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Jimmy Cordero

NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines Sign Jimmy Cordero

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Relief pitcher Jimmy Cordero signed a contract with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The team announced the move yesterday.

Cordero reached free agency last month after being non-tendered by the Yankees. On July 5, MLB had leveled a season-ending suspension after determining that Cordero had violated the domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

The right-hander pitched in 31 games for New York last season. He posted a 3.86 ERA with a 25.8% strikeout rate across 32 2/3 innings. In parts of four major league seasons between four teams, he owns a 4.36 ERA.

Yankees Select Carlos Narvaez

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The Yankees announced today that the club has selected the contract of catcher Carlos Narvaez. In addition, outfielders Franchy Cordero and Billy McKinney as well as right-handers Domingo German, Jimmy Cordero, Matt Bowman, and Ryan Weber have all elected free agency after rejecting outright assignments from earlier this week.

It’s an early birthday present for Narvaez, who turns 25 in a few weeks. A right-handed hitter, he signed with the Yankees as an amateur from Venezuela before the 2016 season. The cousin of Mets catcher Omar Narvaez, Carlos has spent the past seven years in the Yankee system. He didn’t reach Low-A until 2021 but has posted respectable numbers over the past couple years — albeit with a three true outcomes approach.

Narvaez opened this year in Double-A but spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .240/.373/.387 with 10 home runs across 84 games for the RailRiders. Narvaez walked in a huge 15.3% of his plate appearances but struck out more than a quarter of the time. He has routinely posted strikeout rates approaching 30% in the minors, generally limiting his batting average.

The ability to draw free passes and bring some power from behind the plate is clearly still intriguing to the New York front office. Narvaez has spent parts of seven seasons in the minors, meaning he would have become a minor league free agent were he not added to the 40-man roster. He joins Kyle Higashioka, Jose Trevino, Ben Rortvedt and prospect Austin Wells in what has become a crowded catching mix. Narvaez can be sent to Triple-A for the foreseeable future, as he’ll be in his first of three minor league option years in 2024.

Yankees Place Domingo German, Five Others On Outright Waivers

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The Yankees have placed six players on outright waivers, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (X link). Starter Domingo Germán, relievers Ryan Weber, Jimmy Cordero and Matt Bowman and outfielders Franchy Cordero and Billy McKinney were let go. All six players have the requisite service time to become free agents if they go unclaimed.

Germán is the most notable of the group. The right-hander pitched parts of six seasons for the Yankees, turning in a 4.41 ERA across 522 1/3 innings. He tallied 108 2/3 frames this year — the second-highest workload of his career — while allowing 4.56 earned runs per nine.

That pedestrian ERA belies the highs and lows of his season. Germán threw the first perfect game in more than a decade on June 28, completing the feat in Oakland. He allowed four or more runs in eight of his 19 appearances overall, though. Germán’s season ended in early August when the Yankees placed the pitcher on the restricted list so he could report for in-patient treatment for alcohol abuse. That was reportedly preceded by an incident in the New York clubhouse, which he had entered intoxicated.

Germán was eligible for arbitration this offseason. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $4.4MM salary if he were tendered a contract. That always made him a likely non-tender candidate. Germán turned 31 in August.

Jimmy Cordero posted a 3.86 ERA with strong peripherals over 32 2/3 innings. Major League Baseball announced in early July that he would be suspended for the remainder of the 2023 season after violating the domestic violence policy.

The rest of the players are back-of-the-roster depth types. Weber pitched 14 1/3 innings of five-run ball over eight appearances. McKinney hit .227/.320/.406 in 147 plate appearances after signing a minor league deal over the offseason. Franchy Cordero got into 24 contests after signing a big league deal late in Spring Training. The left-handed hitter posted a .188/.211/.478 line with six homers and a 35.2% strikeout rate. Bowman made three relief appearances, his first MLB action since 2019. He posted a 3.99 ERA in 58 2/3 innings at Triple-A.

Yankees’ Jimmy Cordero Suspended Remainder Of Season Under MLB’s Domestic Violence Policy

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Yankees reliever Jimmy Cordero has accepted a suspension for the remainder of the regular season and the 2023 postseason under MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, per a league announcement. He’s been placed on the restricted list. Cordero will not be paid and will not count against the team’s 40-man roster while on the restricted list.

“The Yankees are fully supportive of Major League Baseball’s investigative process and the disciplinary action applied to Jimmy Cordero,” the team stated in a press release shortly following MLB’s announcement. “There is no justification for domestic violence, and we stand with the objectives, standards and enforcement of MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.”

Further details were not provided by the league, which stated that Cordero will “participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program.”

The Yankees signed the now-31-year-old Cordero to a minor league deal in March 2022. He’s appeared in 31 games this season and posted 32 2/3 innings of 3.86 ERA ball, striking out 25.8% of his opponents against a 7.8% walk rate.

Editor’s Note: Prior polling of MLBTR readers has shown that a substantial majority does not want comments open on stories pertaining to domestic violence and sexual assault suspensions. Comments are closed on this post, and we respectfully ask that readers not spill the discussion into other comment sections.

The Yankees Are Showing The Importance Of Minor League Deals

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Every offseason, there are huge moves that grab headlines and have the ability to transform franchises. Top free agents get nine-figure deals while other high quality players are traded for top prospects. Though there are also transactions that might fly under the radar but still go on to play an important role in the future, such as waiver claims and minor league deals.

The Yankees are illustrating the importance of those minor league deals this year, as various injuries have forced them to turn to players that weren’t on the roster initially. Let’s highlight some players who had to settle for non-roster pacts but have gone on to earn meaningful playing time for the Yanks in 2023.

December 16, 2021 – right-hander Jimmy Cordero

December 14, 2022 – first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers

December 23, 2022 – right-handers Ryan Weber and Nick Ramirez

December 31, 2022 – outfielder Willie Calhoun

December 31, 2022 – outfielder Billy McKinney

February 5, 2023 – right-hander Ian Hamilton

The Yankees have dealt with a number of significant injuries this year. Aaron Judge went on the injured list in early May due to a hip strain and is now there again thanks to a toe sprain. Harrison Bader began the season on the IL due to an oblique strain. Though he eventually returned, he’s now back on the IL a second time because of a hamstring strain. Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson are with the club now but have missed significant time with their own ailments. In addition to those injuries, they also dealt with the struggles of Aaron Hicks, which eventually led to his release. All of that has created opportunities for other players, with each of Calhoun, Bauers and McKinney getting roster spots.

Calhoun had previously received chances from the Rangers and Giants but had continued to struggle. He had a career batting line of .240/.299/.404 as of this winter for a wRC+ of 84. But he had always hit well in the minors and was a former top 100 prospect. He’s now been given a roster spot with the Yankees and has received 140 plate appearances for the season. He’s walked in 9.3% of his plate appearances while striking out at just a 12.1% clip, launching five home runs in the process. His .238/.307/.413 batting line amounts to a 98 wRC+, indicating he’s been just barely below league average. For an emergency fill-in guy, that’s not half bad, and he might even get better results if his .238 batting average on balls in play ticks up closer to the .297 league average.

Bauers was in a fairly similar situation, having once been a top 100 guy who struggled in auditions with Tampa, Cleveland and Seattle. He hit .213/.307/.348 in the majors prior to this season, leading to an 82 wRC+. But in 104 plate appearances as a Yankee this year, he’s hitting .222/.308/.456 for a wRC+ of 109. He’s striking out in 32.7% of his trips to the plate but is also walking at an 11.5% clip.

Like those two, McKinney had also been on top 100 lists in the past. He had been put into action with the Yankees, Blue Jays, Brewers, Mets, Dodgers and Athletics, but had hit .206/.277/.387 for a wRC+ of 77 by the end of 2022. He was called up recently and has only been in seven games so far this year, but he’s put up a huge .320/.320/.640 showing in that small sample. His ability to play center field is huge for the club, with each of Bader, Judge and Greg Allen on the injured list.

The bullpen is another area where the Yanks have dealt with significant challenges. Scott Effross seemed to be emerging as a key piece for them last year but required Tommy John surgery in October, effectively ruling him out for 2023. Jonathan Loáisiga made just three appearances before requiring surgery for a bone spur, with his return still several months away. Lou Trivino began the year on the injured list and ultimately required Tommy John surgery in May, which will prevent him from contributing anything this year. Tommy Kahnle was supposed to play a meaningful role after signing a two-year, $11.5MM deal in the offseason but he was on the IL for the first two months of the schedule.

Those injuries have opened the door for the minor league signees listed above. Cordero was signed way back in the 2021-2022 offseason but the Yankees selected his contract at the end of last year to prevent him from becoming a free agent. He’s tossed 27 2/3 innings with a 28.2% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 55.9% ground ball rate. He has a 3.58 ERA but probably deserves even better since he has a 66.4% strand rate, leading to a 2.70 FIP and 3.07 SIERA. Ramirez has a 1.64 ERA in a smaller sample of 11 innings. Hamilton is currently on the IL but has a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings thus far on the season. Weber’s season is now in jeopardy as Tommy John surgery might be required, but he posted a 3.14 ERA in 14 1/3 innings before landing on the 60-day IL.

None of these players is going to be voted the Most Valuable Player or the Cy Young winner, but they have nonetheless showed the importance of depth. The Yankees been without key players like Judge and Bader while others have been slumping badly, but they haven’t been buried in the standings. They are 39-30 and still holding onto a playoff spot. Despite having one of the highest payrolls in the league with plenty of high-paid stars on the roster, they have had a few games recently where their entire outfield was guys whom they’d signed to minor league deals. Thanks to the contributions of these various players, they are hanging in the race with the all-important trade deadline just over the horizon. There’s an old saying that there’s no such thing as a bad minor league deal, and these pacts are looking quite good for the Yanks right now.

Yankees Select Jimmy Cordero

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The Yankees announced that they have added right-hander Jimmy Cordero to their 40-man roster.

Cordero, 31, logged 83 innings of MLB action across the 2018-2020 time frame, putting up a 4.55 ERA in that time. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in March of 2021, wiping out that entire season. The White Sox outrighted him at the end of that campaign.

He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees for 2022 and was able to return to the mound by June. He eventually made 32 appearances for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. In 38 2/3 innings, he posted a 2.09 ERA, along with a incredible 31.8% strikeout rate and 51.7% ground ball rate.

Based on that strong showing, he’s earned his way back onto a 40-man roster. He has one option year remaining, which will allow the Yankees to use him as an optionable depth arm in 2023. He has between two and three years of MLB service time, meaning they can keep him around for years to come if he continues to hang onto that roster spot.

Yankees, Jimmy Cordero Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees are in agreement on a minor league deal with reliever Jimmy Cordero, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link). The 30-year-old is eligible to sign a minors pact by virtue of the fact that he was outrighted off the White Sox’s 40-man roster at the end of the season.

Cordero has appeared in parts of three big league seasons. He broke in with the Nationals in 2018 and also appeared with the Blue Jays and White Sox over the next couple years. Cordero pitched to a 2.75 ERA across 36 innings with Chicago in 2019, but he struggled in each of the two surrounding seasons. The right-hander missed the entire 2021 campaign recovering from a March Tommy John surgery. Given that TJS typically requires around 14 months of recovery time, it seems likely Cordero will be ready to return to game action at some point within the first couple months of next season.

Over his big league career, the native of the Dominican Republic owns a 4.55 ERA over 83 frames of relief. Cordero has only punched out 17.9% of batters faced, but the sinkerballer has induced grounders on a lofty 54.7% of balls in play against him. That’s on the strength of a fastball that has averaged north of 97 MPH in the past and checked in at 96.6 MPH during his most recent action in 2020.

The Yankees have seemingly placed a priority on adding grounder specialists in constructing their bullpen of late — Darren O’Day, Joely Rodríguez, Clay Holmes and Wandy Peralta all fit that bill — and Cordero comes with a similar skillset. Whenever he’s healthy, he’ll try to pitch his way into the middle innings mix in the Bronx.

White Sox Outright Four Players

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The White Sox announced Friday that outfielder Brian Goodwin, right-hander Evan Marshall, right-hander Jimmy Cordero and left-hander Jace Fry have cleared outright waivers and been removed from the 40-man roster. All four will become free agents. Chicago has also selected the contract of left-hander Anderson Severino from Triple-A Charlotte, bringing their current 40-man roster to a total of 34 players.

Signed to a minor league deal during the season, the veteran Goodwin was quickly brought to the big league club as the Sox found themselves reeling from injuries to Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert. While Goodwin’s overall .221/.319/.374 batting line doesn’t stand out, he played a vital role in stabilizing the outfield mix over the summer, and that end-of-season line was dragged down by a pronounced slump late in the year. From mid-June through mid-August, when the Sox’ outfield need was at is peak, Goodwin turned in a .246/.331/.465 batting line through 161 plate appearances, chipping in seven homers, eight doubles and a triple.

Unfortunately, things went south in a hurry. Goodwin hit just .183/.300/.237 in his final 110 plate appearances, ceding at-bats to both Robert and Jimenez as they returned from injury. Goodwin, who turned 31 earlier this week, will head back to the free-agent market as a lifetime .244/.318/.440 hitter in 1395 plate appearances between the Nats, Angels, Royals, Reds and ChiSox.

Marshall, also 31, is set for Tommy John surgery this week and will likely miss the entire 2022 season, so it’s no surprise to see the Sox remove him from the roster. It’s possible they’ll look to re-sign him to a minor league pact so he can rehab with the team but not occupy a 40-man spot all winter, though he’ll have the opportunity to talk with other clubs now.

A minor-league signee after being cut loose by Cleveland following the 2018 season, Marshall pitched well with the ChiSox from 2019-20, notching to a 2.45 ERA with a 23.5% strikeout rate and against a 10.3% walk rate. He struggled to an ERA of 5.60 in 27 1/3 innings this season, however, before going on the injured list and eventually being diagnosed with a ligament tear that will necessitate that Tommy John procedure.

The 30-year-old Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery himself this year but did so way back in March, meaning he’ll likely be ready early in the 2022 season. The 6’4″, 240-pound righty had a nice run with the 2019 Sox after they picked him up off waivers, notching a 2.75 ERA in 36 frames. That ERA jumped to 6.08  in 2020, however, thanks in no small part to a sky-high .352 average on balls in play and a fluky 59.6% strand rate. (Cordero’s 3.87 FIP was more than two runs lower than his ERA.) Cordero hasn’t found much MLB success yet, but he boasts a career 97.8 mph average on his heater and ought to find several clubs interested in a minor league deal/Spring Training invite.

Fry, 28, posted a 4.43 ERA and punched out 29.6% of his opponents in 126 frames for the White Sox from 2018-20, but back surgery limited him to just 6 2/3 innings this season — during which time he allowed eight runs. Fry has little issue missing bats but has walked an untenable 14% of the opponents he’s faced in the big leagues. Still, a lefty who sits around 93 mph with his heater and can punch out roughly 30% of his opponents should find teams willing to take a look this winter, assuming he’s back up to full strength.

Severino, 27, could’ve become a minor league free agent were he not added to the team’s 40-man roster. He signed a minor league pact after spending the 2014-20 seasons in the Yankees organization and gave the White Sox 45 2/3 innings of 2.36 ERA ball with a 27.3% strikeout rate but a bloated 16.5% walk rate between Double-A and Triple-A. His walk rate did improve upon moving up to Triple-A, and the hard-throwing southpaw certainly missed plenty of bats. Rather than let him pursue a deal with another club, the Sox will carry him on the 40-man roster, making him an option out of the bullpen at any point next season.

White Sox Claim Nik Turley

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The White Sox claimed southpaw Nik Turley off waivers from the A’s, Scott Merkin of MLB.com was among those to note (Twitter link). Right-hander Jimmy Cordero has been placed on the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster space.

Turley, 31, tossed 21.2 relief innings of 4.98 ERA/4.82 SIERA ball with the Pirates in 2020. The A’s acquired him from Pittsburgh for cash considerations in January. Oakland evidently didn’t plan on carrying the out-of-options Turley on the active roster to begin the season, so they placed him on waivers. Turley will have to break camp with the Sox or else again be offered to other clubs.

Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery this week. He’ll miss the entire 2021 season.

Jimmy Cordero Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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White Sox right-handed reliever Jimmy Cordero underwent Tommy John surgery on Thursday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The procedure was successful, though Cordero won’t pitch this year.

The hard-throwing Cordero, who appeared in the majors with the Nationals and Blue Jays from 2018-19, joined the White Sox as a waiver claim from the Mariners in the latter of those two seasons. He has since given the White Sox 62 2/3 innings of 4.16 ERA/3.95 SIERA pitching with a 55.1 percent groundball rate. Cordero struggled to keep runs off the board last year, when he logged a 6.07 ERA over 26 2/3 frames, but his peripherals indicated that he deserved better results.

While Cordero did lead the White Sox with 30 appearances in 2020, the 29-year-old was not a sure bet to earn a season-opening roster spot this spring, James Fegan of The Athletic notes. Chicago’s Cordero-less bullpen still boasts the likes of Liam Hendriks, Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall, Matt Foster, Garrett Crochet, Codi Heuer and Michael Kopech.

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