Camp Battles: Seattle Mariners
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.
Injury Notes: Elbow Therapy, Hamilton, Britton, Cishek, Wright, Wheeler, Braves, Gibson
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.”
West Notes: Angels, Dodgers, Mariners, Diamondbacks
Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco hasn’t eclipsed the 200-inning plateau since 2011, but he’s motivated to log at least 202 1/3 frames this year, writes Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. That would give Nolasco 400 innings from 2016-17, meaning his $13MM club option for 2018 would vest; otherwise he could end up with a $1MM buyout next offseason. “It’s a big deal to me,” Nolasco told Moura. “I know what’s at stake — something that, obviously, I want to get to, no matter what happens. When I first signed that contract with the Twins, I thought, ‘Well, as long as I stay healthy, this is a five-year deal.’ It’s kind of been on my mind since day one.” Nolasco came close to 200 innings last year, when he combined for 197 2/3 with the Twins and Angels, and Halos general manager Billy Eppler is rooting for him to surpass the mark this season. “I hope Ricky takes the ball every fifth day and does his thing and goes deep in games and wins a lot of ballgames,” said Eppler. Manager Mike Scioscia, meanwhile, stated that he doesn’t “even want to hear about” Nolasco’s contract, adding that “he’s gonna pitch, and hopefully pitch well.”
More from the West Coast:
- Another Angels starter, left-hander Andrew Heaney, is recovering well from his Tommy John procedure last July and holding out hope for a return this season, per Moura. Scioscia isn’t optimistic, however. “From the information I have available right now, there is nothing that would make him available to pitch this year,” he said. “I just don’t see it happening.” Heaney took the mound only once last season, in a six-inning start on April 5, and attempted stem-cell therapy treatment on his elbow before opting for surgery. That worked for teammate Garrett Richards, but not Heaney.
- 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.
- The Diamondbacks are “looking into building the industry’s most intelligent catchers,” including focusing on pitch framing, catching coach Robby Hammock told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. “The catching staff tries to throw out attempted base-stealers 80-120 times a year as opposed to receiving 20,000 to 25,000 pitches a year,” Hammock said. “What do you want to emphasize?” Hammock’s views explain the Diamondbacks’ offseason decision to jettison Welington Castillo, a poor framer, in favor of the defensively adept Jeff Mathis. Fellow free agent addition Chris Iannetta, on the other hand, hasn’t fared too well as a framer (via Baseball Prospectus), though the D-backs are optimistic they can help fix his issues. “It’s a skill,” analytics head Mike Fitzgerald observed. “So if it’s a skill, you can improve at it or decline at it. There’s a decent amount of empirical evidence that guys can improve on this.”
West Notes: Romo, Hahn, M’s, D-Backs
Newly minted Dodgers righty Sergio Romo discussed his interesting journey to joining his hometown team with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Personal trials and the strain of an increasingly high-profile role in the Giants bullpen put a strain on the veteran hurler, he tells Rosenthal. He credits several former teammates, including lefty Javier Lopez, with helping him to find his footing once again. Also of note, Rosenthal says that Romo “reject[ed] a higher offer from the Rays” to head to Los Angeles, due in part to the ability to live closer to his family.
Here’s more from out west:
- Righty Jesse Hahn is set to receive the Athletics‘ first start this spring, as Susan Slusser notes on Twitter. That’s a solid indication that he’s under serious consideration for the fifth starters’ role, she notes. The 27-year-old is looking to bounce back after a rough 2016 campaign in which he pitched to a 6.02 ERA with just 4.5 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in his 46 1/3 MLB innings. Hahn had generated quality results in his first two MLB campaigns, which occurred on both sides of a trade that sent him to Oakland from the Padres in exchange for catcher Derek Norris. But elbow troubles interrupted his 2015 campaign, and he has yet to get back on track.
- 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.”
- New Diamondbacks exec Amiel Sawdaye — whose title is senior VP and assistant GM — spoke with David Laurila of Fangraphs about the organization’s new approach. Sawdaye is only one of several key figures in Arizona with deep ties to the Red Sox, so it’s not surprising to learn that Boston’s approach will be reflected. He describes the intended decisionmaking process as “more of a flat hierarchy.” Sawdaye emphasized, though, that the D-Backs had strong player development and scouting units, good young front office people, and a “decent infrastructure” for analytics already in place. There are several other topics covered in the interesting chat, including the Jean Segura trade and the team’s possibilities for 2017.
- Jorge De La Rosa is among the players competing for a role with the Diamondbacks this spring, and as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert notes, he’s hoping to finally crack the big league roster there in his third stint with the organization. Of course, De La Rosa had only previously actually suited up for a few minor-league outings as an 18-year-old; his second run with Arizona only lasted a few days. Now 35, the veteran southpaw will be looking for a chance to pitch against his former club, the division-rival Rockies. “I have always liked this team, and I like the talent we have here,” says De La Rosa of the D-Backs. “I know we can do some really good things. That’s why I chose to be here.”
AL Injury Notes: Flynn, Tillman, Richards, Perkins, Smith, Cishek, Doubront
Royals lefty Brian Flynn is expected to miss eight weeks of action due to injuries suffered in a fall through the roof of his barn, as Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports on Twitter. A broken rib seems to be the main injury to the 26-year-old, who turned in 55 1/3 innings of 2.60 ERA ball last year for Kansas City. Though Flynn will clearly now be delayed, there’s no indication that there are any long-term concerns, and the organization’s recent signing of Travis Wood will help restore any lost early-season depth.
Here are some more injury situations developing around the American League:
- The Orioles may be without righty Chris Tillman to start the year, as the veteran starter undertook a PRP injection in his shoulder in December, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report (Twitter links). Tillman is said to be about three weeks behind, though he isn’t expected to miss significant time at this point. Still, there’s little chance he’ll be ready to take the ball on Opening Day, which would break a string of three-straight appearances in the first game of the season. It seems there’s no particular reason to worry about Tillman’s outlook for the season, though it’s fair to wonder whether the shoulder issue will gum up any attempts by the team to lock him up to a long-term deal this spring. Tillman is earning $10.05MM this season before hitting the open market.
- Angels righty Garrett Richards reported feeling normal after his pen session on Friday, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. That represents a positive start to the spring for a pitcher who once seemed destined for Tommy John surgery. Richards instead elected stem cell and PRP therapy, returning to the hill over the fall before taking his winter rest. The hope remains that he’ll be able to undertake a normal spring and open the season in the rotation. Meanwhile, the Halos are still waiting to see how first baseman Albert Pujols will progress in his return from foot surgery. The high-priced slugger expressed cautious optimism, but wasn’t willing to say for sure whether he’ll be ready by the start of the year, as Fletcher further reports.
- Twins lefty Glen Perkins felt good after a short, 15-pitch bullpen session, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press tweets. He’s on track to take the hill again late this week. If you like, you can take a look at the former closer’s progress for yourself, as Berardino has uploaded a video of him throwing to YouTube.
- Red Sox right-hander Carson Smith is expected to throw off of a mound for the first time since his Tommy John surgery on or around March 10th, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets. That would presumably set up Smith for a mid-season return; if he’s able to remain on track, he could provide a nice boost to the BoSox pen in advance of the trade deadline.
- 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.
- Athletics lefty Felix Doubront threw a pen for the first time today since his Tommy John surgery about ten months back, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports on Twitter. It’s not clear as yet what kind of timeline can be expected for the southpaw, though it’s certainly promising that he was deemed ready to get on the hill. Doubront re-signed with the A’s on a minor-league pact this offseason.
Rays Acquire Jesus Sucre From Mariners
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.
Cafardo’s Latest: Fister, Hosmer, Hammel, Mariners, Victorino
Twelve rookies have drawn attention as potential impact players in 2017, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes in his latest notes column. Several baseball people give their input on the players, ranging from Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi to “rookie” (though a longtime veteran of Cuban baseball) Astros first baseman Yulieski Gurriel. Here’s some hot stove news from Cafardo…
- 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 Royals have several notable players hitting free agency next winter, and “the feeling is the Royals will re-sign at least one of their key hitters, likely Eric Hosmer,” Cafardo writes. Hosmer is a somewhat surprising name to potentially be staying put given that he is represented by Scott Boras, who would usually put a price tag on his client that would be out of reach for the mid-market Royals. Then again, Cafardo also notes that while Kansas City has the pieces to be a contender this season, “if they’re out of the hunt at the trade deadline…look for a major fire sale.” To tie those two items together, the Royals could free up money to re-sign Hosmer if they dealt some other pricey contracts. (One would think Hosmer would also want to be assured that the Royals’ deadline deals were made with an eye towards reloading for 2018 or 2019.) K.C. already locked up one long-term piece by signing Danny Duffy to a five-year extension last month.
- Jason Hammel would also be a fit in Kansas City but Fister would seem to have a much lower price tag at this point, as “Hammel believes he should receive at least a three-year deal.” Given the lack of clarity in Hammel’s market this winter, it would be quite surprising to see a team make that long a commitment to the right-hander, who is entering his age-34 season.
- 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.
- Shane Victorino recently underwent minor surgery to remove a cyst under his arm, which has put the veteran outfielder’s plans to pursue a comeback attempt via a minor league contract “on hold.” Cafardo reported three weeks ago that a team had offered Victorino a contract but he hadn’t yet informed his agent whether or not to accept.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/1/17
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Mariners announced that right-hander Jonathan Aro and catcher Jesus Sucre, each of whom had been designated for assignment over the past week, have been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. Both will be in Major League camp as non-roster invitees come Spring Training. Aro, 26, lost his roster spot when the Mariners claimed Tuffy Gosewisch from the Braves. He’s tallied 11 big league innings between the Red Sox and Mariners in the past two seasons and had a solid showing in Triple-A last year, tossing 36 1/3 innings with a 2.48 ERA. In 88 career Triple-A innings he has a 2.86 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9. As for Sucre, the 28-year-old backstop was out of options and lost his 40-man spot when Seattle acquired Dillon Overton from Oakland. A solid defensive backstop, Sucre has never hit much in the Majors or minors and owns a .209/.246/.276 in 264 big league plate appearances.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/31/17
It’s been nearly two years since Wily Mo Pena‘s name has come up at MLBTR, but the outfielder has agreed to a minor league pact with the Indians that will pay him $700K if he cracks the Major League roster, according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Now 35 years of age, Pena hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2011. As a young slugger with the Reds, Pena belted 26 homers back in 2004 and was traded to the Red Sox a year later in the deal that sent right-hander Bronson Arroyo to Cincinnati. Pena never demonstrated enough ability to make contact or draw walks to carve out consistent playing time in Boston, though, and he ultimately found the most success of his career overseas in Japan. Pena spent the 2012-15 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, and while he struggled in 2013, he OPSed better than .800 in each of the three other campaigns and hit a combined 71 homers in his Japanese career.
Here are the rest of the day’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Braves announced that slugging outfielder Adam Walker, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett. That marks the end of a whirlwind winter for Walker, who was placed on outright waivers by the Twins in November and then bounced from Minnesota, to Milwaukee, to Baltimore, to Atlanta on waivers. He’ll now remain with the Braves organization but will not occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Atlanta did not announce whether Walker will receive an invite to Major League Spring Training, but he’s likely to open the season in Triple-A. The former third-round pick has displayed enormous power in the Twins’ minor league system in recent years but also posted prodigious strikeout totals. He’s limited to left field and possibly first base from a defensive standpoint, so he’ll need to curb the strikeout tendencies to give himself a chance to stick on a big league roster.
- Atlanta also inked lefty Michael Kirkman to a minors pact, tweets Heyman. Kirkman, who will make $600K if he cracks the roster, has a 5.28 ERA in 109 Major League innings and most recently appeared with the Padres and Brewers in 2016 (though he totaled just 2 1/3 innings). Kirkman has consistently demonstrated an ability to miss bats in both the Majors and minors but has also struggled with control.
- Southpaw Nick Hagadone has joined the Mariners on a minor-league pact, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times first reported on Twitter. The former Indians left-hander hasn’t pitched since 2015 due to an elbow fracture that required surgical repair. Hagadone struck up a minor league deal with Atlanta last winter but had the contract voided due to concerns in his physical. He didn’t pitch at all in 2016 but will aim to prove he’s healthy enough for a big league look with Seattle in 2017. Hagadone, 31, posted a 3.55 ERA with a 55-to-18 K/BB ratio in 50 2/3 innings with Cleveland from 2014-15 and was once well-regarded enough as a prospect to be ranked in the Top 100 of both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. He was also one of three pieces sent from the Red Sox to the Indians in the 2009 Victor Martinez swap.
- The Yankees announced their invitations to Major League Spring Training today, and the list includes infielder Donovan Solano and right-hander Nick Rumbelow, each of whom re-signed to a minor league deal. (Others on the list have already been noted at MLBTR in recent months.) Solano, 29, hit .227/.261/.455 with a homer and a pair of doubles in 23 plate appearances with the Yankees last season. Capable of playing second base, shortstop and third base, Solano also slashed .257/.307/.328 over the life of 1145 plate appearances across parts of four seasons with the Marlins prior to his time with the Yankees. As for Rumbelow, the 25-year-old had Tommy John surgery last season. He’d made his Major League debut in 2015 and tossed 15 2/3 innings of 4.02 ERA ball as a followup to 52 2/3 innings with a 4.27 ERA in Triple-A. Rumbelow has averaged better than 10 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors while also walking just 2.4 batters per nine frames.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/30/17
Here the day’s minor moves from around the league, each from Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise noted…
- The Rays have added former Braves/Yankees/Astros/Nationals right-hander David Carpenter on a minor league deal. The 31-year-old hasn’t pitched in the Majors since a 2015 season that was severely shortened by shoulder issues. Carpenter actually inked a minor league deal with Tampa Bay last March but wound up opening the year with the Angels. He pitched for the Halos’ Triple-A affiliate until his release in mid-June, which came on the heels of a 7.80 ERA in 15 innings of work. Carpenter then latched on with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League and pitched to a 3.28 ERA with a 39-to-16 K/BB ratio in 35 2/3 innings of work. At his best in the Majors, Carpenter tossed 126 innings with a 2.63 ERA, 10.0 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 126 innings for the 2013-14 Braves.
- Right-hander Jean Machi joined the Mariners on a minor league pact. Machi, who will turn 35 in two days, hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2015 when he logged a 5.12 ERA in 58 innings between the Giants and Red Sox. He was a very useful relief arm in San Francisco from 2013-14, however, recording a collective 2.49 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 across 119 1/3 innings. Machi split the 2016 season between the Giants and Cubs organizations, pitching to a solid 3.65 ERA in 61 2/3 Triple-A innings.
- Right-hander Matt Magill agreed to a minor league deal with the Padres, as SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo first tweeted. The 27-year-old returned to the Majors after a two-year layoff this past season, tossing 4 1/3 innings for the Reds. The longtime Dodgers farmhand has just 32 Major League innings to his credit but has a 4.05 ERA with a strikeout per inning to his credit in 752 minor league innings. Magill has some control issues as well, as evidenced by a 5.5 BB/9 rate and a 4.57 ERA in 226 career innings at the Triple-A level. He’ll give the Padres a potential depth option at either Triple-A or Double-A. (Magill pitched at both levels with the Reds organization last season before making his brief return to the bigs.)