assignment

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The Orioles have tweeted they have designated Jair Jurrjens for assignment off the 25-man roster to clear a spot for Brian Roberts. Roberts, who had been on the 60-day disabled list recovering from a right hamstring strain, is in the lineup tonight against the Yankees as the DH batting ninth.

Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports Jurrjens will go on option waivers, but is expected to clear and be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk (Twitter links). Dan Connolly, Encina's colleague at the Sun, tweets Jurrjens, once officially optioned, will have 72 hours to decide whether he will report to Norfolk and writes the right-hander will take that time, but will go. MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko adds Jurrjens could not be optioned because he was on the active roster for only one day and that the Orioles used the same procedural move with reliever Alex Burnett earlier this year (Twitter links). The Orioles, however, lost Burnett to a waiver claim by the Cubs.

Jurrjens has made two appearances for the Orioles this year including 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in the Orioles' 11-3 win over the Yankees last night. Jurrjens' other appearance was a start against the Rays on May 18 where he allowed four earned runs and struck out five in five innings. The 27-year-old right-hander, signed by the Orioles to a minor league deal in February, has posted a 4.06 ERA, 5.3 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9 in 14 starts (84 1/3 innings) at Triple-A Norfolk.

Minor League Pitchers With Out Clauses Nearing

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When players with significant Major League experience settle for minor league contracts, it's commonplace for these deals to contain opt-out clauses. If the player hasn't been added to the 25-man roster by a certain point, he can exercise the clause and seek employment with another organization. Such clauses aren't always made publicly available, but here's a list of some of the pitchers who have known opt-out dates that are nearing…

  • Chien-Ming Wang, Yankees: Wang can opt out of his contract on May 31. In five starts spanning 31 2/3 innings at Triple-A thus far, the 33-year-old has a 2.84 ERA, 4.3 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9. The Yankees have said they don't feel Wang's minor league success will translate to the Majors just yet, as they want him to rely more on his breaking pitches than just his sinker.
  • Tim Stauffer, Padres: Stauffer can opt out of his deal "around June 1," according to Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He appeared in just one game for San Diego before needing season-ending surgery but posted a 3.24 ERA in 341 1/3 innings for the Friars from 2009-11. So far in Triple-A, the 30-year-old has a 3.16 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 42 2/3 innings.
  • Sean O'Sullivan, Padres: Currently Stauffer's rotation-mate, O'Sullivan has the same opt-out clause in his contract (near June 1) despite being just 25 years of age. O'Sullivan has a 4.19 ERA, 8.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 43 innings for Triple-A Tucson. He's had a rough time in the Majors, however, as evidenced by his 6.13 ERA in 193 2/3 big league innings.
  • Jeremy Bonderman, Mariners: Bonderman's opt-out date is June 1, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney. Still just 30 years of age, Bonderman has been solid for Triple-A Tacoma. He's pitched to a 3.70 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in eight starts spanning 48 2/3 innings. Olney feels Bonderman will opt out if he's not called up in the next couple of weeks, and I'm inclined to agree.
  • Jair Jurrjens, Orioles: Jurrjens has an opt-out date of June 15. After a drastic fall from grace in the Braves organization, the 27-year-old has looked sharp at Triple-A Norfolk in 2013. He's compiled a 2.62 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in seven starts spanning 44 2/3 innings.

All of the pitchers listed here have pitched well enough that they could make a case for helping a Major League team with a struggling rotation. It seems likely that by mid-June, each could force his way onto a Major League roster, even if it's with a new organization. If you see a notable omission with a known opt-out date, speak up in the comments section.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Yankees, Romero

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The home run by the Athletics' Adam Rosales that never was on Wednesday could become the shot heard around the world in the debate over instant replay. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle are both advocating for a five-man umpiring crew. Haudricourt rebuts arguments that it is too expensive to add a fifth umpire or too time consuming to expand replay noting MLB is an $8B industry and the discussions over blown calls waste more time than a replay. Slusser supports a fifth umpire to monitor games from a booth in the press box and a neutral crew in New York of perhaps three people to have access to all available replay angles and make the final call on all video reviews. John Shea, Slusser's colleague at the Chronicle, doesn't believe expanded replay will help immediately because, until umpires are better held accountable for their errors, you cannot trust the people overseeing the system. Let's review the news from the American League East:

  • Wei-Yin Chen left today's game with what the Orioles are calling a strained right oblique although the lefty hopes it is only a cramp and will be evaluated on their off day, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com. The Orioles have several in-house options, if Chen lands on the disabled list, tweets CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff, including Jair Jurrjens, who has a June 15 opt-out clause. Jake Arrieta, another possible in-house candidate, did not make his scheduled start in Triple-A today because of a tender shoulder, reports Roch Kubatko of MASN.com (via Twitter). 
  • The Yankees will soon face some tough decisions regarding roster spots and playing time as several of their injured players are nearing a return to action, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
  • The Blue Jays will remain patient with Ricky Romero because of the $23.1MM guaranteed the left-hander through 2015, even if it is just to make him attractive in a trade, according to the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin. That patience will be further tested by Romero's dismal debut at Triple-A Buffalo yesterday: six runs allowed on ten hits with five walks, a balk, and a wild pitch in 3 2/3 innings. "I guess it’s a little disappointing to see those numbers but I know he’s still working hard and I still think he’s on the right path,” Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.

Orioles Facing Roster Decisions On Wada, Jurrjens

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The Orioles will soon face roster decisions on left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada and right-hander Jair Jurrjens, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports. If all goes well in Wada's extended Spring Training game today, the Orioles can send him on a minor league rehab assignment for as many as 30 days. Wada's contract — a two-year, $8.15MM pact — stipulates that he cannot be optioned to the minors without his consent.

Wada has yet to appear in a game for the Orioles since signing that contract prior to the 2012 season. He made just one appearance for the O's at Triple-A before being diagnosed with a torn UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery. Prior to the signing, Wada was coming off a two-year stretch in which he posted a 2.29 ERA in 354 innings in Japan.

The Orioles could consider a relief role for Wada, but the team already has three left-handers in Troy Patton, Brian Matusz and T.J. McFarland. Patton has drawn trade interest, according to Kubatko, but there's no indication that the Orioles would move him — especially before ascertaining that McFarland can succeed over the course of a full season. McFarland, a Rule 5 pick, has allowed a .318/.348/.545 batting line to opposing lefties thus far.

Further complicating matters is the fact that Jurrjens has a June 15 opt-out clause in his minor league contract. Jurrjens has posted a 2.62 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in seven starts spanning 44 2/3 innings for the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate thus far.

The O's are currently deploying a rotation that consists of Wei-Yin Chen, Jason Hammel, Chris Tillman, Steve Johnson and Freddy Garcia. Johnson will make his first start Saturday due to the fact that Miguel Gonzalez hit the disabled list with a blister on his thumb. Obviously, that ailment won't keep Gonzalez out for a significant period of time. Garcia seems to be the odd man out, but Kubatko notes that he's pitched well in both of his starts for Baltimore aside from a one-inning hiccup in each.

Beyond all the names listed by Kubatko, the Orioles also have intriguing arms in Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton currently pitching at Triple-A. Each former top prospect has looked sharp at Norfolk, but neither has a clear-cut rotation spot at the Major League level.

It's a bit early in the season to be working out significant trades — and this is just my speculation — but the Phillies have made it known that they are considering outside candidates to replace Roy Halladay in their rotation. Perhaps the two sides could line up as trade partners sometime in the next month.

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