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West Notes: Segura, Lee, Rangers, Angels

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FOX’s Ken Rosenthal writes that a fresh start with the D-backs might do Jean Segura some good. While it’s well known that Segura played through a devastating personal tragedy in 2014 — the unexpected death of his infant son — Rosenthal notes that other issues were also likely weighing on Segura’s mind throughout his tenure with the Brewers. Namely, Segura rejected a seven-year, $40MM contract extension with an option for an eighth season attached to it in the spring of 2014, according to Rosenthal. The decision was driven in part by the fact that Andrelton Simmons, a fellow shortstop in the same service class, had recently signed a seven-year, $58MM contract extension with the Braves. Former Brewers manager Ron Roenicke tells Rosenthal that the contract situation weighed on Segura. “We talked a little about the contract,” said Roenicke. “He told me it was bothering him. After that, (he lost) his son and the rest of the year was really rough for him.” Roenicke is a Segura backer and believes he can succeed, but at this point, it’s worth noting that Segura simply hasn’t hit since June of 2013. After a torrid two-month stretch to open his first full season in Milwaukee, Segura has batted a collective .254/.287/.337 in 1540 plate appearances. Perhaps a change of scenery will do him some good, but that level of production isn’t any better than what Nick Ahmed brings to the table, and Ahmed rated as one of baseball’s premier defenders in 2015.

Here’s more from the game’s Western divisions…

  • Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto tells Jim Bowden of ESPN (link) that new addition Dae-ho Lee, who signed a minor league deal with the team earlier today, will compete to be Adam Lind’s platoon partner at first base. (Jesus Montero and Gaby Sanchez are also in that mix.) Notably, Dipoto tells Bowden that Lee, who was listed at 6’4″ and 286 pounds last season in Japan, is down about 45 pounds. Stories of players being in good shape certainly abound this time of year, but size was a question among some pundits when writing about Lee. Bowden offers a scouting report based on conversations he’s had, writing that Lee has good hands at first but below average range. At the plate, he can draw walks and has power to right-center field, Bowden adds.
  • “We are in the range of where we’ll end up payroll-wise,” Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News on Wednesday. As Grant explains, that’s a somewhat diplomatic way of stating that the team doesn’t have the financial flexibility to add a notable free agent such as Dexter Fowler or Yovani Gallardo at this point. Rather, Grant lists Tim Lincecum and Gavin Floyd as a pair of names that might make more sense for the Rangers to pursue as Spring Training approaches and the team looks for added depth. “The fact is,” according to Grant, that Daniels was given a budget and told to stick to it, so barring a late change of course among ownership, the Rangers will be relatively quiet for the remainder of the offseason.
  • By steadfastly refusing to exceed the $189MM luxury tax threshold, Angels owner Arte Moreno is effectively wasting the best years of Mike Trout’s career, opines ESPN’s David Schoenfield. Trout has been worth an average of nine wins above replacement per season in each of his four years at the Major League level, but the Halos have been to the playoffs just once in that time and have zero postseason wins to show for it. Enormous commitments to a declining Albert Pujols and a since-traded Josh Hamilton have left the club with little flexibility, and Anaheim’s paper-thin farm system doesn’t lend much hope for better days in the near future. The Angels finished 12th in the AL in runs scored in 2015, Schoenfield points out, and they’ll be without David Freese and could see an aging Pujols miss time due to offseason foot surgery.

Mariners Sign Cuban Infielder Dayner Moreira To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners have signed Cuban infielder Dayner Moreira to a minor league contract, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. The 31-year-old will report for early work with the Mariners’ minor league mini-camp and figures to head to minor league camp once the rest of the position players report. Though he appears ticketed for the minors to open the year, the team’s hope is that Moreira could eventually surface as a utility option.

Vice president of player personnel Tom Allison told Dutton that Moreira “can really, really run” and praised the Cuban veteran’s infield versatility. Allison also said that the team hopes to get a look at Moreira in left field to see if he can be an option in the outfield corners as well. It’s been more than a year since Moreira saw in-game action for an extensive period, as he missed the 2015-16 season in Cuba after defecting in Puerto Rico last winter (as Carlos Rosa Rosa of El Nuevo Dia wrote back in November). That lack of recent experience is the reason he’s heading to minor league camp, per Allison, although it’s at least worth noting that Moreira did appear in 13 games in the Puerto Rican Winter League this offseason. Of course, he received just 38 at-bats in that time, collecting 11 hits (all singles), so he’s undoubtedly still somewhat rusty.

Though he lacks power, Moreira offered solid contributions in terms of batting average and OBP in Cuba, where he is a lifetime .316/.359/.376 hitter in 3247 plate appearances. Moreira played shortstop exclusively in Cuba (with the exception of one lone inning at third base), but Allison seemed confident that he could handle other infield spots as well.

West Notes: Rose, Angels, Lincecum, Mariners

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Former Rangers managing partner Edward “Rusty” Rose has passed away, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. The 74-year-old was part of the group, including former President George W. Bush, that bought the Rangers in 1989. The Ballpark In Arlington, now Globe Life Park, was constructed during Rose’s tenure. The Bush-Rose group sold the Rangers in 1998 to Tom Hicks. We at MLBTR extend our condolences to Rose’s friends and family.

Here’s more from the West:

  • The Angels farm system lacks high end talent, writes Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register. No Angels were listed among the top 100 or 101 prospects on MLB.com or Baseball Prospectus. They did enter the offseason with one player who would have drawn consideration – Sean Newcomb. He was ranked 21st by MLB.com and 32nd by Baseball Prospectus. The Halos dealt Newcomb as part of the Andrelton Simmons trade. As Fletcher writes, the Angels system probably explains why they didn’t land any top talent at the 2015 trade deadline. For example, Yoenis Cespedes returned Michael Fulmer (53rd per MLB.com) and Luis Cessa. L.A. simply lacked the fire power for a move.
  • Tim Lincecum’s tenure in San Francisco is probably over, figures Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. The former ace and free agent is auditioning for a regular major league job. The Giants have a set rotation, meaning Lincecum doesn’t have a clear path to starts. The Marlins and Padres are among the teams currently connected to Lincecum. For Giants and Lincecum fans, Baggarly contributes a nice review of The Freak’s San Fran tenure.
  • The Mariners were thought to be nearing a minor league deal with first baseman Travis Ishikawa, but it’s gone sideways, writes Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Dutton notes that the addition of Gaby Sanchez could be to blame for the Ishikawa deal falling apart.
  • In other news, Dutton expects the club to sign 31-year-old journeyman catcher Steven Lerud to a minor league deal. He would provide depth now that Jesus Sucre is expected to miss extended action with a broken fibula. We’ll of course report on that signing if and when it becomes official.

Dipoto On Mariners’ Offseason, Hitting, Zunino

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At a luncheon on Thursday, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto looked back at the Mariners’ offseason in a wide-ranging, and a transcript of his remarks has since been provided by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. I highly recommend you read the whole thing, but here are some of the highlights.

  • The Mariners are “probably done making significant moves” this offseason, Dipoto says, after an offseason in which they’ve acquired Adam Lind, Nori Aoki, Wade Miley, Joaquin Benoit, Steve Cishek, Leonys Martin, Chris Iannetta and Nate Karns, among others, while also re-signing Hisashi Iwakuma.
  • One theme for the Mariners this offseason seems to have been having hitters post higher on-base percentages. Dipoto mentions that he thinks the team as currently constituted is a good bet to post higher OBPs than it has in the recent past. The team also held a “hitting summit” earlier this month in which they had hitting coach Edgar Martinez work with hitters on controlling the strike zone. “Edgar Martinez was perhaps one of the greatest right-handed hitters I’ve ever watched and did a better job of controlling the strike zone than about anyone that you could imagine in the last 30 years, and one of the best of all time,” says Dipoto. “It was a very easy thing for him to teach.” Last year, the Mariners finished 11th in the AL with a .311 OBP. New additions Lind and Aoki, both of whom posted OBPs above .350 last year, should help with that total.
  • Much of the Mariners’ Opening Day roster currently appears set, but Dipoto mentions that there will be competition in the bullpen and the back of the rotation, and also for a right-handed platoon partner for Lind. Gaby Sanchez, who recently joined the M’s on a minor league deal, will be one possibility there, along with Jesus Montero and Stefen Romero.
  • If Iannetta is healthy and all goes well, he will be the Mariners’ starting catcher, Dipoto says. Ideally, they would prefer to have former top prospect Mike Zunino — who hit just .174/.230/.300 in an ugly 2015 season — start the season at Triple-A Tacoma. Dipoto notes that Zunino zoomed through the minor leagues after being drafted third overall in 2012. In total, he’s spent just 462 plate appearances there.
  • Dipoto says the team imagines itself with a win total in the mid-80s next season, with the possibility that it could win more.

AL West Notes: Sucre, Mariners, Fister, Wilson

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Mariners catcher Jesus Sucre, who recently suffered a fractured fibula while playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, will be out considerably longer than initially believed, writes MLB.com’s Greg Johns. Sucre’s injury ultimately required surgery that will keep him on the shelf for the next six months, trainer Rick Griffin told Seattle reporters yesterday. Sucre was, perhaps, a long shot to make the Mariners’ roster in the first place considering the team’s offseason additions of Chris Iannetta and Steve Clevenger, but he now stands to miss as much as half the season. While Sucre is just a .178/.206/.229 hitter in 235 plate appearances at the Major League level, he’s also caught 40 percent of opposing base-stealers and rated as a strong pitch-framer throughout his big league tenure in Seattle. Johns notes within his piece that Sucre is the only player dealing with a significant injury as camp approaches, adding that Robinson Cano is fully recovered from double hernia surgery that he underwent in October and lefty Charlie Furbush is throwing pain-free after missing the second half of the 2015 season due to shoulder tendinitis.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • Also from Johns, both Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais said at a recent media luncheon that they feel the team is positioned to contend in the AL West this season. Servais spoke highly of the club’s improvements in terms of outfield defense and overall athleticism, though he conceded that they’ll have to perform well in close games due to the nature of Seattle’s run-suppressing environment. “I think we’ll play a high number of one-run games,” said Servais. “I just believe in this ballpark, you’re going to play tight games. So the ability to get on base and create consistent opportunities to score is important. The more athletic you are, the better chance you have to make that happen.” Dipoto went on to speak about the competition not only for the final few spots in the bullpen but also in the rotation, where he labeled the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation a “great competition” between Taijuan Walker, James Paxton and Nate Karns. He also added that the club’s goal is for Mike Zunino to open the season at Triple-A and get as much development time as he needs after many believe that he was rushed to the Majors. “This season is going to be about what’s best in the career development of Mike Zunino,” said Dipoto. Topics such as the potential batting order, defensive alignments and first-base platoon options are discussed in the piece as well.
  • Following the announcement of Doug Fister’s one-year deal with the Astros on Thursday, Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs explores the greatly diminished velocity which contributed to Fister’s struggles and left him with only a slightly larger guarantee than journeyman Rich Hill. Sullivan found 117 pitchers dating back to 2002 that lost more than 1.5 mph on their fastball in consecutive seasons of 50 innings or more (which Fister has done), finding that there are nearly as many pitchers who didn’t start a game in the third year (15) as there were pitchers who regained a full mile per hour on their heater (22). While there were some notable exceptions (Ryan Vogelsong among them), most saw, at best, minimal improvement of 0.1 to 0.2 mph in their fastballs. Though a forearm problem could have played a role in Fister’s drop, Sullivan also points out that he didn’t gain any velocity in his return to the rotation after a DL stint, making a big rebound in 2016 seem unlikely. The one-year term could also be advantageous to Fister, however, as if he is able to rediscover some of his previous form, he’ll be able to enter a vastly weaker market in a considerably strong position next winter.
  • Though C.J. Wilson has been an oft-speculated trade candidate this winter, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes that Wilson is likely to open the season with the Angels. Much has been made of the Angels’ left field platoon of Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry — I’d personally contend that second base is a greater need, anyhow — but Wilson himself spoke to Fletcher and voiced a belief that the club’s rotation will be what determines its successes in 2016. Wilson noted that a team “[doesn’t] need 10 Mike Trouts,” as he went on to discuss the club’s depth of rotation candidates and some of the questions that surround them — himself included. Wilson said that on a personal level, he won’t be satisfied unless he approaches his 2013 results — a 3.39 ERA in 212 1/3 innings — but he’s more concerned with team success anyhow. “I’ve had all the individual success I need in my career,” Wilson told Fletcher. “The only thing left for me is the World Series. Anything less than that is not going to be enough.”

AL West Notes: Hultzen, Beltre, Profar, Astros

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This year in Spring Training, Mariners pitcher and 2011 No. 2 overall draft pick Danny Hultzen will make the transition to pitching in relief, Ryan Divish notes for Baseball America (subscription only). It’s been a long fall for Hultzen, who was outrighted in November after his career was derailed by shoulder issues. Hultzen has pitched only 43 2/3 innings in the last three seasons. “Anybody in the league is making that same pick,” says GM Jerry Dipoto, who wasn’t in the organization when the Mariners selected Hultzen. “It’s unfortunate that it has worked out the way it has. But as I said to Danny on the phone when I told him we were removing him from the roster—I want to see him pitch in the big leagues.” Here’s more from the AL West.

  • Adrian Beltre, who is eligible for free agency next winter, sees no reason why he wouldn’t consider an extension with the Rangers, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes. Sullivan further notes that Beltre and the Rangers have had preliminary conversations. “[GM Jon Daniels] did what he promised in keeping the team around to win,” Beltre says. “Right now I’m confident with the way everything is going, there is no reason why I don’t want to stay here.” The Rangers have had a quiet offseason, with Tom Wilhelmsen, Tony Barnette and Justin Ruggiano among their key acquisitions. (They also re-signed Colby Lewis to bolster their rotation.) Obviously, though, their in-season addition of Cole Hamels, and subsequent division win, might have some impact on Beltre’s thinking. Beltre will be 37 near the start of the 2016 season, and he took a step back offensively last year, although his still-excellent defense continues to make him an impact player.
  • The Rangers could effectively add another player this season in Jurickson Profar. Profar is throwing 135 feet expects to be 100% by mid-March, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. The former top infield prospect missed the entire 2015 season due to shoulder trouble, although he hit well in the Arizona Fall League after the season.
  • The Astros might have another move or two up their sleeves this offseason, Jon Heyman tweets. They were in on Justin Upton and have checked in on starting pitching, and owner Jim Crane tells Heyman the team has been “nosing around” for more talent. Lately, they’ve been connected to Yovani Gallardo, the top starting pitcher left on the free agent market.

Mariners, Gaby Sanchez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners and first baseman Gaby Sanchez are in agreement on a minor league contract, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). The Beverly Hills Sports Council client will receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training as well, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets.

Sanchez, 32, spent the 2015 season with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he batted .226/.328/.392 in 232 plate appearances. The former Marlins/Pirates first baseman last appeared in the Majors in 2014, though he struggled at the plate with Pittsburgh that season. Overall, the right-handed hitting Sanchez is a career .254/.332/.413 hitter in 2271 big league plate appearances. He’ll likely compete for a spot as the right-handed half of a platoon at first base alongside Adam Lind, and his career .291/.382/.481 batting line against left-handed pitching suggests that he’s capable of filling that role if he beats out the competition in Spring Training. Jesus Montero is the favorite to land that spot right now.

Pirates Claim A.J. Schugel

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The Pirates have claimed righty A.J. Schugel off waivers from the Mariners, Pittsburgh announced. A corresponding move was not announced.

Schugel has found himself bouncing around the wire this winter. First, he was bumped from the Diamondbacks’ roster to make way for Zack Greinke. Seattle claimed him but set him loose to add Joe Wieland. And now he’s landed in Pittsburgh.

The 26-year-old threw 115 1/3 innings of 4.84 ERA pitching with 6.2 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in his second attempt at Triple-A last year. He did earn his first brief call-up to the majors, though, and has more success in the lower levels of the minors in prior seasons.

AL West Notes: Sucre, Cespedes, Rangers’ Rotation

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Mariners catcher Jesus Sucre suffered a fractured fibula this weekend playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, the Mariners confirmed to Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. (Venezuelan journalist Marcos Grunfeld first reported the injury.) The 27-year-old Sucre received a career-high 142 plate appearances last season, serving as a backup catcher in Seattle. The offseason additions of Chris Iannetta and Steve Clevenger make it unlikely that Sucre would’ve broken camp with the Mariners, but the fact that he may miss the beginning of Spring Training, per Dutton, clouds his role with the club even further. Sucre is a lifetime .178/.206/.229 hitter in 235 plate appearances at the Major League level. While his bat is light, Sucre has caught 40 percent of potential base-stealers in his big league career and rated as a well above-average pitch framer in 2015.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • Despite a number of executives recently speculating to MLB Network’s Peter Gammons that the Astros could be a landing spot for Yoenis Cespedes, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle spoke to a source that made a Cespedes/Houston match unlikely. A separate source confirmed to Drellich that Cespedes is still seeking a very lucrative long-term deal, and as he notes, there’s no precedent of current Astros ownership green-lighting a $100MM+ contract. Drellich hears that the Astros, for instance, never pursued Chris Davis despite the possible need of a first baseman. GM Jeff Luhnow wouldn’t rule out further moves for his club this offseason, but he also didn’t sound to be aggressively seeking any upgrades. “We’re monitoring the players that are available and trying to figure out if there’s a fit, and when I say available, I don’t mean only via free agency. There’s discussions with other teams about trade possibilities as well.”
  • If the Rangers make another move to add to their rotation, it’d likely be a depth piece, GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, earlier today. “If we do anything else where the rotation is concerned, it would be more along the lines of depth,” said Daniels. “There have been physical issues with some of our guys, and we’re cognizant of that.” As Fraley notes, Texas has four locks for the rotation in the form of Cole Hamels, Derek Holland, Martin Perez and the recently re-signed Colby Lewis. Ace Yu Darvish won’t be back until mid-May, at the earliest, Fraley writes, so the Rangers could pursue a possible piece to fill his rotation spot until then. Of course, Texas also has Chi Chi Gonzalez and Nick Martinez as depth options on the 40-man roster, in addition to non-roster invitees A.J. Griffin and Cesar Ramos (who will be stretched from reliever to starter this spring, the club revealed when announcing his signing).

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/16/16

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

  • The Mariners’ deal with Travis Ishikawa appears to have fallen apart, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News-Tribune tweets.  The Mariners had agreed to a minor-league deal with first baseman and corner outfielder Travis Ishikawa, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo wrote (Twitter links). The deal would pay Ishikawa $900K if he were in the Majors. Ishikawa, a surprising 2014 postseason hero, played sparingly with the Pirates and Giants in 2015, missing time due to back issues and hitting .267/.337/.420 in 169 plate appearances in the minor leagues. The 32-year-old has a career .852 OPS at the Triple-A level, but he’s collected more than 174 big-league plate appearances in only one season in his career.
  • The Cubs have signed utilityman Kristopher Negron and catcher Tim Federowicz to minor-league deals, tweets Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. After a promising 2014 season in Cincinnati, the 29-year-old Negron flopped in 2015, batting .140/.238/.161 in 107 plate appearances. He did, however, play every position but pitcher and catcher, potentially making him an interesting bench piece if he can recover his hitting stroke. The 28-year-old Federowicz missed most of the 2015 season with a knee injury. He had previously hit .194/.247/.300 in parts of four seasons as a reserve with the Dodgers.
  • The Yankees have signed righty Anthony Swarzak to a minor-league deal, Eddy tweets. Swarzak, a longtime swingman in the Twins organization, pitched reasonably well in 13 1/3 innings with Cleveland last year before the Indians sold his contract to the Doosan Bears in Korea. Swarzak served as a starter there and posted a 5.26 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 — not terribly impressive numbers, but also not as bad as they look given how tough the KBO is on pitchers. His ability to start and relieve could make him a useful depth piece for the Yankees.
  • The Giants have signed lefty Mike Kickham and righty Vin Mazzaro and re-signed center fielder Darren Ford, Eddy tweets. Kickham, who briefly appeared for the Giants in 2013 and 2014, struggled at Triple-A stops in the Mariners and Rangers organizations in 2015, walking 35 batters in 27 innings. Mazzaro held his own in 12 innings of relief with the Marlins last season but spent most of the year at the Triple-A level, where he posted a 2.70 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. Ford, now 30, spent 2015 at Triple-A Sacramento, hitting .261/.333/.403 and stealing 33 bases.
  • The Padres have signed 2B/CF/SS Jemile Weeks to a minor-league deal, Eddy tweets. Weeks, formerly a regular with the A’s, has played mostly at Triple-A the last several seasons. Last year, he batted a mere .204/.297/.281 for Pawtucket in the Red Sox organization, although, as Eddy notes, he has a strong track record at Triple-A, with a .371 career OBP there.
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