Red Sox Sign Taylor Cole To Minor League Deal
The Red Sox announced that Taylor Cole has been signed to a minor league contract, with the right-hander receiving a non-roster invitation to Spring Training. Since Cole began the offseason as a minor league free agent, he is eligible to sign during the lockout.
Cole posted a 2.08 ERA over 8 2/3 innings in the Dominican Winter League, which marked his first action of any kind since he pitched for the Angels in 2019. Beyond the canceled minor league season and postponed MLB season in 2020, Cole was also set back by shoulder problems that forced him to undergo surgery in August 2020. He didn’t pitch at all last season while recovering, until finally returning to the mound this winter to audition for scouts in the Dominican.
Cole posted a 4.97 ERA over 88 2/3 career innings with the Blue Jays and Angels from 2017-19, with a 23.9% strikeout rate and a 49.4% grounder rate. The righty had some bigger strikeout totals during his minor league career, and his grounder-heavy attack did a generally good job of avoiding the long ball until the homer-heavy 2019 Triple-A season, as Cole surrendered five home runs over 23 1/3 total innings with Anaheim’s Triple-A and high-A affiliates.
He hasn’t yet had a chance to rebound from that rough 2019 campaign, but the Red Sox clearly saw enough in the DWL to take the low-risk move of inviting Cole to their spring camp. Cole has worked as both a starter and reliever during his career, thus perhaps lining up as a swingman or long relief option as Boston looks to cover innings and create flexibility within its pitching staff.
NPB’s Seibu Lions Sign Burch Smith
The Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced yesterday that they’ve signed right-hander Burch Smith. The 31-year-old elected minor league free agency at the end of the season after being outrighted off the A’s 40-man roster in September.
Smith has appeared in parts of five big league seasons, including each of the past four. He broke in with ten appearances for the 2013 Padres but didn’t make it back to the game’s highest level until 2018, when he tossed 78 innings as a Rule 5 draftee with the Royals. He managed just a 6.92 ERA that year, though, and he was cut loose at the end of the season.
The following winter, Smith latched on with the Brewers on a minor league pact. He cracked the MLB roster by May and spent a few months on the 40-man before being designated for assignment. He landed with the Giants on waivers, then was traded to the A’s over the offseason as part of an ultra-rare swap between Bay Area clubs. Smith spent two seasons with Oakland, tossing 12 innings of three-run ball during the abbreviated 2020 campaign but struggling to a 5.40 ERA over 43 1/3 innings last year.
Since returning to the majors in 2018, Smith owns a 5.78 ERA with a slightly below-average 19.9% strikeout rate across 154 2/3 innings. Until last season, though, he’d generated some decent swing-and-miss rates and he’s been quite stingy with walks over the past two years. Smith has worked exclusively as a reliever since 2018, but Lions’ general manager Hisanobu Watanabe indicated as part of the team’s press release that he’d be given an opportunity to land a spot in their starting rotation.
CPBL’s Uni-President Lions Sign Wilin Rosario
Earlier this month, the Uni-President Lions of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League announced an agreement with catcher Wilin Rosario (h/t to the Taipei Times). The 32-year-old (33 in February) is best known in the United States for his five-year MLB run with the Rockies.
A right-handed hitter, Rosario broke into the majors as a September call-up in 2011. He assumed the primary role behind the dish in Colorado the following season, tallying 400+ plate appearances in each of the next three years. A bat-first backstop, Rosario provided above-average offensive numbers (even after accounting for Coors Field’s hitter-friendly nature), popping 20+ homers in each of his first two full campaigns.
By 2014, however, Rosario’s productivity at the plate tailed off, at which point his longstanding issues as a pitch framer and ball blocker became more notable. No other backstop was charged with more passed balls than Rosario (42) between 2012 and 2014. After a second consecutive subpar campaign with the bat as well, Colorado outrighted the Dominican Republic native off their 40-man roster.
Rosario hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since being cut loose by the Rox. He signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization in 2016, re-signing there for 2017 as well. After a two-year stint with a monstrous .330/.390/.625 line, Rosario made the jump to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in 2018. He struggled to a .242/.285/.374 mark there but returned to affiliated ball on a minor league deal with the Twins in advance of the 2019 campaign.
Despite a decent showing at the plate with Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate, Rosario didn’t get a call to the majors that year. He didn’t play in 2020 but spent a bit of last season in the Mexican League. He’ll now make his first foray to playing in Taiwan, which will give him experience at the highest levels in each of MLB, the KBO, NPB, the Mexican League and the CPBL.
Notable 2021-22 International Signings
The 2021-22 international signing period is officially underway, and though this signing period is open until Dec. 15, 2022, many of the big names have already signed. Teams have long since lined up deals with newly eligible teenage players, so the news today largely represents confirmation of what was anticipated. Still, it’s a day of no small moment, particularly for the young men embarking upon professional careers.
Let’s round up some of the most notable signings of the day. Most of these agreements have been known for a while, as both Baseball America’s Ben Badler (signings tracker; scouting links) and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter feed; rankings) have listed each club’s expected landing spot and approximate signing bonus on their rankings for months. You can find each team’s total bonus pool and other information on the process right here. Check the above links for further information and other signings. Here are a few key deals reported on Twitter by Sanchez:
- Roderick Arias, SS, Yankees: The Yankees have come to an agreement with MLB.com’s top-ranked international free agent on the market for a signing amount of $4.oMM, reports Sanchez. The Dominican switch-hitter runs well, gets good reviews for his footwork and arm strength at shortstop, and brings a solid hit tool from both sides of the plate.
- Cristhian Vaquero, OF, Nationals: For the second consecutive season, the Nationals appear to have nabbed one of the top prospects on the international board. They have come to a $4.9MM agreement to sign the left-handed Cuban outfielder, the top prospect on Baseball America’s board. The Nats are essentially all-in on Vaquero, who will soak up more than ninety percent of their available pool money.
- Ricardo Cabrera, SS, Reds: MLB.com’s third-ranked international prospect has come to an agreement with the Reds. No signing amount has been listed as of this time.
- William Bergolla Jr., SS, Phillies: Philadelphia has come to a $2.2MM agreement with one of the top prospects on the board. While MLB.com has the Venezuelan fourth on their board, Baseball America is slightly less bullish, ranking him eighth overall in this class. The 17-year-old right-hander is the son of William Bergolla, who was a Reds farmhand who appeared in 17 games with Cincinnati back in 2005.
- Oscar Colas, OF, White Sox: The White Sox reached a $2.7MM agreement with Colas, one of the more intriguing prospects on this year’s board, in part because he’s on the older side for most international prospects. The Cuban outfielder is 23-years-old, but that could make him a quick-rising prospect for Chicago.
Several other well-regarded prospects also secured bonuses of $2MM or more, and we’ll keep this list updated throughout the day as more agreements come to light:
- Rockies, $2.8MM, SS Dyan Jorge
- Mariners, $2.5MM, OF Lazaro Montes
- Braves, $2.5MM, Diego Benitez
- Tigers, $2.2MM, SS Javier Osorio
- Giants, $2.2MM, SS Ryan Reckley
- Blue Jays, $2MM+, C Luis Meza
- Rangers, $2MM, OF Anthony Gutierrez
International Signing Period Opens Today
MLB’s 2021-22 International signing period opens today, making it possible for teams to consummate deals with international amateurs from countries outside of the United States and Canada.
Some agreements have been in place for years, but today is the day that players can finally sign on the dotted line. Not all players will actually sign today, but many of the player agreements should come to light. Baseball America’s Ben Badler has put together the list of international free agent signings for every team thus far, with more expected to pour in throughout the day.
Let’s refresh the international signing period basics. Though the signing period has traditionally opened on July 2, the pandemic delayed the opening of the 2020-2021 signing period. This is the second consecutive season that international signings have opened on January 15th instead. Teams have an 11-month window to sign international amateurs, with this year’s signing period set to close on December 15, 2022.
Prospects aged 16 and up – born after Sept. 1, 2005 – are eligible to sign minor league contracts with teams for signing bonuses that fall within the constraints of a league-allotted bonus pool. MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently posted each team’s pool allotment, with smaller market clubs typically having the largest available pools. This year, the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Guardians, Orioles, Padres, Pirates, Rockies, and Royals each with $6,262,600 to spend.
Jesse Sanchez annually tracks this signing period for MLB.com, providing a list of some of today’s top available players. The Yankees are expected to sign top Roderick Arias, the top prospect in this year’s class, per Sanchez.
Minor MLB Transactions: 1/14/22
A few more minor league signings to supplement the recent flurry of minor league deals around the league…
- The Tigers are bringing back right-handed pitcher Ricardo Pinto after he spent all of the 2021 season in Detroit’s minor league ranks. Pinto was previously a prospect of some note, pitching in the 2016 Futures Game in the Phillies organization before making his Major League debut a year later. A tough debut season has resulted in a whirlwind few years, as Pinto has since been stashed on various teams’ Triple-A rosters and made a tour through the KBO League in 2020. Between Double-A and Triple-A last year the right-hander pitched to a 4.29 ERA in 123 innings (23 starts), with solid peripherals dipping upon reaching Triple-A.
- The Braves have re-signed infielder Ryan Goins to a minor league pact. The 33-year-old Goins saw a good chunk of big league action from 2013-2017, serving as an oft-used utility player in Toronto. He’s bounced between a trio of teams since then, last suiting up at the major league level for the White Sox in 2020. The left-handed hitter will bring his versatile glove back to the Atlanta organization, where he spent all of his time last year in Triple-A.
- Drew Jackson and Christian Bethancourt are joining the A’s for the first time. Both players are incredibly versatile, as Jackson appeared everywhere but the catcher position for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate last year. The 28-year-old Jackson sported a patient .251/.397/.424 line across 85 games, chipping in nine home runs and 24 stolen bases (in 27 tries). The 30-year-old Bethancourt was once a frequenter of top prospect lists as a catcher in Atlanta’s talent pipeline, but has recently bounced around trying to cut it as a two-way player. The pitching project didn’t gain much traction last year but the rest of the catcher’s play was encouraging, as he fielded four positions and slashed a solid .281/.339/.468 with 14 home runs across 92 games for the Pirates’ Triple-A team.
Dodgers Re-Sign Yefry Ramirez
The Los Angeles Dodgers have re-signed pitcher Yefry Ramirez to a minor league deal according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. The right-hander spent last year in the Dodgers organization, with the bulk of his time stemming from his stay at Triple-A.
Ramirez has typically worked as a starter throughout his career, though his lone big league action in 2021 came out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. The 28-year-old’s season ERA sits at 0.00 after pitching two innings of mop-up duty against the Diamondbacks on August 1. Ramirez was designated for assignment a few days later to make room for LA’s ill-fated summer signing of Cole Hamels.
The right-hander didn’t fare nearly as well in a hitter-friendly Triple-A environment, however. In 25 games (22 starts) and 113 innings sandwiched around that major league call-up, Ramirez sported a 5.02 ERA. His 22.9% strikeout rate at the level was respectable but a corresponding 10.2% walk rate speaks to a growing command problem, as Ramirez has seen his control numbers worsen after every promotion.
That Ramirez has received as many promotions as he has however speaks to his talent level. A converted-infielder, Ramirez has now been a part of six organizations and seen major league time with three of them. Similarly encouraging is that Ramirez regularly carves up competition in the Dominican Winter League, even if his current 1.42 ERA there is accompanied by nearly a walk per inning.
All told, the right-hander is likely to occupy a similar depth role with the Dodgers next year, as further pitcher acquisitions should push him back to the minors. Still, he stands a good chance of receiving another call-up at some point given the team’s current roster construction.
Padres Re-Sign Jose Castillo, Webster Rivas
The Padres have re-signed reliever José Castillo and catcher Webster Rivas to minor league contracts, according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. Both players were cut from San Diego’s 40-man roster at the end of the season.
Castillo tossed 38 1/3 innings across 37 relief appearances for the Friars in 2018. He averaged 94.9 MPH on his fastball that year and posted excellent numbers, looking to be a high-leverage reliever in the making. Castillo worked to a 3.29 ERA with a huge 34.7% strikeout rate and a fine 8% walk percentage in his age-22 campaign.
Unfortunately, Castillo has barely pitched since then on account of a brutal run of injuries. The southpaw missed the first four months of the 2019 season due to a flexor tendon strain. He returned to make one MLB appearance, then suffered a season-ending hand ligament tear. Castillo missed the entire 2020 season dealing with a teres major strain, and ran into perhaps his greatest setback of all last March. Early in Spring Training, the Venezuela native went down with a forearm issue that necessitated Tommy John surgery.
Despite only making one big league appearance over the past three years, Castillo accrued enough service time while on the injured list to qualify for arbitration this offseason. The Friars non-tendered him rather than carry him on the 40-man roster all winter, but they apparently quickly worked to bring him back on a minor league deal. Given that he’s only ten months removed from the Tommy John procedure, the 26-year-old is probably targeting a midseason return to the mound.
Rivas, a 12-year minor league veteran, was rewarded for his persistence with a long-awaited MLB debut last May. The right-handed hitter got into 24 games, tallying 77 plate appearances in a reserve capacity behind the dish. Rivas spent more time with the Padres’ top affiliate in El Paso, where he hit .252/.339/.393 with five home runs across 186 plate appearances.
San Diego outrighted Rivas off the 40-man roster at the end of the year. Presumably, he’ll get a chance to partake in big league Spring Training, although it seems likely he’ll open the season with El Paso. The Padres already have quite a bit of catching depth on the 40-man roster. Austin Nola looks like the #1 option if healthy, with Víctor Caratini, the recently-acquired Jorge Alfaro and top prospect Luis Campusano all competing for playing time.
Twins Sign Curtis Terry To Minors Deal
The Twins recently signed first baseman Curtis Terry to a minor league contract, according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. He’d elected minor league free agency after being outrighted off the Rangers’ 40-man roster at the end of the season.
Terry had spent his entire career in the Texas organization, joining the club as a 13th-round draft pick in 2015. The big first baseman spent his first four-plus seasons in the low minors, flashing solid power potential but posting unimpressive strikeout and walk numbers.
After a slow progression up the minor league ladder, Terry broke through in 2021. Pushed directly from High-A to Triple-A Round Rock, the 25-year-old posted strong offensive production to earn a big league look. After hitting .294/.375/.583 through his first 269 plate appearances with the Express, Terry was selected onto the big league roster in July. He only appeared in 13 MLB games, struggling over 48 trips to the dish. And Terry couldn’t quite keep up his early-season pace even after being optioned back to Round Rock, where he finished the year a .275/.349/.533 hitter.
Terry has played exclusively first base or designated hitter in his professional career. That lack of defensive value obviously places immense pressure on him to hit, but Terry’s coming off a decent Triple-A debut and adds some right-handed power to the top levels of the Minnesota system.
Yankees Sign Ryan Weber, Manny Banuelos
The Yankees recently signed righty Ryan Weber and southpaw Manny Bañuelos to minor league contracts, according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. Both pitchers were minor league free agents, allowing them to sign non-roster deals during the ongoing transactions freeze.
Weber has pitched in the big leagues in each of the past seven years. The sinkerballer has worked in a swing capacity, starting 16 of his 63 appearances and tallying 167 cumulative innings. While he’s only punched out 14.9% of batters faced at the MLB level, Weber has demonstrated excellent control (5.4% walk rate) and racked up grounders on over half the balls in play against him.
The 31-year-old only made four MLB appearances last season, although they came with three different teams. He made one outing each with the Red Sox and Brewers and pitched in a pair of games for the Mariners. Weber spent the bulk of the year with those teams’ respective Triple-A affiliates, combining for 103 1/3 frames of 4.18 ERA ball with a minuscule 3.1% walk percentage in generally hitter-friendly settings.
While Weber has the more recent MLB run of the Yankees’ two new pitching additions, Bañuelos is probably the more familiar name to much of the fanbase. Added by the Yanks as an amateur out of Mexico during the 2008-09 signing period, Bañuelos fairly quickly developed into one of the sport’s top pitching prospects. Baseball America ranked the southpaw among the game’s top 50 overall farmhands entering both the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.
Unfortunately, Bañuelos’ progress was beset by injuries as he hit the high minors. He missed the entire 2013 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and wasn’t as effective upon returning. New York traded him to the Braves in advance of the 2015 season. Bañuelos debuted with seven appearances for Atlanta that year, then didn’t pitch in the majors again until 2019 with the White Sox.
Those two seasons mark his only big league experience to date. Across 77 innings, Bañuelos owns a 6.31 ERA with subpar strikeout and walk rates (17.7% and 12.6%, respectively). He’s spent the past two seasons pitching professionally in foreign leagues, appearing in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League and in the Mexican League. He’ll return to affiliated ball with his original organization in an attempt to get back to the majors for the first time in three years.