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Zach Jackson

A’s Outright Zach Jackson

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Athletics right-hander Zach Jackson went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment and has been assigned outright to Triple-A, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Jackson has fewer than three years of service time and does not have a prior outright in his career, so he can’t reject the assignment in favor of free agency. He’ll head back to Las Vegas, where he’d opened the season, and hope to pitch his way back onto the big league roster.

The 29-year-old Jackson has pitched 66 innings with Oakland over the past two seasons and turned in a sterling 2.86 ERA in that time. A look under the hood reveals more concerning issues, however, most notably including a grim 15.2% walk rate (to say nothing of a sky-high 14 wild pitches). Jackson has fanned a whopping 31.9% of his opponents in that time as well, but his lack of command is a clear red flag. He’s also benefited from seeing a minuscule 2.6% of his fly-balls become home runs — about one-fifth of the roughly 12% league average. Metrics like xFIP and SIERA, which normalize HR/FB ratio, peg Jackson at 4.23 and 3.79, respectively.

A flexor strain limited Jackson to 18 innings last year, and he’s had a tough return. In 8 1/3 spring innings, he yielded seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks. He’s continued to struggle through his first three appearances in Vegas, serving up four runs in two innings of work. More alarming than the runs allowed, however, are the eight walks he’s issued despite facing just 16 hitters on the season thus far.

It’s likely there’s some rust for Jackson following that 2023 injury, but he’s presumably in good health. The A’s didn’t place him on the minor league injured list, and injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers. If he can get back on track in Vegas, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back in the majors. The Oakland bullpen is lacking in established relievers, currently including five pitchers with under a year of MLB service time and a pair of veteran journeymen looking to rebound (Austin Adams, T.J. McFarland).

A’s Claim Angel Felipe

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The Athletics have claimed right-hander Angel Felipe off waivers from the Padres, per a team announcement. Felipe has been optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas. The A’s transferred righty Zach Jackson from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Felipe, 25, joins the rebuilding Athletics as a power-armed righty reliever with questionable command. Baseball America ranked him 29th among Padres prospects just a few weeks ago, touting a four-seamer and two-seamer that could both reach triple digits, as well as a potentially plus slider and potentially above-average changeup. Felipe is still relatively new to pitching, having played shortstop in his teenage days before moving to the mound upon signing as an amateur with the Rays.

This had been Felipe’s second season with the Padres, with whom he signed a minor league deal in the 2021-22 offseason. He’s yet to make his MLB debut and has spent the entire season in Triple-A El Paso, where he’s posted an ugly 6.20 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. Poor command has contributed to those ugly run-prevention numbers, evidenced by a 14.9% walk rate, a pair of hit batters and seven wild pitches in his brief time on the mound this year. However, Felipe has also fanned 32.2% of his opponents and has a history of gaudy ground-ball rates — even if this year’s 46.7% clip is “only” a few percentage points above league-average.

The Athletics have virtually no stability in their big league bullpen at the moment, and given the bleak outlook on their current rebuild, it’s only logical that they’d roll the dice on a big arm even with command issues. Flamethrowers who struggle to locate the ball aren’t exactly uncommon in today’s game, but the A’s can afford a longer leash than most clubs given that they’re not close to competing. Felipe has an option year remaining beyond the current season, so Oakland doesn’t need to make any kind of decision on the right-hander’s future in the short term.

Athletics Designate Zach Neal For Assignment

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The A’s announced Friday that they’ve designated righty Zach Neal for assignment and placed fellow righty Zach Jackson on the 15-day injured list with a flexor tendon strain. That pair of moves clears a spot for the selection of righty Lucas Erceg’s contract. Oakland acquired Erceg from the Brewers in exchange for cash earlier in the week and will put him right onto the MLB roster.

Neal, 34, returned to the Majors for the first time in five years when the A’s called him up last week. He’s appeared in two games and allowed a total of three runs on four hits (two homers) and no walks with three strikeouts. That marks his second stint with Oakland, as he was also with the A’s back in 2016-17. Neal tossed one lone inning for the 2018 Dodgers and spent the 2019-21 seasons pitching for the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. His first NPB season was a strong one, but he struggled in two subsequent years and was also hit hard with the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in 2022.

Overall, Neal has 89 big league innings and a 5.06 ERA with just an 11% strikeout rate but a minuscule 1.9% walk rate. He’s a heavy ground-ball pitcher who’s had some success in Triple-A, last year’s rough showing with the Rockies organization (6.87 ERA in 116 2/3 innings) notwithstanding. The A’s will have a week to trade him or pass him through outright waivers. Neal would have the ability to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, as he’s been outrighted previously in his career.

Word of a flexor strain for Jackson is tough for the A’s, given that Jackson was one of just two members of the team’s Opening Day bullpen who’d survived to this point. He’s pitched 18 innings of 2.50 ERA ball thus far, fanning 28.7% of his opponents against an admittedly unsightly 12.5% walk rate. Even with that ugly walk rate, Jackson has been a bright spot in an Oakland bullpen that has used a stunning 21 relievers so far this year. The timeline on his recovery hasn’t been provided yet, flexor tendon injuries are rarely accompanied by short-term absences.

Erceg will become the 22nd A’s reliever of the young season whenever he takes the mound. He’s a 2016 second-round pick who drafted by the Brewers as a third baseman but eventually moved to the mound in 2021. Erceg was a reliever in college as well, so the shift wasn’t entirely foreign to him. He’s taken to the mound reasonably well, given the long layoff between his college pitching career and his debut on the mound in pro ball.

The 28-year-old Erceg pitched to a 3.43 ERA in 39 1/3 Triple-A frames following a promotion there last year, fanning just under a quarter of his opponents (24.7%) against a bloated 13.5% walk rate. He’s had a rougher go in 2023, evidenced by a 6.46 earned run average in just 15 1/3 frames.

However, six of the 11 earned runs he’s allowed came in one catastrophic appearance against the Braves’ top affiliate on May 10, wherein Erceg didn’t record an out. He’s been generally solid otherwise, and his 23.9% strikeout rate and 14.9% walk rate are at least within the vicinity of last year’s rates. He’ll obviously still need to cut down on his walks if he’s to have any sustained success on the mound, but the paper-thin A’s are strapped enough for pitching depth that they’ll give him the chance to do so at the big league level for now.

Minor Moves: Chris Leroux, Zach Jackson

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Here are Sunday’s minor moves from around MLB:

Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Valdez, Graham, Iribarren, Morales, Jackson, Hensley

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We'll keep track of today's minor moves here (information courtesy of MLB.com transactions page):

  • Righty Jose Valdez has inked a minor league contract with the Red Sox. The 30-year-old has seen 24 big league games with the Astros, but worked last year at Triple-A, putting up a 5.72 ERA in 39 1/3 innings. Valdez has shown the ability to miss bats (career 8.7 K/9), but also tends to miss spots (5.2 BB/9).
  • Tyler Graham, a 29-year-old outfielder, has signed a minor league deal with the Giants. Graham spent all of 2006-11 with the San Francisco organization, then split 2012 between the Giants and Diamondbacks. He got a cup of coffee with the D-Backs (two plate appearances), but ended up out of the MLB structure thereafter. Last year, he bounced between four Independent and Mexican League clubs. In his last full Triple-A season, 2011, Graham posted a .273/.337/.338 line with 60 stolen bases.
  • The Reds have signed a minor league deal with second baseman Hernan Iribarren. The 29-year-old Venezuelan received 29 plate appearances over 2008-09 but has yet to return. Last year, with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate, Iribarren slashed .312/.367/.407 in 286 plate appearances.
  • Outfielder Angel Morales has reached agreement on a minor league contract with the Marlins. The 2007 third-round pick had spent his entire career with the Twins organization, reaching the Double-A level last year at age 23. Morales earned the promotion with a .297/.364/.525 start to the year in 234 High-A plate appearances, but failed to follow up in the penultimate level of the minors (.169/.230/.307 in 184 plate appearances).
  • The Nationals have signed southpaw Zach Jackson to a minor league deal. Now 30, Jackson saw 105 1/3 innings over the 2006-09 period after being drafted in the first round of the 2004 amateur draft. Jackson has bounced around the league, failing to stick as a starter. Last year, after converting full-time to relief for the Royals, he pitched to a 1.32 ERA in 41 innings at Double-A and Triple-A. Jackson managed a sturdy 2.57 K:BB ratio in 2013, but did so on the back of just 4.0 K/9 (against a career-low 1.5 BB/9).
  • Washington also signed righty Clay Hensley to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports on Twitter. The 34-year-old last saw MLB time in 2012 with the Giants, when he had a 4.62 ERA over 50 2/3 innings of relief. Over his career, Hensley has started 49 big league games and appeared in over 200 others out of the pen. He threw to a 2.57 ERA in 35 Triple-A innings last year with Reds and Brewers affiliates, registering 9.8 K/9 against 4.9 BB/9 in the process.
  • One player appears in MLBTR's DFA Tracker with an unresolved case: Carlos Peguero of the Mariners.

Minor Moves: Rangers, Lindsay, Texeira, James

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Here's where we'll track today's minor moves, most of which were reported by Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus on Twitter…

Minor League Transactions: Rangers, Twins, Nats

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Here are some minor transactions from the past week, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy…

  • The Rangers signed two former first-round draft picks in left-hander Zach Jackson and utility infielder Omar Quintanilla.  Jackson, picked 32nd overall by the Blue Jays in the 2004 draft, has a 5.81 ERA in 22 career major league games (17 of them starts) with the Brewers and Indians since 2006.  Jackson spent 2010 pitching for Toronto's Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.  Quintanilla was taken with the 33rd pick of the 2003 draft by Oakland, and then dealt to the Rockies in 2005 as part of the Eric Byrnes trade.  Quintanilla posted a .567 OPS in 559 plate appearances with Colorado between 2005 and 2009. 
  • The Twins signed catchers Steve Holm and Rene Rivera to minor league contracts.  A 17th-round pick of the Giants in the 2001 draft, Holm has spent his entire 10-year pro career with in the San Francisco system, racking up 107 major league plate appearances in 2008 and 2009.  Rivera last played in the majors as a member of the Mariners in 2006, and has since played in the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees' systems.
  • The Nationals signed right-hander Harvey Garcia and catcher Carlos Maldonado.  Garcia had an eight-game cup of coffee with Florida in 2007 and has since pitched in the Pirates and Dodgers' systems.  Eddy says Garcia may have earned a contract due to his solid work this year in the Venezuelan League.  Maldonado, 31, was designated for assignment by Washington in September and then granted free agency after the season.  Maldonado has been in pro ball since 1996 and has 4226 career minor league plate appearances (a .687 OPS) but only 62 PAs in the bigs.

Blue Jays Acquire Zach Jackson

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The Indians have traded lefthander Zach Jackson to the Blue Jays for a player to be named later, according to a team press release. He's been assigned to their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas. 

Jackson, 26, has a 5.81 ERA in 105.1 big league innings, striking out just 5.4 batters per nine innings. His minor league track record isn't much better (4.83 ERA, 6.2 K/9), however he's always been stingy with walks. Toronto originally drafted Jackson in the first round back in 2004, but sent him to Milwaukee in the Lyle Overbay trade after the 2005 season. He joined the Indians in 2008 as part of the C.C. Sabathia deal.

Indians Sign Luis Vizcaino

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THURSDAY: 10:45am: Waiting For Next Year writes that the Indians will have to make another move before next Saturday, when Sowers was scheduled to start. Pitchers David Huff and Zach Jackson are the leading candidates for a call-up. "When this decision is made," writes WFNY, "expect the Masa Kobayashi experience to come to an end."

9:38am: According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Indians announced the signing of Vizcaino to a Major League deal today.  Instead of releasing Masahide Kobayashi, the club demoted Jeremy Sowers.

WEDNESDAY: Waiting with bated breath to see what happens with free agent reliever Luis Vizcaino?  You'll have to wait a little longer.  Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says Vizcaino threw for the Indians a third time yesterday, but the team says they have not signed him.  Vizcaino, however, insists he'll be on the club when they leave for Tampa Bay today (MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince agrees).

Sabathia To Brewers Trade Official

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Let’s round up today’s C.C. Sabathia links in a fresh post.

  • The Brewers’ trade for ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia is official.  As a reminder, the Indians will receive Matt LaPorta, Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, and maybe Taylor Green.  Paul Hoynes says Michael Brantley could end up the player to be named later instead of Green.  Ken Rosenthal suggests Lorenzo Cain may also still be possible.  MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo analyzes the prospects received by the Indians.
  • Here’s an interesting link.  This is apparently the blog of agent Joshua Kusnick of Double Diamond Sports Management.  Among others, Kusnick represents Cain, Brantley, and Green.  He says Green hasn’t been informed of anything but seems more likely to be included than Brantley.
  • Yahoo’s Jeff Passan calls the package of players an "OK haul."
  • ESPN’s Keith Law agrees, suggesting that Mark Shapiro should’ve held out for a higher probability return.  He sees Bryson as the key to the deal.  The 20 year-old is a projectable live arm.
  • Joel Sherman says the Brewers aren’t done – they want to add a late-inning reliever as well.
  • Indians owner Paul Dolan explains the Sabathia trade in a letter to fans.
  • Rosenthal has details of other teams’ attempts to acquire Sabathia.  He says the Dodgers wanted the Indians to package Sabathia with Casey Blake.  Surprisingly, the Yankees were "very heavily involved."  They did not want to give up Phil Hughes, however.
  • Most articles seem to assume that the Brewers have no chance of signing Sabathia.  I agree that it’s unlikely, but I wouldn’t rule it out.  We’ve read repeatedly that Sabathia does not intend to chase every last dollar.  What if he loves Milwaukee and he leads the team deep into the playoffs?  The Brewers could let Ben Sheets and Eric Gagne leave and put that money toward a competitive five-year Sabathia offer.  It’s not out of the question.
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