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Blue Jays Designate Casper Wells For Assignment

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The Blue Jays designated outfielder Casper Wells for assignment, according to a team press release.  The Jays made the move upon purchasing the contract of pitcher Ramon Ortiz.  The Jays had claimed Wells off waivers from the Mariners last Wednesday, after the Ms designated him for assignment on March 31st.  Wells is out of options, so he'll need to clear waivers before being sent to the minors.

Wells, 28, hit .228/.302/.396 in 316 plate appearances for the Mariners last year, spending time at all three outfield positions.  He did not get into a game for the Blue Jays since last week's claim.  Wells owns a .264/.349/.489 career line against left-handed pitching.  He had joined the Mariners in July 2011 as part of the deal that sent Doug Fister to Detroit.  

AL Notes: Blue Jays, Jackson, McFarland, Francona

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The 2013 Blue Jays are the only team since 2009 to make three or more waiver claims in April, R.J. Anderson of Baseball Prospectus notes. The Jays have claimed Casper Wells, Edgar Gonzalez and Mauro Gomez this month. The Jays are typically very active on the waiver wire, frequently claiming players and then trying to sneak them through waivers again in an attempt to build depth in their minor-league system. (Toronto also claimed four players in the last half of March: Todd Redmond, Guillermo Moscoso, Alex Burnett and Clint Robinson. Moscoso and Burnett were lost after other teams claimed them.) The Jays' waiver-claim strategy is unusual for a contending team, Anderson says. Here are more notes from around the American League.

  • Orioles manager Buck Showalter reiterates that 1B/OF Conor Jackson retired at least in part because his enjoyment of the game diminished, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports. "[Jackson] loved being with the organization and all that, but he's at the stage of his life where it wasn't something he wanted to continue to do," says Showalter. "I just wanted to know whether there was something he was unhappy about. It wasn't at all. He had been thinking about it for a little while and just didn't enjoy going to the park like he used to." Jackson appeared in nine games this year for Triple-A Norfolk, hitting .200/.333/.240.
  • Rule 5 Draft pick T.J. McFarland, from the Indians' system, remains in the Orioles' bullpen, notes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. He has appeared in just one game so far, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings April 6. The Orioles' recent trade of Luis Ayala to the Braves gives McFarland some breathing room, but he'll still have to pitch well to remain on Baltimore's roster the entire year. "We've been throwing him down in the bullpen. Keeping the ball in his hand," Showalter tells Ghiroli. "There will come a time this season, I hope, when it's not always saving him for long relief."
  • Indians manager Terry Francona isn't fixated on his past with the Red Sox, against whom the Indians have an upcoming series, MLB.com's Zack Meisel reports. "To be honest, I'm an Indian," says Francona. "I'm aware of the questions and everything, and I have a lot of great memories, but I don't think it's fair to the players. … They don't need to be worrying about me having nostalgia week. They just need to try to beat them." The Red Sox let Francona go in 2011, and after a season working for ESPN, he took over as manager in Cleveland.

Blue Jays Inquired On Tyler Pastornicky

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The Blue Jays have inquired on Braves shortstop Tyler Pastornicky, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  The Blue Jays are apparently looking out-of-house for some reinforcements after learning that Jose Reyes will be sidelined for three months with a severely sprained left ankle.

Toronto traded Pastornicky to Atlanta in July of 2010 along with Alex Gonzalez and Tim Collins in the deal that brought back Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes.  Last year was the 23-year-old's first season in the majors and he posted a .243/.287/.325 slash line in 76 games.

Jays Already Considering Reyes Replacements

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SATURDAY: Toronto may have to wait a week to learn the full extent of Reyes's injury, but may look to add depth up the middle in the meantime, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. According to Rosenthal, the Jays have recalled Kawasaki to take Reyes's spot on the active roster, but could still look to acquire a player like the recently designated Cody Ransom or the Diamondbacks' Josh Wilson. (Links via Twitter.)

Other trade targets could include Mike Aviles, John McDonald, Yuniesky Betancourt, Jonathan Herrera, Ramiro Pena, Cesar Izturis, or even Dee Gordon, writes Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. ESPN.com's Buster Olney offers (on Insider) that McDonald may make sense, since he occupies a limited role with a Pirates club that has other options.

FRIDAY: With Jose Reyes' health in question following a left ankle spain, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star) that he had already talked to other general managers about possible deals to fill the void if the star shortstop is out for an extended period of time.  Anthopoulos said Reyes' "best case scenario" is a one-month stint on the DL while the worst case scenario would be a three-month injury layoff, though the shortstop will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of the damage.

Reyes suffered the nasty-looking ankle injury while sliding into second base in the sixth inning of the Jays' 8-4 win over the Royals on Friday night and had to be carted off the field.  He entered the game hitting .412/.487/.559 in nine games and added another hit and two RBIs against Kansas City. 

This is the biggest blow yet to a Toronto club that has struggled early in the season amidst high preseason expectations.  The Jays are already thin in the infield with Brett Lawrie on the DL and, as a scout told CBS Sports' Danny Knobler, Reyes is the player they could least afford to lose given their lack of depth at shortstop.  For now the Jays will use some combination of Mark DeRosa, Emilio Bonifacio and Maicer Izturis at third, short and second  The team's Triple-A infield options with Major League experience include the likes of Andy LaRoche, Munenori Kawasaki, Eugenio Velez, Mike McCoy and Mauro Gomez.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Burroughs, Henn, Allen, Gonzalez

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We'll keep track of Friday's minor moves right here…

  • Infielder Sean Burroughs has signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (on Twitter). Burroughs last appeared in the Majors with the Twins in 2012 but was designated for assignment after just 18 plate appearances. The former top prospect returned to baseball in 2011.
  • Within that same tweet, Eddy notes that the Mets have signed left-hander Sean Henn to a minor league deal. The 31-year-old Henn's last big league action was split between the Twins and Orioles in 2009. He has a 7.56 ERA in 81 career innings with more walks (64) than strikeouts (62).
  • Still from Eddy's jam-packed tweet, the Padres have inked first baseman Brandon Allen to a minor league contract. The 27-year-old has a career .203/.290/.375 Major League batting line in 389 plate appearances.
  • The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Edgar Gonzalez has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo in order to make room for Casper Wells on the 40-man roster. Toronto claimed the 30-year-old Gonzalez off waivers just five days ago.
  • Suspended right-hander Mark Hamburger has signed with the independent league St. Paul Saints, writes Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (at the bottom of the article). The 26-year-old tested positive for an undisclosed drug last season. He has appeared in eight Major League innings for the Rangers with a 4.50 ERA and was once traded for Eddie Guardado.

Orioles Claim Alex Burnett

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The Orioles have claimed right-hander Alex Burnett off waivers from the Blue Jays and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk, the team announced via Twitter. The team has transferred Wilson Betemit to the 60-day disabled list in order to create space on the 40-man roster.

Burnett, 25, was designated for assignment when the Blue Jays claimed Casper Wells off waivers from the Mariners. Burnett's command has improved each year since his 2010 debut with, but his strikeout rate has declined as well. In 170 career innings, he has a 4.61 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. Last year he struck out just 36 batters in 71 2/3 innings, though he managed a solid 92.7 mph on his fastball. All three of his Major League seasons have come with the Twins.

Blue Jays Notes: Wells, Gonzalez, Batista, Jeffress

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Jose Reyes says that he isn't sweating the Blue Jays' slow start and it doesn't sound like the front office is either.  Here's the latest out of Toronto..

  • The Blue Jays' claim of Casper Wells off of waivers likely means that Toronto will soon go with a seven-man bullpen, writes MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm.  The club had been carrying eight relievers but that will soon change and it's probable that right-hander Edgar Gonzalez will be the one who is designated for assignment.  Gonzalez was claimed off of waivers on Sunday.
  • General Manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, that Miguel Batista was signed primarily for minor league depth.  The right-hander was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo after being picked up yesterday afternoon.
  • Jeremy Jeffress hasn't been placed on waivers just yet and Anthopoulos noted that he has until Sunday to do so, Davidi writes.  The club is also going to look and see if there's a deal for the reliever, but there's no interest just yet.

East Links: Harang, Span, Romero, Halladay

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Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes was surprised when Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports pointed out that his new team is off the the same 2-5 start as the Marlins were a year prior. Reyes, however, isn't worried about his team's outlook: "…there’s no concern at all. There’s way too much talent on this ballclub to continue to play the way we’re playing.” Here are some more links from baseball's two Eastern divisions…

  • WEEI.com's Rob Bradford hears that the Red Sox are not interested in trading for Aaron Harang (Twitter link). Reports over the weekend linked Boston to the recently DFA'ed right-hander.
  • Offseason acquisition Denard Span has given the Nationals a "new kind of offensive identity," writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The presence of Span and Jayson Werth atop the lineup forces pitchers to work, given the high volume of pitches the pair averages per plate appearance. Werth and Adam LaRoche both offer high praise for the Nats' new leadoff man, who was acquired from the Twins for Alex Meyer this offseason.
  • Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca chronicles the early work that former Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero has done so far in his attempts to rediscover his mechanics. As Dividi notes, given the $7.5MM owed to Romero in each of the next three seasons, Toronto has no reason to rush and every reason to make sure they get it right.
  • Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that struggling ace Roy Halladay will have as long of a leash as he needs to get things sorted out: "If he needs 30 starts he’ll get it. As long as he’s healthy and he keeps working at it — as much as he needs."
  • Chris Dickerson is set to be added to the Orioles' 40-man and 25-man roster today, but speculation that it could result in a Steve Pearce DFA doesn't make sense, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports, who hears that the upcoming move won't involve Pearce.

Blue Jays Designate Alex Burnett For Assignment

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The Blue Jays announced that they have designated right-hander Alex Burnett for assignment, the team announced in a press release. The move clears a 40-man roster spot for Casper Wells, who was claimed on waivers earlier this afternoon.

Toronto claimed Burnett off waivers at the end of Spring Training when the Twins tried to remove him from the 40-man roster. Minnesota selected the 25-year-old out of high school in the 12th round of the 2005 draft.

Burnett's command has improved each year since his 2010 debut, but his strikeout rate has declined as well. In 170 career innings, he has a 4.61 ERA, 5.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9. Last year he struck out just 36 batters in 71 2/3 innings, though he managed a solid 92.7 mph on his fastball.

Blue Jays Claim Casper Wells

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The Blue Jays have claimed Casper Wells off waivers from the Mariners, according to Peter Gammons of the MLB Network (on Twitter). The Mariners designated Wells for assignment back on March 31.

Wells, 28, came the Mariners from Detroit as part of the Doug Fister trade. In 432 plate appearances for the M's, Wells hit .225/.304/.406 with 17 home runs. Wells is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has abused left-handed pitching to the tune of a .264/.349/.489 batting line.

The Mariners elected to go with an outfield mix of Michael Saunders, Michael Morse, Franklin Gutierrez, Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay, leaving no room for Wells on the 25-man roster. As MLB.com's Greg Johns notes (on Twitter), today was the deadline for the Mariners to make a decision regarding Wells' future.

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