Giants Designate Roger Kieschnick For Assignment
The Giants have designated outfielder Roger Kieschnick for assignment, reports Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
The 27-year-old didn't distinguish himself in 34 plate appearances this spring, hitting just .172/.294/.172, and hasn't managed to hit well in limited MLB action up to this point. He's been more of a force in the minors, however, with a .273/.339/.497 line in Triple-A last season.
Giants Release, Re-Sign Tony Abreu
FRIDAY: Abreu cleared waivers and has been re-signed to a minor league deal, reports Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).
SUNDAY, 9:05pm: The release of Abreu brings the competition for the Giants' last backup infield spot down to rookie Ehire Adrianza and non-roster invitee Brandon Hicks, reports Chris Haft of MLB.com. The Giants risk losing Adrianza if he doesn't make the team, as he's out of minor league options.
12:42pm: The Giants have requested release waivers on infielder Tony Abreu, tweets John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The Giants cleared a 40-man roster spot with the move and are only responsible for one-quarter of Abreu's $745K salary, which was agreed to in January to avoid arbitration.
The 29-year-old split the 2013 season between the Giants and Triple-A Fresno. Abreu saw most of his action at second base for San Francisco slashing .268/.301/.442 in 147 plate appearances covering 53 games. Before his June callup, Abreu posted a .338/.366/.523 line at Fresno in 71 plate appearances covering 22 games.
Abreu has a MLB career line of .256/.285/.376 across five seasons with the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Royals, and Giants.
NL West Notes: Kershaw, Figgins, Sipp, Sandoval
Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from the Dodgers' North American opener against the Padres on Sunday, the club announced. The left-hander is suffering from inflammation of the teres major muscle in his upper back and the Dodgers are understandably being very cautious with their ace, though Kershaw still intends to start the Dodgers' home opener against the Giants on April 4. Kershaw also told reporters (including MLB.com's Ken Gurnick) that he didn't believe his injury was caused either by his 102-pitch outing in the Dodgers' opener against the Diamondbacks or the long flights back and forth from Australia.
Here's some more from around the NL West…
- Chone Figgins is thankful to be back on a Major League roster after his struggles of the last few seasons, which included missing the entire 2013 campaign, the utilityman tells Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. Figgins signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January and while he hasn't hit much in Spring Training, his on-base ability and positional versatility were enough for him to win a bench job.
- Tony Sipp won't opt out of his contract with the Padres, MLBDailyDish.com's Chris Cotillo reports (via Twitter). Sipp was told earlier in the week that he wouldn't make San Diego's Opening Day roster and he could've opted out of his minor league deal today, but will instead report to Triple-A. The southpaw faces another opt-out date on June 1.
- At least two years and $50MM separate Pablo Sandoval and the Giants in extension talks, and the large gap is indicative of how wary the Giants are about committing a long-term deal to Sandoval, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Notable players like Curt Schilling, Carlos Lee and Delmon Young have signed contracts with weight clauses in the past, but the MLBPA "frowns on them, especially for marquee free agents." Shea lists the Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox as teams who could be looking for a third base upgrade next winter when Sandoval is a free agent, and Shea thinks Sandoval could find his price on the open market.
Sandoval Wants Pence-Type Extension From Giants
3:45pm: Vasquez tells CSNBayArea.com's Andrew Baggarly the Giants made a three-year offer in the $40MM range on Friday, which was rejected out of hand. Vasquez will remain in Arizona through the Giants' season-opening series against the Diamondbacks and is open to continuing negotiations, but he doubted anything will happen before Opening Day. "I don’t think in 24 hours they’ll jump from three years to five or six," Vasquez said. "But I know for sure that after the All-Star break, if nothing happens, then it’s on to free agency."
2:36pm: Pablo Sandoval's agent, Gustavo Vasquez, told the Giants on Saturday his client wants at least five years and no less than the $90MM the club gave Hunter Pence in his extension last September, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francico Chronicle. As a result, the Giants do not expect to come to terms on an extension before Opening Day. Schulman writes Sandoval's camp is still formulating a strategy as how to approach talks from here: negotiate in-season or opt for free agency, if they can’t strike a deal before Opening Day.
"I don’t know anything about it," Sandoval said about the extension discussions. "I’m focused on baseball. I leave all that to my agent."
President and CEO Larry Baer has indicated in the past there's the entire season to work out a deal with Sandoval. GM Brian Sabean had said he would be open to a contract extension based on what the 27-year-old looked like in Spring Training because of all the work he did over the winter to get into shape. Sandoval, who has battled weight and conditioning issues throughout his career, spent time on the disabled list last year for a foot strain, but still managed his highest games played total (141) since 2010. Kung Fu Panda hit .278/.341/.417 with 14 home runs in 584 plate appearances in 2013, but with the lowest isolated power mark of his career.
Minor Moves: Kameron Loe, Jeff Francoeur
Here are today's minor moves from around the league.
- Pitcher Kameron Loe has opted out of his minor-league deal with the Giants, and he's now a free agent, MLB Daily Dish's Chris Cotillo tweets. Loe pitched for the Mariners, Cubs and Braves in 2013, accumulating 20 innings with a 5.85 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.
- The Indians have released outfielder Jeff Francoeur, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian tweets. They had signed him to a minor-league deal in January. Francoeur, 30, collected 256 plate appearances with the Royals and Giants in 2013, hitting .204/.238/.298. Francoeur has also played with the Braves, Mets and Rangers in his nine-year big-league career.
Minor Moves: Hensley, Weathers, Scioscia, Gretzky
Here are today's minor moves from around the league.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson tweets that the Nationals have released minor leaguers Clay Hensley, Kyle Attl, Taylor Wrenn, Drew Rossi, Casey Selsor, Greg Holt and Martires Arias. Of the group, only Hensley has big league experience. The 34-year-old explained to MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko last month that a weighted-ball program had allowed him to rediscover his velocity, prompting his comeback attempt. Hensley fired 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Nationals camp but walked four batters in that time. He has an even 4.00 ERA in 517 career innings with the Padres, Marlins and Giants. Hensley's last Major League action came in 2012.
- The Giants have released right-hander Casey Weathers, per the club's official transactions page. The 27-year-old was drafted eighth overall by the Rockies in the 2007 draft, but underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2008 season and never regained his form. Weathers had a solid ERA and gaudy strikeout numbers in that 2008 season but struggled with his command and has seen his control issues worsen since surgery. His last minor league action came in the 2012 season with the Cubs when he walked an alarming 53 batters in 34 innings of work.
- The Angels have traded 1B Matthew Scioscia (Mike's son) to the Cubs for OF Trevor Gretzky (Wayne's son), Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Scioscia, 25, hit .194/.248/.224 in three minor-league levels last year. The 21-year-old Gretzky, a seventh-round pick in 2011, hit .274/.300/.333 in the low minors in 2013.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Carp, Blue Jays, Chapman
Aroldis Chapman suffered fractures above his left eye and nose after being hit by a Salvador Perez line drive in a terrifying moment during tonight's Reds/Royals game. Chapman was on the ground for over 10 minutes while medical personnel attended to him, and the closer was eventually taken off the field on a cart and taken to hospital. Reds manager Bryan Price told reporters (including C. Trent Rosencrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Chapman "never lost consciousness. He was able to communicate, he was able to move his hands, his feet, his legs." The Reds' official Twitter feed said that Chapman was staying overnight in hospital for further observation. All of us at MLB Trade Rumors send our best wishes to Chapman in his recovery from that horrific incident.
Here are some items from around baseball…
- The Pirates are open to dealing right-handed relievers Jeanmar Gomez and Bryan Morris, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports, though they'd prefer to keep Gomez since he can also start. Both pitchers are out of options, and with the Pirates facing a crowded bullpen situation, it's no surprise that they're listening to offers for Morris, Gomez and (as reported yesterday) Vin Mazzaro.
- With the Pirates shopping relievers and looking for catching, Davidoff notes that the Yankees match up as trading partners due to their catcher surplus. A rival talent evaluator feels that the bullpen may be the Yankees' "biggest concern" due to a lack of proven arms, though several of those young pitchers have performed well in Spring Training.
- Blue Jays president Paul Beeston and GM Alex Anthopoulos denied that the Jays' lack of offseason spending had anything to do with a new CEO at Rogers Communications, the team's parent company, Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi reports. "There’s been no suggestion of any type of cutback, there’s no suggestion of anything other than support and of everything being positive," Beeston said.
- The Red Sox aren't particularly interested in trading Mike Carp, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (ESPN Insider subscription required). The Sox aren't sure if they "could get something particularly appealing" in a deal involving Carp. The Pirates, Brewers and Tigers have all been linked to Carp in rumors this offseason, and with Grady Sizemore's strong Spring Training, Carp could be an expendable piece on the Boston roster.
- Between Jarrod Parker's Tommy John surgery and injuries to A.J. Griffin and Scott Kazmir, MLB.com's Jane Lee feels the Athletics could be forced to look for external pitching help in the case of any more injuries or if any of their current starters struggle. Lee also addresses several other A's topics as part of her reader mailbag piece, including Hiroyuki Nakajima's status in the club's minor league camp.
- With the Barry Bonds and Melky Cabrera controversies still lingering in the franchise's recent past, Giants president and CEO Larry Baer told Henry Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle that his club is more inclined to avoid players with drug suspensions. "We don't have a blanket policy saying we'll never touch a player that has a PED history. But I'd say that for us, it's a larger mountain to climb than others," Baer said. The Giants will look at such players "on a case-by-case basis" (like recent signing Mike Morse, suspended for 10 games in 2005) but players like Nelson Cruz who were coming off PED suspensions and required draft pick compensation to sign seem out of the question. "Qualifying offer and a PED association – that's a bad combination. Brian [Sabean] and I both feel very strongly about that," Baer said.
Minor Moves: Seth McClung, Mark Teahen
Here are today's minor transactions, with the latest moves at the top of the page…
- The Pirates released right-hander Seth McClung, Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reports. McClung pitched in Mexico in 2013 and has also spent time in the Cubs, Rangers and Brewers farm systems since last pitching in the Major Leagues in 2009. The 33-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Bucs in November and now hopes to catch on with another club, though McClung tells Smith that he accepts that his career could be over.
- The Giants have released veteran corner infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Teahen signed a minor league deal with the Giants last month. The 32-year-old last played in the majors with the Blue Jays in 2011, and has since played at the Triple-A level for the Nationals, Diamondbacks and Rangers, as well as with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League. Teahen posted a career .264/.327/.409 career slash line in 3171 PA with the Royals, White Sox and Blue Jays from 2005-11.
- According to MLBTR's DFA Tracker, Dodgers right-hander Javy Guerra is the only player currently in DFA limbo. As reported earlier today, several teams are interested in trading for Guerra.
Quick Hits: SABR, Sandoval, Bedard, Twins, Owings
If you missed the recent SABR Analytics Conference, you are in luck, as Ben Lindbergh of Baseball Prospectus provides an excellent breakdown of the main topics of conversation. Among other things, the conference touched upon injury analytics, team chemistry, tracking technology, and front office personnel trends. Here are a few links from around the game to round out the evening:
- The Giants have yet to begin discussing a contract extension with third baseman Pablo Sandoval, reports Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). With less than two weeks remaining before Opening Day, the sides will have to move quickly if there is any interest in making a run at a new contract before the start of the season. Sandoval is set to become one of the best available free agents following the 2014 season.
- Rays pitcher Erik Bedard says he will exercise his March 23rd opt-out clause if he does not make the Opening Day roster, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. Though Bedard has been knocked around somewhat in his 11 1/3 spring innings, he says he would look to find a rotation opening elsewhere.
- Twins assistant GM Rob Antony said today that the front office has been fielding calls about possible trades as rosters begin to take shape, tweets Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Antony indicated that out-of-options players are the key topic. As MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently reported, the Twins have eight out-of-options players of their own, several of whom are still battling for roles. Presumably, the team could also be a landing spot for the out-of-options players from other clubs.
- Free agent Micah Owings is looking for a job as a pitcher, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDIsh.com. After transitioning to the field just last year, the 31-year-old will hold a showcase later this week as he returns to the bump.
NL West Links: Rockies, League, Lincecum, Giants
Earlier tonight, Jeff Todd recapped and analyzed the Padres' winter moves in the latest entry of the MLBTR Offseason In Review series. Jeff has also covered the Giants and Diamondbacks thus far in the OIR series. Here's some more from around the NL West…
- "There has been buzz" that the Phillies and Tigers are interested in the Rockies' extra outfielders, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. Even if Colorado uses a center field platoon of one of Corey Dickerson or Charlie Blackmon (both left-handed hitters) and one of Drew Stubbs or Brandon Barnes (both righty batters), that still leaves a surplus. Detroit could use a left-handed hitting outfielder to replace the injured Andy Dirks, though the Tigers aren't yet sure if they'll look outside the organization to make such a move.
- Could the Dodgers cut Brandon League? Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times doesn't quite think the club is ready to take that step given the $17MM remaining on League's contract through 2015. That deal looks worse and worse for L.A. given how League struggled in 2013 and during this year's Spring Training, while the Dodgers have a number of impressive young bullpen arms who might be relegated to Triple-A.
- Tim Lincecum dicusses his pitching evolution with Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan, noting that though he has lost a few miles off his fastball, he is working to become a better overall pitcher as he ages.
- Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com discusses the Giants' roster and other topics during a Giants-centric chat with readers.