Rangers Rumors

Quick Hits: Tulo, Desmond, Revere, Chisenhall

By Connor Byrne | April 16, 2016 at 11:53pm CDT

While the Blue Jays are known for their prolific offense, the most impressive element of their team is their defense, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com argues. Gammons names catcher Russell Martin, second baseman Ryan Goins, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, third baseman Josh Donaldson and center fielder Kevin Pillar as elite-caliber defenders. Manager John Gibbons believes Tulowitzki’s defense is so great that it cancels out the offensive struggles he has had since Toronto acquired him from Colorado last year. “I don’t care if he doesn’t get another hit all season. His defense is that good,” Gibbons told Gammons. “I’ve never seen anyone who can throw from more angles and positions that Tulo. He’s a big man, but he plays like a little guy. His athleticism is beyond belief,” Gibbons continued. Tulowitzki has indeed been a significant defensive asset throughout his career, and he long paired that with excellent offensive skills as a Rockie. The 31-year-old has hit a paltry .119/.224/.262 with a soaring strikeout rate (28.9%) in 49 plate appearances this season, however, which wouldn’t necessarily be concerning if not for a disappointing .239/.317/.380 output in 41 games as a Blue Jay in 2015.

Here’s more from around Major League Baseball:

Rangers left fielder Ian Desmond has hit a stunningly poor .109/.180/.109 in 50 PAs and put up a league-worst -0.6 fWAR this year. On his difficulties so far, Desmond says (via John Henry of MLB.com), “Obviously, the results aren’t there. I’ve just missed a couple balls. I’ve made some good in-game adjustments. But I’m trying to evaluate my swing on a daily basis and not necessarily rely on results alone.” It’s perhaps worth noting that, in addition to his weak production, Desmond’s hard contact (16.1 percent) and line drive rate (9.7 percent) have plummeted to career worsts in the early going this year. That’s not particularly encouraging after Desmond experienced a stark offensive decline last season, and what he has given the Rangers certainly isn’t what they had in mind when they signed the ex-Washington shortstop to a one-year, $8MM deal in February.
Nationals outfielder Ben Revere is aiming to return to game action from an oblique injury by his 28th birthday (May 3), he told Bill Ladson of MLB.com. At the very least, Revere would like to resume baseball activities by then. Revere left the Nats’ opener after he felt pain on the right side of his stomach and had difficulty breathing, and the team then placed him on the 15-day disabled list April 6. At 9-1, the Nationals have clearly held their own without Revere, but he could boost an outfield that has gotten little production from players who aren’t named Bryce Harper. Michael Taylor, Revere’s replacement, has compiled a terrible .154/.171/.231 line in 41 PAs and has already accounted for -0.3 fWAR.
The Indians aren’t ready to activate right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall from the 15-day DL because he hasn’t performed well enough during his minor league rehab assignment, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. “He thinks he’s pretty close to being ready, and I kind of told him that before he went out [for his latest rehab game], that, ’I’m not trying to be harsh or critical, but when you come back, you’re taking somebody’s job, and you need to be ready,'” said manager Terry Francona. Chisenhall, who hit a meager .246/.294/.371 in 362 PAs last year, is currently rehabbing a left wrist injury in Double-A. When he returns, he’ll join an outfield stable that has prominently featured Rajai Davis, Marlon Byrd and Jose Ramirez so far this year.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/16/16

By charliewilmoth and Connor Byrne | April 16, 2016 at 9:30pm CDT

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

The Rangers sent lefty reliever Andrew Faulkner to Triple-A and recalled righty Nick Martinez, according to John Henry of MLB.com. Prior to the move, Faulkner tossed 4 1/3 innings for the Rangers and allowed four earned runs, five hits and three walks while striking out just one batter. Martinez logged extensive time in the majors last season, totaling 125 innings of 3.96 ERA ball with Texas. ERA estimators like FIP (4.98) and xFIP (4.99) thought far less of his performance. He’ll serve as a long reliever and spot starter for the Rangers.
The Brewers have called up righty Zach Davies from Triple-A Colorado Springs to make a spot start against the Pirates on Sunday, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, they sent outfielder Keon Broxton down to Colorado Springs. Davies, whom the Brewers acquired from the Orioles last year, fared respectably in his first big league action in 2015. In six starts (34 innings), he put up a 3.71 ERA to go along with a 6.35 K/9 and 3.97 BB/9. Broxton went without a hit and struck out 11 times in 18 plate appearances before the demotion.
The Orioles have released righty Todd Redmond, their Triple-A Norfolk Tides affiliate tweets. The 30-year-old Redmond pitched a combined 152 innings for the Blue Jays in 2013 and 2014, appearing as both a starter and as a reliever, but spent most of last season with Toronto’s Triple-A team. The O’s signed him to a minor-league deal in November, but he struggled after being sent to Norfolk, allowing 15 runs in five innings there. In his big-league career, Redmond has a 4.25 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 171 1/3 innings.

West Notes: Stripling, Story, Beltre

By charliewilmoth | April 16, 2016 at 3:40pm CDT

Dodgers righty Ross Stripling nearly completed a no-hitter in his first big-league start, but he headed into the season with the far more modest hope of avoiding going back to Double-A, Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes. “I knew we were going to have a lot of guys filter down to Triple-A and that might push guys back to Double-A,” he says. “When they kind of told me early in spring that I was going to Oklahoma City, that was a good thing for me. I was happy to be going up a level.” Beginning the season at Double-A wouldn’t have seemed at all unreasonable for Stripling, at least on paper — it would have been his third year at the level, but he made only 13 starts at Double-A Tulsa while returning from Tommy John surgery in 2015. Instead of going back to Tulsa this year, Stripling quickly made his way to the big leagues and enjoyed an improbable level of immediate success. The last pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his big-league debut, Kepner writes, was Bumpus Jones of the 1892 Cincinnati Reds. Here’s more from the West divisions.

Another emerging player, Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, has “hit the ground trotting” with a seven-home-run binge to start the season, writes ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. “He’s been so composed right from the beginning of Spring Training,” says manager Walt Weiss. “He knew he had an opportunity coming into camp, and with some kids, it’s too much for them. But with Trevor, I think it elevated his game. It brought out the best in him.” As Crasnick points out, Story probably would have played for Triple-A Albuquerque this April had it not been for Jose Reyes’ domestic-violence suspension.
The Rangers formally announced Adrian Beltre’s two-year, $36MM extension as a press conference this afternoon. Perhaps it’s unsurprising given that the new deal takes him through his age-39 season, but Beltre says he wants to retire as a Ranger, as Stefen Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. Of course, it’s not clear whether that means Beltre will retire when his new deal ends — he remains very productive even at 37, finishing seventh in AL MVP balloting last year and getting off to a fine .283/.340/.52 start so far in 2016.

Offseason In Review: Texas Rangers

By Steve Adams | April 15, 2016 at 11:00pm CDT

This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

The Rangers entered the offseason looking to supplement a club that made a surprise run to the AL West Division Championship after a huge splash on last summer’s trade market.

Major League Signings

Ian Desmond, LF: One year, $8MM
Colby Lewis, RHP: One year, $6MM
Tony Barnette, RHP: Two years, $3.5MM (plus 2018 club option)
Justin Ruggiano, 1B/OF: One year, $1.65MM (split contract)
Total spend: $19.15MM

Notable Minor League Signings

A.J. Griffin, Bobby Wilson, Michael McKenry, Cesar Ramos, Nick Tepesch, Pedro Ciriaco, Jeremy Guthrie (since released), Ike Davis, Drew Stubbs (since released)

Trades and Claims

Acquired RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, OF James Jones (released and re-signed to minor league deal) and INF/OF Patrick Kivlehan from Mariners in exchange for OF Leonys Martin and RHP Anthony Bass
Acquired RHP Myles Jaye from White Sox in exchange for LHP Will Lamb
Acquired C Bryan Holaday from Tigers in exchange for RHP Myles Jaye and C Bobby Wilson
Acquired INF Frandy De La Rosa from Cubs in exchange for RHP Spencer Patton
Claimed 1B Andy Wilkins off waivers from Mariners (later lost Wilkins, via waivers, to Brewers)

Extensions

None

Notable Losses

Yovani Gallardo, Leonys Martin, Anthony Bass, Adam Rosales, Carlos Corporan, Mike Napoli, Will Venable, Drew Stubbs

Needs Addressed

General manager Jon Daniels and his staff began the Rangers’ offseason shopping last July with the blockbuster acquisition of Cole Hamels and, not to be forgotten, stellar lefty setup man Jake Diekman from the Phillies. While the Rangers parted with a significant amount of talent, the club had the minor league depth necessary to make a trade of that magnitude without depleting its still-robust pipeline of young talent. Also not to be overlooked is Texas’ July 31 addition of Sam Dyson. While the trade seemed minor enough at the time — catcher Tomas Telis went to Miami in return — Dyson has been nothing short of a revelation in the Rangers’ bullpen and, along with Diekman, further solidified what was already a strength.

Though adding Diekman and Dyson to the late-inning duo of Shawn Tolleson and Keone Kela gave the Rangers a strong quartet, the offseason addition of Tom Wilhelmsen added another experienced arm to deepen that unit. The emergence of Delino DeShields Jr. had made Leonys Martin expendable in the eyes of the Rangers, and swapping him for Wilhelmsen saved the club a bit of cash while lengthening the ’pen and allowing Daniels & Co. to pursue an upside play elsewhere in the bullpen. With the prices of setup men ranging from expensive to borderline ludicrous this winter, the Rangers made a $500K bid for Nippon Professional Baseball star closer Tony Barnette — a former D-backs prospect who blossomed into an elite relief arm in Japan. Though Barnette had never pitched so much as an inning in the Majors, the Rangers took a $3.5MM gamble on the 32-year-old after he posted a 1.29 ERA and saved 41 games in Japan last season. The total expenditure was a fraction of what established major league relievers received and is small enough that Texas can hit the eject button without virtually any harm being done to its payroll should Barnette prove overmatched by Major League hitters.

With Hamels in the fold alongside fellow lefties Derek Holland and Martin Perez, ace Yu Darvish on the mend from Tommy John surgery, and (realistically) a lack of financial leeway, Texas looked to stabilize the rotation rather than make another dramatic upgrade via a stacked class of free agents. The result was an affordable one-year deal to bring Colby Lewis back to Texas for his seventh consecutive year. Lewis isn’t teeming with upside, but he’s been a capable innings eater and familiar face that maintained some continuity in the clubhouse for the Rangers. If necessary, Lewis can be shifted to a swingman role at some point, depending on the rest of the rotation, but as the 2014 Rangers can attest, injuries to the pitching staff can come in bunches, so it’s possible that Lewis is again asked to make 30 or more starts.

Texas looked to be largely done with its offseason spending after finishing up the Lewis contract, but the lingering presence of Ian Desmond on the free agent market was too tempting for the front office to pass up. Despite not having an infield spot for Desmond, the club added Desmond to slot in as the everyday left fielder, likely pushing the injured Josh Hamilton to a bench role upon his return.

Keep reading for more analysis after the break …

Questions Remaining

Even without an injury to Robinson Chirinos, catcher was somewhat of a question for the Rangers. Chirinos is a solid backstop, to be sure, but he’s a converted infielder that’s never started more than 88 games in a season at catcher, and the options behind him were thin. Adding Bryan Holaday late in Spring Training created some more depth, but even with Holaday in tow the Rangers looked like a team that could be hunting for catching help this summer. Texas was linked to Derek Norris and Jonathan Lucroy this offseason, and either could be a reasonable upgrade for this team. With Chirinos out for 10-12 weeks, one has to wonder if the Rangers would consider making a move to upgrade behind the plate sooner rather than later despite reports that Holaday will get the bulk of time.

The largest question for Texas throughout March and early April was whether the team would work out an extension for Adrian Beltre. Both sides have interest, but Beltre and Scott Boras are reportedly seeking a three-year contract worth $60MM or more. While Beltre’s recent play suggests that he’s certainly worth that level of investment, that’s a risky commitment for any player’s age-38 through age-40 seasons. The ideal scenario for Texas is probably something like David Ortiz’s situation in Boston — a one-year deal with rolling club/vesting options — but given Beltre’s maintained excellence with the bat and glove, it’s not surprising that they’d seek a considerably more substantial guarantee. A two-year deal with a hefty annual salary would seem like a fair compromise, but Beltre has more leverage in the situation, as he’s five and a half months from the open market, where he probably could find another club willing to guarantee those three seasons at a premium rate. (Editor’s note: this review was written prior to the club’s two-year, $36MM extension with Beltre.)

Complicating the Beltre matter is the presence of Joey Gallo — one of baseball’s premier power-hitting prospects — at the Triple-A level. Gallo is nearly ready for a prolonged trial in the Majors (one could argue that he’s ready right now), but signing Beltre long-term would block Gallo from his natural position. He could be transitioned to the outfield or first base, but the Ranges have an outfield logjam as it is with top prospects Nomar Mazara and Lewis Brinson in addition to DeShields, Shin-soo Choo, Hamilton and Desmond (though Desmond isn’t a long-term factor in the equation). Moving to first base would diminish Gallo’s value, especially when considering his outstanding arm strength.

That logjam presents not only long-term complications but also short-term implications. Once Choo returns from the disabled list, the Rangers will have to make a call on Mazara, who has been nothing short of incredible in his first taste of Major League action. Texas will have Hamilton, Choo, DeShields, Desmond and Mazara all vying for semi-regular time in the outfield, with Ryan Rua and the outrighted Justin Ruggiano also presenting right-handed-hitting options. Perhaps Mazara will eventually struggle, or perhaps an injury will create space for Desmond to move back to the infield, but as it stands right now the front office and field staff will have some difficult decisions to make.

Deal of Note

In spite of a poor first half in 2015, it was widely expected that Desmond would secure a notable multi-year deal. Fans were quick to pile on Desmond for rejecting a $107MM contract offer from the Nationals two years ago (he earned $17.5MM for two of those years anyway, making the amount “left on the table” about $89.5MM before the deferrals that were said to be in the proposed pact), but in speaking to execs around the game before we released our Top 50 free agent list, the belief seemed to be that at least four years would be there for Desmond even if it fell shy of the dollars he’d have obtained in that rejected extension offer.

Instead, Desmond languished on the open market, with clubs that had obvious shortstop needs (e.g. Padres, White Sox) instead electing to fill those holes with cheaper veteran alternatives. Desmond, along with Dexter Fowler, Yovani Gallardo and Howie Kendrick, became one of the driving factors behind a growing belief that the qualifying offer system needs to be amended.

While the pros and cons of the QO system have been debated ad nauseum, the deal itself comes with a fair bit of upside for the Rangers. Desmond’s slow start notwithstanding, he’s still just 30 years old, batted .262/.331/.446 in the second half last season and is a collective .262/.317/.443 hitter with per-season averages of 22 homers and 20 steals from 2012-15. Desmond’s inexperience in the outfield will probably weigh down his value somewhat — though we’ve seen infielders smoothly make that transition recently, as Cleveland’s Lonnie Chisenhall can attest — but adding his bat to the lineup on a short-term deal with a mere $8MM guarantee is a worthwhile risk. Ultimately, Texas did as well as could have been hoped after learning in late February that Hamilton would be shelved to start the year, as Desmond provides a good bit of stability to the club’s overall position player mix while improving upon the presumed platoon of Hamilton and Rua/Ruggiano in left.

Of course, the Rangers didn’t know at the time that Mazara would be quite so impressive over the spring and early portion of the season. His emergence could make things interesting once Choo returns from the disabled list, as the club could conceivably keep Mazara in the Majors and deploy Desmond as a super-utility player. If Desmond is able to spell regulars at shortstop, all across the outfield (he’s already played two games in center) and possibly at second/third base, the flexibility could pay significant dividends down the stretch — even if he’s a somewhat below average defender at a few of those spots. From Desmond’s perspective, demonstrating that type of versatility would only enhance his stock for next winter’s free agency mulligan.

Overview

Few expected the Rangers to contend for the AL West title last season, but they’re not sneaking up on anyone this year. While it was a fairly quiet offseason — especially relative to some other aggressive winters we’ve seen from Daniels & Co. — the Rangers began to plant the seeds for a 2016 contender back in July. At some point this season, they’ll have a rotation fronted by Hamels and a returning Darvish to complement a lineup that is anchored by productive veterans like Beltre and Prince Fielder while also featuring high-upside young talent like Odor, Mazara and possibly Gallo.

Finding a way to work all of those bats into the lineup could be a challenge for second-year manager Jeff Banister, but it’s one that he’s probably happy to tackle (and it certainly beats the alternative). The Rangers have a quality product when it comes to their 25-man roster but can also boast a deep farm system with a significant amount of talent on the brink of Major League readiness. That should make it possible for them to contend in the future and, if necessary, upgrade the 2016 club in advance of this year’s Aug. 1 trade deadline. There are a lot of moving parts on the Texas roster, but the outlook for the short and long term is bright.

All that said, let’s hear from MLBTR readers (link for mobile app users) …

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Extend Adrian Beltre

By Jeff Todd | April 15, 2016 at 10:27pm CDT

The Rangers’ hot corner will remain in the capable hands of Adrian Beltre for two more seasons after the club officially struck a deal to keep the star in Texas. Beltre, a client of the Boras Corporation, will reportedly earn $36MM in the pact.

Beltre just turned 37, but remains one of the game’s very best third basemen — as he has been for much of his excellent, 19-year career. It now seems likely that he’ll finish things off in Texas, where he’s played ever since signing as a free agent before the 2011 season.

Talks had reportedly taken place all spring, but it took a bit longer to get things across the finish line. Beltre has certainly helped his cause in the early going in 2016, recording a .310/.370/.571 slash and two long balls over his first 46 plate appearances. And he’s continued his sterling glovework with four Defensive Runs Saved already credited to his ledger.

Beltre has consistently rated as a very good-to-outstanding defender at third base, and he’s largely maintained that level of play even while entering his late thirties. Coming into the season, the biggest question was whether he could return to the top-level offensive production he carried over 2010-14, or whether last year’s dip was a sign of broader decline. While dealing with significant thumb issues, Beltre still managed a sturdy .287/.334/.453 batting line in 2015, but that fell far shy of the .316/.364/.535 slash he compiled across the five preceding campaigns.

At $18MM a year, Beltre’s new contract falls just a bit shy of the AAV achieved in the winter of 2014-15 by Pablo Sandoval, who got $95MM over five seasons. It’s easy to see why the veteran was willing to settle for a bit less to ensure that he would remain in Texas, where he’s enjoyed a phenomenal run, but the contract appears to be quite a nice investment from the team’s perspective. (The Rangers have already made out like bandits on their original contract with Beltre, which ended up paying him $96MM over six years with its 2016 option included.)

After all, Beltre has already compiled a Hall-of-Fame worthy resume — and that’s not just because of his early-career work. Indeed, he’s fourth in all of baseball among position players in total fWAR since the start of his tenure in Texas. The glove provides a strong floor, and Beltre’s bat seems a good bet to continue producing even if his 30-homer seasons are a thing of the past. He’s succeeded at the plate in large part due to impeccable plate discipline and a propensity for making frequent, hard contact.

Simply put, there’s no way that the Rangers could have found anything close to this kind of value on next year’s free agent market. Even in his “down” 2015, the veteran racked up 4.6 fWAR and 5.8 rWAR, and he seems set to do that and more with better health in 2016. Indeed, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes noted back in February that a three-year deal of $60MM or more seemed a reasonable target on the open market next winter, had Beltre been allowed to reach it.

It’ll be interesting to see how the signing impacts the Rangers’ other decisions moving forward. The club is now locked in at third, short (Elvis Andrus), and second (Rougned Odor), yet likely expects top youngsters Jurickson Profar and Joey Gallo to be fully prepared for big league action in 2017. Either could profile as major trade chips, though there’s probably also room to be found. After all, Profar could provide insurance if Andrus can’t turn things around, and Gallo — a third baseman by trade — could factor in the outfield or slide in at first for pending free agent Mitch Moreland. If everything breaks in the club’s favor in terms of health and development, it’ll ultimately be a good problem to have.

MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan first reported that a deal was nearing and had the final salary (links to Twitter). Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported the term and salary parameters, and tweeted that the deal was in place pending physical.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AL Notes: Betances, Gattis, Rangers, Perkins, Pablo

By Jeff Todd | April 15, 2016 at 12:10am CDT

Yankees righty Dellin Betances was one of several players who couldn’t agree to terms with his team on a pre-arbitration salary over the offseason, and George A. King III of the New York Post reports that the relief ace ended up being renewed at the league minimum of $507.5K. New York had offered Betances $540K, but dropped it down when he declined (on the advice of his agent) to agree to that amount. To be clear, he’s not complaining; the small protest was, of course, his only recourse. Betances, 28, will be in much better standing next winter, when he’ll reach arbitration for the first time. Though he doesn’t have a big history of saves to bring to the arb table, he has racked up quite a few innings for a reliever and has all the other numbers (including holds) needed to run up a significant tab.

Here’s more from the American League:

The Astros are readying Evan Gattis for duties behind the plate in the near future, as MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports. Gattis broke in as a backstop, of course, but the 29-year-old didn’t see any time there last year, as Houston utilized him almost exclusively as a DH (with 11 outfield stings also mixed in). Houston has relied on a combination of Jason Castro and Erik Kratz at the catching position to open the year, having acquired the latter after presumed reserve Max Stassi was lost to injury. He’s expected back before long, but the opportunity to plug Gattis in at times could open some interesting roster possibilities for the Astros.
While the Rangers already utilized some significant prospect capital to add Cole Hamels last year, the organization could be in a position to do the same for another quality starter at this year’s trade deadline, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The club’s blue chip youngsters surely won’t be parted with lightly, but Rosenthal says that they could be pried loose if a top-quality, controllable rotation piece can be had over the summer.
The Twins may be looking at a reasonably protracted absence from closer Glen Perkins, as LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. According to Perkins, his shoulder troubles arose only recently, but he doesn’t expect to be ready after his 15-day minimum DL stint has passed.
Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval has undergone an MRI on his ailing left shoulder, with results expected tomorrow, team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters. He’s already been placed on the disabled list, of course. One major factor seemingly underlying Sandoval’s on-field struggles, of course, is his ongoing battle with weight, and Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald provides interesting insight from Sandoval’s former trainer, Ethan Banning. According to Banning, who worked with Sandoval in the winters before the 2011 and 2012 seasons, the former Giants star had to participate in concerted training efforts to cut back the pounds he had added over both of those offseasons. Per Banning, Sandoval’s struggle relates not to exercise but eating habits. He expressed confidence that the 29-year-old can overcome the issue, but suggested that he’ll need concerted oversight to make it happen.

Quick Hits: Epstein, Mazara, Sandoval

By Mark Polishuk | April 11, 2016 at 11:20pm CDT

Some news as we head into Tuesday…

There isn’t much new to report on the extension talks between the Cubs and Theo Epstein, as the president of baseball operations told reporters (including Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com) that the two sides “haven’t talked a lot about” a new deal. “The talks we have had [were] very amicable, productive, moving in the right direction,” Epstein said. Epstein’s original five-year, $18.5MM deal is up after this season, though the lack of urgency in talks may reflect the seemingly small chance that he leaves Wrigleyville. Both Epstein and Cubs management have both expressed a desire to continue their relationship, plus one has to think it would be unusual for Epstein leave just as the team is starting to enjoy the fruits of its rebuild.
Nomar Mazara’s big debut for the Rangers is already drawing a lot of attention, though as Baseball America’s Ben Badler recaps, many opposing scouts were stunned by the $4.95MM bonus Mazara signed in 2011, which is still a record for a 16-year-old international player. Scouts at the time questioned Mazara’s ability to consistently make contact, and also the decision by Mazara’s trainer to keep him out of playing in actual games. His evolution into a top-rated prospect and (through two games, at least) a promising big-leaguer, however, has made the Rangers’ investment look very solid.
In another Mazara piece, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News hears from rivals scouts who explain why Mazara is a more polished hitter than another well-regarded Rangers prospect, Joey Gallo.
The Red Sox didn’t use Pablo Sandoval to pinch-hit against righty reliever Mychal Givens today, leading ESPN Boston’s Scott Lauber to wonder if the Panda really has any place on the Sox roster if the club isn’t willing to use him even in seemingly tailor-made pinch-hitting situations. Sandoval only appeared in three games and received seven plate appearances so far this season, after losing his starting third base job to Travis Shaw in Spring Training.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/11/16

By Steve Adams | April 11, 2016 at 6:10pm CDT

Here are the day’s minor transactions, with the newest moves at the top of the post…

The Pirates have placed John Holdzkom on release waivers, a week after the righty was designated for assignment. Holdzkom went from independent baseball to a key role in the Bucs’ bullpen in 2014, recording a 2.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts in nine relief innings (his first and, to date, only taste of MLB action) to help Pittsburgh reach the postseason. Holdzkom battled injuries, a loss of velocity and control issues in 2015, however, and he pitched only 24 1/3 innings of minor league ball.
The Angels selected the contract of left-hander Greg Mahle and optioned A.J. Achter to Triple-A in a corresponding move, the club announced. (The Angels already had a 40-man roster spot open, so no further transactions were necessary to add Mahle.) A 15th-round draft pick in 2014, Mahle has a 2.97 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 4.00 K/BB rate over 97 career minor league relief innings. The 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook ranked him as the 13th-best prospect within the Halos’ thin farm system, noting that Mahle delivers his pitches from three different arm angles, including a sinking fastball that ranges from 85-94mph depending on from where Mahle is throwing it. He also has a plus changeup.
The Diamondbacks outrighted Kyle Drabek to Triple-A after the righty went unclaimed, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports (via Twitter). Drabek signed a minor league deal with the D’Backs during the offseason and pitched in one game for the club before being designated for assignment last Friday. The 18th overall pick of the 2006 draft, Drabek has struggled at the big league level and also battled injuries, most notably two Tommy John surgeries. Drabek has only thrown 12 2/3 innings over the last four seasons.
The Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League have signed left-hander Phil Coke and right-hander Ryan Kelly, Jason Bristol tweets. Coke threw 12 2/3 innings with the Cubs and Blue Jays last season, and has also since signed minor league deals with the A’s and Braves. The veteran southpaw was released by Atlanta during Spring Training. Kelly was also released by the Braves during the offseason, ending a three-year stint in the organization. Kelly made his Major League debut last season, posting a 7.02 ERA over 16 2/3 innings out of Atlanta’s bullpen.

Earlier Updates

The White Sox signed left-hander David Holmberg to a minor league contract, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Holmberg was released by the Braves late in Spring Training. The signing represents a homecoming of sorts for Holmberg, who returns to the organization that selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft. Holmberg rated as one of the Sox’ most promising arms when he was traded to the D-backs alongside Daniel Hudson in exchange for Edwin Jackson back in 2011. Holmberg was flipped again in another fairly notable trade: the three-team Heath Bell deal in December 2013. Holmberg has tallied 62 innings in the Majors but logged an unsightly 6.24 ERA with more walks (35) than strikeouts (33). He’s posted strong numbers at the Double-A level in his career though and also has a 4.48 ERA in 213 Triple-A innings, making him a reasonable depth piece for the Sox.
Also from Eddy, the White Sox also released right-hander Josh Wall, whom they had picked up on a minor league deal. Wall was one of three arms sent from the Dodgers to the Marlins in the 2013 Ricky Nolasco deal, and he bounced around the waiver wire the following offseason. The 29-year-old has allowed 23 runs in 13 2/3 big league innings despite solid Triple-A numbers. Last year, Wall recorded a 2.45 ERA in 36 2/3 innings with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate, averaging 9.1 strikeouts and 2.5 walks per nine innings. He had a strong showing in the Dominican Winter League as well.
The Rangers released outfielder Jordan Danks and lefty Donnie Veal, Matt Eddy reports. Both went to Spring Training with Texas on minor league deals after brief stints in the Majors last season (Danks with the Phillies and Veal with the Braves). Danks, the younger brother of left-hander John Danks, is a .224/.300/.322 hitter in 390 Major League plate appearances. The 29-year-old is capable of handling all three outfield positions. Veal, meanwhile, has a 5.48 ERA in 69 big league innings to go along with a 79-to-43 K/BB ratio.
Catcher Rafael Lopez has signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League, MLBTR has learned. The 28-year-old had been in camp with the Tigers on a minor league contract. Lopez is a career .278/.366/.390 hitter in the minors and got a brief call-up to the Majors with the 2014 Cubs. Chicago sent him to the Angels last season in exchange for an international bonus slot. Additionally, the Bluefish announced this weekend that they signed veteran minor league outfielder Jiwan James. The former Phillies top prospect spent last season with the Tigers’ Florida State League affiliate and batted .249/.299/.348 with seven homers and 22 steals.

Latest On Rangers’ Catching Situation

By Steve Adams | April 11, 2016 at 4:26pm CDT

The Rangers could be without catcher Robinson Chirinos for nearly three months, but while there’s been some talk about searching outside the organization for an upgrade, ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick hears that Texas is more likely to stay in house than make a splashy acquisition (Twitter link). That would mean entrusting catching duties to recently acquired Bryan Holaday and rookie Brett Nicholas, though Crasnick does note that the Rangers could make a minor trade to acquire some depth at the position.

Though Crasnick downplays the possibility of a significant trade taking place, it’s still worth noting that his colleague, Buster Olney, reported this morning that the Rangers did at least engage in talks for a significant trade this winter (Twitter link). Per Olney, the Rangers spoke to the Padres about a trade involving Derek Norris, Andrew Cashner and Jurickson Profar, though clearly nothing ever came to fruition. Texas was connected to Norris right up through the end of Spring Training, with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News calling him a likelier trade candidate than the Brewers’ Jonathan Lucroy (to whom the Rangers were also frequently linked).

Holaday was naturally able to be acquired for a much lower return than it would’ve cost Texas to land either Lucroy or Norris this offseason, and the price tags on those two bigger-name catchers may have gotten even larger given how the Rangers now have an even more pressing need behind the plate. It’s also somewhat rare to see significant trades for catching take place during the season, as most teams prefer to give their backstops and pitchers time to learn to work with each other.

Cashner and Norris have been mentioned in trade rumors for much of the winter, as there was speculation the Padres could unload some of their top trade chips to rebuild after their disappointing 2015 season. While notables like Craig Kimbrel, Yonder Alonso and Jedd Gyorko were dealt, San Diego stopped short of a full-fledged fire sale. Profar has also been cited as a trade candidate, as the former top-ranked prospect in all of baseball has missed almost all of the last two seasons with shoulder injuries and doesn’t have a place in the Rangers’ middle infield with Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor in starting roles. Padres GM A.J. Preller, of course, was formerly a longtime assistant general manager in the Rangers organization.

Quick Hits: Pirates, Lucroy, Archer, Red Sox, Dodgers

By Connor Byrne | April 10, 2016 at 10:29pm CDT

The Pirates surrendered the third-fewest runs in baseball last year, when center fielder Andrew McCutchen and left fielder Starling Marte lined up deeper than most at their respective positions, but the data-driven Bucs are experimenting with a shallower outfield alignment this season in hopes of allowing even less scoring. “Reviewing the numbers last year, there was so much collateral damage done in front of us last year — balls that fell in, extra bases that were taken by guys trying to get to balls,” manager Clint Hurdle said (via Adam Berry of MLB.com). “It was glaringly apparent that we could make an adjustment on our end, especially with the athleticism we have with our outfielders, and change the dynamic of what’s gone on as far as run prevention goes,” he continued. Both McCutchen and Marte have taken to the changes, according to Hurdle. “You give them the numbers, you show them the charts, you show them where damage is done or not done. They’re really good about understanding and trusting.”

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