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Logan Ondrusek

Recapping The CPBL’s International Player Signings

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Chinese Professional Baseball League teams are preparing for their spring camps, and the last several months have seen the CPBL’s five clubs adding some familiar foreign-born names to their rosters.  Under CPBL rules, teams are allowed to have a maximum of four international players on their active rosters, so with some teams opting to add a fifth or sixth player to keep in their minor leagues for replacement purposes.  However, replacing an international player isn’t as simple as a normal call-up — a foreign player must be released in order to be removed from a CPBL team’s active roster.

There isn’t an official limit on how many international-born players can be signed per team, so it is possible that more names could be added to this list in the coming days or weeks.  (The post will be updated to reflect such moves.)  Much thanks to the CPBL Stats website for their work in reporting on many of these signings.  Here’s the rundown…

CTBC Brothers
Jose De Paula, Shawn Morimando, Francisco Pena, Teddy Stankiewicz, Jose Valdez

Fubon Guardians
Xavier Batista, Yomar Flande Concepcion, Luis Escobar, Joe Van Meter

Rakuten Monkeys
Ryan Bollinger, Dylan Covey, Bradin Hagens, Henry Sosa

Uni-President Lions
Brock Dykxhoorn, Keury Mella, Logan Ondrusek, Wilin Rosario

Wei Chuan Dragons
Jake Brigham, Drew Gagnon, Telvin Nash, Ronny Rodriguez, Bryan Woodall

CPBL’s Uni-President Lions Sign Keury Mella, Logan Ondrusek

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Last week, the Uni-President Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League announced the signings of right-handers Keury Mella and Logan Ondrusek (h/t to CPBL Stats). They join former Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario as one-time big leaguers who’ll be suiting up with the Lions in 2022.

Mella has appeared in each of the past five MLB seasons, although he’s never exceeded ten innings in a given year. The 28-year-old has made 21 appearances in relief, totaling 28 2/3 innings of 7.22 ERA ball. A former Giants prospect, he was traded to the Reds alongside Adam Duvall in the July 2015 Mike Leake deal. Mella spent parts of three years in Cincinnati and has pitched with the Diamondbacks in each of the last two years.

Last season, Mella made two MLB appearances but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A, splitting the season between the top affiliates of the D-Backs and Pirates. The Dominican Republic native had a 5.44 ERA over 48 Triple-A innings, where he fanned 24.5% of opponents against a 9.9% walk rate. At the end of the season, he elected minor league free agency and will now embark on his first stint in an Asian professional league.

Ondrusek has a bit more experience in foreign leagues, but this will be his first stint in the CPBL. A frequently-utilized middle relief option with the Reds from 2010-14, he also appeared briefly with the 2016 Orioles. Altogether, the Texas native owns a 4.03 ERA across 277 MLB innings.

Since his time in Cincinnati, the 36-year-old (37 next month) logged some time with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He’s bounced between a few Triple-A clubs, independent ball and appeared in the Mexican League. Ondrusek hooked on with the Giants on a minor league deal late last season, ultimately making nine appearances (including eight starts) with their top affiliate in Sacramento. He posted a 4.78 ERA with a slightly below average 21.8% strikeout rate but a strong 6.9% walk percentage across 43 1/3 innings there.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/9/21

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The latest minor moves from around the league:

  • The Royals announced that left-hander Daniel Tillo has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Kansas City had a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was required. Tillo, named the #51 prospect in the Royals system entering the year by Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, was selected to the 40-man roster in advance of last winter’s Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old has spent the entire year recovering from a 2020 Tommy John surgery and has thus far topped out at Double-A.
  • The Giants signed right-hander Logan Ondrusek to a minor league contract over the weekend. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Sacramento, where he made his first appearance on Saturday. Ondrusek made 288 MLB relief appearances between 2010 and 2016, the bulk of that time coming with the Reds. The 36-year-old hasn’t appeared in the majors in five years, but he’s worked his way back to affiliated ball after beginning the year well with the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. Now working as a starting pitcher, Ondrusek pitched to a 2.38 ERA with an incredible 50:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 45 1/3 innings in Mexico this season.
  • Dodgers right-hander Yefry Ramírez has cleared outright waivers, according to the MLB.com transactions tracker. Ramírez, who was designated for assignment last week, had the right to reject an outright assignment because he’d been outrighted in the past. He has apparently chosen to accept an assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City, though, as he’s listed on OKC’s active roster. The 27-year-old made one appearance with L.A. but has otherwise spent the year with Oklahoma City, working to a 5.49 ERA across 62 1/3 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/2/18

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Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Red Sox picked up catcher Mike Ohlman from the Rangers in exchange for cash, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports in a comprehensive rundown of late-spring releases, trades and signings. The 27-year-old made his Major League debut with Toronto last year but collected just 13 plate appearances over the life of seven games. An 11th-round pick of the Orioles back in 2009, Ohlman has logged a respectable .758 OPS in 518 Triple-A plate appearances thus far in his minor league career. He’ll give Boston some depth behind the plate, though the Sox are largely set in that capacity with Christian Vazquez, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart all on the 25-man roster.
  • Veteran right-hander Logan Ondrusek is joining the Dodgers on a minor league contract, per Eddy. The 33-year-old didn’t pitch professionally in 2017 but does have 277 big league innings under his belt, spanning the 2010-16 seasons. Ondrusek last appeared in the Majors with the 2016 Orioles, when he allowed seven runs in a tiny sample of 6 1/3 innings. For his career, he has a 4.03 ERA, 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in the Majors, though he’s posted much better numbers in Triple-A and in Japan.
  • Eddy also notes that the Dodgers have cut ties with righty Jordan Jankowski. The 28-year-old got his first taste of the big league in 2017, tossing 4 1/3 frames for the Astros before landing with the Dodgers via waiver claim. Jankowski has averaged 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 177 1/3 Triple-A frames in his career, though he’s struggled with control since being selected in the 34th round of the 2012 draft as well.

Orioles Release Logan Ondrusek

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The Orioles have released right-hander Logan Ondrusek, tweets Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. (The move was first noted on the Orioles’ Transactions page at MLB.com.) As Connolly reported at the time of Ondrusek’s deal with Baltimore, the 31-year-old’s $605K salary was not fully guaranteed, so by cutting him loose today, the Orioles won’t be responsible for that entire sum. Ondrusek has been battling elbow soreness and is slated to make the dreaded visit to Dr. James Andrews for further examination.

Ondrusek joined the Orioles midway through the 2016 season after beginning the year with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and pitching quite well. His overseas work resulted in a 2.45 ERA and a 29-to-11 K/BB ratio in 29 1/3 innings of work, which garnered enough interest from the Orioles to bring Ondrusek over on a Major League contract. However, the veteran righty wasn’t able to replicate that success with the O’s, surrendering seven runs in the 6 1/3 innings he spent with the big league club before being sent down to the minors. Baltimore declined a club option on Ondrusek this winter and later re-signed him to the aforementioned one-year deal.

Ondrusek’s 2016 season was his second pitching with Yakult and his second in which he enjoyed great success in Japan. Prior to his work there and with the Orioles, the former 13th-rounder spent five seasons as a member of the Reds’ bullpen. While he struggled in 2014, Ondrusek’s overall work with Cincinnati was typically solid, though he’s primarily been used in low-leverage situations throughout his MLB career. Even with unsightly numbers in 2014 and 2016, Ondrusek owns a career 4.03 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 277 innings.

Injury Notes: Seager, Red Sox & Orioles Pitchers, Gray

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We just checked in on Rangers righty Andrew Cashner. Here are a few more injury situations worthy of note from around the game:

  • What seemed at first like a minor issue for Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is beginning to seem a bit more concerning. While he’s apparently dealing with tightness in his back, manager Dave Roberts says it’s “oblique-ish” in location, as Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Though Seager is said to be improving, it’s still not clear when the star youngster will return to the lineup. He also weighed in on the injury, saying that he doesn’t expect to have any trouble getting ready for Opening Day, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick tweets.
  • Red Sox manager John Farrell gave updates on a variety of players to reporters, including Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. That includes lefty Roenis Elias, who has been diagnosed with an intercostal strain that will sideline him for at least a few weeks. A minor thumb issue for righty Rick Porcello doesn’t appear to be posing many problems. And while it’s not strictly an injury matter, it’s worth noting Farrell’s comments on righty Tyler Thornburg, who still needs to build up shoulder strength. That’s common for hurlers that are new to the organization, says Farrell, who cites a “period of adaptation” as pitchers “go through our shoulder maintenance program.”
  • Meanwhile, Red Sox lefty David Price isn’t yet ready to throw, but is able to go through a pitching motion, Drellich adds on Twitter. It’s promising, at least, that there’s forward momentum as he works through a flexor strain.
  • Time is tight for Orioles righty Chris Tillman, who is still not ready to return from his shoulder issues. He will need to progress smoothly to appear in the first week of the season, manager Buck Showalter told reporters including Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline.com (via Twitter). There’s perhaps a bit more breathing room for O’s closer Zach Britton, who’s working through oblique pain. Showalter says that he may appear in Grapefruit League action next after a pen session today, as Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • Orioles righty Logan Ondrusek is taking the always-ominous trip to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. Ondrusek talked about how he experienced the elbow injury, explaining that he felt it on a single pitch but didn’t think more of it until he woke up with soreness that evening. He notes that it’s tough for pitchers who are going year to year to deal with potentially significant injuries. In his case, it’s not clear how his contract will work out. Ondrusek agreed with the O’s on a MLB deal that didn’t guarantee him all of his $650K salary.
  • Athletics righty Sonny Gray says he was surprised to learn of his lat strain, as Jimmy Durkin of the Mercury News reports. An MRI was ordered just to be on the safe side, which revealed “a little bit of a strain there that’s just going to take a little time to heal.” Gray says he’s confident he’ll return in relatively short order — and regain his former trajectory. “There’s no doubt in my mind that when this thing gets knocked out that I’m going to be back to being the guy I’ve always been,” he says. “It’s just another little test that I’ve got to deal with.”

AL East Notes: Severino, Benintendi, Bautista, Orioles

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Despite the fact that Luis Severino was dominant in 23 1/3 innings of relief last year after flopping in the rotation, the Yankees still view the 23-year-old as a starting pitcher, writes Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. That’s fine with Severino, who tells Davidoff: “Of course I want to be a starter.” Pitching coach Larry Rothschild tells Davidoff that Severino still has a starter’s mentality and adds some optimism that the talented righty can overcome the “bumps in the road” that he incurred in 2016. Severino shined as a 22-year-old rookie, logging a 2.89 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 50.3 percent ground-ball rate in 62 1/3 innings back in 2015. However, he was clobbered for an 8.50 ERA and 11 homers in 47 2/3 innings as a starter last year before shifting to the ’pen. Working in short relief, Severino posted a 0.39 ERA and allowed just eight hits with a 25-to-10 K/BB ratio in 23 1/3 frames. He’s competing with Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren for the two open rotation spots in the Bronx.

More from the AL East…

  • Andrew Benintendi has just 118 plate appearances in the Majors and still qualifies as a rookie, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Red Sox are nonetheless considering batting the game’s No. 1 overall prospect (per Baseball America, ESPN and MLB.com) third in their lineup this coming season. Doing so would break up Boston’s other top four hitters (right-handed bats Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez) evenly. “A lot of times, a player is going to tell you what he’s ready for or capable of and how you would think he would handle adversity by not being fragile mentally,” manager John Farrell tells Rosenthal. “If we didn’t feel that way about Andrew, I don’t know that he’d be in the big leagues last year.”
  • Jose Bautista tells Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports that his final night as a Blue Jay in 2016 and his drive from Toronto to Pennsylvania (where his wife’s family lives) following the season were incredibly emotional due to the uncertainty of his impending free agency. Bautista acknowledged that he thought the Blue Jays would move on in the offseason but said he’s thrilled to return to the city where he first thrived as a big leaguer. Always candid when it comes to discussing the financial side of the game, Bautista called his journey through free agency “confusing … tough at times,” but said he’s content with where he landed. “It’s hard to complain when you’re playing the sport you love, and you’re making a lot of money,” said the polarizing right fielder. Bautista also acknowledged Baltimore GM Dan Duquette’s offseason comments, in which Duquette stated that he wouldn’t pursue Bautista because Orioles fans “don’t like him.” While the slugger said it was strange for any executive to make that type of comment about a player, he also shrugged the comments off and expressed no interest in offering any type of rebuttal.
  • Trey Mancini’s spot on the Orioles’ Major League roster was put in jeopardy when Baltimore re-signed Mark Trumbo and acquired Seth Smith, but the 24-year-old first baseman still aims to force his way onto the roster, writes Rich Dubroff of PressBoxOnline. Mancini explained to Dubroff that his cup of coffee late last season (during which he homered three times in five games) was invaluable due to the confidence it instilled in him from day one in Spring Training. Mancini also spoke to Dubroff about the work he’s put into improving his defense at first base and the the experience of getting his first real exposure to outfield work as well.
  • Dubroff also notes that right-hander Logan Ondrusek will undergo an MRI on his ailing right elbow. It’s been a rough spring for the Orioles righty, who’s been limited to just two appearances due to an ankle injury that he sustained while avoiding a collision. “I feel snake-bitten right now,” said Ondrusek, who is vying for a spot in the Baltimore bullpen. Meanwhile, Baltimore is targeting March 17 for Chris Tillman’s first start of the spring. Shoulder trouble has slowed Tillman this offseason, and he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection back in December in an effort to accelerate the healing process.

Orioles To Re-Sign Logan Ondrusek

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DEC. 13: Ondrusek’s option is worth $1.5MM, reports Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Connolly lists Ondrusek’s salary at $650K and notes that it isn’t guaranteed, as the O’s can recoup some of the money if they cut him before Opening Day (in that sense, it seems structured like an arbitration agreement). Ondrusek can also earn up to $500K of incentives in both years of the deal, as he’ll take home $100K for reaching 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 appearances on the season. The contract also allows him to be optioned to the minors without first clearing waivers.

DEC. 12: The Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $625K deal to bring back righty Logan Ondrusek, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Baltimore also picks up a 2018 option in the agreement.

Ondrusek, 31, came to the O’s in a rare mid-season acquisition from Japan. He had been producing quality results for the Yakult Swallows, working to a 2.17 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in the 99 2/3 frames he threw from the start of 2015.

Upon his arrival, though, he struggled in seven major league appearances. Ondrusek allowed seven earned runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking three. The O’s declined a club option (at an unknown value) earlier in the offseason.

Ondrusek did show that he’s still bringing a roughly 93 mph fastball, and obviously Baltimore thinks he can contribute again in the big leagues. He has 277 total MLB frames under his belt, all with the Reds with the exception of his brief O’s stint. All told, he carries a 4.03 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/4/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Orioles declined the team’s previously unknown option over righty Logan Ondrusek, as BaltimoreBaseball.com’s Dan Connolly was among those to tweet. Ondrusek had signed with the Orioles out of Japan in the middle of the 2016 season, but was outrighted in late August after a brief stint. It was essentially a formality at this point for the team to decline the option (which was for an unknown amount). Baltimore had hoped that adding Ondrusek would represent a creative way to bolster their relief corps in the middle of the season, and brought him back stateside after he continued to produce good results for the NPB’s Yakult Swallows.
  • The Reds announced that utilityman Ivan De Jesus has been outrighted off of the 40-man roster. He has been a fairly significant part of the major league team over the last two years, playing in 180 total games. But his batting output dwindled in 2016: despite a slightly higher batting average and identical .311 OBP in comparison to his 2015 line, De Jesus slugged only .312 in his 243 plate appearances.
  • Two recently outrighted Mariners — lefty Charlie Furbush and catcher Steve Clevenger — have both elected free agency rather than accepting a minor league assignment, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns. The team is still waiting to learn what righty Ryan Cook will do; he, too, was recently cut from the 40-man.
  • Lefty Ricky Romero will remain with the Giants on a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Soon to tun 32, Romero is now well removed from his days as an effective major league starter. He only appeared in two games in 2016, both at the Triple-A level, and has thrown just 53 2/3 total innings professionally since 2013 — the last season in which he reached the big leagues.
  • The Yankees selected the contracts of catcher Kyle Higashioka and right-hander Domingo German, adding them to thee 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft. Though he’s already 26, and has been Rule 5-eligible before, Higashioka is coming off of his most promising season as a professional. Over 416 plate appearances at Double-A and Triple-A, he slashed .276/.337/.511 with 21 home runs. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old German pitched last year at the Class A and High-A level after missing all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery. He ended up starting ten games and posting a 3.81 ERA over 49 2/3 innings, with 6.9 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9, but will look to get fully back on his promising track next year.

Earlier Updates

  • The Tigers announced that they have selected the contracts of right-hander Myles Jaye and left-hander Chad Bell from Triple-A Toledo. The 24-year-old Jaye split the 2016 season between Detroit’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, working to a combined 3.95 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 53.3 percent ground-ball rate in 161 2/3 innings (28 starts). MLB.com ranks Jaye as Detroit’s No. 26 prospect, writing that he has a 91-93 mph and a solid three-pitch mix but also noting that he lacks an out pitch. Their report pegs his ceiling as a fourth or fifth starter and says he’s not far from Major League readiness. Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Bell posted a 3.29 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 52 percent ground-ball rate in 98 1/3 innings at Triple-A between the Rangers and Tigers organizations. Detroit picked him up from Texas in the May trade that sent catcher Bobby Wilson to the Rangers. Bell worked more as a reliever than a starter and held opposing lefties to a .605 OPS, including a .286 slugging percentage. He’ll join Kyle Ryan, Blaine Hardy and Joe Mantiply as options to serve as a second lefty behind Justin Wilson in Detroit’s bullpen next year.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/31/16

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Let’s catch up on some minor moves from yesterday:

  • The Orioles have outrighted both outfielder Julio Borbon and righty Logan Ondrusek to Double-A, per a team announcement. The 30-year-old Borbon has not seen extensive major league time since playing a big role on the 2010 Rangers, but he offers a left-handed-hitting center field option that could come in handy given the injury concerns surrounding Adam Jones. Ondrusek, 31, came over from Japan in a surprising recent move, but has struggled through 6 1/3 innings with Baltimore. Still, he’ll provide some depth down the stretch should a need arise.
  • Outfielder Alex Presley has accepted a Triple-A assignment with the Tigers after clearing waivers, John Wagner of the Toledo Blade reports on Twitter. Presley was designated for assignment recently, but the opportunity remains for him to play a role at the major league level late this year, especially with Cameron Maybin now dealing with another thumb problem.
  • The Tigers also announced that the club purchased the contract of infielder/outfielder JaCoby Jones. Acquired in the deal that sent Joakim Soria to the Pirates last summer, Jones has struggled for most of the year at Triple-A. Over his 324 plate appearances in his first trip to the highest level of the minors, Jones owns a .243/.309/.356 slash with 11 steals. He’ll provide some versatility in Detroit, though, as the 24-year-old has spent time at both third base and center field this year.
  • The Mariners have outrighted righty Jarrett Grube off of the 40-man roster, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported on Twitter. He had already been pitching at Triple-A, and the team did not announce a corresponding move, but the transaction will open a fresh major league spot. That may ultimately be filled by fellow righty Evan Scribner, who is expected to be activated soon from the 60-day DL, per Bob Dutton of the Seattle times (via Twitter). As for Grube — who is in something of an unusual position as a 34-year-old who has just one MLB appearance under his belt — he’ll return to pitching at the highest level of the minors, where he owns a 4.13 ERA over 113 1/3 innings on the year.
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