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Minor MLB Transactions: 12/26/16

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Here are some recent minor league moves from around the game, as chronicled by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise credited.  The newest transactions are at the top of the post…

  • The Giants inked catcher Josmil Pinto to a minor league deal.  Pinto appeared in six games with Milwaukee last season, his first MLB exposure since 2014.  The backstop has 84 games and 286 plate appearances to his record with the Brewers and Twins, as well as a .274/.349/.442 slash line over 3242 minor league PA.
  • The Mariners signed outfielder Kyle Waldrop to a minors contract.  The longtime Reds farmhand became a free agent after a 2016 season that saw him outrighted off Cincinnati’s 40-man roster.  Waldrop (a different player than the former Twins right-hander of the same name, for the record) appeared in 15 games for the Reds last season, mostly as a pinch-hitter or late-game sub.  He has a .274/.320/.429 slash over 2698 PA in the Reds’ minor league system.
  • The White Sox signed righty Jorge Rondon to a minor league pact earlier this month.  Rondon has a 13.26 ERA over 19 career innings pitched in the majors, making brief appearances in each of the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Rockies, Orioles and Pirates.  A pro since 2006, Rondon has a 4.24 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 1.54 K/BB rate over 647 1/3 career frames in the minors, appearing as a reliever in 346 over his 387 career games.
  • The Red Sox re-signed catcher Dan Butler on a minor league deal.  Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Butler has spent his entire pro career in Boston’s organization, save for a season with the Nationals in 2015.  Butler has a .256/.348/.405 slash line over 2441 career PA in the minors, and he appeared in seven games in the bigs in 2014.
  • The Tigers signed righties Jake Brigham and outfielder Jim Adduci to minor league deals.  As Eddy notes, Detroit has been active in signing players from international leagues as minor league depth, including these two former big leaguers.  Brigham spent 2016 with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles after nine pro seasons in North America, receiving his first taste of the majors in the form of 16 2/3 innings with the Braves in 2015.  Adduci, 31, played 11 seasons in the minors and parts of two seasons (148 PA with the Rangers in 2013-14) in the majors before spending the last two years with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/9/16

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Time to catch up on some recent 40-man roster moves:

  • The Brewers outrighted righties Yhonathan Barrios and Ben Rowen as well as catcher Josmil Pinto, per MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and Adam McCalvy. Barrios cracked the bigs briefly in 2015 but missed all of 2016 with shoulder issues. The 27-year-old Rowen has minimal major league experience, but did put up a strong 2.33 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 over 58 minor league frames last year. As for Pinto, who’s also 27, he’s still waiting for another shot at the majors. His .308/.362/.517 batting line over 315 plate appearances could warrant interest.
  • Recently-claimed lefty Jed Bradley has been shipped to Triple-A and off of the Orioles’ 40-man, the team announced. Plucked from the Braves, where he briefly debuted last year, Bradley will be a useful stashed arm if a need arises.
  • The Indians announce that catcher Adam Moore was outrighted. He has one of the more interesting Baseball-Reference pages you’ll ever see. Since receiving significant time in 2010 with the Mariners, he has bounced around quite a bit but managed to appear in the majors in every seasons since. Yet Moore has accumulated just fifty total MLB plate appearances in that six-year span. He’ll surely land as a depth piece somewhere, if he doesn’t return to Cleveland.
  • Righty Dustin Molleken elected free agency after being outrighted by the Tigers. The 32-year-old finally reached the majors in 2016, allowing four earned runs on 12 hits and five walks against eight strikeouts over his 8 1/3 innings. Otherwise, he has spent the last five years pitching in Japan or the highest level of the minors.
  • The Twins outrighted right-hander Alex Wimmers, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets. Wimmers threw his first 17 1/3 major league innings last year, putting up a 4.15 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 11 walks. In his 56 2/3 Triple-A frames on the year, he worked to a 3.97 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
  • The Dodgers dropped righty Chin-hui Tsao from their 40-man roster, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets. Now 35, Tsao has made just seven appearances over the last two seasons. All of his prior major league action came between 2003 and 2007.
  • Catcher A.J. Jimenez had his contract selected by the Blue Jays, per a club announcement. He had been removed from the 40-man last spring, but will now be added to prevent him from departing as a minor league free agent. Jimenez has been in Toronto’s system since 2008, but has yet to reach the majors. he posted a .241/.290/.377 batting line over 248 plate appearances at Triple-A last year.
  • The Giants added righty Ian Gardeck to their 40-man roster, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. He missed all of last year due to Tommy John surgery. Gardeck’s most recent showing came at the High-A level in 2015, when he pitched to a 3.54 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over 86 1/3 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/20/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around Major League Baseball…

  • The Brewers announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Josmil Pinto from Triple-A Colorado Springs. The Brewers claimed Pinto off waivers from the Padres this offseason after San Diego claimed him from the Twins organization. The 27-year-old had an electric debut as a September call-up for Minnesota back in 2013, but he failed to hit much in 2014-15 and has long come with defensive question marks. Beyond all that, Pinto dealt with concussion issues for much of the 2015 campaign. After a poor showing in the minors in 2015 (due perhaps to the aforementioned concussion problems), though, Pinto has thrived at the Triple-A level in 2016. While Colorado Springs (and the Pacific Coast League, in general) is considered a hitter-friendly environment, Pinto’s .308/.362/.517 slash is still impressive. He could get some at-bats in the coming days while backup catcher Manny Pina is on the paternity list, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets. Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, which was at 39 players, is now full.

NL Central Notes: Brewers, Shark, Luebke, Cards

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It was on this day in 2002 that the Cubs traded swingman Julian Tavarez and three prospects to the Marlins for Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca.  While Clement and Alfonseca were useful players for Chicago, this is definitely a “what if?” deal for the Cubs and their fans since Dontrelle Willis was one of the prospects sent to the Fish.  The deal immediately led to some pain for the Cubs when Willis’ Marlins beat Chicago in the 2003 NLCS (featuring the infamous Steve Bartman incident) en route to a World Series title.

Here’s some news from around the NL Central…

  • The Brewers announced several roster moves today, including the news that Will Middlebrooks, Eric Young Jr., Josmil Pinto, Shane Peterson, Manny Pina and Jake Elmore were told they won’t be making the Major League roster (Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the rundown of all the transactions).  All six players will remain in the Brewers’ camp.  Five of the six were new arrivals this winter — Pina was part of the Francisco Rodriguez trade with the Tigers, Pinto was a waiver claim from the Padres, and Middlebrooks, Young and Elmore were all minor league signings.
  • Jeff Samardzija told ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers that he met with Theo Epstein this winter to explore a possible return to the Cubs,  though not much came from the talks.  “From where we were at, it takes a lot more to get a deal done. I think Theo had an idea of what they wanted and what they were looking for this year,” Samardzija said.  The new Giants rotation member also discusses his previous stint with the Cubs and how the club’s rebuilding process has seemed to pay off.
  • The Pirates reinvested in their bullpen this winter, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes, a strategy that makes an increasing amonut of financial and statistical sense, particularly for mid-market payroll clubs like the Bucs.
  • Now that Eric O’Flaherty has been traded to Atlanta, it looks like Cory Luebke is going to make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.  The 31-year-old has reportedly clocking in at 94mph with his fastball and 87mph with his curve this spring.  Luebke has an opt-out on Tuesday but it sounds like the Bucs won’t give opposing teams a chance to snatch him up.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak says that the team’s decision on Rule 5 right-hander Matt Bowman “could come down to the final hour,” as Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com writes.  The Cardinals selected Bowman off of the Mets’ roster in December, making him their first Rule 5 selection in four years.  Roughly two weeks ago, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported that Bowman was “more likely than not” to make the cut in St. Louis.
  • Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo will be taking a medical leave of absence to recover from offseason knee surgery, the club told reporters today (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).  Manager Mike Matheny said the Cards are preparing as if Oquendo will miss the entire season, and several members of the St. Louis coaching staff have shuffled positions.
  • The Reds have some decisions to make before Opening Day, as C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer project the club’s 25-man roster.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/14/16

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Here are some of the most recent minor moves from around the game:

  • Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines have signed infielder Yamaico Navarro for one year and $1.2MM, the team announced (via the Japan Times). The 28-year-old saw 199 MLB plate appearances over 2010-13, but has spent the past two seasons with the KBO’s Samsung Lions. Navarro earned his new deal with a .297/.404/.574 cumulative slash — and 79 home runs — over his 1,245 plate appearances in Korea.
  • Catcher Josmil Pinto has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A by the Brewers, the club announced (h/t to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel; Twitter link). Pinto will receive an invitation to major league camp this spring and will try to get his career back on track in the Milwaukee organization. Once a promising young big leaguer with the Twins, Pinto has suffered through a fall-off at the plate, concussion problems, and continued defensive question marks.
  • Also passing through waivers unclaimed were Nationals pitchers Erik Davis and Taylor Hill, per a team announcement. Davis, 29, struggled to get back on track last year after missing 2014 due to Tommy John surgery. He logged 48 2/3 minor-league innings of 3.88 ERA pitching with 8.7 K/9 but an uncharacteristic 5.0 BB/9. Hill had a strong campaign in 2014, but scuffled to a 5.23 ERA in 118 2/3 Triple-A frames last year.
  • The Rays have signed left Justin Marks, Jon Heyman tweets. Marks, who turned 28 just two days ago, made one appearance with the Royals in 2014. He pitched to a 5.63 ERA in 108 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level last year with the Diamondbacks organization.
  • Outfielder Donald Lutz has a minor league deal to return to the Reds, Alexis Brudnicki reports. Mark Sheldon of MLB.com adds on Twitter that Lutz won’t get a camp invite in the agreement. The first player to reach the majors after coming up in German baseball, Lutz was released by Cincinnati last summer after undergoing Tommy John surgery but has been playing recently in Australia. Brudnicki provides a full update on his recovery, as well of plenty of other interest insight, in the above-linked piece.
  • The Tigers inked catcher Rafael Lopez to a minors deal, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports on Twitter. Lopez briefly reached the majors with the Cubs in 2014. He has put up some solid years at the plate in the minors, though he slipped to a .266/.339/.335 batting line in 246 Triple-A plate appearances last year.

Brewers Designate Josmil Pinto For Assignment

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The Brewers announced that they have designated catcher Josmil Pinto for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for first baseman Chris Carter, whose reported one-year, $2.5MM contract is now official (Twitter link).

This marks a continuation of a tumultuous offseason for the 26-year-old Pinto, who has gone from the Twins to the Padres to the Brewers by way of DFA this winter. If he’s claimed by another club or traded, Pinto will already join his fourth organization of the offseason.

The attributes that make Pinto desirable aren’t hard to see. The Venezuelan backstop possesses quite a bit of pop relative to other catchers around the league, having belted 11 homers in just 280 Major League plate appearances. Pinto is a .257/.339/.445 hitter in the Majors, though much of that production came in his initial September call-up in 2013, where a .440 BABIP served to bolster his overall batting line. Pinto also posted excellent minor league numbers in 2013 and again in 2014.

However, Pinto has always viewed as a poor defender behind the plate, so when his batted just .219/.315/.391 with the Twins in 2014 and struggled even more with the Twins in, his future with Minnesota was called into question. Beyond that, there are notable health concerns with Pinto, who will turn 27 this spring. His 2015 season was marred by concussions and poor performance at the Triple-A level, where he batted just .228/.304/.354 in 68 games.

Brewers Claim Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Josmil Pinto, Andy Wilkins

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2:46pm: Milwaukee has made the claim of Niewhenhuis official and also announced two other additions off the wire: backstop Josmil Pinto, from the Padres, and first baseman Andy Wilkins, from the Rangers.

Pinto has shown some real upside at the plate at times, but has gone through rougher times more recently. And he’s always been raw defensively. But he certainly makes sense as a depth piece with some upside in Milwaukee.

With yet another claim, Wilkins is making a strong bid for most-moved player of the winter: Milwaukee becomes his sixth organization in 2015. A lifetime .274/.324/.490 hitter at the Triple-A level, he could compete to fill the role of the traded Adam Lind.

1:17pm: The Brewers have claimed outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis off waivers from the Mets, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports on Twitter.

Nieuwenhuis has never really gained traction in his four years in the majors. New York briefly lost him to the Angels last year, then re-claimed him and outrighted him, only to call him back up for some time later in the season. After adding fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Alejandro De Aza, it seemed unlikely there would be a place for Nieuwenhuis in New York in 2016.

For Milwaukee, meanwhile, the 28-year-old represents a possible part of the team’s outfield mix. Nieuwenhuis has played center field and shown some pop at times, and it’s arguable he has a bit of upside left given his relatively young age.

Padres Sign Buddy Baumann To Major League Deal, Designate Josmil Pinto

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The Padres have signed left-handed pitcher Buddy Baumann to a Major League contract and designated catcher Josmil Pinto for assignment, according to a team announcement. The Padres had claimed Pinto off waivers from the Twins earlier this month.

Baumann, 28, has spent his entire career to date in the Royals organization, having been Kansas City’s seventh-round pick back in the 2009 draft. The Missouri State product has never reached the Major Leagues, though he does have outstanding numbers at the Triple-A level across the past three seasons. In that time, Baumann has a 3.04 ERA with 9.1 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 in 216 innings of work. Baumann has worked in both the rotation and the bullpen at Triple-A Omaha, though he spent the bulk of 2015 in a relief role, with just six starts and 28 relief appearances. In 2015, Baumann held opposing lefties to a comically feeble .148/.225/.222 batting line. His 2013-14 numbers against lefties weren’t quite as dominant, but he still held same-handed opponents to an OPS around .600 in that time. Baumann could compete for a spot in the Padres’ bullpen, though he can also be optioned to Triple-A if he doesn’t make the club out of Spring Training.

Pinto, 27, was once viewed as Minnesota’s possible catcher of the future due to his outstanding bat in the minors and in his first September call-up back in 2013. Pinto raked at Double-A and Triple-A in ’13, hitting a combined .309/.400/.482 with 15 homers before earning a September promotion and announcing his presence with a .342/.398/.566 performance in that month-long audition. Pinto, however, was always viewed as a poor defender behind the plate, so when his bat began to slip in 2014 and 2015, his future was called into question. He hit just .219/.315/.391 in 57 games with the Twins in 2014, and his 2015 season was marred by concussions and poor performance at the Triple-A level, where he batted just .228/.304/.354 in 68 games.

Padres Notes: Ross, Cashner, Middlebrooks

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With the Diamondbacks striving to address the weakness in their rotation, the Padres competition has grown even more challenging, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The team wants to walk the fine line between contending and rebuilding by collecting a high volume of prospects for their current trade chips. Rosenthal calls it the “Kimbrel Model.” With the high cost of free agent pitching, the club’s rotation depth should become more attractive to other organizations.

  • The Diamondbacks’ signing of Zack Greinke doesn’t change the Padres’ plans, tweets Rosenthal. The club will still aim to contend while reducing payroll and adding prospects. From my perspective, I see that some fans may prefer for the club to enter a full rebuilding mode while others prefer instant gratification. In the case of the Padres, the tightrope approach could make sense. The club has just enough talent to maybe get lucky, yet they’ll probably still collect early draft picks. I find their situation reminiscent of the 2015 Braves. They contended for the first half of the season before selling.
  • Tyson Ross is the team’s best trade asset, but the club could also opt to extend him, suggests Rosenthal (tweet). Ross is under club control through the 2017 season. The righty is widely regarded as possessing perhaps the best slider in baseball, but his fastballs grade out as below average per PITCHf/x. He has a career 3.57 ERA with 8.49 K/9, and 3.65 BB/9. His slider-heavy repertoire means he probably won’t improve upon his walk rate, but he has posted more strikeouts and a better ERA in recent seasons.
  • Per ESPN’s Jayson Stark, it would be hard for the Padres to trade Ross and pretend to contend. That could lead San Diego to prefer a trade involving Andrew Cashner, says CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The Padres will look to deal Cashner once the free agent market dries up. The hard throwing righty is coming off a disappointing season that included a 4.34 ERA with 8.04 K/9 and 3.22 BB/9. He’s posted better walk rates in past seasons, so a rebound in his control could help the 29-year-old recover his past form.
  • Ten teams have shown interest in free agent third baseman Will Middlebrooks, tweets Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Padres non-tendered Middlebrooks earlier this week. San Diego originally acquired  the former Red Sox starter last winter in exchange for Ryan Hanigan. After a promising rookie season in 2012, Middlebrooks has failed to live up to expectations. He posted a meager .212/.241/.361 line in 270 plate appearances last season.
  • The Padres future flexibility depends upon which contracts they shed, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The club owes about $64.5MM to eight players with four arbitration eligible players set to earn about $21MM more. Matt Kemp, Melvin Upton, James Shields, and Ross are their priciest talents.
  • Lin also has the details of the split-contracts signed by Josmil Pinto and Cesar Vargas (tweet). Both will earn just north of the league minimum in the majors ($500K) with at least a six figure guarantee if optioned to the minors.

 

Padres Claim Josmil Pinto From Twins

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The Padres announced that they’ve claimed catcher Josmil Pinto off waivers from the Twins.

Pinto, 27, was once viewed as Minnesota’s possible catcher of the future due to his outstanding bat in the minors and in his first September call-up back in 2013. Pinto raked at Double-A and Triple-A in ’13, hitting a combined .309/.400/.482 with 15 homers before earning a September promotion and announcing his presence with a .342/.398/.566 performance in that month-long audition.

Pinto, however, was always viewed as a poor defender behind the plate, so when his bat began to slip in 2014 and 2015, his future was called into question. He hit just .219/.315/.391 in 57 games with the Twins in 2014, and his 2015 season was marred by concussions and poor performance at the Triple-A level, where he batted just .228/.304/.354 in 68 games. If Pinto can return to health, he has the upside of being an above-average bat for a catcher, but it’s unlikely that he’ll demonstrate dramatic defensive improvement moving forward.

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