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Minor MLB Transactions: 12-11-15

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The 2015 Winter Meetings are officially in the books. As the baseball world winds back down, here are some of the recent minor transactions from around the game…

  • The Rangers announced a pair of minor moves yesterday: the re-signing of outfielder James Jones to a minor league deal and the trade of left-hander Will Lamb to the White Sox in exchange for right-hander Myles Jaye. Texas somewhat surprisingly non-tendered Jones earlier this month not long after acquiring him as part of the Leonys Martin trade, but he’ll return to the Rangers, who freed up a 40-man roster spot with the sequence. Jones, a fleet-footed 27-year-old center fielder, saw quite a bit of action with the 2014 Mariners but just 31 plate appearances in 2015. He’s a career .238/.268/.296 hitter in 359 plate appearances, though he boasts an impressive 28 steals (in 30 tries) in that small sample of PAs. Jones is a .278/.358/.390 hitter in an even 500 Triple-A plate appearances.
  • As for the trade, the Rangers pick up a soon-to-be 24-year-old in Jaye, who started 26 games for Chicago’s Double-A affiliate in 2015 and posted a 3.29 ERA with a 104-to-47 K/BB ratio in 147 2/3 innings. He rated as Chicago’s No. 23 prospect following the 2013 season, per Baseball America, but fell shy of their Top 30 last winter. In exchange, they’ll part with a 24-year-old lefty, Lamb, that pitched to a 4.42 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 in 57 innings of relief work between Double-A and Triple-A last season. Lamb held lefties to a .210/.319/.247 batting line in the minors last year.
  • MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets that the Angels have inked outfielder Nick Buss to a minor league deal. The 28-year-old Buss batted .296/.352/.408 in 322 plate appearances with the D-backs’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015. Buss received a brief big league look with the A’s in 2013 but hasn’t returned to the Majors since.
  • Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reported a slew of minor moves on Twitter yesterday, including the White Sox’ signings of left-hander/former top prospect Matt Purke and shortstop Andy Parrino; the Padres’ signings of veteran right-hander Phil Humber and lefty reliever Ryan Buchter; and the re-signings of Rosell Herrera and Frank Garces by the Rockies, and Padres, respectively.

West Notes: Cueto, Puig, Rangers, D’Backs, Phillips, Padres

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The Dodgers have “joined the fray” on free agent righty Johnny Cueto, per Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. It’s not immediately clear whether that indicates any stepped-up interest on the part of the Dodgers, who were previously said to have reached out to Cueto’s representatives recently. Indeed, agent Bryce Dixon told MLBTR’s Zach Links yesterday that he saw L.A. as a good fit. As Heyman adds, there are “a couple other” unnamed organizations also “in the mix” for Cueto at present.

Here are a few more notes from the game’s western divisions:

  • Scott Miller of Bleacher Report takes a close look at Yasiel Puig’s standing in the Dodgers organization. He speaks extensively with both Adrian Gonzalez and A.J. Ellis (among others), who provide fascinating insight into the strained (but, perhaps, not-yet broken) relationship between Puig and his teammates.
  • With the Rangers reportedly adding reliever Tony Barnette, there’s yet more reason to believe the club could strike a deal involving one of its young pen assets, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. The Diamondbacks have widely been tabbed as one pursuer, and Grant says that Arizona is eyeing late-inning hurlers Shawn Tolleson and Keone Kela. Though the D’Backs are said to be hesitant to part with young righty Archie Bradley, Grant says that exactly who Texas is eyeing in trade talks.
  • The Diamondbacks have talked to the Reds on multiple occasions about second baseman Brandon Phillips, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter. Arizona’s win-now moves could help persuade Phillips to authorize a deal there, suggests Rosenthal, though MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets that the veteran has not been approached to discuss his no-trade rights.
  • As with the Barnette signing, bringing in Christian Bethancourt isn’t necessarily just an isolated move for the Padres, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune explains. The move leaves the club with four catchers on its 40-man roster, and the two most recent additions — Betancourt and Josmil Pinto — are out of options. San Diego was “shopping” both Derek Norris and Austin Hedges over the week, per Lin, who suggests that it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see one of them dealt.

Rangers Notes: RH Bat, Barnette, Moreland, Catchers, Nathan

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The Rangers are “making progress” in talks with a yet-unknown right-handed hitter, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. That hitter isn’t Mike Napoli, Grant hears, and while he initially noted that the Rangers have some interest in Steve Pearce, he’s since tweeted that it’s not Pearce, either. Ideally, the Rangers want a player that can handle first base and also spell Josh Hamilton in left field against left-handed starters, Grant notes. There aren’t many right-handed first base/outfield types on the market at present, though I wonder if Ryan Raburn could be of interest in such a role, provided he can prove capable at first.

A few more Rangers notes…

  • General manager Jon Daniels “hasn’t been motivated” by any of the trade talks he’s had regarding Mitch Moreland, per Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (links to Twitter). Wilson adds that if the Rangers are to make any trades, they’ll likely trade away prospects or Major League relievers rather than dealing from their core of position players or starting pitchers.
  • Wilson also reports that the Rangers are among the teams with interest in right-hander Tony Barnette — a former D-backs farmhand that broke out as a dominant closer with Japan’s Yakult Swallows in recent seasons. Yakult set a $500K posting fee on Barnette, and MLBTR reported recently that five teams were in the mix for his services. Daniels confirmed the interest to Wilson tonight when speaking to the media.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Rangers checked in with the Orioles on Matt Wieters after Wieters accepted the one-year, $15.8MM qualifying offer. Wieters, of course, would’ve had to approve any trade proposal that may have arisen (as is stipulated by the CBA for players who accept QOs), but talks went nowhere anyhow, according to Rosenthal.
  • The Rangers like Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy but consider the cost to acquire him to be prohibitive, Rosenthal further tweets. That shouldn’t come as a surprise in light of a tweet from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt, who says the asking price for Lucroy begins with highly touted minor league slugger Joey Gallo.
  • The Rangers were one of eight clubs to visit with right-hander Joe Nathan in Nashville, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The Giants and Tigers also met with the former All-Star at the Winter Meetings as he seeks a new team while recovering from 2015 Tommy John surgery.

Rangers Interested In Extending Beltre Beyond 2016

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The Rangers are interested in extending Adrian Beltre beyond the 2016 season, which is slated to be the final year of his contract, GM Jon Daniels told reporters, including MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (Twitter link). The team’s hope is that Beltre will finish his potentially Hall-of-Fame career as a member of the Rangers.

Guaranteeing Beltre a contract into his age-38 season (or beyond) more than a year in advance carries risk, to be sure, but he remains a quite productive player despite the fact that he’ll turn 37 in April. Beltre just completed a season in which he batted .287/.334/.453 despite battling through a serious thumb injury and some late back issues as well. (Beltre’s surgically repaired thumb is healing well this offseason, Sullivan added above.) And, in spite of his relatively advanced age, Beltre still drew rave reviews from defensive metrics in 2015 (+18 DRS, +11.8 UZR).

While contemplating the risk associated with Beltre’s age and recent injury history, the Rangers must consider the future of prospect Joey Gallo. The left-handed hitter possesses as much pop as anyone in baseball, with scouts placing an 80-grade on his power. Gallo has 40-homer potential in the Majors, though he also brings a propensity for strikeouts with that power upside, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll stick at third base. The Rangers began playing him in left field in 2015 and could permanently transition him to the outfield, clearing a path to playing time for Beltre in 2017 while still finding a way to work Gallo’s bat into the lineup if he can improve on his contact abilities.

It’s not clear exactly how long Beltre hopes to continue his playing career, but because he remains so productive, it’s easy to envision him seeking multiple years beyond the upcoming campaign. Productive elder statesmen such as David Ortiz and Carlos Beltran have recently signed away their age-38 and age-39 seasons for $15-16MM per season, though Beltre, of course, comes with significantly more defensive value than either player.

Latest On Orioles’ Pursuit Of Bats

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2:19pm: Baltimore is one of several teams to have checked in on Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.

12:25pm: Will Venable could also present an option for the Orioles, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.

10:02am: Baltimore met twice with Scott Boras regarding Davis and have told him that they “soon might pivot” to other options, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Meanwhile, Baltimore is “out” on both Mitch Moreland of the Rangers and Adam Lind of the Brewers.

The O’s also have been looking at 27-year-old Korean outfielder Hyun-soo Kim, a polished hitter who is available as a free agent.

9:39am: The Orioles met recently with Justin Upton’s agent, Larry Reynolds, as the team continues to pursue power options in free agency, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. Baltimore reportedly made a huge offer to Chris Davis, but seems to be pursuing other avenues as well.

Meanwhile, the club is “hoping” to add a left-handed hitter (possibly in addition to a pitcher) at some point today, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports on Twitter. In theory, at least, that could represent a free agent outfielder as Gerardo Parra or Alex Gordon, a slugging first base/DH option such as Pedro Alvarez, some unknown trade target, or a major move on Davis.

It’s not immediately clear what level of interest the O’s have in Upton, but it could be more of an opportunistic fit than the team’s dogged pursuit of Davis. As Kubatko tweets, the club “won’t pass up impact” regardless whether the hitter acquired is a righty or a lefty. And as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli notes on Twitter, executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette has said the team will be aggressive rather than waiting to see what Davis decides.

D-Backs, Rangers Meeting To Discuss Potential Pitching Trades

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The Diamondbacks and Rangers will meet today to discuss potential trade scenarios surrounding the Rangers’ stock of quality relievers and the D-backs’ new surplus of starting pitching options, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan reported earlier today that the two sides have been discussing a potential deal. Jack Magruder of Fanragsports.com hears that Archie Bradley isn’t likely to be traded by the Diamondbacks after the team already parted with Aaron Blair (Twitter link).

Keone Kela, in particular, is drawing league-wide interest, according to Grant, though it’s difficult to envision the Rangers willingly parting with five years of the standout rookie, barring a substantial return. It was recently reported that the Rangers were open to including breakout closer Shawn Tolleson in trade talks, and the team also has an impressive stockpile of arms with considerable club control, including Jake Diekman, Sam Dyson and Tom Wilhelmsen (in addition to Kela and Tolleson).

Arizona has a number of mid-rotation options that could be of interest to the Rangers, including Rubby De La Rosa, Chase Anderson, Zack Godley and Robbie Ray, with right-hander Braden Shipley representing a high-quality, upper-level prospect that could contribute in the near future. (Although, the Rangers would presumably want more immediate rotation help were they to deal from their impressive bullpen.)

Of the pitchers listed from either team each (with the exception of Wilhelmsen) can be controlled for at least three more seasons, so either club could be picking up a relatively long-term asset should the two sides agree to a swap involving Major League parts. Suffice it to say, the specific permutation of a trade between the two sides is impossible to peg at this juncture, making speculation a perhaps futile (but nonetheless entertaining) endeavor. General managers Jon Daniels and Dave Stewart will have no shortage of options to discuss, but the two do indeed seem to be a good fit on paper.

Indians, Rangers, Twins Interested In Rajai Davis

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TODAY: The Twins are also interested in Davis, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer tweets.

YESTERDAY, 11:20pm: The Rangers are also talking with Davis’ camp, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. Texas’ desire to add a right-handed bat is well known, and with Josh Hamilton and Shin-Soo Choo on the outfield corners (both of whom have well-documented platoon issues), it stands to reason that Davis could get some relatively significant at-bats from manager Jeff Banister.

4:29pm: The Indians are discussing a one-year contract with free-agent outfielder Rajai Davis, reports Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). The pact in question would also contain an option for the 2017 season, according to Hoynes.

Davis, 35, has spent the past two seasons in the AL Central, appearing in 246 games and receiving 864 total plate appearances for the division-rival Tigers. With Detroit, the fleet-footed Davis batted a combined .272/.314/.418 with 16 home runs and 54 stolen bases. Over the course of his career, Davis has been a far more productive bat against left-handed pitching, posting a cumulative .296/.351/.448 triple-slash in parts of 10 Major League seasons.

From a defensive standpoint, Davis has had inconsistent marks throughout his career but is capable of manning all three outfield positions. He has at least 700 innings at all three spots, though the bulk of that time has come in left field and center field. Davis’ collective body of work in center field has received slightly above-average reviews from Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved, while he’s been below average in left field. Having turned 35 in October, it’s possible he’s slowing down a bit, as last season’s 18 stolen bases were the lowest mark of his career.

Cleveland has a well-known need to add some outfield depth, particularly with Michael Brantley likely to miss the first month or even two of the season (assuming no setbacks creep up in his recovery from shoulder surgery). As it stands, Cleveland’s outfield depth chart includes Collin Cowgill, Abraham Almonte and Lonnie Chisenhall, so adding a veteran with a reliable track record seems likely for president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and the rest of the Indians’ front office.

West Notes: Giants, Gordon, Giles, Santiago, Wilson, Rangers, DBacks, Padres

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The Giants are seen as the frontrunner for outfielder Alex Gordon by some “rival evaluators,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. One other possible target for GM Bobby Evans and co. is Dexter Fowler, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). Of course, we’ve also heard San Francisco connected to some of the other top free agent outfielders available, so there still seems to be plenty of uncertainty and opportunity for the organization in that area.

More from out west:

  • The Astros are “still trying to pry” young closer Ken Giles away from the Phillies, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports on Twitter. He’d cost some significant prospects if a deal is struck, Heyman suggests.
  • The Angels are receiving the most hits on lefty Hector Santiago, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports on Twitter. He certainly represents an interesting chip after putting up 180 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA pitching last year. The Orioles are among “many” clubs that have inquired on Santiago, Heyman tweets.
  • Teams are not showing much of an appetite for C.J. Wilson, Gonzalez adds. Los Angeles would need to hold onto about $15MM of Wilson’s $20MM salary to get something done, which wouldn’t offer enough salary relief to make sense.
  • The Rangers and Diamondbacks have been talking about a possible deal, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Arizona “may have extra pitching,” suggests Sullivan, in light of its two major recent rotation upgrades. Meanwhile, Heyman says on Twitter that the D’backs might be hunting for relievers, which could be a target area with Texas.
  • It does not appear as if the Padres intend to utilize Jon Jay in left field, writes Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, meaning the team will be looking for another option there. GM A.J. Preller discussed the possibility of Hunter Renfroe stepping in there, but it seems as if he won’t be an option until the middle of the season at the earliest. That could leave the organization searching for an outside addition.

Central Notes: Cubs, Perez, Nolasco, Reds

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Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein says his team’s deal with Ben Zobrist and its trade of Starlin Castro to the Yankees were a matched pair, Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago writes. “This was a multiple-bank shot,” says Epstein. “We needed all the components of both deals to line up. That included the medicals and timing to sync up. We were not counting any chickens before they had hatched.” The pair of moves, in which the Cubs essentially used the money they would have had to pay Castro to fund most of Zobrist’s contract, will not limit the team’s options as its offseason continues to unfold, Epstein says. “Really, all the moves we were pursuing previously are still potentially alive for us,” Epstein said. “We don’t have to act out of need or desperation now. We now can be pretty selective.” Here’s more from the Central divisions.

  • The Rangers have had recent trade talks with the Indians, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets. The Rangers are looking for a catcher, Sullivan notes, and the Indians’ Roberto Perez would make sense for them — he’s a good defender with a bit of hitting ability.
  • Ricky Nolasco’s contract with the Twins allows him to block trades to three teams each year, and Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN tweets that those three teams are the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays. As Wolfson suggests, that might not matter much right now — Nolasco has two years and $25MM remaining on his contract, and it doesn’t appear likely the Twins could trade him after two ineffective seasons, except perhaps in a swap of bad contracts.
  • The Reds have promoted Nick Krall and Sam Grossman to assistant GM, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Krall had been the Reds’ senior director of baseball operations, and Grossman their senior director of baseball analytics. The team recently promoted assistant GM Dick Williams to GM.

Latest On Rangers And Prince Fielder

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3:01pm: Texas is not “shopping” Fielder, GM Jon Daniels says, as Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links). And a source tells Wilson that the club hasn’t had “any conversations” regarding the veteran slugger.

12:25pm: The Rangers are “surveying” rival teams to gauge the market’s interest in “picking up [the] bulk” of the contract of first baseman Prince Fielder, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. But Texas does not appear to be receiving much indication that there’s much likelihood of finding a match.

With the Tigers carrying $30MM of the remaining burden on Fielder, he’s owed an additional $90MM by the Rangers through 2020. That’s not a monumental obligation for a player of his ability, and there seem to be plenty of teams looking for bats, but it’s not clear what Texas would be looking for in structuring a deal.

Fielder, 31, had a bounceback season for the Rangers last year. He ended the campaign with a .305/.378/.463 slash and 24 home runs after dealing with back issues in 2014. But that’s still a far cry from the huge stats he put up earlier in his career, and Fielder fell off rather noticeably in the second half.

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