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Rookie Davis

Pirates Select Rookie Davis

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Per a team release, the Pirates have selected the contract of right-hander Rookie Davis from AAA-Indianapolis.

Davis, 26, signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh in February after three seasons in the Reds organization. In seven starts for Indy, Davis had posted a 5.35 ERA with mediocre peripherals – a 6.57 K/9 over 3.16 BB/9 with a meager 32.6% grounder rate. Rookie did make six starts for the Reds in ’17, where he didn’t acquit himself particularly well, and he’s struggled consistently since a breakout 2015 season with High-A Tampa in the Yankee farm.

The Pirates, though, are desperate for starters: each of Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, and now Chris Stratton have hit the IL, and the club ostensibly doesn’t have much trust remaining in either Steven Brault or Nick Kingham. Mitch Keller, a near-consensus top 20 prospect, has struggled a bit with command in his first AAA attempt, and the club’s apparently deemed him in need of further seasoning.

Pirates, Rookie Davis Agree To Minor League Deal

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1:09pm: The Pirates announced the signing.

1:02pm: The Pirates have reached an agreement to bring right-hander Rookie Davis aboard on a minor league contract, per The Athletic’s Emily Waldon (Twitter link). He’ll be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training.

Now 25 years old, Davis was one of four players the Yankees sent to the Reds in exchange for Aroldis Chapman in the 2015-16 offseason. (None of the four are still in Cincinnati.) He made his big league debut with the Reds in 2017 but allowed 23 earned runs with a 20-to-14 K/BB ratio in 24 innings of work. Davis had hip surgery following the 2017 campaign and was limited to just 26 1/3 minor league innings with the Reds last year. Davis posted solid numbers in the minors up through Double-A before he began to struggle in Triple-A and, eventually, the Majors. He’s not likely to factor into the Pirates’ pitching plans early in the season, but he’s a relatively youthful depth addition that could emerge later in 2019 if he’s back up to full strength.

Quick Hits: Owens, Stroman, Wright, Beckham, Rookie

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Athletics assistant GM/director of player personnel Billy Owens has been rumored as “a strong candidate” to become the next Giants general manager, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.  Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ newly-hired president of baseball operations, knows Owens well from their time together in Oakland’s front office, and Zaidi is one of several voices in Slusser’s piece who praise Owens’ ability to scout and identify talent (not to mention describe that talent in legendarily elaborate scouting reports).  If there is one flaw in Owens’ resume, it could be his love of scouting prevents him from amassing the type of executive experience necessary to run a front office.  That said, Owens has been sought after by other organizations, and he interviewed for the Phillies’ GM job in 2015, leading to speculation that he could eventually leave Oakland for a higher-profile job — perhaps even reuniting with Zaidi in the Bay Area.

Here’s more from around the baseball world…

  • Marcus Stroman’s blunt comments about the Blue Jays’ offseason seem to hint at an eventual parting of the ways between the team and the right-hander, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi opines.  Stroman’s frankness probably didn’t help his chances at either a contract extension or a trade, though if he has a good first half and erases any question marks lingering from his mediocre 2018 season, Stroman will surely become an intriguing trade chip for the Jays at the deadline.
  • The Red Sox plan to use Steven Wright as a full-time reliever this season, MLB.com’s Ian Browne writes, with manager Alex Cora casting Wright as a potential multi-inning threat.  At first glance, a knuckleballer would seem like an unusually durable option to relegate to the bullpen, though Wright is just happy to be pitching in any capacity after two injury-plagued seasons.  There is also the possibility for higher-profile assignments within Boston’s pen, given the team’s lack of an established closer.
  • Gordon Beckham chose to sign the Tigers over some offers from other teams because they offered the best shot at regular Major League at-bats, the veteran infielder told Chris McCosky of the Detroit News and other reporters.  The idea of more time in the minors isn’t appealing to Beckham, to the point that “if it doesn’t work out here, I might be done” with his ten-year MLB career, though he also noted that better health and a revamped swing have him feeling optimistic about the coming season.
  • Right-hander Rookie Davis is close to a new minor league contract and Spring Training invite with an unknown team, The Athletic’s Emily Waldon reports (Twitter link), adding that the Pirates have been in touch with Davis.  Perhaps best known as one of the prospects sent by the Yankees to the Reds as part of the Aroldis Chapman trade in December 2015, Davis tossed 27 innings for Cincinnati in 2017 and then underwent hip surgery that October.  He pitched only 26 1/3 innings in the Reds’ farm system last season and became a free agent in November.

Reds Outright Rookie Davis

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The Reds announced Monday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Rookie Davis from the 60-day disabled list and outrighted him to Triple-A Louisville after he cleared waivers. He’ll remain in the organization but won’t require a 40-man roster spot even though he’s now off the disabled list.

Davis, 25, underwent hip surgery last October and has been on the disabled list all season as he recovered from that procedure. The right-hander was one of the four players Cincinnati acquired for Aroldis Chapman in the 2015-16 offseason. None of the other three — Eric Jagielo (Marlins), Tony Renda (Red Sox) or Caleb Cotham (retired) — are with the organization any longer.

Cincinnati gave Davis a look in the Majors last season but saw him struggle to an 8.63 RA with a 20-to-14 K/BB ratio in 24 innings. He posted a 4.77 ERA with a much more solid 54-to-13 K/BB ratio in 60 1/3 Triple-A innings last year before undergoing surgery and has a 6.49 ERA in 26 1/3 rehab innings across three minor league levels this season as he’s worked his way back from that hip procedure.

Rookie Davis Undergoes Hip Surgery

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Reds right-hander Rookie Davis has undergone surgery on his right hip, per a club announcement (h/t MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, on Twitter). Specifically, repair work was done to the labrum and a bone spur was removed.

The procedure is a rather significant one, it seems. Davis will have an entire winter to rest and rehab, but the team says he is not expected to be ready to begin spring camp with the rest of the roster in mid-February.

With the news, it seems the Reds will have one less early-season rotation option on hand. Presumably, though, Davis will work back up to strength at some point during the 2018 campaign. Regardless, adding some pitching depth likely remains the Reds’ top priority this winter.

Though the 24-year-old Davis was perhaps not a leading candidate to claim one of the five rotation spots, he surely would have had an opportunity to compete for a job during camp. And given the organization’s views on pitching usage — including a focus on multi-inning relievers — it certainly stands to reason that Davis would have had a chance of earning a significant role of some kind out of the gates.

Instead, the youngster will have a chance to iron out some pitching kinks even as he rebuilds strength in his hip. He struggled to an 8.63 ERA over his first 24 major-league frames in 2017. But Davis did show better at Triple-A, where he worked to a 4.43 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.

Notably, Davis will accrue MLB service while he’s on the 60-day DL since he ended the season on the big-league roster. Cincinnati will still control him for the foreseeable future, leaving plenty of time for the club to recoup some value from one of the four players received in the 2015 Aroldis Chapman trade. (Among the others, only Eric Jagielo remains with the organization; he has struggled in the upper minors and has yet to reach the bigs.)

NL Central Notes: Davis, Pirates, Shaw

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The Reds announced this morning that right-hander Rookie Davis has been optioned to Triple-A Louisville. The 24-year-old Davis, acquired in the trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees, had a nice season in Double-A last year and performed well in Spring Training, but he’s been hit hard through five starts in the Majors. Davis has worked a total of 19 innings, yielding 16 earned runs (7.58 ERA) on 29 hits and 13 walks with 15 strikeouts. A corresponding move hasn’t been announced, though Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that a Triple-A arm is likely to be recalled to join the rotation rather than turning to Robert Stephenson for a spot start.

A couple more notes from the NL Central…

  • The Pirates have, incredibly, deployed 30 different lineups and 29 different defensive alignments (not including the starting pitcher) thus far in 2017, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. A large portion of the shuffles have been borne out of necessity, as Nesbitt also points out that the Bucs are currently carrying nine rookies on their roster. “There’s not always experienced guys to go get,” said manager Clint Hurdle of the team’s youthful composition. “With what’s happened to us, this wasn’t the plan coming in. This is an adapt, improvise and overcome situation.” While many Pirates fans have clamored for the team to pursue outside help, Hurdle suggested that improvements aren’t available at this time. “We don’t feel there have been better options outside,” said the manager.
  • Nesbitt also writes that the Pirates now seem to have entirely scrapped their offseason outfield realignment, as Gregory Polanco has been shifted back to right field. The suspension of Starling Marte led Pittsburgh to move Andrew McCutchen back to center field, and Polanco’s shift back to right field is tied to the revolving door that the Bucs have had at that spot. “He’s done fine. Pretty average metrics in left,” said Hurdle of Polanco. “But we keep shuffling guys into right, and we’ve already got a guy who has played right pretty well.” Of course, Polanco’s move across the outfield could lead to similar issues in left field. Asked if he’ll keep Polanco in right field once Marte returns from his suspension, Hurdle said the team hasn’t yet made that decision.
  • Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw and Red Sox right-hander Tyler Thornburg were swapped for one another this offseason but are in very different places as Milwaukee takes on Boston in interleague play, notes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Shaw has settled in as the Brewers’ cleanup hitter, and his seven homers, 24 RBIs and .544 slugging percentage would all lead the Red Sox. Thornburg, meanwhile, has yet to pitch in a game for the Sox due to a shoulder impingement that has him on the disabled list. Thornburg expressed frustration about his injury and his subsequent inability to face his former team, while Shaw admitted that the games against his former team mean a bit more. “Everybody is a competitor,” Shaw told Haudricourt. “You want to kind of show your old team up.” The trade looks to be a good one for the Brewers at present, though a healthy Thornburg could certainly balance out the scales. The 28-year-old logged a 2.15 ERA and averaged better than 12 strikeouts per nine innings pitched with Milwaukee last year.

Central Notes: Quintana, ChiSox, Reds, Pirates

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The White Sox are primed to open the season with top starter and well-known trade candidate Jose Quintana in their rotation, notes Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Chicago has been shopping Quintana over the past few months, but it still hasn’t found a proposal to its liking and likely won’t by Opening Day. Few teams, if any, have drawn more connections to Quintana than the Astros since he has been on the block, though they’re “not budging” from their offer, Nightengale hears.

Several more items from the Central divisions:

  • The Reds have officially tabbed Amir Garrett and Rookie Davis to start the year in their rotation, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Neither hurler has any major league experience to this point. The 24-year-old Garrett, Baseball America’s 81st-ranked prospect, ascended to Triple-A last season and put up a 3.46 ERA with 7.18 K/9 against 4.12 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings. Davis, 23, was part of the Aroldis Chapman trade between the Reds and Yankees in 2015. Like Garrett, he reached Triple-A in 2016, though his results over a small sample weren’t ideal (7.50 ERA, 5.63 K/9, 2.63 BB/9 in 24 innings). In 134 1/3 Double-A frames, Davis owns a 3.28 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
  • The Pirates optioned left-hander Steven Brault to Triple-A on Tuesday, thereby cutting a contender for the final spot in their rotation. They’ll now choose among Tyler Glasnow, Drew Hutchison and Trevor Williams to slot in behind Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon, Ivan Nova and Chad Kuhl in what will be an all-righty rotation.
  • The Reds reassigned veteran outfielder Desmond Jennings to the minors on Tuesday, which could bring about the end of his short tenure with the organization. Jennings, who joined the Reds in February on a minor league contract, can opt out of his deal before Opening Day, and Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer expects that to happen (Twitter link).
  • Carlos Rodon, the second-best lefty in the White Sox’s rotation, received good news on his bicep Tuesday, relays Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Rodon got a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who confirmed that the 24-year-old doesn’t have any structural damage. El Attrache diagnosed Rodon with bursitis, and he’ll embark on a throwing program the next two weeks before the team reevaluates him. Given that timeline, Rodon will open 2017 on the disabled list.
  • Yet another note on the Reds, whose manager, Bryan Price, expects reliever Raisel Iglesias to be ready for Opening Day (Twitter link via Rosecrans). The righty hurt his elbow and hips when he fell in the shower a few weeks ago, thus putting his status for the start of the season in question. Undoubtedly the Reds’ premier relief weapon, Iglesias posted a 1.98 ERA, 9.72 K/9 and 3.42 BB/9 in 50 innings out of the bullpen after transitioning from the rotation a year ago.

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