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Minor Moves: Rowland-Smith, Hill, Marmol, Pina

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that the Blue Jays have released left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith from Triple-A Buffalo (Twitter link). The Australian lefty worked his way back to the Majors earlier this season with the D’Backs — his first big league action since 2010. After being released by Arizona, Rowland-Smith caught on with the Jays and allowed eight runs in 14 innings with a solid 11-to-3 K/BB ratio.
  • The White Sox have acquired righty Shawn Hill from the Blue Jays, according to the International League transactions page. Hill, 33, has seen time in seven MLB seasons, working to a 4.69 ERA in 242 innings, almost entirely as a starter. He last reached the majors in 2012 with the Jays, when he made his first and only relief appearance. Hill made three starts for the Expos back in 2004, and had his best season with the Nationals in 2007, when he worked to a 3.42 ERA in 97 1/3 frames.
  • Reliever Carlos Marmol has been placed on the restricted list by the Reds after leaving the club without permission, according to Jamie Ramsey, the club’s Assistant Director of Media Relations (Twitter link). Marmol came to Cincinnati recently on a minor league deal after he was released by the Marlins, and had allowed three earned runs (with six walks and six strikeouts) through just 3 2/3 frames at Triple-A.
  • The Tigers have acquired catcher Manny Pina from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later, according to the MLB transactions page. Detroit has released fellow backstop Luis Exposito in a corresponding move, via the International League transactions page. Pina, 27, has had two brief MLB stints with the Royals. He is hitting .267/.337/.413 through 83 plate appearances at Triple-A Tacoma. Exposito is also a 27-year-old with minimal MLB experience under his belt; he owns a .177/.252/.313 line in 107 plate appearances for Toledo.
  • Brian Barden will continue his career with the indy league Somerset Patriots, reports ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). The 33-year-old infielder has seen action in four MLB campaigns with the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and Marlins, most recently in 2010. He spent last year at Triple-A for the Dodgers before moving to the Mexican League at the start of 2014.
  • MLBTR’s DFA Tracker shows six players in limbo: Jordan Pacheco (Rockies), David Huff (Giants), Jason Kubel (Twins), Trevor Cahill (Diamondbacks), and Wilton Lopez (Rockies).

Minor Moves: Jason Lane, Mike MacDougal

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We’ll keep track of the day’s minor moves here …

  • The Padres have outrighted lefty Jason Lane, according to the PCL transactions page. Lane, an outfielder-turned-hurler who just returned to the bigs seven seasons after his last tour, was designated for assignment on Saturday.
  • Righty Mike MacDougal was released by the Mariners, also via the PCL transactions page. The 37-year-old righty carries an 8.25 ERA through 12 innings for Triple-A Tacoma. He last threw in the bigs in 2012, and owns a lifetime 4.00 ERA through 394 MLB frames over parts of 12 seasons.
  • Per MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, the following players have yet to have their situations resolved: Jordan Pacheco (Rockies), David Huff (Giants), Jason Kubel (Twins), Trevor Cahill (Diamondbacks), and Wilton Lopez (Rockies).

Mariners Sign Gareth Morgan

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6:34pm: The Mariners have agreed to bonuses with their fourth through tenth round picks that, in total, have saved them $1,253,500, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). That obviously accounts for essentially all of the overage on Morgan, though Seattle would be back to even as it negotiates with Jackson.

6:01pm: Morgan has agreed to a $2MM bonus, Elliott reports on Twitter. Needless to say, that level of commitment will require Seattle to produce savings elsewhere, as it lands $1.24MM over slot.

The Mariners entered the draft with a total potential pool of about $6.77MM. The bulk of that is attributable to the club’s first pick (6th overall), which came with a slot allotment of $3.575MM. Seattle took high school outfielder Alex Jackson with that choice. Five of the team’s picks from the first ten rounds were college seniors, which could allow for savings, though just one of those — the fourth-round pick (Ryan Yarbrough) — came with a pool share of over $200K.

5:55pm: The Mariners have signed compensation round B choice Gareth Morgan, reports Shannon Drayer of ESPN Radio Seattle (via Twitter). Morgan was taken with the 74th overall choice, which carries a slot allocation of $760K.

Though terms have yet to be reported, Morgan was said to be seeking a seven-figure bonus before the draft, reports Bob Elliott of the Canadian Baseball Network. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said that the club “see[s] him as a high upside kid who has a very nice profile and skill set.”

Morgan is a high school outfielder from Ontario. He was rated as the 84th-best prospect by Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, who cite his raw power while raising questions about his hit tool. ESPN.com’s Keith Law (44th) and Baseball America (65th) both had Morgan higher on their boards.

Minor Moves: Tomko, Burres, Aceves, Paxton

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Here are today’s minor league transactions from around baseball, with the latest moves at the top of the post…

  • Veteran Brett Tomko has found a new home with the Rockies on a minor league deal, reports Robert Murray of Sports Rumor Alert. Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (Twitter link) also cites a source saying that the 41-year-old righty is headed to Colorado Springs. Tomko, who was recently set loose by the Royals, last threw in the bigs in 2011 with the Rangers. He owns a 4.65 ERA over 1,816 career innings with ten clubs, much of them as a starter.
  • Pitcher Brian Burres has also signed a minor league deal with the Rockies and will join their Triple-A affiliate, reports Mike Ashmore of MyCentralJersey.com (via Twitter). MLBTR reported back in May that Burres, most recently of the independent league Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, was drawing interest. The 33-year-old owns a 5.75 ERA through 358 1/3 career MLB frames.
  • Alfredo Aceves has accepted his outright assignment to Triple- A rather than electing free agency, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Aceves was designated for assignment last week and outrighted to Triple-A on Sunday.
  • The Mariners moved southpaw James Paxton to the 60-day disabled list in order to open a 40-man roster spot for Ji-Man Choi, the team announced.  Paxton has already spent more than 60 days on the DL while recovering from shoulder inflammation.  Choi will return to Double-A action after serving a 50-game PED suspension.
  • The Mets selected the contract of catcher Taylor Teagarden on Sunday, the team announced.  Teagarden will replaced the demoted Travis d’Arnaud on New York’s 25-man roster.  For making the Major League roster, Teagarden will earn $725K, as per the minor league deal he signed with the Mets in January.  The 30-year-old Teagarden posted a .950 OPS in 127 PA at Triple-A Las Vegas, a notoriously hitter-friendly park.
  • The Angels released outfielder Chevy Clarke, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Clarke was picked in the first round (30th overall) of the 2010 draft as a high schooler, but he has yet to play above the high-A level, hitting .219/.306/.337 with 23 home runs over 1542 career PA.
  • Also from Eddy, the Diamondbacks released right-hander Eric Smith.  Originally taken by Arizona in the second round of the 2009 draft, Smith posted a 5.10 ERA over 429 minor league innings (65 starts, 77 relief appearances).  Smith was hit with a 50-game suspension last season for taking a drug of abuse, his second such violation.
  • The Rangers released right-hander Chris Schwinden last week, as announced by the team’s Triple-A affiliate (via Twitter).  Schwinden was hit hard in three starts for Round Rock, posting an 11.25 ERA over 12 innings.  The 27-year-old pitched 29 2/3 innings for the Mets in 2011-12 and has pitched for five different organizations (plus an independent league team ) since the start of the 2012 season.

Mariners Release Zach Miner

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The Mariners have released right-hander Zach Miner, according to the Pacific Coast League’s transactions page.

The 32-year-old Miner inked a minor league contract with Seattle this offseason but struggled in his time at Triple-A Tacoma, pitching to an 8.60 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings of work over one start and 20 relief appearances. Miner posted a 4.40 ERA in 28 2/3 innings with the Phillies last season, though his 20-to-17 K/BB ratio in that time suggests that he was a bit fortunate to escape with that ERA.

In parts of five seasons at the big league level between the Tigers and Phillies, Miner has a 4.25 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a strong 47.5 percent ground-ball rate. Though last season marked his first Major League action since 2009, Miner still tied a career high by averaging 92.3 mph on his fastball.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Wieters, Scherzer, Rollins, Delmon

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has been plenty busy over the past few days, digging up rumors from all around the league. Here are some highlights from his latest work…

  • Two sources tell Rosenthal that Matt Wieters’ throwing program is going poorly and surgery is looking more likely (Twitter links). A third source, however, cautions that it’s too soon to make that judgment, adding that Wieters has good days and also bad days at this time.
  • In this weekend’s Full Count video, he notes that while many were shocked by Max Scherzer’s decision to turn down $144MM in an attempt to secure more on next year’s free agent market, Scherzer has an insurance policy on his right arm that Scherzer says “takes the injury risk out of it.” While the policy likely doesn’t cover the full amount of that offer, it sounds to be a substantial amount. Rosenthal adds that Jon Lester has a similar policy, though not for nearly as much money as Scherzer’s policy.
  • Some friends of Jimmy Rollins feel that he’ll be willing to waive his 10-and-5 rights to approve a trade once he passes Mike Schmidt for the franchise lead in hits. Others feel he and his wife, a Philadelphia native, prefer to stay no matter what. Of course, Rollins’ $11MM vesting option damages his trade value as well, as he will easily reach the required plate appearances if he stays healthy.
  • The Giants are looking to upgrade at second base this summer. While they could use a starting pitcher, they aren’t likely to make an addition that would turn Tim Lincecum into a $17MM bullpen arm. The Athletics, on the other hand, could use a starting pitching upgrade and have the necessary catching depth to make a move.
  • The Orioles are willing to move Delmon Young, who is batting .286/.318/.369 and has lost most of his plate appearances to Steve Pearce. While Young isn’t the hitter than Kendrys Morales is, Rosenthal lists him as a low-cost alternative to teams that missed out on Morales; Young is set to earn about $600K over the rest of the season.

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Quick Hits: Winkler, Choi, D’Arnaud

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Rockies prospect Daniel Winkler is headed for an MRI after injuring his elbow, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. Winkler left the Double-A Tulsa Drillers’ game against the Springfield Cardinals in the fourth inning Saturday. Winkler isn’t as well known as Rockies prospects like Jon Gray and Eddie Butler, but he has performed brilliantly this season, posting a 1.41 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 70 innings. Here are more notes from around the big leagues.

  • The Mariners will likely need to make a 40-man roster move Monday, Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune tweets. Minor-league first baseman Ji-Man Choi is expected to return from a 50-game PED suspension, and he’ll need to take an active spot on the 40-man once again. Choi, 23, was off to a great start for Triple-A Tacoma, hitting .394/.500/.545 in 40 plate appearances there. He hit .295/.394/.535 in 499 plate appearances at three levels in 2013.
  • The case of Travis d’Arnaud proves the difficulty involved in predicting which prospects will succeed, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News writes. The Mets optioned d’Arnaud to Triple-A Las Vegas this weekend after he hit .180/.271/.273 in 145 plate appearances so far this season. Nonetheless, many Mets officials remain upbeat about the former top prospect’s future. “He’s so athletic,” says one. “I think he will be a frontline guy, a pretty good everyday player who will hit some home runs. Is he Buster Posey? I don’t know. But do I think he can be in the big leagues on an everyday basis for eight, ten years? Absolutely.”

Cafardo On Marlins, Burnett, Price, Cuddyer

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In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at the impact that hitting coach Kevin Seitzer has had on the Blue Jays thus far in 2014.  Toronto used to be a swing-for-the-fences team, but even guys like Jose Bautista are hitting to all fields.  With a new, more patient approach at the plate, Toronto is leading the league in runs, homers, and extra base hits.  Here’s more from today’s column..

  • A Marlins official told Cafardo there’s no reason they won’t add a player through a trade. The National League East seems wide open, and they believe that they can find their way to the playoffs, even without the services of Jose Fernandez.  Miami has lots of pieces to offer, so they shouldn’t have trouble finding a match over the next couple of months.
  • Phillies veteran A.J. Burnett is some contending teams are looking at, but as one AL scout tells Cafardo, “if he doesn’t pitch better he’ll be another guy the Phillies are stuck with. When he’s the A.J. we saw earlier in the year or last year, he’s a guy you want out there in a tough situation. Right now, you wouldn’t touch him.” In his last six starts he has a 7.25 ERA, after posting a 2.06 ERA in his first seven.
  • The Rays will have to get at least three top players for left-hander David Price and if they don’t get that offer this summer, they’ll probably pull back and wait until the offseason.  Price, of course, still has great stuff, but his velocity is down, which is always a red flag.  There’s also no guarantee that he’ll re-sign with the team that trades for him, which could keep the Rays from getting the haul they want.
  • Rockies veteran Michael Cuddyer didn’t appear to be one of the possibly available outfielders at the deadline a month ago, but he could be if Colorado’s slide continues.  The 35-year-old is a great clubhouse presence and would draw trade interest along with Drew Stubbs.  Cafardo mentions the Red Sox as a club that could have interest in Stubbs as they seek an outfielder with power.
  • The Yankees, Rangers, Angels, Mariners, and Tigers (if they lose Max Scherzer) are among the teams who will line up if Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester hits the open market. On their end, Boston must decide whether to go beyond a fifth year because the other teams surely will.
  • The A’s nearly traded right-hander Jim Johnson to the Marlins last week, so, they’re clearly willing to move him.  Cafardo mentions the Orioles, Yankees, and Tigers as clubs that could have interest, but his rocky start and onerous contract make him a gamble.

Notes On Kendrys Morales Signing

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In case you missed it, the Twins finally brought an end to this year’s post-qualifying offer market, inking first baseman/DH Kendrys Morales to a deal that will pay him at a $12MM annual rate (around $7.5MM for the rest of the year). Morales will ultimately take home slightly less than Nelson Cruz takes home from the Orioles, though he’ll have to play much fewer games to earn it and will not be eligible for a qualifying offer next year. (Of course, he will also fall well shy of the $14.1MM qualifying offer that he rejected.)

Here’s the latest on the Morales signing:

  • The Mariners did make an offer to Morales within the last two days, tweets Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. The value of the offer was not reported. Seattle, of course, will not receive any draft compensation for losing Morales, since he waited to sign until after the first day of this year’s amateur draft.
  • Yankees manager Joe Girardi says that he was not involved in any discussions about the possibility of adding Morales, reports Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. “[W]e thought [Mark Teixeira’s] injury wasn’t going to keep him out for a long period of time,” explained Girardi. “We were pretty confident that we were going to get [Carlos Beltran] back.” While New York had been said to be a possible suitor, the most recent report indicated that the team had been rebuffed when it asked agent Scott Boras to hold off on signing while the team evaluated the health of Teixeira and Beltran.
  • Morales is likely to slot right into the Twins’ MLB lineup in spite of his layoff, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He figures to provide an immediate boost to the offense, even if he’s rusty, as Minnesota has received scant production from the first base and designated hitter slots in the lineup. On the other hand, it would be surprising to see the team take at bats away from Joe Mauer, and utilizing Morales as the primary DH will mean that the team can put only one of its two most productive hitters thus far (catchers Kurt Suzuki and Josmil Pinto) in the lineup. Of course, Suzuki remains a candidate to be traded away over the summer.
  • Adding Morales represents another move that increases the Twins’ ability to compete in the short term without sacrificing long-term value, writes Dan Szymborski for ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). Morales projects to be a roughly league-average DH, says Szymborski, but that sort of player would cost prospects to acquire via trade. And while the team may still have an uphill path to contention, it does sit just under .500, only five back in the AL Central and two-and-a-half out of the Wild Card. Like Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes, who were inked to long-term deals over the offseason, Morales does not require Minnesota to cough up a draft choice.

AL West Notes: Ogando, Moss, Butler, Carbonell

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It almost doesn’t seem fathomable, but the Rangers received even more bad news on the injury front today, as MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes that Alexi Ogando will be shut down for three weeks and could miss up to two months with inflammation and some minor ligament damage in his right elbow. An MRI showed “wear and tear” on the ligament, but not enough to require surgery, he adds. Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that the Rangers are officially terming the injury “acute inflammation.”

Here’s more from the American League West…

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes an excellent in-depth look at Athletics slugger Brandon Moss, who admits that he almost quit the game on multiple occasions before latching on with the A’s. Moss tells Rosenthal that he initially chose to sign with Oakland because he knew he’d be hitting in the Pacific Coast League at Triple-A after his minor league deal, and he thought that league’s notoriously hitter-friendly environments would boost his power numbers and draw some interest from Japanese teams. Moss adds that he was preparing to become a firefighter in his native Georgia, should his last attempt with the A’s not pan out.
  • The Mariners could be a potential landing spot for Billy Butler if the Royals end up moving him, reports Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. The team has long coveted Butler but would need to be convinced that his season-long slump is just that — a slump — rather than the beginning of a decline. Some scouts have told Dutton they don’t see diminished bat speed for Butler, which is a good sign. He adds that Kansas City has shown interest in Nick Franklin, though clearly a Butler-for-Franklin 1-for-1 swap isn’t realistic.
  • Dutton adds that Mariners officials dismissed previous reports that have connected the team to Cuban outfielder Daniel Carbonell. It’s been reported previously that Seattle is one of two finalists for Carbonell’s services. Dutton does note that the Seattle front office’s denial could merely be gamesmanship.
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