Mike Aviles

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/20/17

By Mark Polishuk | May 20, 2017 at 9:05pm CDT

Here are the latest minor moves from around the baseball world, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

The Dodgers have signed righty Daniel Corcino to a minor league deal. Corcino was with the Dodgers organization from 2015-16, though he didn’t see any major league action during that time. The 26-year-old’s only experience at the game’s highest level came with Cincinnati in 2014, when he pitched to a 4.34 ERA over 18 2/3 innings. Corcino, who opened this year with 9 1/3 subpar innings as a member of the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate, has logged a 4.19 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 750 career minor league frames.

EARLIER TODAY

The Reds purchased the contract of right-hander Asher Wojciechowski from Triple-A, the team announced. In corresponding moves, catcher Stuart Turner was placed on the 10-day DL with a right hamstring strain and righty Nefi Ogando was moved to the 60-day DL. Wojciechowski signed a minor league deal with the Reds last month after being released by the D’Backs near the end of Spring Training. The righty was selected 41st overall in the 2010 draft by the Blue Jays and he has 16 1/3 innings in the majors to his name, all with the Astros in 2015.
Craig Gentry accepted his outright assignment to the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko tweets. Gentry was outrighted off Baltimore’s 40-man roster earlier this week, and he had the option of rejecting that assignment to become a free agent, though he has clearly chosen to remain in the organization. The veteran outfielder hit .162/.256/.270 in 44 plate appearance for the O’s this season.
The Marlins outrighted Mike Aviles to Triple-A yesterday, as per a team announcement. Aviles was signed to a minor league deal less than two weeks ago and was already promoted for a brief stint in the bigs due to Miami’s lack of infield depth, though Aviles was designated for assignment after Christian Colon was claimed off waivers.

Marlins Designate Mike Aviles, Shake Up Pitching Staff

By Jeff Todd | May 17, 2017 at 8:54am CDT

The Marlins have announced a host of roster moves, with the club designating infielder Mike Aviles for assignment to open a 40-man and active roster spot. He’ll be replaced by fellow infielder Christian Colon, who was claimed yesterday.

Righties Brian Ellington and Odrisamer Despaigne are coming up for Miami, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweeted last night. Veteran reliever Junichi Tazawa will hit the 10-day DL with what the team is calling “rib cartilage inflammation,” while starter Tom Koehler was optioned as expected.

The 36-year-old Aviles was only up briefly for the Fish, appearing in two games after a one-game stop at Triple-A. It seems reasonably likely that he’ll end up clearing waivers and heading back to the upper minors for a full ramp-up. He played in the World Baseball Classic, but did not sign until Miami came calling a week and a half ago as infield injuries mounted.

Times are tough for Miami, which has dropped to the NL East basement with a 14-24 record. The club has lost multiple key infielders and made several changes to an ineffective and injury-laden pitching staff. Colon will hopefully represent a patch for the infield, while Ellington will slot in the pen and Despaigne will offer a swingman option.

Meanwhile, lefty Wei-Yin Chen is said to have received relatively positive news following a recent MRI, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). He’s still going to “need more time,” though, before he’s able to work back to the hill. Chen is currently on the DL with arm fatigue; it now seems he’ll miss a fair bit more time than had initially been expected.

Given the issues in the rotation, the organization is considering moving righty David Phelps out of the bullpen, Frisaro further tweets. Phelps thrived in both roles last year. While he’s carrying only a 4.05 ERA in twenty relief innings thus far in 2017, he has sustained most of the strides he made last year in his peripherals. Thus far, Phelps has maintained 9.9 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9, with an 8.1% swinging-strike rate that lags last year’s mark (9.8%) but handily tops his career average (6.6%).

Marlins Select Mike Aviles, Designate Yefri Perez

By Jeff Todd | May 12, 2017 at 4:32pm CDT

The infield-needy Marlins have announced several roster moves. The team has selected the contract of veteran Mike Aviles, optioning catcher Tomas Telis to create a spot on the active roster while designating infielder Yefri Perez to create 40-man space.

[RELATED: Updated Marlins Depth Chart]

Aviles was signed only days ago to a minors pact. The 36-year-old struggled badly last year with the Tigers after declining at the plate over the course of a three-year run with the Indians. He hasn’t appeared since being released last year following a mid-season trade to the Braves.

It’s anybody’s guess what Aviles will be able to contribute after having only a little time to prepare, though he did hit well in limited action in the World Baseball Classic. But he’s a respected presence, and the need is acute given the flood of injuries to infielders that recently hit the organization.

Evidently, the club did not feel that the 26-year-old Perez was a better option. He saw brief MLB action last year — mostly as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner — and had held onto a 40-man spot, but his typically poor offensive numbers had further faded this year. Over 123 plate appearances at Double-A, Perez has slashed just .131/.283/.162. He has stolen quite a few bags in past years — including 73 in 2015 — but owns only a .251/.310/.305 batting line over nine seasons in the minors.

Marlins To Sign Mike Aviles To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2017 at 5:44pm CDT

The Marlins have agreed to sign veteran infielder Mike Aviles to a minor league deal, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. The deal will become official once Aviles passes a physical, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald tweets.

Aviles hit .210/.258/.269 over 181 PA for the Tigers last season and was traded to the Braves as part of the deal that brought Erick Aybar to Detroit last August. Aviles was released just a few days later without ever playing a game for Atlanta, and he hasn’t caught on with a big league organization since, though he did play for Puerto Rico during the World Baseball Classic. Healey reports that Aviles is working out at the Marlins’ extended Spring Training camp (undoubtedly to get back into full playing shape after missing out on regular spring work) and will see some action there before heading to Triple-A.

The Marlins’ infield situation received a pair of blows on Sunday with the news that Martin Prado is likely headed back to the DL with another hamstring injury, while Miguel Rojas may also require a 10-day DL stint due to an injured thumb. Aviles isn’t expected to step into the big league roster, however, but rather to provide depth at Triple-A in place of J.T. Riddle, who is likely to be called up as Prado’s replacement.

Aviles has seen extensive action at shortstop, second and third base over his 11-year career, not to mention even some starts at all three outfield positions. This versatility and a well-regarded clubhouse presence has helped Aviles sustain a memorable career, despite a lack of production (a career .262/.295/.378 slash line in 3137 PA) at the plate.

Braves Designate Mike Aviles For Assignment

By Jeff Todd | August 17, 2016 at 1:40pm CDT

The Braves have designated infielder Mike Aviles for assignment, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. Atlanta also has activated catcher Tyler Flowers from the DL and placed fellow backstop A.J. Pierzynski there in his place with a hamstring injury.

[Related: Updated Braves Depth Chart]

Aviles was acquired just yesterday — along with minor league catcher Kade Scivicque — in the trade that sent shortstop Erick Aybar to the Tigers. Clearly, he was involved in that deal only to offset part of Aybar’s salary. Acquiring and then designating players is a tactic the Braves have utilized in several recent deals to facilitate financial exchanges.

The 35-year-old veteran had struggled rather notably this year, carrying only a .210/.258/.269 slash in his 181 plate appearances on the season. Aviles is a versatile defender and valued presence in the clubhouse, but he has never been a terribly productive hitter and his results at the plate have steadily dipped over the last three seasons.

Tigers Acquire Erick Aybar

By Jeff Todd | August 16, 2016 at 6:38pm CDT

The Tigers have announced a deal to acquire shortstop Erick Aybar from the Braves. Headed in return to Atlanta are infielder Mike Aviles and catcher Kade Scivicque. Detroit will receive cash in the deal, per David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Tigers GM Al Avila declined to discuss details, but did offer that “it’s pretty even” in terms of the salaries involved, MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets.

Detroit made the move with its two starters on the left side of the infield — shortstop Jose Iglesias and third baseman Nick Castellanos — currently parked on the DL. Adding Aybar will presumably provide an option at both positions, though he has played almost exclusively up the middle over his 11-year career.

[Related: Updated Tigers Depth Chart]

Aybar, 32, was picked up by the Braves in last winter’s Andrelton Simmons deal. Presumably, the club hoped he’d provide a steady option that might turn into a trade chip, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. After an abysmal start to the season and some injury issues, the veteran has actually been rather productive of late.

Things began to turn around in June, when Aybar slashed .302/.393/.396 upon his return from the DL. Though he dipped a bit in July, he is putting up a strong .333/.333/.519 batting line over 54 plate appearances thus far in August. The overall results aren’t pretty, and defensive metrics are also down on Aybar’s glovework, but Detroit is understandably focused on near-term performance in bolstering its roster for the stretch run. With Aybar set to hit the open market after the season, he’s a pure rental.

The Braves appear to have sent a fairly significant amount of cash to facilitate the swap. Aybar was earning $8.5MM this year, while Aviles is playing on a $2MM deal. With about $2.18MM still owed to the former and around $517K to go for the latter, Atlanta would have needed to send around $1.5MM to make up the difference.

It’s tough to view the inclusion of Aviles as much more than a salary-balancing tactic, though he’ll presumably bolster the infield depth and provide a veteran presence for the rebuilding Braves. He had been relied upon rather heavily by the Tigers in June and July, but generally hasn’t produced in his age-35 campaign. Overall, Aviles owns a .210/.258/.269 slash over 181 plate appearances.

The key to the deal from the Braves’ side is the addition of the 23-year-old Scivicque, who was taken in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. He has spent the entire year at the High-A level, posting a .282/.325/.380 batting line with six home runs. Still, he was recently rated the 20th-best prospect in a thin Tigers system by MLB.com, which credited his strong receiving skills while noting that he may not have enough bat to profile as more than a back-up in the majors.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tigers Sign Mike Aviles

By Jeff Todd | December 18, 2015 at 9:15pm CDT

The Tigers announced on Friday that they have signed free agent infielder Mike Aviles to a one-year, Major League contract. Aviles will receive $2MM plus a possible $300K in incentives, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. The 34-year-old Aviles is represented by The Legacy Agency.

Aviles has spent the bulk of his career in the American League Central, as his first four-and-a-half seasons were spent with the Royals, and he’s spent the past three years in Cleveland. He’ll be a depth piece in Detroit — a veteran right-handed bat that can serve as a backup at second base, third base, shortstop and in the corner outfield as well. In spite of that versatility, though, Aviles hasn’t hit much in recent seasons, batting a collective .244/.279/.345 over his three-year tenure with the Indians and posting an OPS+ of just 61 last season.

Though defensive metrics peg Aviles as below average around the infield this past season, he received positive marks in left field and has traditionally received positive marks at shortstop. (Given his age, questions about his range are at least fair to ask.) There’s value for any team in having a player who can capably handle four to five positions, though, even if he’s not a plus defender at any of those spots. And, given the presence of Andrew Romine on Detroit’s roster, manager Brad Ausmus will have a pair of highly versatile players to mix and match when other players incur injuries, need a day off or have been removed from games for various reasons.

Buster Olney of ESPN.com first reported the agreement, on Twitter.

AL Central Notes: Royals, Albers, Sox, Allen, Indians

By Jeff Todd | October 6, 2015 at 4:57pm CDT

As we announced yesterday, MLBTR has a new look for those on desktop computers and tablets. We welcome your feedback through our contact form. Some readers have mentioned that they find the arrows on the sides for Hoops Rumors and Pro Football Rumors distracting. If you feel that way, click the “hide arrows” link down at the very bottom of the site on the left-hand side. The arrows will be hidden, and your preference will be remembered.

On to some notes from the AL Central …

Royals GM Dayton Moore discussed his team-building philosophies with MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. He cited a focus on defense and “usable speed” among position players. When asked about his remarkable hit rate on last year’s crop of free agents, Moore credited the organization’s culture: “I think it goes back to the type of the culture our coaches and our players are able to present to make it possible to be successful. It’s Ned [Yost] and his staff and the other players have created a culture in the clubhouse that makes it comfortable for new players to come in and play well and do well in. That allows them to do what they can do. Those players all have had success in the past, but will blossom, so to speak, in the right environment.” There’s plenty more of interest if you follow the link to the interview.
White Sox righty Matt Albers did about everything he could to set up his free agent case down the stretch, as MLB.com’s Scott Merkin writes. The 32-year-old put up 22 1/3 scoreless frames over his last twenty appearances despite failing to crack 90 mph in average fastball velocity. He credits a new offspeed offering for the success: “I started throwing a different kind of changeup last year, and I think it has just been able to help me with left-handed hitters and being more consistent with my slider and the location of my fastball,” Albers said. “As long as I’m keeping it down and have them hitting it in the ground, hopefully guys make the plays behind you. It’s pretty much a simple approach, but I’m able to execute that.”
There are plenty of questions facing the White Sox this winter, but ESPNChicago.com’s Doug Padilla says none is more important than shortstop. The club has to decide on its $10MM option over Alexei Ramirez, which could still make sense despite his poor season and advancing age. Otherwise, the club could look to use Tyler Saladino as a bridge to prospect Tim Anderson or it could enter a free agent market featuring Ian Desmond and several less promising options.
Indians closer Cody Allen says he’s very open to an extension after a big year, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports. “I would absolutely love to,” he said in regards to talking over a multi-year deal. “I think anybody in this clubhouse would love to. We have a great staff here, a great group of guys, and the city of Cleveland has treated me very well. I would love to play here for a very, very long time. If that opportunity presents itself, I’d definitely be open to it.” Allen’s 2.99 ERA is not quite indicative of the quality season he put up, which featured 12.9 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 and sterling marks from many ERA estimators. MLBTR’s arbitration projections, courtesy of Matt Swartz, project Allen to reach a $3.5MM salary in his first year of eligibility — based largely, of course, on his save tallies.
The Indians have many sure things but also many moving pieces on their future roster, as Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer explores. It’s likely that the club will part with Ryan Raburn (rather than exercising his $3MM option and keeping him) despite his strong batting line, with plans to utilize Chris Johnson (whose salary is largely unmovable) as a right-handed-hitting corner man. He could share time with Lonnie Chisenhall in right field, says Pluto. Likewise, it’s unlikely that Mike Aviles will be re-signed, as Jose Ramirez can fill his up-the-middle infield utility role.

Central Notes: Stearns, Counsell, Indians, Machado

By Steve Adams | September 29, 2015 at 9:54pm CDT

Freshly appointed Brewers general manager David Stearns held court with the media at Petco Park today, and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel runs down a number of the topics addressed by Stearns. Perhaps most notably, Stearns characterized his first impressions of manager Craig Counsell as positive. Building a relationship with Counsell is one of the first things on Stearns’ to-do list as GM. “It’s an enormous relationship, and it needs to be a relationship that has mutual respect and mutual trust,” said Stearns of the manager-GM dynamic. “So far, we’ve gotten along very well. … Throughout the entire industry, Craig has a very positive reputation. It was also clear that he was held in high regard within the organization and up through ownership.”

A bit more from Stearns and the game’s Central divisions…

Also high on Stearns’ agenda is deciding on an assistant GM and an organizational structure, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy tweets. Via Haudricourt, Stearns spoke about the characteristics he’d seek in an AGM. “Ultimately, you’re going to want one who complements your skill set and helps you run the front office from a variety of different aspects,” he explained. Stearns said he’s spoken to a number of baseball ops executives that pre-date him, presumably including Ash, but has yet to come to any firm personnel decisions. “I’ve had conversations with a number of them and I think a number of them will stay,” he added.
The Indians will have a number of roster decisions to make following the season, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Gavin Floyd, Ryan Raburn, Mike Aviles and Ryan Webb can all become free agents, and each has expressed an interest in remaining with Cleveland. Raburn could be retained via his $3.5MM club option, as the team will decide between that sum and a $1MM buyout. Hoynes also notes that Cleveland has as many as six, if not seven arbitration eligible players (depending on Jeff Manship’s Super Two eligibility). Closer Cody Allen, in particular, could be in line for a multi-year deal, per Hoynes, though that comment seemed to be speculative.
Though adding some additional positions to his repertoire would help Dixon Machado’s chances of making the Tigers’ roster in 2015, the team has no plans to play him anywhere but shortstop, manager Brad Ausmus told MLive.com’s James Schmehl. The Tigers view Machado as a pure shortstop, though that complicates his path to playing time in the Majors due to the presence of Jose Iglesias. Nonetheless, Ausmus was firm in his belief: “Just a shortstop, at this point. I don’t know that I’d put Machado in the (Andrew) Romine category. Although he played third base a couple of games in Toledo, I wouldn’t throw him into a utility role.” Machado, the Tigers’ No. 14 prospect, per MLB.com, hit .286/.375/.404 across two levels in 2014 but has struggled in both Triple-A and the Majors this year. Scouting reports on the 23-year-old rave about his glove but wonder if he’ll hit enough to be a regular in the Majors.

Indians Unlikely To Trade Moss, Aviles; Listening On Chisenhall

By Jeff Todd | July 23, 2015 at 11:47am CDT

The 2015 Indians have not yet made good on their evident promise, in spite of quality performances from many of the team’s better long-term pieces. That frames them as a possible seller, though a late run is not out of the question. Reflecting recent comments from GM Chris Antonetti, however, the latest rumors suggest that a large-scale sell-off is unlikely, with the club perhaps looking instead to re-tool for 2016.

Cleveland is “unlikely” to deal outfielder Brandon Moss, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The 31-year-old would undoubtedly draw interest, though he’s produced a somewhat tepid .220/.293/.424 batting line. Moss does have 15 home runs, has suffered from a .261 BABIP despite a ton of hard contact, and is earning only $6.5MM with one year of arbitration control remaining. He’s also looked better in the field in the eyes of advanced metrics. All of those factors leave the Indians motivated to keep him in the fold for next season.
An entirely different set of considerations will likely keep Mike Aviles in Cleveland, Rosenthal reports (Twitter links). The veteran utilityman is dealing with a terribly unfortunate family situation, as his four-year-old daughter is being treated for leukemia at the Cleveland Clinic. Despite receiving some interest, the Indians have (admirably) determined not to trade Aviles in light of those circumstances.
The Indians are, however, willing to move third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. He’s currently playing in Triple-A after scuffling to start the year and only comes with two more years of control (his salary this year is $2.25MM). But the 26-year-old has shown more in the past and is putting up solid, if unspectacular, numbers at Columbus. Olney suggests he could be a bench piece for a team like the Mets, and the former top-fifty prospect carries some upside down the line.

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