Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Transactions

Blue Jays Select Tommy Milone

By | at

The Blue Jays announced they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Tommy Milone. Reliever Joel Payamps has been optioned to the alternate training site in a corresponding move. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Jays placed reliever Kirby Yates on the 60-day injured list. Yates will miss the entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Toronto signed Milone to a minor league deal in February. The soft-tossing lefty started nine games between the Orioles and Braves in 2020, including getting the nod for Baltimore on Opening Day. After a decent start to the year with the O’s, Milone got knocked around in Atlanta. All told, he pitched to a 6.69 ERA/4.12 SIERA despite a career-best 22.1% strikeout rate (just worse than league average) and a stellar 3.3% walk rate.

Milone has never missed many bats or induced ground balls at an especially strong clip. However, the 34-year-old’s ability to throw strikes at an incredible rate has continued to get him MLB opportunities. When Milone takes the mound for the Jays, he’ll be suiting up for his ninth different team over the past eleven years.

Nationals To Sign Jonathan Lucroy

By | at

The Nationals have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Jonathan Lucroy, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (Twitter links).

Lucroy returned to the free agent market earlier this week when he asked to released from his previous minors deal with the White Sox, since Chicago wasn’t going to include him on the big league roster.  The Cubs showed some interest during Lucroy’s brief second stint on the open market, and MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported earlier today that the Nats were considering the veteran backstop’s services.

A two-time All-Star in his heyday with the Brewers, Lucroy’s production has fallen off in recent years, as he has hit only .237/.297/.338 over 782 plate appearances with four different organizations since the start of the 2018 season.  If Lucroy sees any time on Washington’s active roster, the Nats will become his eighth different franchise, and 2021 will be Lucroy’s 12th Major League season.

Yan Gomes and Alex Avila already provide the Nationals with a veteran tandem behind the plate, and Tres Barrera was also due to be called up before Washington’s season-opening series with the Mets was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Nats’ clubhouse.  It’s possible Lucroy could be a replacement for Welington Castillo, who also sided a minor league deal with D.C. over the winter but was sidelined with a shoulder problem throughout Spring Training.

Braves Sign Yolmer Sanchez, Carl Edwards Jr., Jesse Biddle To Minor League Contracts

By | at

The Braves have signed infielder Yolmer Sanchez, right-hander Carl Edwards Jr., and left-hander Jesse Biddle to minor league deals, according to MLB.com’s official transactions page.  In addition, The Athletic’s David O’Brien reports (via Twitter) that outfielder Phillip Ervin has been outrighted to the club’s alternate training site after Ervin was designated for assignment last week.

Sanchez was seemingly on track to be the Orioles’ regular second baseman heading into the season, though the O’s somewhat surprisingly DFA’ed and then released the veteran infielder last week.  It didn’t take long for Sanchez to land another job, with the Braves perhaps looking for some additional infield depth while Ehire Adrianza is away from the team due to a personal matter.  (Jason Kipnis and Ryan Goins are two more veteran infield options at the alternate training site.)

Though Sanchez has now been a member of four different organizations, he has still only worn a White Sox uniform at the MLB level.  Sanchez hasn’t hit much (.245/.300/.360 in 2459 PA) over his 657 career Major League games, though he has delivered some very impressive glovework as a second baseman and third baseman over his career.  His second base expertise was recognized in 2019 when Sanchez won a Gold Glove.

Biddle is back for his second stint in an Atlanta uniform, as he made his big league debut with the Braves back in 2018.  Biddle delivered a 3.11 ERA/3.66 SIERA and an above-average 25.2% strikeout rate over 63 2/3 relief innings in that rookie season, and looked to have carved out a niche for himself in the bullpen after being a well-regarded pitching prospect in the Phillies farm system earlier in his career.  Since then, however, Biddle has struggled to an 8.16 ERA over 28 2/3 innings with four different clubs in 2019-20.

Edwards is also technically returning to the Braves, as he opted out of his previous minor league deal with the team last week.  The 29-year-old posted a 3.06 ERA over 159 relief innings for the Cubs from 2015-18 but Edwards was hit hard during a 2019 season that saw him post an 8.47 ERA over 17 innings with the Cubs and Padres.  A shoulder injury hampered Edwards during that season and the injury bug struck again in 2020, as Edwards pitched only 4 2/3 innings for the Mariners before he was sidelined by a forearm strain in early August.

Reds Claim Beau Taylor, Designate Deivy Grullon

By | at

The Reds have claimed catcher Beau Taylor off waivers from the Indians, and designated catcher Deivy Grullon for assignment.  Taylor will be optioned to the Reds’ alternate training site.  The club also announced that right-hander Edgar Garcia is also headed for the alternate training site, as Garcia (who was designated for assignment earlier this week) has cleared waivers and been outrighted off the 40-man roster.

The 31-year-old Taylor is moving onto his fourth different organization in as many seasons, with an MLB resume that includes 25 games with Oakland, Toronto, and Cleveland.  Originally a fifth-round pick for the Athletics back in 2011, Taylor has only a .492 OPS over 60 big league appearances, but a much more respectable .256/.373/.385 slash line in 798 PA at the Triple-A level.  Cincinnati now has both Taylor and Rocky Gale at the alternate site as depth options while top prospect Tyler Stephenson and utilityman Kyle Farmer are handling backup catcher duties behind Tucker Barnhart on the big league roster.

Grullon was himself a waiver claim acquisition for the Reds, selected away from the Red Sox back in December.  Grullon has appeared in five total Major League games — four with the Phillies in 2019 and one with the Red Sox in 2020 — and 606 minor league games in a pro career that began back in 2013.  The 25-year-old didn’t hit much until the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and Grullon has delivered a .283/.354/.496 slash line over 457 Triple-A plate appearances.  Considering this resume and Grullon’s well-regarded throwing arm, it’s quite possible another team could pluck Grullon off the waiver wire.

Diamondbacks Place Nick Ahmed On 10-Day Injured List, Promote Geraldo Perdomo

By | at

3:18PM: The D’Backs have officially announced the move.  Ahmed’s IL placement is retroactive to March 31.

11:27AM: The Diamondbacks are preparing to promote shortstop Geraldo Perdomo to make his Major League debut, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter). It’s certainly early in the season for this type of promotion, but Nick Ahmed’s continued knee pain may be forcing the issue. It’s looking like Ahmed will soon head to the injured list.

The 21-year-old Perdomo has just 26 games at High-A, so his promotion does come as somewhat of a surprise. With the minor league season yet to get underway, however, there’s certainly some sense to getting Perdomo some game action in a short-term fill-in capacity. Thus far in his professional career, Perdomo has shown a tremendous approach at the plate with well-above-average bat-to-ball skills. He has not yet displayed much power, but between his approach at the plate, speed, and defensive skill-set, the Diamondbacks expect Perdomo to eventually take over as their starting shortstop.

That said, Ahmed signed a contract extension in February 2020 that runs through 2023 season, so he is very much still Arizona’s shortstop of the present and the team can take its time in developing Perdomo. Fangraphs ranked Perdomo 68th on their list of the game’s best prospects, his highest finish as a consensus choice in top-100 rankings from Baseball America (75th), MLB.com (79th), Baseball Prospectus (90th), and The Athletic’s Keith Law (91st).

Angels Place Ty Buttrey On Restricted List

By | at

APRIL 3: Buttrey has released a statement via Instagram explaining his reasons for stepping away from the game, posted to Twitter here by the Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.  Buttrey made his decision for his own personal happiness, saying that “My whole life I’ve played the game for everyone else.  I just wanted to prove everyone wrong….As time went on, baseball became more of a business and less of a game.  I couldn’t help but notice that my love and passion for this game had started to diminish.”

Initially driven by the challenge of overcoming his doubters and making a good living for himself, Buttrey grew increasingly dissatisfied, saying “Unfortunately, money and proving people wrong are short-term motivators, especially when you never actually loved the game you dedicated the last 24 years of your life to.  I dreaded every aspect of the process to become the best, but who the hell throws away 24 years of work?  I want to finally be known as just Ty, not Ty, the baseball player.  I completely lost the drive to continue doing something that I didn’t love because in my mind, I already accomplished it.  It was never my dream to make it to the Hall of Fame, win a World Series, or become an All-Star.  In my head, I accomplished what I wanted, to prove people wrong and accomplish something extremely hard.”

“I couldn’t be any more excited to finally become just Ty.  I love my family, my close teammates, friends and especially Halo Nation.  I’m tired of not being there for my loved ones, and I’m tired of pretending and lying to the best fan base in the world.  Life is super simple.  Find your true passion, find people you love and don’t give a damn what any person outside those lines thinks.  People love to have control over others.”

“It’s time for Sam [Buttrey’s wife] and I to start living the life we really want.  I am beyond excited to finally be a normal, hardworking dude, that loves his family and friends. Life is short so just do what you love and don’t ever look back!  I’m going to miss the fans more than I’m going to miss the game.  I want to thank everyone who has supported my wife and I throughout my entire career and the Angels organization for believing in me and giving me the opportunity.”

APRIL 2: In surprising news, Angels right-handed reliever Ty Buttrey has chosen not to report to the team, manager Joe Maddon told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and other media members. Buttrey is walking away from the game, at least for now, and the Angels have placed him on the restricted list.

Buttrey joined the Angels in a 2018 trade with the Red Sox for second baseman Ian Kinsler, the year the hurler debuted in the majors. He has since pitched to a 4.30 ERA/3.70 SIERA, averaged 96.1 mph on his fastball, and logged a 24.8 percent strikeout rate against a 7.5 percent walk rate in 115 innings. However, Buttrey posted career-low numbers in 2020, when he notched personal lows in ERA (5.81) and strikeout percentage (16.1) over 26 1/3 frames. The 28-year-old hadn’t been due to become eligible for arbitration until after this season.

Despite last year’s downturn in performance, Buttrey looked like a good bet to occupy a spot in the Angels’ remade bullpen when the spring started. The Angels optioned Buttrey earlier in the week, though, leaving him out of their season-opening picture.

“He’s going to be a big part of how we conclude this year,” Maddon said when the Angels demoted Buttrey (via Daniel Guerrero of MLB.com), but it’s now possible he won’t pitch at all this season or ever again.

Twins Place Josh Donaldson On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Brent Rooker

By | at

The Twins have placed Josh Donaldson on the 10-day injured list because of a mild right hamstring strain, per the team. The move is retroactive to April 2nd. Outfielder Brent Rooker has been recalled to take his roster spot.

Donaldson left the Twins’ opener after doubling in his first at-bat of the year. Donaldson has, of course, dealt with myriad injuries since his heyday in Toronto. This looks to be another of the ticky-tack variety. That’s not to diminish the difficulty of dealing with this sort of injury, as hamstring injuries are notoriously fickle. Still, the assumption right now would be that Donaldson shouldn’t miss too much time. Luis Arraez is slated to play third base today, and he could be a frequent replacement while Donaldson is out.

Rooker debuted last season with 21 plate appearances. He notched seven hits, including two doubles and a homer. A first round pick by the Twins in 2017, Rooker is a power bat who could be especially helpful as a pinch-hitter for the rest of the current series while they don’t have a designated hitter at their disposal.  The Twins return to American League rules on Monday when they face the Tigers in Detroit.

Rays Place Ryan Sherriff On Restricted List, Select Joseph Odom

By | at

The Rays have placed lefty Ryan Sherriff on the restricted list. The club says that he is “going to take some time away from the game.” To respect his privacy, they will withhold anything more specific for now. Catcher Joseph Odom has been selected to take his place on the roster, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links).

The 30-year-old Sherriff was one of three southpaws in the Rays’ bullpen. Cody Reed and Jeffrey Springs remain. Big picture, Shane McClanahan and Josh Fleming are two more southpaws who will figure into the Rays’ pitching mix at some point this season. Brendan McKay could also make an impact when he returns from the injured list.

As for Sherriff, he was brilliant for the Rays in his 10 appearances last season. He did not allow a run over 9 2/3 innings while coaxing a 56.7 percent groundball rate. He was a late addition to the playoff festivities, joining the active roster for the World Series and tossing two more scoreless frames.

Odom, 29, is new to the Rays’ organization this season. He signed as a free agent this winter after making his Major League debut with the Mariners in 2020. He slashed .129/.209/.128 across 44 plate appearances. For as long as he’s on the roster, Odom will be a third catching option behind Mike Zunino and Francisco Mejia, which may allow manager Kevin Cash to give Mejia an opportunity to DH. Odom was a member of Tampa’s taxi squad.

Braves Place Ehire Adrianza On Injured List, Recall Johan Camargo

By | at

The Braves have recalled infielder Johan Camargo and placed Ehire Adrianza on the injured list, per the team.

Adrianza isn’t hurt, but he was away from the team for personal reasons, per David O’Brien of the Athletic (via Twitter). He now must go through COVID-19 protocols before returning to the team. The 31-year-old infielder is in his first season with the Braves after spending the past four in Minnesota.

While he’s away, Camargo will step into a familiar role as a utility player off the bench. Camargo, 27, has appeared in 349 games with the Braves over the past four seasons. He owns a career triple slash of .261/.319/.430, though he has struggled at the plate the past two seasons.

Angels Sign David Fletcher To Five-Year Extension

By | at

The Angels made a key move on Opening Day, announcing a five-year, $26MM extension with second baseman David Fletcher. The contract will begin this season and run through the 2025 campaign. Fletcher, a client of the Ballengee Group, will earn $2MM in 2021, $4MM in 2022, $6MM in 2023 and 2024, and $6.5MM in the final guaranteed season of the deal. There is also a club option worth $8MM ($1.5MM buyout) for 2026 and an $8.5MM option ($1.5MM buyout) for 2027, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic tweets.

Fletcher wouldn’t have been eligible for arbitration until after this season, and he hadn’t been scheduled to reach free agency until the end of the 2024 campaign, but extending him will give the Angels the ability to lock in his annual salaries for the foreseeable future and delay a trip to the open market. It’s easy to see why the Angels are making this move, as the 26-year-old Fletcher has emerged as an important building block for the franchise since it spent a sixth-round draft pick on him in 2015.

Fletcher made his major league debut three years after the Angels picked him, and he has since proven that he’s a defensively versatile player who can at least offer league-average offense. He has lined up all over the infield and played some outfield, though the majority of his experience has come at second, short and third. With Anthony Rendon owning third for the long haul and Jose Iglesias set to play shortstop for the Angels this year, Fletcher will be their primary second baseman in 2021. He has fared quite well there with 13 Defensive Runs Saved and a 7.4 Ultimate Zone Rating in 100 games.

Fletcher has offered almost no power at the plate with an .098 isolated power mark and 10 home runs in 1,190 trips, but his career 10.3 percent strikeout mark is outstanding, as is his lifetime .292 average. Last year represented a personal-best offensive campaign for Fletcher, who batted .319/.376/.425 (123 wRC+) in 230 PA.

With this agreement in place, Fletcher joins Rendon and center fielder Mike Trout as cornerstone Angels position players who are locked up through at least the next half-decade.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported an agreement was close. Jeff Passan of ESPN and Ardaya reported the numbers, and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweeted the two sides had a deal in place. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top