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Minor MLB Transactions: 4/4/19

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We’ll keep track of the latest minor transactions from around the league here…

  • Catcher Raffy Lopez cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett by the Braves, per the league’s transactions log at MLB.com. Lopez, 31, was designated for assignment when Atlanta selected Matt Joyce and Josh Tomlin to their Opening Day roster. The journeyman catcher hit .176/.265/.284 in 117 plate appearances with the Padres last season and has never produced much in limited time at the MLB level. He is, however, a career .266/.340/.401 hitter in 1078 Triple-A plate appearances. The Braves acquired him from San Diego in exchange for cash back in early November, but he didn’t have a place on the active roster behind Tyler Flowers and Brian McCann.
  • Blue Jays catching prospect Max Pentecost has opted to retire, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports (via Twitter). Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported late in camp that Pentecost was considering retirement as an option. The 26-year-old was the No. 11 pick of the 2014 draft but has undergone three different surgeries on his right shoulder since being selected. He missed the entire 2015 season as a result of those shoulder woes and has played in a total of just 260 minor league games (plus 11 more in the Arizona Fall League) since being drafted nearly five years ago. A healthy Pentecost showed a good bit of promise, particularly in 2016 when he hit .302/.361/.486 across two Class-A levels.
  • Tigers right-hander Grayson Long announced on Twitter that, due to “continuous injury,” he’s hanging up the spikes and returning to college to finish his degree at Texas A&M. Detroit acquired Long, now 24 years old, in the 2017 trade that sent Justin Upton to the Angels. The 2015 third-round pick didn’t pitch in 2018 as he recovered from thoracic outlet surgery — a procedure that has become increasingly common among professional pitchers in recent years but comes with a middling success rate, at best. Long showed plenty of potential in his last healthy season, tossing 137 2/3 innings of 3.01 ERA ball with averages of 8.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 in 137 2/3 innings of Double-A ball.

Blue Jays Notes: Borucki, Stroman, Buchholz, Pentecost

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Here’s the latest from the Blue Jays’ camp in Dunedin…

  • Ryan Borucki will miss at least one regular season start as a precautionary measure after the right-hander felt elbow pain during a recent start in minor league camp.  The Athletic’s John Lott (Twitter links) was among those to report the news from Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and Borucki himself, who didn’t sound too concerned about the problem.  Borucki has battled elbow problems in the past, including a Tommy John surgery, and said that injury experience allowed him “to figure out what’s good pain and what’s bad pain, and really, [the current injury] was nothing to really worry about.”  The Blue Jays have Sean Reid-Foley, Thomas Pannone, Sam Gaviglio, or Trent Thornton as potential fill-in candidates for Borucki’s one start.
  • The Astros were one of the teams that showed interest in trading for Marcus Stroman over the winter, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (subscription required).  The Reds and Padres were also linked to Stroman in reports.  Stroman is under team control through the 2020 season, though the combination of the Jays’ rebuild and Stroman’s own outspoken displeasure over a lack of extension talks and the club’s winter moves could be signs that the Blue Jays will eventually move on from the right-hander.  To rebuild trade value, however, Stroman will have to rebound from a disappointing 2018 season.  From Houston’s perspective, Stroman would give the team additional pitching depth beyond the coming year, since Gerrit Cole, Wade Miley, Brad Peacock, and Collin McHugh are all scheduled to hit free agency in the 2019-20 offseason.  (Justin Verlander is also part of this group, though he and the Astros appear to be closing in on an extension.)
  • Clay Buchholz could be ready for rotation duty by early April, GM Ross Atkins told reporters, including The Athletic’s John Lott (subscription required).  Buchholz was a late entry to camp, as he didn’t sign with the Jays until the start of March, plus he was also shut down by the Diamondbacks last September due to a flexor mass strain in his throwing elbow.  For now, however, the veteran righty looks to be making good progress towards his eventual Toronto debut, which could be a boon given Borucki’s injury status.
  • Former first-round pick Max Pentecost has stepped away from spring camp to consider his future in baseball, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi reports.  Pentecost was the 11th overall pick of the 2014 draft, though he has been plagued by shoulder problems throughout his young career, and also dealt with an elbow injury even prior to his draft selection.  The Blue Jays had slowly been getting Pentecost re-acclimated to catching, culminating in Pentecost being behind the plate for 660 innings for Double-A New Hampshire last season.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Ohtani, Pentecost

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The Orioles figure to give top prospect Chance Sisco the opportunity to prove himself ready for regular MLB work next season, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that they’re still likely to add at least one veteran alternative on a minor league pact this winter. Caleb Joseph is in line to share the catching duties following a bounceback season, and the O’s also added 27-year-old Austin Wynns to the 40-man roster last week, though he’s yet to suit up for a big league game. Speculatively speaking, names like Jose Lobaton, Hector Sanchez and Chris Stewart could all be available on minor league deals this winter after lackluster showings in limited big league time in 2017.

Some more notes from around the AL East…

  • With Logan Morrison hitting the open market, the Rays are likely to sign a first baseman this offseason, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. However, they’ll likely do so “when the music stops,” suggesting that Tampa Bay will wait out the first-base market and see which of the numerous sluggers is left without a contract later in the offseason. That’d present the Rays with numerous bargain options — a strategy that worked well last offseason when they held out and waited until Feb. 7 to re-sign Morrison on a one-year, $2.5MM deal. Eric Hosmer and Carlos Santana are the top names on the free agent market and will be considerably too expensive for the Rays’ tastes. They’re followed up by Morrison, Yonder Alonso, Lucas Duda, Mitch Moreland as well as slightly older options in Danny Valencia, Adam Lind, Mark Reynolds and Mike Napoli.
  • Topkin also notes that the Rays plan to make a “serious bid” for Shohei Ohtani, hoping that their willingness to let this year’s top pick, Brendan McKay, develop as both a pitcher and a hitter in the minor leagues will show Ohtani that they’re willing to let him try his hand as a genuine two-way player. Even the $20MM posting fee would seem to be a steep price for the Rays, though most clubs seem to be approaching Ohtani as a rare acquisition opportunity, so ownership could be willing to green light that expenditure. Signing with the Rays would require Ohtani to truly be prioritizing elements other than money, as the Rays can only offer $440,500 at present (though there’s still time for them to acquire more international dollars). Beyond that, of course, the Rays obviously aren’t a team that is well-positioned to sign him to an extension down the line.
  • Max Pentecost’s omission from the Blue Jays’ slate of 40-man roster additions surprised some, but Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that troubles with the former No. 11 overall pick’s shoulder caused the Jays to leave him unprotected. Pentecost was shut down near the end of the AFL, which could make it difficult for a team to select him or to carry him for the bulk of the 2018 season. Pentecost has undergone multiple surgeries since being drafted in ’14 and has managed to play just 30 of his 171 games at catcher, spending the bulk of his time as a DH in addition to some work at first base. “We’re continuing to work hard to help Max be in the best possible physical shape and baseball shape he can be in,” said GM Ross Atkins of Pentecost.

Injury Notes: Peralta, Price, Iglesias, Jays, Astros

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The Cardinals have placed Jhonny Peralta on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to April 16, due to an upper respiratory infection and activated lefty Tyler Lyons from the disabled list, the club announced. Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Greg Garcia and Jedd Gyorko will combine for playing time at the hot corner in Peralta’s absence. However, as Frederickson’s colleague Derrick Goold wrote earlier today, that might’ve been in the cards anyhow; Peralta is off to a dreadful .120/.185/.120 start to the season. Manager Mike Matheny tells Goold that the team is even opening to sliding Matt Carpenter back across the diamond to play over at third base if needed. In particular, though, Matheny spoke highly of Garcia’s glovework at third base. “It’s been fun watching Greg over there,” said Matheny. “He’s making great plays. You can see the amount of ground that he’s covering and just the electricity that comes with that style of play. Jhonny has that capacity. We just have to get him in a better place.”

  • There’s another update on Red Sox lefty David Price, whose increasingly lengthy layoff has left the club without one of its best pitchers. Skipper John Farrell acknowledged that Price has dealt with some soreness that led to a bit of a slow-down in his effort to ramp things up, as Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports on Twitter. But Price was able to long toss “with some intensity” today, per the report, and will throw a pen session tomorrow. Still, there’s no timetable at this point for Price to return.
  • Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers are expected to place shortstop Jose Iglesias on the 7-day disabled list due to a concussion sustained when he took a knee to the jaw in the final play of Wednesday’s night contest. Detroit is slated to recall prized relief prospect Joe Jimenez from Triple-A Toledo. Jimenez was sent down fewer than 10 days ago, but he can return sooner than the typical 10-day minimum due to the fact that he is replacing an injured player.
  • Blue Jays southpaw J.A. Happ picked up a ball for the first time since he went on the DL, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweets. It was just a light throwing session, and there’s no further update at this time, but it’s good news that Happ was deemed ready to resume throwing in short order. He has been dealing with elbow inflammation, but it doesn’t seem to be related to any more significant injury.
  • Meanwhile, the Blue Jays got a look at former top prospect Max Pentecost behind the dish on Tuesday for the first time since way back in 2014, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca notes on Twitter. Shoulder issues have plagued the 24-year-old, who was taken 11th overall in the 2011 draft. But he’s still trying to gain traction in the Toronto system. Currently, Penecost is hitting .258/.303/.387 through 33 plate appearances at the High-A level.
  • Astros righty Jandel Gustave is headed to the 10-day DL with forearm tightness, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The 24-year-old had struggled in the early going, issuing seven walks while recording just a pair of strikeouts over his five frames of action. Replacing him will be fellow righty James Hoyt, who narrowly missed out on a roster spot in Spring Training. The 29-year-old Hoyt has been absolutely brilliant in Triple-A since last year, tossing 60 innings with just 10 earned runs and 101 strikeouts against 21 walks.

AL Notes: Pentecost, Jays’ Pitching, Buchholz, Groome, Rondon

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Blue Jays prospect Max Pentecost had a delayed start to his career after dealing with serious shoulder problems, but he’s getting back on track in 2016, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca writes. The 23-year-old backstop, a first-round selection in 2014, has already battled through three procedures. Though he still hasn’t been cleared to catch, Pentecost is back in action at the Class A level, where he owns a .262/.333/.317 batting line. Toronto director of player development Gil Kim says that the organization remains “confident that he’s got a chance to be a major-league catcher, and a pretty good one.”

Here’s more from the American League:

  • Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins says that the club is most in need of pitching depth as the deadline approaches. (Video link via Sportsnet.ca.) Brett Cecil and Franklin Morales are filtering back toward the majors, he noted, but added that it’s impossible to assume that the roster will remain healthy once it gets those and other injured players back. “We’ll have to stay agile,” said Atkins, saying that “pitching will be the area we’ll look to improve.”
  • Clay Buchholz will receive another start from the Red Sox, manager John Farrell told reporters including Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The veteran righty re-entered the rotation after a stint in the pen, and was greeted with a home run on his first pitch. Despite the shaky start, he ultimately allowed three earned runs on just four hits and a walk over five innings, while recording five strikeouts. Boston needs Buchholz at least to provide some solid innings for the time being, but will certainly hope that he can rediscover his form from 2015.
  • As the Red Sox approach negotiations with first-round selection Jason Groome, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes that it’ll require a careful approach to find agreement. The team has yet to make a specific offer to the touted high-school lefty, though it has opened talks. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski struck a cautious but generally optimistic tone. “We’re hopeful to still sign him,” he said. “We went into there with open eyes. We know what his demands are from what his agent passed on to the clubs. We think we can sign him, but only time will tell.”
  • Bruce Rondon is showing renewed life for the Tigers, who have held out hope for the fireballing reliever for some time. As Aaron McMann of the Detroit Free Press reports, manager Brad Ausmus says that reports have been positive for the oft-maligned 25-year-old. Improved attitude, a streamlined figure, and a refined delivery have brought promising results at Triple-A. Now, he’s back in the majors for another chance at making good on his talent.

 

Heyman’s Latest: Bryant, Upton, Rays, Leake, Soriano, Polanco

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MLBPA executive director Tony Clark is said to be “ready to reach out to [Kris] Bryant soon to determine his mindset” on whether or not a grievance should be filed against the Cubs for holding him in Triple-A to start the season, writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports in his latest Inside Baseball column. Heyman notes that the union could file a grievance on Bryant’s behalf even without his consent, though that’s unlikely. The issue at hand, of course, would be whether or not Bryant was clearly one of Chicago’s 25 best players and the demotion was made purely for service time implications. (Chicago bought an extra year of control over Bryant by stashing him in the Minors for all of eight games/11 days). Heyman points out that it would be difficult to an arbitrator to rule in Bryant’s favor, as there’s no precedent for this type of grievance. Players in similar situations have historically been hesitant to file a grievance, he adds, because it would be a contentious way to begin a relationship with a team to which a player will be tied for the next six-plus years. A “Cubs connected person” called the notion of a grievance “laughable” when asked by Heyman. However, the points that Bryant was recalled on the first day the team could add him while still delaying free agency and slotted directly into the cleanup spot could make a case that the club had an understanding of his value, Heyman writes. From the union’s perspective, it’s understandable that they’d have interest in preventing this type of situation in the future, even if it’s a long shot.

More highlights from a lengthy Heyman column…

  • The Padres don’t yet view Melvin Upton Jr. as a throwaway piece and will use him as an occasional outfielder and pinch-runner, Heyman writes. He also looks back on Upton’s original five-year, $75.2MM pact and notes that it’s one of the worst contracts in recent history, particularly given the fact that the next-highest offer was believed to come from the Phillies at somewhere in the $40MMs.
  • The league’s investigation into the Rays’ allegations of the Cubs’ tampering in the Joe Maddon saga could come to a close as soon as next week, per Heyman. MLB was still interviewing people as recently as last week, but to this point there “is believed to have been no smoking guns found.”
  • The Reds never approached right-hander Mike Leake about a contract extension this offseason, and the free-agent-to-be is said to be a bit hurt not to have been contacted. Leake’s not a front-line starter, but he’ll hit the open market heading into his age-28 season and currently sports a 3.56 ERA in 427 1/3 innings dating back to Opening Day 2013. A third straight season of 190+ innings and an ERA in the mid-3.00s should position him for a nice contract, especially considering the fact that half of his starts have come in the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.
  • Multiple teams have worked out Rafael Soriano, and while he’s on the Tigers’ radar, there’s also been some contact with the Mariners. Heyman adds the Pirates, Indians and Dodgers as “logical suitors,” though I’d imagine the Pirates and Indians in particular would have some payroll constraints, depending on the asking price of agent Scott Boras.
  • Heyman echoes ESPN’s Buster Olney in speculating that the Dodgers could make a run at extending Howie Kendrick, noting that the Dodgers love Kendrick both on the field and in the clubhouse. He also notes that the Dodgers are impressed with Alex Guerrero’s bat and may coming around on him as a passable option at third base or in left field, though the team is already well-stocked at each position.
  • The Pirates and Gregory Polanco may have come as close as about $1MM on agreeing to a seven-year contract, Heyman hears. The biggest holdup was over the three club options on the deal, which ranged from $11-13MM, and when the team would have been required to exercise them.
  • Though recent reports have indicated that John Lackey hopes the Cardinals will approach him about an extension, Heyman writes that it’s not a likely scenario. St. Louis likes its pitching depth and the young starters in line beyond those in the 2015 rotation.
  • The Orioles asked the Blue Jays for both of the team’s first round picks from the 2014 draft — right-hander Jeff Hoffman and catcher Max Pentecost — in exchange for the ability to hire EVP/general manager Dan Duquette as their new president, according to Heyman.

AL East Notes: Victorino, Pedroia, Pentecost, Blue Jays, ARod

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Red Sox manager John Farrell says the club will start veteran Shane Victorino in right field if he’s healthy, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Farrell added that Victorino is “full go,” indicating that only a setback could change those plans. With Hanley Ramirez the obvious starter in left field, that could mean Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo will compete for the center field job. Others like Allen Craig, Jackie Bradley, Brock Holt, and Daniel Nava appear thoroughly blocked in the outfield. Here’s more from the AL East.

  • Dustin Pedroia is healthy and ready to go, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston. My take: a healthy Pedroia means that Betts and Holt are also blocked in the infield. Should everybody remain healthy, some kind of trade looks all but inevitable. Several players like Betts, Castillo, and Holt still have options, so the club can stow some major league quality talent at Triple-A if necessary.
  • The Rays lost great talent this offseason, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Executive Andrew Friedman tops the list of 13 impactful losses. His departure is mitigated by the presence of Matt Silverman. Rounding out the top five poignant losses include Ben Zobrist, Joe Maddon, Joel Peralta, and bench coach Dave Martinez.
  • Blue Jays top draft pick Max Pentecost has undergone shoulder surgery, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.ca. Dr. James Andrews performed the procedure. Pentecost, a catcher, is expected to resume throwing in about three months.
  • The Blue Jays continue to be faced with three big questions, writes Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. They include the identity of their closer, second baseman, and fifth starter. Brett Cecil and Aaron Sanchez are expected to compete for ninth inning duties, although Sanchez could factor in the rotation battle too. Other candidates to start include Marco Estrada and prospect Daniel Norris. Second base will probably go to Maicer Izturis, Ryan Goins, or prospect Devon Travis.
  • The Yankees are right to allow beleaguered veteran Alex Rodriguez to attend camp, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. It’s surprising to see other writers suggest the club swallow the $61MM remaining on Rodriguez’s contract without at least giving him a chance to provide some value. If he fails to remain healthy, the club can also recoup part of the money via insurance.

Blue Jays End Negotiations For Dan Duquette

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The Blue Jays have broken off negotiations over Dan Duquette after refusing the Orioles’ demand of Jeff Hoffman and two other top prospects as compensation, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays’ interest in hiring Duquettte to replace Paul Beeston as team president first broke last December, but Davidi writes a deal between the two clubs was at no point close. MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko adds this is not the first time talks have stalled and the Orioles have no knowledge of the Blue Jays’ intentions.

The Blue Jays, according to Davidi, were willing to offer a package of minor league players similar to past precedents (the Red Sox receiving right-hander Chris Carpenter from the Cubs for Theo Epstein, for example) with the baseball departments of both clubs negotiating over names once a deal for Duquette was reached. MLB would mediate, if necessary, as it did between the Red Sox and Cubs. Davidi notes the Blue Jays never proposed any names, but the Orioles were believed to be seeking, in addition to Hoffman (the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft), catcher Max Pentecost (the 11th overall selection in that 2014 draft) and infielder Mitch Nay (the 58th overall pick in the 2012 draft).

In the last 48 hours, reports emerged that MLB was tiring of the courtship, the Orioles were pushing for a substantial return for Duquette, and were considering tampering charges against the Blue Jays. Toronto also began receving criticism for its pursuit of Duquette.

This development leaves both franchises at a crossroads. For the Orioles, the question is can Duquette repair any hard feelings within the Baltimore organization which may have developed over his flirtation with a division rival, as the Orioles aim to defend their AL East title amidst a winter of distraction. For the Blue Jays, will they be able to overcome the black eye suffered with their messy negotiations over Duquette and the White Sox denying them permission to interview Kenny Williams and find a talented executive willing be their third choice to replace the outgoing Beeston.

 

AL East Notes: Lester, Blue Jays, Hoffman, Yankees

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ESPN’s Buster Olney thinks that extension talks between the Red Sox and Jon Lester are “all but over” and the left-hander will hit free agency, he said Wednesday on the WEEI radio. Olney states that if the Sox had approached Lester and offered something like $100MM over five years in Spring Training, a deal may have been reached, but that didn’t happen. The only way for a long-term deal to be reached now, in Olney’s opinion, may be to go the route the Phillies went to extend Cole Hamels in 2012 — offer top-of-the-market value ($140-150MM) on a final midseason offer.

Here’s more on Lester and the AL East…

  • Tim Britton of the Providence Journal spoke with Red Sox skipper John Farrell, who said that Lester has been a model example for how to handle a contract year. Lester has kept his contract discussions private and hasn’t created any sort of distraction or tension in the clubhouse, choosing instead to focus on the season at hand, according to Farrell.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons are noncommittal when asked what areas the Jays might seek to upgrade via trade this summer, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Anthopoulos noted that it would be very difficult for a club to acquire anyone from the Jays’ current 25-man roster unless they were acquiring an upgrade at that same position, and he also discussed Brett Lawrie’s role with the team when he returns from the DL.
  • In the video at the top of the previous link, Anthopoulos discussed the signings of top picks Jeff Hoffman and Max Pentecost. Anthopoulos touched on the team’s previous inability to sign first-rounders Tyler Beede and Phil Bickford, but noted that he wouldn’t draft a player he didn’t think he could sign. He added that Hoffman will head to Florida to continue his rehab from Tommy John, while Pentecost will eventually head to short-season Class A Vancouver (once he gets a passport). Anthopoulos also said that the team agreed to the full-slot value with Hoffman because they felt the “discount” on signing him was already built in to the fact that he fell to the No. 9 pick. He and his staff thought Hoffman had a chance to go in the Top 3 or even Top 2 picks before tearing his UCL.
  • The Yankees have garnered a lot of attention with their international spending spree today, and Kiley McDaniel of Scout.com tweets that the team could spend as much as $30MM on international free agents, once the 100 percent overage tax is accounted for. That figure assumes that the team eventually agrees to terms with Colombian outfielder Bryan Emery, as many expect them to.

Blue Jays Sign First-Rounders Hoffman, Pentecost

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The Blue Jays have signed first-round choices Jeff Hoffman (9th overall) and Max Pentecost (11th overall), the club announced via press release. Both players will receive at-slot bonuses, as reported by Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) and Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter), meaning that Hoffman will take home $3,080,800 while Pentecost will earn $2,888,300.

As the draft approached, Hoffman was very much in the mix with the three pitchers that ultimately went with the first three choices. Though a UCL tear put a dent in his value, he did not fall far. Even after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the righty out of Eastern Carolina was ranked the 13th available prospect by MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo. He features a mid-90s heater, big curve, and occasionally plus change.

Pentecost, meanwhile, came in at 19th on the MLB.com list. He was the MVP of the prestigious Cape Cod League, and is described by MLB.com as “a rare catcher who could have average or better tools across the board.” Though Pentecost will need to add some polish behind the dish, the expectation is that he will be able to man the position as a professional.

With its top two picks under contract, Toronto can focus its attention on its remaining unsigned picks. Seventh-rounder Zack Zehner, a college senior, is the only Jays draftee that remains unsigned from the first ten rounds. Even after going $407K over slot to sign fifth-rounder Lane Thomas, the Jays remain $71.4K under the club’s total allocation.

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