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Minor MLB Transactions: 2/28/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy:

  • The Marlins added infielder Steve Lombardozzi on a minors deal. He’ll serve as infield depth but doesn’t figure to have much of a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster. Lombardozzi, 28, last appeared in the majors in 2015. He split last year between the independent leagues and the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.
  • Another former MLB infielder, 27-year-old Nick Noonan, is headed to the Brewers on a minors pact. He has a fair bit less major league time than does Lombardozzi, but was able to reach the bigs last year with the Padres. Noonan spent most of the season at Triple-A, slashing .301/.338/.427 over 374 plate appearances.
  • The Padres have inked righty Justin De Fratus to a minor-league arrangement. He’s looking to make it back to the majors after spending a portion of 2016 in the upper minors in the Nationals organization. De Fratus, 29, worked to a 5.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 20 2/3 innings.
  • Righty Caleb Cotham has agreed to a minor-leaguedeal with the Mariners. He scuffled to a 7.15 ERA in 34 MLB innings over the past two seasons, but has shown more in the past in the upper minors. In 2015, he worked to a 2.21 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 57 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A.
  • The Orioles have struck a minors deal with former farmhand Chris Jones. Now 28, Jones spent the 2016 season with the Angels organization, working to an unsightly 6.92 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. He had performed better with the O’s, though he has yet to earn his way to the game’s highest level.

The Differing Paths Of The Mariners' "Big Three" Arms

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Mike Zunino Looking To Rebound After 2016 Demotion

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  • Former No. 3 overall pick Mike Zunino’s big-league career hasn’t gone as anticipated, with a .195/.262/.370 through 1,247 career plate appearances in the Majors. Zunino’s downward spiral even included a demotion to Triple-A Tacoma last season. He remains upbeat about his future, and now says the demotion actually helped him, as Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes. “[I]t was exactly what I needed at the time,” says Zunino. “You never want to take a step backwards, but sometimes that can let you take two steps forward. It really felt that way. Being able to go down to Triple-A, be able to have some success and being called back up, you feel that sense that you earned your way back up.” In Seattle, Zunino says, he had a number of coaches giving him hitting advice, whereas in Tacoma he worked only with that affiliate’s hitting coach, Scott Brosius, who helped him re-think his approach. This year, Brosius is on the Mariners’ big-league coaching staff, and Zunino thinks he’ll also benefit from the presence of veteran backup Carlos Ruiz, who the M’s acquired in a trade this winter.

Camp Battles: Seattle Mariners

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Ever-active Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has surrounded his team’s core with a bevy of platoon players and optionable arms this winter. Though only three areas appear ripe for real competition, there are a variety of configurations and playing-time arrangements that remain possible.

Here are Seattle’s ongoing camp battles; click here for previous entries in MLBTR’s Camp Battles series.

FIRST BASE
Dan Vogelbach
Age: 24
Bats: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 2

Danny Valencia
Age: 32
Bats: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $5.5MM 
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

D.J. Peterson
Age: 25
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 or ’23 season
Options remaining: 3

It’s all but certain that Vogelbach and Valencia will combine to make up a first base duo to open the 2017 season. (Can someone craft a nickname for that combo?) But the precise mix of playing time is still in the air as camp gets underway.

The youthful Vogelbach, acquired in the deal that sent Mike Montgomery to the Cubs, has only seen 13 MLB plate appearances. But he raked last year at Triple-A, posting an outstanding .292/.417/.505 batting line over 563 plate appearances with 23 long balls and an impressive 97 walks to go with his 101 strikeouts. Beyond proving that he can translate that to the majors, Vogelbach will need to polish his glovework at first.

While Seattle surely hopes that Vogelbach hits enough to push Valencia into a reduced role — the veteran is also capable of playing third base and the corner outfield — there’s reason to believe that the 32-year-old could take over primary duties himself. Since the start of the 2013 season, Valencia owns a productive .284/.334/.464 slash in 1,349 trips to the plate. Of course, he has also posted rather dramatic splits over his career, with a robust .873 OPS against lefties and a less-than-impressive .682 mark when hitting without the platoon advantage.

Peterson, who just turned 25, would be a surprise on the Opening Day roster — barring injury, at least — but perhaps there’s some room for him to impress enough to pressure the V&V tandem. He has, after all, been rated as a top-100 prospect in the past. And he bounced back from a woeful 2015 season, producing at a solid .264/.327/.455 clip in the upper minors last year.

Prediction: This situation seems destined to result in a platoon, with Vogelbach perhaps given a shot to face most of the righties and Valencia appearing against opposing southpaws.

CORNER OUTFIELD
Jarrod Dyson
Age: 32
Bats: L
Contract Status: 1 year, $2.8MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Mitch Haniger
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season 
Options remaining: 3

Guillermo Heredia
Age: 26
Bats: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 2

Ben Gamel
Age: 24
Bats: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season
Options remaining: 2

As with the situation at first, there are plenty of platoon options here. While Shawn O’Malley and Taylor Motter could factor into things, those two players appear more likely to battle for an infield-focused utility job. It’s mostly a four-horse race for the two corner outfield jobs flanking center fielder Leonys Martin — though basically any of this group of players could also see time in center as well.

The M’s are clearly excited about this defensively proficient group of players, but all have something to prove at the plate. Only Dyson is a clear certainty for a roster spot; the veteran was acquired for talented righty Nate Karns and can’t be optioned. His track record of outstanding glovework, excellent baserunning, and good-enough productivity at the plate also perhaps give him the best shot at earning near-regular time, though he has typically been used as a platoon player in the past and has long struggled against left-handed pitching.

The other three primary competitors will be duking it out for playing time, with Haniger perhaps having the inside track on duties in right field. Though he didn’t hit much in a 34-game MLB stint last year, the right-handed hitter laid waste to the upper minors, posting a .321/.419/.581 batting line and swatting a surprising 25 long balls in his 548 plate appearances.

While the M’s would no doubt love to carry both Heredia and Gamel, doing so would mean leaving behind an extra arm. And the optionable players can always be pulled back up as needed. Neither impressed in the majors last year, but both delivered strong on-base numbers in the upper minors. Which gets the first crack at MLB time this year may depend not only upon their respective performances this spring, but also the organization’s views on their potential platoon mates. Even the above-described first base battle could play into things; if Vogelbach secures regular time at first, that would leave Valencia available to provide righty pop in the corner outfield.

Prediction: Dyson seems likely to receive the bulk of the time in left, but right field seems wide open. On the one hand, platooning Haniger and Gamel could hold appeal. On the other, that would leave the M’s with three left-handed-hitting outfielders, perhaps opening the door for Heredia to make the roster with Gamel heading to Triple-A for further seasoning.

BULLPEN (THREE SPOTS)
Casey Fien
Age: 33
Throws: R
Contract Status: 1 year, $1.1MM
Options remaining: Can’t be optioned without consent

Dan Altavilla
Age: 24
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season 
Options remaining: 3

Chris Heston
Age: 28
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season 
Options remaining: 1

Ariel Miranda
Age: 28
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season 
Options remaining: 2

Tony Zych
Age: 26
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’21 season 
Options remaining: 2

Shae Simmons
Age: 26
Throws: R
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’20 season 
Options remaining: 2

Paul Fry
Age: 24
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 or ’23 season 
Options remaining: 3

James Pazos
Age: 25
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season 
Options remaining: 2

Zac Curtis
Age: 24
Throws: L
Contract Status: Pre-Arbitration; projected to become a free agent after ’22 season 
Options remaining: 2

Other Candidates (non-roster invitees): Christian Bergman, Jonathan Aro, Jean Machi, Nick Hagadone, Dean Kiekhefer, Ryan Weber, Pat Venditte

With Steve Cishek only just beginning to throw, there’s added competition for a bullpen that has plenty of interesting candidates in camp. All of the 40-man members listed above, excepting Fry, saw MLB time last year. But only Fien, who signed a major league deal, seems to be all but presumed as a member of the Opening Day relief corps. And perhaps he’s not completely assured of a spot, meaning as many as three jobs are up for grabs this spring.

Altavilla, too, has a largely unassailable case for a role. After all, he allowed just a single earned run and racked up a 10:1 K/BB ratio in his 12 1/3 debut MLB frames last year. Still, he only worked to the Double-A level previously, and had never before impressed to the extent he did in 2016, so he doesn’t enter camp with a stranglehold on a job.

You could probably argue that Zych, too, deserves a presumption in favor of a spot, but he is still working back from a shoulder procedure. Related issues perhaps contributed to his skyrocketing walk rate last year. Zych may require a DL stint to open the year, and may spend some rehab time ensuring he’s fully back on track before rejoining the major league ranks. Simmons has also shown plenty of promise combined with injury woes. He has drawn the praise of GM Jerry Dipoto and could well earn a job.

Heston and Miranda, meanwhile, might conceivably fight to become the Mariners’ long relief man and spot starter. The latter could also conceivably play a role as a second lefty to join Marc Rzepczynski. If the team is determined to have another southpaw to rely upon, though, that could create opportunities for any of Fry, Pazos, or Curtis — not to mention non-roster options such as Hagadone, Kiekhefer, or even Brad Mills. (And who can forget the unique switch-pitcher, Pat Venditte, who’s back in Seattle camp?)

There are some non-roster contenders on the right-handed side of the equation, too. Bergman, the recently outrighted Aro, and the veteran Machi are also on hand, though none seem particularly likely to crack the roster. With so many arms on the 40-man, the M’s may feel okay about exposing one to waivers if another pitcher shows better in camp; alternatively, the organization could try to stash as many players as possible to maintain loads of depth entering the season.

Prediction: Fien and Altavilla look like strong bets here. Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource currently likes Heston to join them. My own inclination, though, is that the organization will prefer another lefty — predicting which one seems a fool’s errand, though Miranda could also handle a swingman function — unless Simmons has such an overwhelming camp that he can’t be held down.

[RELATED: Seattle Mariners Depth Chart]

Injury Notes: Elbow Therapy, Hamilton, Britton, Cishek, Wright, Wheeler, Braves, Gibson

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With elbow health continuing to generate headlines, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports takes a look at the variety of new treatments — generally grouped under the header of orthobiologics — that pitchers, teams, and medical professionals have turned to in an effort to avoid the necessity of going under the knife. Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma treatments are now increasingly being deployed throughout the game, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll prove effective. You’ll certainly want to give this piece a full read to understand the state of the science. Those interested in the general subject will also want to read up on the surgical alternatives to the traditional Tommy John approach to torn ulnar collateral ligaments, as we recently discussed here.

Here’s the latest on some injury and health matters around the league:

  • Veteran Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton is headed for a visit with his surgeon after feeling pain in his recently repaired left knee, as Jeff Wilson of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram was among those to report on Twitter. It’s unclear as yet how serious a concern the latest knee issue is, though it’s far from the first time that Hamilton has dealt with problems in that joint. The 35-year-old, who last appeared in 2015, is in camp on a minor-league deal. He has been expected to compete for a reserve role as a left-handed-hitting option in the corner outfield, at first base, or in the DH slot.
  • There’s promising news on Orioles closer Zach Britton’s potential oblique issues, which came to light yesterday. He told reporters, including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (links to Twitter), that he’s not overly concerned with the issue and would still be available to throw were it the regular season. Britton’s comments largely echo those made yesterday by manager Buck Showalter, serving to further reduce the volume on the alarm bells. The key southpaw adds that he finds it encouraging that he has not experienced any pain while throwing.
  • Mariners righty Steve Cishek has picked up a ball for the first time since his hip surgery last fall, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns reports. For now, he’ll only throw lightly off of flat ground every other day, though hopefully he’ll ramp up from there. “It felt pretty good, surprisingly,” said Cishek. “There’s some discomfort, but the joint has to get used to that motion again. I was surprised how good it actually felt.”
  • Likewise, Mets third baseman David Wright is only beginning to throw the ball, though in his case too it represents an important first step. As Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, manager Terry Collins says it’s likely that Wright won’t take to the field until the middle of March as he continues to work back slowly from serious back and neck issues. Wright is expected to receive opportunities to hit, likely on the minor-league side of camp, in the interim. New York is understandably taking a cautious approach to the veteran. While it still seems unlikely he’ll be ready for Opening Day, the hope may be that he can return to strength in time for MLB action in a relatively early stage of the coming season.
  • Mets righty Zack Wheeler is back on the bump and was able to throw thirty pitches today without incident, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News tweets. He, too, will surely be handled with kid gloves after a slower-than-hoped return from Tommy John surgery and some elbow discomfort earlier this month. It’s a good sign that Wheeler has been able to return to the mound relatively swiftly, though it remains anyone’s guess just how much the club will get from him in 2017.
  • There’s some cautious optimism in Braves camp about the health of lefty Paco Rodriguez, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. Though Rodriguez “has understandably shown occasional signs of rust” as he works back from his own TJ procedure, writes Bowman, the health signs have been encouraging. Atlanta agreed to a $637,500 salary with Rodriguez to avoid arbitration, seemingly leveraging the possibility of a non-tender to secure a deal that fell below MLBTR’s projection of $900K.
  • Likewise, Braves righty Dan Winkler is attempting a return, though in his case it’s from a somewhat scarier elbow fracture, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains. The 27-year-old, who had already battled back from Tommy John surgery, faced a much different recovery process after his second procedure. Now, he’s working on refining his delivery to avoid future problems. Because of the time he’s missed, the 2014 Rule 5 draftee still must stay on Atlanta’s active roster for about two months in order for the organization to take full control of his rights.
  • Twins righty Kyle Gibson is also seeking to make mechanical changes this spring, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reports. The 29-year-old, who’s set to earn $2.9MM through arbitration, is seeking to tamp down persistent shoulder problems. As Berardino writes, a new training regimen has been designed in order “to teach Gibson’s arm to pronate properly at the end of his delivery” and thus “keep the humerus from rubbing on the shoulder’s connective tissues.”

Mariners Passed On Reacquiring Vidal Nuno

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  • Before the Dodgers traded southpaw Vidal Nuno to the Orioles on Sunday, they offered him back to the Mariners, who declined thanks to a lack of roster space, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Nuno spent most of the past two seasons in Seattle, which sent him to Los Angeles for catcher Carlos Ruiz in November.

Mariners President On Expectations

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  • Mariners president Kevin Mather issued a statement to MLB.com in advance of the 2017 campaign, expressing high hopes for the organization. While any executive would express an intention to win a championship, his words seem to carry a certain set of expectations for the near term. “It is time to play October baseball in Seattle,” writes Mather. “Our fans deserve playoff baseball, and I’m not just talking about a Wild Card Game. Once in the playoffs, our goal is to win the World Series. Period. And having said that, we don’t want to win just one.”

Latest On Steve Cishek, Tony Zych

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  • It seems that Mariners righty Steve Cishek has a bit more to overcome than just the hip labrum tear that was previously reported, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). The reliever also needed a microfracture procedure, and now acknowledges that an Opening Day return is optimistic. Though Cishek is only just beginning light throwing, fellow relief candidate Tony Zych will soon progress to 120-foot throwing, Divish adds on Twitter.

Rays Acquire Jesus Sucre From Mariners

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The Mariners announced that catcher Jesus Sucre has been traded to the Rays in exchange for a player to named later or cash. The 28-year-old Sucre had recently been designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster, so he’ll head to camp with the Rays as a non-roster invitee.

Sucre has hit for average in the minors, batting .279/.312/.341 across parts of four Triple-A seasons, but he’s never been able to produce at the plate in the Majors. In parts of four seasons with Seattle, he owns a collective .209/.246/.276 batting line in 264 trips to the plate. There may be some temptation to assume that the pitcher-friendly Safeco Field has played a role in those struggles, but Sucre’s .640 OPS at home in his career dwarfs his .415 road mark.

Though he’s struggled at the plate, Sucre has proven to be an adept defender, throwing out 35 percent of attempted base thieves in his big league career. He’s routinely received average to above-average grades for his pitch-framing skills as well. Dating back to his prospect days with the Braves, Sucre has been touted as a strong overall defender, with Baseball America previously calling his arm a “cannon” and rating him as the best defensive backstop in Atlanta’s system in 2010.

The Rays signed Wilson Ramos earlier this offseason with the hope that he can eventually shoulder the load behind the plate following last September’s ACL tear. He’ll miss at least a couple of months of the 2017 campaign, leaving Curt Casali and Luke Maile to handle the bulk of the catching duties early in the year. Sucre could conceivably challenge that pair for playing time in Spring Training, or he could simply head to Triple-A as a defensive-minded depth piece.

There have also been rumors connecting the Rays to free-agent catcher Matt Wieters, although at this point there’s been nothing to suggest that Tampa Bay is in serious pursuit of the former Oriole or that any form of offer has been made.

Details On Mariners' Offer To Jason Hammel

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  • The Royals have interest in veteran right-hander Doug Fister.  Kansas City is known to be looking for rotation help since the tragic death of Yordano Ventura.  Fister (who celebrates his 33rd birthday today) posted a 4.64 ERA, 5.74 K/9 and 1.85 K/BB rate in 180 1/3 innings with the Astros last season.  The Padres, Marlins, Pirates and Mariners have all been linked to Fister at various times this winter, though several of those clubs have made other additions to their rotation and may no longer have interest.
  • The Mariners were linked to Hammel earlier this winter, and Cafardo reports that Seattle offered Hammel a one-year deal with a $10MM option for 2018.  This offer came “very early” in the free agency process and no longer appears to be on the table.  The M’s have since acquired Yovani Gallardo and Drew Smyly, so they no longer seem like candidates for Hammel’s services.

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