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Outrighted: Red Sox, Angels, ChiSox, Braves, Pirates, Giants

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The seventh game of the World Series rightly dominated the baseball landscape Wednesday, but there were also several outrights from around the majors. Here are those assignments:

  • The Red Sox announced that they’ve activated Josh Rutledge from the disabled list and outrighted him off the 40-man roster. The 27-year-old hit .265/.345/.388 in 56 plate appearances with the Sox this season and is a lifetime .262/.312/.397 hitter in 1088 Major League PAs. Capable of playing second base, third base and shortstop, Rutledge should find opportunities to make a club as a bench piece next spring when he inevitably elects free agency following his outright assignment.

Earlier Updates

  • The Angels have outrighted left-hander Brett Oberholtzer to Triple-A Salt Lake. The club previously designated Oberholtzer for assignment Oct. 28, which came after he logged a career-worst 5.89 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 42.3 percent ground-ball rate in 70 innings between the Phillies and Angels this year. Overall, Oberholtzer has posted a 4.36 ERA, 6.1 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 39.3 percent ground-ball rate in 324 major league innings.
  • The White Sox have outrighted outfielder J.B. Shuck to Triple-A Charlotte. Shuck has over 1,000 major league plate appearances to his name, and 406 of those have come with the White Sox since last season. In 241 PAs this year, Shuck batted a woeful .205/.248/.299.
  • The Braves have outrighted right-handers Casey Kelly and Brandon Cunniff to Triple-A Gwinnett. Kelly placed anywhere from 24th to 76th in Baseball America’s prospect rankings from 2009-12, but injury- and performance-related issues have beset the former Red Sox and Padres farmhand. Notably, Kelly went from Boston to San Diego in 2010 in a deal involving then-Padres prospect and current Cubs superstar Anthony Rizzo. That trade brought first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox. The Padres then sent Kelly to the Braves last offseason for catcher/pitcher/outfielder Christian Bethancourt. The 27-year-old Kelly subsequently amassed 21 2/3 frames of 5.82 ERA pitching with matching strikeout and walk rates (2.91 over nine innings) this season. Cunniff has logged 52 big league innings – all with the Braves since last season – and recorded a 4.50 ERA, 9.17 K/9 and 5.37 BB/9.
  • The Pirates have outrighted infielder Pedro Florimon, catcher Jacob Stallings and southpaw Zach Phillips to Triple-A Indianapolis. The most notable member of the group is Florimon, a defensive specialist who has collected a combined 752 major league plate appearances with the Orioles, Twins and Pirates. Only 50 of those PAs have come with Pittsburgh since he joined the organization via waivers prior to the 2015 season. Stallings, whom the Pirates chose in the seventh round of the 2012 draft, took his first 15 major league trips to the plate this year. Phillips also got some work with the Bucs this season, impressing over 6 2/3 innings (two earned runs, six strikeouts, one walk). The 30-year-old previously racked up 15 2/3 total frames with the Orioles and Marlins.
  • The Giants have outrighted catcher Tony Sanchez to Triple-A Sacramento. Sanchez has accumulated just 155 major league PAs since Pittsburgh drafted him fourth overall in 2009. He divided 2016 between the Triple-A affiliates of the Blue Jays and Giants and combined for an ugly .201/.298/.317 line across 228 PAs.

Pirates Designate Kelvin Marte, Curtis Partch

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The Pirates have designated both lefty Kelvin Marte and righty Curtis Partch, the team announced. Their 40-man spots were needed to accommodate the organization’s latest wave of call-ups, which includes Tyler Glasnow, Pedro Florimon, Drew Hutchison, and Trevor Williams.

The 28-year-old Marte made his major league debut this year, throwing three and one-third scoreless innings but allowing two walks and five hits in that span while recording only a lone strikeout. He has converted to a relief role at Triple-A after previously working mostly as a starter, and carries a 3.67 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 over 73 2/3 frames there.

Partch, 29, was bombed in his two MLB appearances this year. But he was rather effective in his own stint at Indianapolis, compiling a 2.24 ERA in 60 1/3 frames. Partch notched sixty strikeouts in that span, though he also racked up thirty free passes.

The group of call-ups certainly holds some interest. Glasnow is the team’s highest-rated prospect, and he’ll return after making his debut earlier in the year. Trevor Williams has impressed at Triple-A despite lacking gaudy strikeout numbers. Florimon always seems to play a role somewhere in September, given his versatile glove.

And then there’s Hutchison, who was picked up in the somewhat controversial trade that sent Francisco Liriano (plus his contract) and two prospects to the Blue Jays at the trade deadline. The 26-year-old, who will be arbitration-eligible again next year, has worked to a 4.50 ERA in his 36 frames with Indy, with peripherals (7.0 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9) that fall shy of his work earlier this year at Buffalo.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/17/16

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Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around baseball:

  • The Diamondbacks announced that they recalled right-handed pitchers Archie Bradley and Evan Marshall and optioned righties Jake Barrett and Matt Buschmann to Triple-A. Arizona needed fresh arms after its 14-inning marathon loss to San Diego on Saturday night, when Barrett and Buschmann combined to throw 4 1/3 innings. If Bradley doesn’t pitch in relief today, the D-backs could start him Monday in place of Rubby De La Rosa, manager Chip Hale said (Twitter link via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). De La Rosa came out of the bullpen Saturday and got two outs before allowing a walk-off home run to Melvin Upton Jr.
  • Pirates shortstop Pedro Florimon accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis, general manager Neal Huntington said (Twitter link via Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The Pirates outrighted Florimon on Wednesday and he had 72 hours to decide whether to accept the assignment or reject it and become a free agent. The defense-first Florimon has hit a career .199/.262/.295 batting line in 717 plate appearances. He batted .245/.315/.367 for Indianapolis last season.
  • The Reds have optioned right-hander Keyvius Sampson to Triple-A Louisville and activated righty Jon Moscot (intercostal) from the disabled list, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Moscot, who owns a 3.67 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 404 1/3 minor league innings, will start the Reds’ game against the Cardinals on Sunday. He got his first taste of the big leagues with the Reds last year, allowing six earned runs in three starts (11 1/3 innings) while totaling six strikeouts and five walks. MLBPipeline.com ranks Moscot as the Reds’ No. 24 prospect. Sampson, meanwhile, got off to a rough start this season for the Reds in surrendering four hits and four earned runs in three innings. In 13 appearances (12 starts) with the Reds last season, he tossed 52 1/3 frames of 6.54 ERA ball.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/13/16

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

  • The Pirates announced (on Twitter) that shortstop Pedro Florimon has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. However, because Florimon has been outrighted once before, he has the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. Florimon has 72 hours to decide whether he will accept and head to Triple-A or reject and seek another organization. The 29-year-old switch-hitter is an excellent defensive shortstop with a questionable bat, as evidenced by a career .199/.262/.295 batting line in 717 plate appearances. Florimon was the Twins’ everyday shortstop in 2013, based solely on his glovework, but he has just 111 MLB plate appearances since that time. He batted .245/.315/.367 for Indianapolis last season.
  • In other Pirates news, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was among the reporters to tweet that right-hander John Holdzkom, who was placed on release waivers after being designated for assignment, has cleared those waivers and is now a free agent that is free to sign with any club.

Pirates Designate Florimon, Goebbert, Holdzkom For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated right-hander John Holdzkom and infielders Pedro Florimon and Jake Goebbert for assignment, as Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.  In related moves, catcher Elias Diaz, right-hander Jared Hughes, and infielder Jung Ho Kang have been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 25th (link).  All of these moves will allow Pittsburgh to promote infielder Cole Figueroa, outfielder Matt Joyce, and left-hander Cory Luebke to active roster (link).

Florimon is regarded as a very strong defensive player and was hoping to break camp with the team as a reserve infielder.  Even though he provides value with his glove, the 29-year-old’s offense leaves much to be desired.  In parts of five big league seasons with the Orioles, Twins, and Bucs, Florimon owns a .199/.262/.295 slash line.  In parts of three Triple-A campaigns, he has posted a stronger .252/.317/.366 slash line.

Goebbert, 28, inked a major league pact with the Pirates in November.  In 2015, the first/baseman outfielder spent the season with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate, where he hit .294/.392/.452 with 10 home runs.  Now, Goebbert will look to hook on elsewhere as a left-handed bat off of the bench, though he may have to settle for a minor league deal this time around.

As shown in MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, Michael Bourn (Braves), Emilio Bonifacio (Braves), Samuel Freeman (Rangers), and A.J. Jimenez (Blue Jays) are also in DFA limbo.

Pirates Notes: Morton, Pitching, Melancon, Niese, Nicasio, Kang

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The Pirates are one of several teams holding a FanFest today. Reporters, including MLBTR’s Charlie Wilmoth, were on hand for the Q&A with GM Neal Huntington. The Pirates’ GM admitted that today’s Morton swap was mostly about payroll relief, although the club does like David Whitehead.

Here’s more Pirates notes:

  • Today’s trade of Charlie Morton will likely instigate “multiple moves,” tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. After the move, the Pirates payroll is around $88MM with a target of about $105MM per Biertempfel (tweet). Huntington told reporters including MLB.com’s Adam Berry (tweet), “A big part of the motivation was to free some dollars to allow us to deepen the club, to reestablish some depth.“
  • Industry sources implied to Biertempfel (tweet) that pitchers like Scott Kazmir, Mike Leake, or others over $10MM per season are not on the Pirates radar. However, there is no doubt that at least one starting pitcher is on the agenda. The rotation presently consists of Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano, Jon Niese, and Jeff Locke. Presumably, the club prefers for Locke or Niese to fill a long relief role with Allen Webster serving as minor league depth. Top prospect Tyler Glasnow is not expected to reach the majors early in the season.
  • Closer Mark Melancon is expected to earn $10MM in arbitration per MLBTR estimates, but the club is under no pressure to trade him, tweets Biertempfel. The team could potentially get by in the late innings with Tony Watson, Arquimedes Caminero, and new acquisition Juan Nicasio. However, a bullpen with Melancon is certainly more robust. With the market for quality closers at a premium, Pittsburgh would find it difficult to replace Melancon. Per Huntington, “if somebody steps up and gives us a return that’s significant enough to motivate us to get a little bit uncomfortable, then we get a little bit uncomfortable.” (h/t to Wilmoth for the quote).
  • In commenting on Nicasio, Huntinton told Wilmoth, “We do think there are some things we can help him with. Now, is it going to be enough to make him a good starter? Time will tell. Is it going to be enough to make him a really good reliever? Time will tell.” The Pirates have developed a reputation as a haven for reclamation projects which could make Nicasio an interesting player to watch.
  • Comparing recent acquisition Jon Niese to the market, Huntington said “he’ll continue to put up numbers similar to guys who are getting sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety million dollars in free agency — we have three, essentially, one-year contracts with Jon Niese.” While Niese comes with less cachet than somebody like Mike Leake, it’s true that they project to perform similarly. As such, Huntington may very well beat the market with this swap.
  • Huntington says Jung-ho Kang is more likely to return in April than May, per Berry (tweet). If true, this is a lucky break for the club. They currently have some combination of Josh Harrison, Jordy Mercer, Alen Hanson, and Pedro Florimon penciled in for second base, shortstop, and third base. An injury or poor performance from Hanson could leave the club scrambling for reinforcements.
  • The Pirates will retrench in 2016 with an aim to contend again in 2017, writes John Perotto of the Beaver County Times. While the club will still pursue a postseason berth next year, they’ll have their eyes on developing top prospects like Josh Bell, Glasnow, and Jameson Taillon.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/2/15

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Here are the day’s minor moves …

  • The Pirates have selected the contract of infielder Pedro Florimon, the club announced. Florimon, 28, was outrighted recently after seeing 15 games of action with the big league club. He required a 40-man spot, which was opened when the Bucs placed righty Deolis Guerra on the 60-day DL. Though he’s compiled only a .201/.264/.297 batting line in his 713 career MLB plate appearances, Florimon possesses a highly-regarded glove and figures to provide a defensive option for Pittsburgh down the stretch.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/25/15

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

  • Shortstop Pedro Florimon cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Indianapolis, the Pirates announced today (on Twitter). Florimon was designated for assignment last week to clear room on the roster for right-hander Josh Wall (who has since been designated himself). The 28-year-old offers little at the plate but has speed and, more importantly, an excellent glove at shortstop. He’s played sparingly in the Majors since serving as the Twins’ primary shortstop in 2013.
  • Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets that third baseman Conor Gillaspie cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Angels and has been outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake City. Gillaspie has spent the past three seasons as the White Sox’ primary option at the hot corner, but he struggled in 2015 and was designated for assignment by Chicago. The Halos claimed him, but he didn’t fare much better in Anaheim before being designated a second time. He’s slashed a combined .228/.269/.359 between the two clubs this season — a far cry from the .265/.322/.404 line he compiled in 2013-14.

Pirates Designate Pedro Florimon For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated shortstop Pedro Florimon for assignment in order to clear space on the roster for right-hander Josh Wall, tweets Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The move comes less than 24 hours after the 28-year-old defensive specialist delivered some late-inning heroics with a walk-off triple in the 15th inning.

Florimon has appeared in 15 games with the Buccos but received just 21 plate appearances, as much of his work has come as a defensive replacement. He logged 134 games as the Twins’ primary shortstop back in the 2013 season, hitting .221/.281/.330 with nine homers and outstanding defense, but he’s never hit consistently enough to stick in the Majors for a stretch of multiple seasons. Florimon’s batted just .095/.181/.147 in 107 plate appearances since his lone season as a regular in 2013.

Defensively speaking, Florimon is a gifted shortstop. Defensive Runs Saved pegs him at +21 in a little more than a full season’s worth of innings (1716), and UZR/150 has him at 3.6 runs above average. He also has above-average speed, having delivered positive value on the bases throughout his career, including 24 steals in 31 attempts (77.4 percent).

Minor Moves: Florimon, Peguero, Adrianza, Tracy

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • Reds pitcher Raisel Iglesias will make his major league debut tomorrow, writes Jason Haddix for MLB.com. He’ll be opposed by Cardinals hurler Carlos Martinez. The Reds committed to a seven-year, $27MM contract with Iglesias during the 2014 season.
  • The Orioles selected the contract of knuckleballer Eddie Gamboa, writes Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Wesley Wright was added to the disabled list in a corresponding move. Gamboa, 30, had yet to reach the majors although he figures to bounce back and forth this year. He’ll serve as depth in case Kevin Gausman is needed in long relief in the next couple games.
  • Pirates utility man Pedro Florimon has cleared waivers, tweets Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He has been outrighted to Triple-A. Per Brink (also Twitter), since Florimon has been outrighted before, he can decline and become a free agent. Brink is told no decision has been made.
  • The Rangers have announced that they’ve selected the contract of corner outfielder Carlos Peguero and recalled pitcher Jon Edwards. They’ve also moved Derek Holland (shoulder) to the 60-day disabled list and Ryan Rua (ankle) to the 15-day disabled list. Peguero is in the Rangers’ lineup tonight. The 28-year-old Peguero has played briefly, and not particularly impressively, for the Mariners and Royals in parts of four big-league seasons, but he’s demonstrated serious power in the minors (with 30 homers for Triple-A Omaha last year) and in Spring Training.
  • The Giants have outrighted infielder Ehire Adrianza to Triple-A Sacramento, MLB.com’s Chris Haft tweets. The team designated Adrianza for assignment last week. Adrianza, 25, hit .237/.279/.299 in 106 plate appearances while playing mostly shortstop and second base for the Giants last season.
  • The Yankees have announced that they’ve promoted lefty Matt Tracy. To clear space for Tracy on the 25- and 40-man rosters, the Yankees optioned lefty Chasen Shreve to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and moved Ivan Nova to the 60-day disabled list. Tracy will need to be added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster. Tracy’s stay on the roster could turn out to be short, however — the Yankees can use some quick bullpen reinforcements after their 19-inning game against the Red Sox last night, and Tracy would presumably join the team for that purpose. The 26-year-old posted a 3.76 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 150 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year.
  • Two players remain in DFA limbo, via MLBTR’s DFA Tracker: lefty Sam Freeman (Rangers) and outfielder Carlos Quentin (Braves).
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