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Zach Phillips

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.

Orioles Acquire Kyle Lobstein, Designate Ashur Tolliver

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The Orioles have acquired lefty Kyle Lobstein from the Pirates in a deal that will send fellow southpaw Zach Phillips to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Baltimore has designated yet another lefty, Ashur Tolliver, for assignment to create roster space.

Lobstein, 27, was designated by the Bucs after providing 25 middling frames on the year. His 3.96 ERA was serviceable, but with just 15 strikeouts against a dozen walks there were signs of trouble. On the other hand, Lobstein was as good against same-handed hitters as he was susceptible to those who carried the platoon split. While the O’s will surely hesitate to let him face any righty bats, he may well prove useful as a pure LOOGY with rosters expanded in September.

Having already placed Lobstein in DFA limbo, the Pirates had little leverage. But they’ll add a non-40-man southpaw in Phillips who can provide an option if a need arises. The 29-year-old owns a 4.45 ERA with 12.5 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9 over 60 2/3 Triple-A frames on the year.

Adding to the price for Lobstein is the possible loss of Tolliver — who may yet remain in the organization if he clears waivers. The 28-year-old reached the majors briefly for the first time this year, and has shown some promise in the upper minors in recent years. His walk rate has been unsteady, but Tolliver has struck out more than a batter per inning in each of the last three seasons on the farm.

Orioles Outright Zach Phillips

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The Orioles have outrighted lefty Zach Phillips, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. He’s already cleared waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A along with Chaz Roe.

Baltimore signed Phillips to the 40-man about a week ago, after electing free agency rather than accepting an assignment with the White Sox. It seemed that he’d have at least a chance of making the Opening Day roster. but instead the O’s will stash him in the upper minors.

The 29-year-old may have added incentives to accept an assignment with the O’s, as his contract may be more beneficial than anything he’d fine from another organization. But it’s not immediately clear if Phillips has accepted the move.

Phillips hasn’t spent much time in the majors, but was added to bolster a Baltimore pen that was in need of depth. He threw 54 2/3 innings at Triple-A last year, working to a 3.13 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9.

Orioles Sign Zach Phillips, Designate Chris Jones

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The Orioles have signed lefty Zach Phillips to a one-year deal, announced the team.  To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, they designated southpaw Chris Jones for assignment.  MLBTR has learned that Phillips received a Major League deal worth $510K.  Phillips is represented by Matt Colleran.

Phillips, 29, elected free agency last week after the White Sox removed him from their 40-man roster.  He has just 15 2/3 innings of big league experience, which came from 2011-13.  Last year at Triple-A Charlotte, Phillips posted a 3.13 ERA, 10.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 54 2/3 innings, allowing just one home run.  He spent 2014 with the Hiroshima Carp.  The Rangers took Phillips as a draft-and-follow out of Sacramento City College in 2004, trading him to the Orioles in July 2011 for Nick Green.  Phillips told reporters including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com this morning, “I’ve always wanted to come back here and I thought it was a great time to. Just being familiar with Baltimore and them giving me a chance. I’ve always liked it here and thought it would be good to come back.”

Phillips “has a good chance to make the Orioles,” writes Rich Dubroff of CSN Mid-Atlantic.  As noted by MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli on Twitter, the Orioles have a potential bullpen opening because of an injury to Brian Matusz.  According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, Matusz has been dealing with a lower back strain and just received a cortisone injection, putting Opening Day in jeopardy.  The Orioles kick off their season at home against the Twins on April 4th.  Their bullpen should otherwise include Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, Dylan Bundy, and one more reliever from a handful of options.

Jones, 27, put up a 2.94 ERA, 6.3 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, and 0.90 HR/9 in 150 Triple-A innings last year.  That represented his third career stint at Triple-A.  Jones was drafted by the Indians in the 15th round in 2007.  He was traded to the Braves in October 2011 for Derek Lowe, and was later shipped to Baltimore for Luis Ayala in April 2013.  The O’s released Jones in February 2014 upon signing Nelson Cruz, re-signing the lefty to a minor league deal shortly thereafter.  He rejoined Baltimore’s 40-man roster last November, and had been reassigned to minor league camp early last week.

White Sox Outright Zach Phillips, Who Elects Free Agency

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The White Sox have outrighted lefty Zach Phillips, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago was among those to report (via Twitter). Phillips rejected an assignment to Triple-A and elected free agency.

Chicago had added the 29-year-old southpaw to its 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He spent last year at Triple-A for the organization after coming back over from Japan, working to a 3.13 ERA over 5 2/3 innings with 10.5 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. Phillips has made 19 total big league appearances over parts of three seasons, but hasn’t cracked the majors since 2013.

Minor Moves: Teahen, Pridie, Kelly, Worth, Francisco

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Former Royals infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen has retired from baseball, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. Now 33 years old, Teahen last appeared in the Majors in 2011 and most recently split the 2013 season between the D-Backs’ minor league system and indy ball. Teahen had an outstanding 2006 season in which he batted .290/.357/.517 with 18 homers and 10 steals, but he was never able to repeat that success. Teahen eventually found himself the recipient of a three-year, $14MM extension with the White Sox that provided the bulk of his $21MM career earnings. All told, he will finish his career as a .264/.327/.409 hitter in 3171 plate appearances.

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

  • Outfielder Jason Pridie and right-hander Merrill Kelly have signed with the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. The 31-year-old Pridie has received cups of coffee in each of the past three seasons but accrued most of his big league service time with the 2011 Mets when he batted .231/.309/.370 in 236 PA. He’s perhaps best known for being part of the trade that sent Delmon Young to Minnesota and Matt Garza to Tampa. Kelly, on the other hand, has spent his entire career with the Rays organization. He’s posted a career 3.40 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 527 1/3 innings and reached Triple-A for the first time in 2014.
  • Former Tigers infielder Danny Worth has signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks, reports MLive.com’s Chris Iott. Worth received offers from multiple clubs, including one who had interest in him as a pitcher, Iott adds (Worth pitched twice in 2014 and actually throws a decent knuckleball). The 29-year-old Worth is a career .230/.293/.295 hitter with Detroit and a .242/.320/.350 hitter at the Triple-A level.
  • Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports (via Twitter) that the D-Backs have also signed former big league outfielder Ben Francisco to a minor league deal. Francisco, now 33 years of age, didn’t see big league action in 2014 but has a career .253/.323/.418 batting line in parts of seven big league seasons.
  • Eddy also tweets that the Red Sox have signed right-hander Nestor Molina and catcher Luke Montz to minor league deals. Molina struggled in parts of three seasons in the White Sox’ minor league system after being acquired in the Sergio Santos trade. Montz is a 31-year-old veteran with 56 big league plate appearances and a .232/.318/.456 batting line in parts of four seasons at the Triple-A level.
  • The Royals have signed infielder Gabriel Noriega, tweets Eddy. Noriega is described by Eddy as a slick fielder who made a couple of Royals Top 30 prospects lists. The 27-year-old hit .275/.299/.360 between Double-A and Triple-A in the Mariners organization last year.
  • The Marlins have acquired righty Craig Stem from the Dodgers to complete the Kyle Jensen trade, Miami announced. Stem reached Double-A last year at age 24, but struggled mightily upon his promotion. The Dodgers are now expected to designate Jensen for assignment to clear room for the signing of Brandon McCarthy, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweets.
  • First baseman Clint Robinson has joined the Nationals on a minor league pact, Ryan Walton reported on Twitter (and Robinson himself confirmed through a tweet). The 29-year-old has scant MLB experience, but torched the PCL with a .312/.401/.534 line over 499 plate appearances last year.
  • Dan Johnson is set to reach a minor league deal with the Astros, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. Johnson is 35 and has not reached triple-digit MLB plate appearances since 2010 (and 2007 before that), but owns a lifetime .281/.401/.509 slash at the Triple-A level.
  • The White Sox have added lefty Zach Phillips on a minor league deal, Eddy reports on Twitter. As Eddy notes, the South Siders have been loading up on LOOGY depth this offseason. The 28-year-old has seen sporadic big league action, with 15 2/3 innings to his credit over 2011-13, and spent some time last year playing in Japan.
  • The Indians have added catcher Brett Hayes and corner outfielder/first baseman Jerry Sands on minor league deals, Eddy tweets. Hayes has appeared in six-straight big league seasons, though he’s never seen more than 144 plate appearances in a season. Sands, 27, has mostly played at the Triple-A level in recent seasons, but did get 227 plate appearances in 2011 (.253/.338/.389).
  • After being non-tendered, Jose Campos (Yankees) and Gus Schlosser (Braves) have returned to their prior organizations, Eddy reports on Twitter. Both righties have moved into swingman roles in their organizations, though Campos has yet even to reach High-A while Schlosser saw 15 games in the big leagues last year.

Hiroshima Carp Sign Zach Phillips

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

  • Left-hander Zach Phillips has signed a one-year deal with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, according to a Sanspo report passed on by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter). Phillips receives a $154K signing bonus and a $409K salary, and the Carp hold a club option for the 2015 season, according to Sanspo. The 27-year-old Phillips pitched 1 2/3 innings for the Marlins this season and has a 3.45 ERA and 14-to-8 K/BB ratio in 15 2/3 Major League innings. Selected in the 23rd round of the 2004 draft by the Rangers, Phillips has a 3.21 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 221 2/3 career innings at Triple-A. He was particularly dominant in Triple-A this season, totaling a 2.44 ERA with a 74-to-24 K/BB ratio in 59 innings. He is represented by agent Matt Colleran, as shown in MLBTR's Agency Database.
  • As shown in MLBTR's DFA Tracker, right-handers Peter Moylan of the Dodgers and Pedro Beato of the Red Sox are currently in DFA limbo along with left-handers Tommy Layne and Colt Hynes of the Padres.
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