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Yamaico Navarro

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/14/16

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

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

Int’l Notes: Navarro, Kim, Orioles

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The Padres and other clubs had their eye on Japanese standout Nobuhiro Matsuda, but earlier this week the veteran third baseman decided to stay put.  Even though Matsuda had the opportunity to ink a major league deal, he couldn’t turn down a massive four-year deal worth $20-25MM from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.  There was talk that the 32-year-old might have been able to net a multi-year guarantee from an MLB club, but it’s hard to imagine that any team would have given him a deal of that size.

Matsuda is staying overseas, but we have some news on other international talent that will be coming stateside.  Here’s the latest:

  • Contract talks have broken off between second baseman Yamaico Navarro and Korea’s Samsung Lions, a league source tells Yonhap News.  “It’s highly unlikely we will retain Navarro,” the official said. “Unless there’s a dramatic turn of events, we will go our separate ways.”  Navarro hit 31 homers, stole 25 bases, and posted a slash line of .308/.417/.552 in 2014.  This past season, Navarro belted 48 home runs  (good for second in the KBO), notched 22 steals, and posted a .287/.393/.596 line.   It’s not immediately clear if Navarro will set his sights on an MLB return, but if he does, one has to imagine that he will garner some interest.  For what it’s worth, the Lions have concerns about the 28-year-old’s work ethic, according to the report.
  • New Orioles outfielder Hyun-soo Kim thanked Pirates infielder Jung-ho Kang for blazing a trail for him to come stateside.  “I am proud of having signed a major league deal as a Korean player,” Kim said, according to Yonhap News. “I will try not to ruin the groundwork that Jung-ho has laid. I feel some pressure in that regard.”  Kim has put up a big .318/.406/.488 slash in the offensively robust KBO, and last year had his best-ever showing.  Not only did he slash .326/.438/.541, but Kim also banged a career-best 28 home runs.  And, unlike some other KBO players who have moved over to MLB, Kim has displayed tremendous plate discipline.  Last year, he struck out only 63 times while drawing 101 walks.
  • On Friday morning, we learned that Cuban sensation Lazaro Armenteros will be holding a showcase for MLB clubs on January 8th.

Minor Moves: Stinson, Fryer, Navarro

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Here are today’s minor moves:

  • The KIA Tigers have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Josh Stinson, tweets Global Sporting Integration. The 26-year-old will head to Korea on a one-year, $500K contract. Stinson has pitched parts of four major league seasons for the Orioles, Brewers, and Mets. In 52 and one-third career innings, he’s compiled a 4.47 ERA, 4.99 K/9, 3.61 BB/9, and a 47% ground ball rate. His most recent work came in Baltimore where he averaged 92 mph with his fastball. While major league clubs have mostly used him out of the bullpen, he’s spent much of his recent minor league career as a starter.
  • Twins catcher Eric Fryer has accepted his assignment to Triple-A, tweets Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Fryer has appeared in parts of four seasons with the Pirates and Twins. The 29-year-old has compiled a .246/.321/.339 line in 131 career plate appearances.
  • Utility fielder Yamaico Navarro has re-signed with the Samsung Lions of the KBO, tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPN.com. It’s a one-year deal worth $950K with incentives for an additional $400K. Navarro hit .308/.417/.552 in 602 plate appearances with the Lions last season. He last appeared in the majors in 2013 with the Orioles, and has also spent time with the Pirates, Royals, and Red Sox. He saw limited work in three seasons of major league action, never exceeding 56 plate appearances with a club.

Minor Moves: Feierabend, Skipworth, Valle, Navarro

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Rangers have announced that they've agreed to terms with lefty Ryan Feierabend on a minor-league deal with a spring training invitation. Feierabend posted a 3.70 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 148 1/3 innings between two levels in the Rangers' minor-league system in 2013. He has not appeared in the Majors since he started eight games with the Mariners in 2008.
  • The Marlins have outrighted Kyle Skipworth to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, according to ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). MLBTR was the first to report that Skipworth had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
  • The Phillies announced that catcher Sebastian Valle has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old was designated for assignment earlier in the week to clear a 40-man roster spot for Roberto Hernandez.
  • The Yankees and the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization are nearing a deal that would send infielder Yamaico Navarro to KBO, tweets Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. The Yanks inked Navarro to a minor league deal a month ago. Navarro is a career .206/.258/.267 Major League hitter.
  • MLB.com's Tracy Ringolsby reports that the Rockies have signed left-hander Ryan Kulik to a minor league contract (Twitter link). Drafted by the Cardinals in the eighth round of the 2008 draft, Kulik dropped out of affiliated ball and spent the 2013 season pitching for the Camden River Sharks of the Atlantic League where he had a 5.89 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 108 innings.
  • As can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker, there are five players currently in DFA limbo: Eric Surkamp of the Giants, Brett Marshall of the Yankees, Trey Haley of the Indians, Chance Ruffin of the Mariners and Alex Castellanos of the Red Sox. A sixth could join that group today, once the Twins' signing of Kurt Suzuki becomes official, as Minnesota will need to clear a 40-man roster spot.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Joseph, Zagurski, Snyder, Navarro

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Yankees have outrighted infielder Corban Joseph, according to the International League transactions page. Joseph made his big-league debut in 2013, collecting seven plate appearances. He spent much of the season at Triple-A Scranton, where he hit .239/.329/.383 in 213 plate appearances.
  • The Indians have signed lefty reliever Mike Zagurski to a minor league deal, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets. Zagurski pitched in the Pirates, Yankees and Athletics organizations in 2013, posting a 3.04 ERA with a ridiculous 14.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 53 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He did, however, get shelled in 6 1/3 big-league innings.
  • The Orioles signed infielder Sharlon Schoop and outfielder Ronald Bermudez to minor league contracts, according to a team release. Schoop last played in the minors in 2012, when he was in the Royals organization. He is the brother of Orioles prospect Jonathan Schoop. Bermudez hit .261/.299/.329 in stints at Double-A and Triple-A in the Red Sox organization in 2013.
  • Infielder Brandon Snyder has re-signed what appears to be a minor league deal with the Red Sox, the infielder tweeted himself the other night. Snyder collected 52 plate appearances with the Sox in 2013, hitting .180/.212/.360.
  • The Rays announced yesterday that they have agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Sam Runion. The 25-year-old Runion, a client of Dishman Sports Group, was the Royals' second-round pick in 2007. He has a career 3.41 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 at Double-A and reached Triple-A for the first time in 2013. Runion converted to a relief role full-time in 2010 and has enjoyed success since, yielding just eight homers and posting a 3.80 ERA in 170 1/3 frames.
  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Yankees have signed Yamaico Navarro to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training (Twitter link). The Wasserman Media Group client appeared in eight games for the Orioles last season and slashed .267/.354/.418 at Triple-A.
  • The Nationals inked righty Daniel Stange to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (Twitter link). The 27-year-old posted a 4.52 ERA in 65 2/3 Triple-A innings with the Angels and also made it into three big league games for the Halos in 2013.
  • The Dodgers announced that they've signed former No. 4 overall pick Daniel Moskos to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. Now 27 years old, Moskos spent last season with the White Sox' Triple-A affiliate, pitching to a 4.97 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 15 walks in 29 innings of relief.
  • The Dodgers also signed Clint Robinson to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, MLB Daily Dish's Chris Cotillo reported earlier in the week. The 28-year-old first baseman split the 2013 campaign between the Blue Jays' Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, slashing .254/.353/.421 with 13 homers.
  • The Mets announced that they have signed right-hander Miguel Socolovich to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Venezuelan fired 11 1/3 one-run innings for NPB's Hiroshima Carp last season and owns a career 2.99 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 129 1/3 Triple-A innings. He has some brief Major League experience, having allowed 11 runs in 16 1/3 innings between the Cubs and Orioles in 2012.

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Orioles Outright Yamaico Navarro

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WEDNESDAY: Navarro has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.

MONDAY: Navarro is now on outright waivers, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.

TUESDAY: The Orioles announced (via Twitter) that they have selected the contract of Travis Ishikawa and designated infielder Yamaico Navarro for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster. A 25-man roster space has been opened by placing Miguel Gonzalez on the paternity list.

Navarro, 25, hit .286/.333/.357 in 31 plate appearances for the O's this year, though he's just a career .206/.258/.267 hitter. Despite his youth, he's seen Major League action with four different clubs — the Red Sox, Pirates, Royals and O's. He's fared significantly better in 190 games at the Triple-A level, batting .268/.354/.440.

Ishikawa exercised the out clause in his minor league contract, giving the Orioles 48 hours to decide whether or not to add him to the roster. General manager Dan Duquette said earlier this morning they were leaning toward selecting the contract. Ishikawa, who was hitting .316/.413/.525 with seven homers in 208 plate appearances at Triple-A, will start at DH for the Orioles tonight and bat eighth.

Quick Hits: Rodriguez, Phillies, Lee, Orioles

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After receiving his work visa, former star closer Francisco Rodriguez is set to begin his comeback with the Brewers, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports. Rodriguez had been working out in extended spring training while waiting for the visa. The Brewers signed Rodriguez to a minor-league deal in mid-April. They have until May 17 to decide whether to promote him or allow him to become a free agent. Rodriguez appeared in 78 games for the Brewers in 2012. Here are more notes from around the majors.

  • If the struggling Phillies don't move up in the standings, they could be very active on the trade market in July, MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince writes. Chase Utley, Michael Young and Delmon Young are all free agents after the season, Castrovince notes, and there's also the possibility the Phillies could begin trade talks involving Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins or Jonathan Papelbon. If the Phillies begin trading stars, Castrovince says, it's unlikely manager Charlie Manuel will return next season. "I don't envy any GM, especially on a big-market team, because you have to compete and you have to attract those big names or not let them leave," says Cole Hamels. "When you're not winning, you're always going to chase it until you win again and can breathe a little bit."
  • Lee, in particular, could be on the move if the Phillies falter, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. Martino quotes an executive from another team who says, "If they're not in it, you think [Ruben Amaro Jr.] won't move Lee again?" Martino notes that Lee's contract (the Phillies owe him a minimum of $62.5MM after 2013) could make a trade tricky, however.
  • The Orioles could designate utilityman Yamaico Navarro for assignment when Freddy Garcia is added to the roster Saturday, CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff speculates (on Twitter). Other possibilities for opening a roster spot involve sending Taylor Teagarden or Brian Roberts to the 60-day DL. Navarro is hitting .276/.359/.434 for Triple-A Norfolk.

Orioles Acquire Yamaico Navarro, DFA Pomeranz

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The Orioles have acquired Yamaico Navarro from the Pirates for Jhondaniel Medina, the team announced. To make room on the 40-man roster, Stuart Pomeranz was designated for assignment.

Navarro, 25, hit .160/.232/.220 in 56 plate appearances for Pittsburgh and .279/.366/.491 in 257 plate appearances in Triple-A this year. Medina, 19, posted a 4.14 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 50 innings down in Single-A this season. Pomeranz, 27, allowed two runs in six innings for Baltimore this year while pitching to a shiny 0.00 ERA in 23 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

Pirates Acquire Vin Mazzaro, Clint Robinson

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The Pirates announced that they acquired right-hander Vin Mazzaro and first baseman Clint Robinson from the Royals for minor league pitchers Luis Rico and Luis Santos. The Pirates designated Yamaico Navarro and Matt Hague for assignment in a related move.

Mazzaro and Robinson had been designated for assignment on November 20th. Mazzaro, 26, posted a 5.73 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 44 innings with the Royals this past season. Robinson made his MLB debut in 2012, but spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he posted a .292/.393/.452 batting line in 570 plate appearances.

Rico, a 19-year-old left-hander, has a 5.29 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 20 appearances as a professional. Santos, a 21-year-old right-hander, has a 2.51 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 24 minor league appearances.

Navarro, 25, appeared in 29 games for the Pirates this past season, posting a .160/.232/.220 batting line as a utility player. Hague, 27, appeared in 30 games for the Pirates, posting a .229/.270/.257 batting line in 74 plate appearances and playing first base.

Pirates Acquire Yamaico Navarro

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The Pirates have acquired Yamaico Navarro from the Royals in exchange for Brooks Pounders and Diego Goris, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star first broke news that Navarro was heading to Pittsburgh (Twitter link). The teams have confirmed the deal in respective press releases.

Earlier today, Dutton reported that the Royals were shopping Navarro in an attempt to clear a 40-man roster spot for the Rule 5 draft. The 24-year-old was acquired by the Royals from the Red Sox in the Mike Aviles trade and saw limited big league action in 2011 for both clubs.

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