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Phillies Sign Josh Harrison

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The Phillies have signed infielder Josh Harrison to a minor league contract and invited him to Spring Training, per a team announcement. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman had recently reported that the MSM Sports client was weighing minor league interest from as many as five clubs (Twitter link).

A two-time All-Star with the Pirates, Harrison spent the 2019 season with the Tigers after signing a one-year pact to serve as their primary second baseman. However, the deal didn’t pan out, as shoulder and hamstring injuries combined to limit the versatile Harrison to just 36 games, during which time he batted .175/.218/.263.

Last year’s lost season notwithstanding, the 32-year-old Harrison isn’t far removed from a productive four-year run as a key contributor with the Pirates. From 2014-17, he batted a combined .290/.331/.428 with 37 homers, 118 doubles, 17 triples and 59 stolen bases while playing second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield corners.

Matt Duffy Clears Release Waivers

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Third baseman Matt Duffy has cleared release waivers after being designated for assignment by the Rays and is now a free agent, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter).

The Tampa Bay organization explored the trade market for Duffy before making the move to designate him and clearly didn’t find much in the way of interest. The 28-year-old (29 in January) was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $2.9MM in what would’ve been his final trip through the arbitration process, and after he was limited to just 46 unproductive games in 2019, other clubs apparently didn’t find him to be a particularly palatable option — even in a buy-low capacity.

Injuries have devastated what looked early on to be a promising career for Duffy. The 2012 18th-round pick debuted to minimal fanfare with the Giants in 2014, but his 2015 season earned him a runner-up showing in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Duffy slashed .295/.334/.428 with 12 homers, 28 doubles, six triples and 12 steals (in 12 tries) that year — all while playing brilliantly rated defense at third base. He got off to a slow start in 2016 but was still highly regarded enough that the Rays acquired him as a focal point in the trade that sent lefty Matt Moore to San Francisco.

Duffy was injured at the time of the trade but returned to make his Rays debut in mid August. However, he was only able to suit up for 21 games before that same Achilles injury ended his season and ultimately required surgical repair. While he was recovering from that surgery, Duffy underwent a second procedure to remove loose bodies from his heel. He ultimately missed the entire 2017 season.

Duffy dealt with a hamstring injury in 2018 but was healthy for most of the season and in many ways resembled the player the Rays initially hoped they’d acquired. His already modest power was notably absent, but Duffy hit for average and got on base (.294/.361/.368 in 560 plate appearances) while playing quality defense in the eyes of Ultimate Zone Rating. Hamstring issues once again sidelined Duffy for much of the 2019 season, however, and the Rays turned to other options in his absence — most notably Yandy Diaz and Mike Brosseau.

Now that he’s a free agent, Duffy should find other clubs with interest on minor league pacts or perhaps on incentive-laden deals with a lower base rate than his previously projected level of pay. Although he’s never consistently hit for power in the Majors, Duffy has generally shown the ability to hit for a high average (which helps to mitigate his pedestrian walk rate) and has shown good bat-to-ball skills (16.1 percent career strikeout rate). Paired with a well-regarded glove at third base and the ability to handle shortstop as well, that should pique the interest of a team with some needs on the left side of the infield.

Mariners Sign Kendall Graveman

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2:14pm: The Mariners have announced the signing. Their 40-man roster is now up to 38 players.

9:35am: The Mariners have agreed to a one-year, MLB deal with righty Kendall Graveman, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter links). It’ll promise him $2MM, a sum that includes a $1.5MM salary for 2020 and a $500K buyout of a $3.5MM club option for 2021.

Kendall Graveman | Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

As we explored last month, Graveman worked hard to put himself back on the map after returning from Tommy John surgery. While the Cubs ultimately decided not to hang onto the hurler for a $3MM price tag, the M’s obviously saw enough to bring him in for a lesser guarantee — while also picking up an affordable option if things go well.

There’s also a provision to allow some extra earning power for Graveman, a client of Sports One Athlete Management. He’ll have the ability to earn up to $1.5MM in incentives for each year of the contract (assuming that he’s picked up for 2021). It’s not yet known how readily achievable those extra dollars are.

Seattle makes for a perfect landing spot for the 28-year-old hurler, who was able to return to the mound — but not the majors — during the 2019 season. He’ll likely have the inside track on a rotation spot, with the backstop of serving as a swingman out of the pen.

Graveman was a productive starter with the Athletics for a solid stretch earlier in his career. Up until the roadblock he hit in 2018, the Mississippi State product had dialed up 411 2/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball. While he never was and surely never will punch out many hitters, Graveman boasts a strong 51.7% groundball rate for his career.

Though he was not able to make it back to the majors last year, Graveman made it into competitive action in the minors. That gave the Mariners a chance to get a look at his form. And it should leave full confidence that Graveman will be a full participant in Spring Training from the outset.

Orioles Announce Multiple Minor-League Signings

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The Orioles have announced a variety of minor-league signings. Among the notable players is outfielder Mason Williams, who received a brief look in the majors last September after a strong Triple-A season.

A few other players with MLB experience are heading to the Baltimore organization in hopes of earning a new shot at the majors. Southpaws Hunter Cervenka and Rob Zastryzny have appeared in multiple big-league campaigns. Likewise, infielders Jose Rondon and Jesmuel Valentin have seen the Show.

It’s possible to imagine a path back for each of those players. Williams will face stiff competition but obviously has impressed the club to an extent. The O’s clearly like the idea of creating some competition in camp for the left-handed side of their bullpen. Present top options include Richard Bleier, Paul Fry, and Tanner Scott. And the middle infield corps could be an area of change depending upon what the club does with Jonathan Villar and Hanser Alberto. The former could be a trade or non-tender candidate; it’s possible to imagine the latter drawing trade inquiries as well.

Here’s the rest of the slate of announced signings:

Twins To Sign Blaine Hardy, Juan Graterol, Ryan Garton

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12:11pm: Backstop Juan Graterol and righty Ryan Garton are also heading to the Minnesota org, according to Triple-A communications director Nate Rowan.

Graterol, 30, spent some time with Minny in 2018 and has appeared briefly in each of the past four MLB campaigns. Garton, who is closing in on his own 30th birthday, has thrown 64 1/3 innings of 4.90 ERA ball in the bigs. Last year, he provided the Mariners’ top affiliate with a 3.99 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 65 1/3 innings of action.

10:41am: The Twins have agreed to a minor-league deal with southpaw Blaine Hardy, according to MLB.com’s Jason Beck (via Twitter). Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN had recently reported that the sides were nearing agreement (Twitter link).

This pact comes with an invitation to participate in the MLB side of spring camp for the Minnesota resident. But if an opportunity arises for him to pitch abroad — where he might have greater earning power — then the deal includes a provision requiring the Twins to grant him his release or put him on the MLB roster within 48 hours. Otherwise, there’s a standard opt-out date in June.

Hardy, 32, has been a consistent presence in the AL Central for quite some time now. He broke into the professional ranks with the Royals and reached the majors with the Tigers, ultimately throwing 289 2/3 innings of 3.73 ERA ball in Detroit.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Twins have some new tricks for Hardy to try out. The veteran managed to gut out a 4.47 earned run average last year but didn’t impress ERA estimators. He struggled in particular against same-handed hitters while generally succeeding against righties. Perhaps a few tweaks could unlock something for Hardy.

Kazuhisa Makita Signs With Rakuten Golden Eagles

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Right-handed hurler Kazuhisa Makita is heading back to his native Japan. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles have announced his signing.

Makita jumped the Pacific in 2017-18, landing a two-year deal with the Padres. While he was able to generate quite a few more strikeouts in the majors (9.5 per nine) than he averaged over his prior tenure in Japan (5.0), the submariner was also prone to the long ball and surrendered a 5.40 ERA over 35 innings in his debut campaign.

While the Friars lost their bet that Makita’s low-eighties sinker would sufficiently befuddle MLB hitters, he was quite effective last year in the upper minors. In 70 1/3 frames across 43 Double-A and Triple-A appearances, he worked to a 3.33 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9. The showing did not convince the San Diego organization to give him another crack at the majors.

Now, Makita will attempt to pick up where he left off in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. But he’ll do so with a rival of his former team. Before coming to the bigs, Makita had compiled 921 1/3 innings of 2.83 ERA pitching over seven seasons with the Seibu Lions.

White Sox Outright Daniel Palka

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The White Sox announced today that they have outrighted outfielder Daniel Palka (via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, on Twitter). He was designated recently to clear roster space for the signing of Yasmani Grandal.

Palka, 28, turned in a solid showing at the plate in his 2018 debut. While he went down on strikes 153 times in 449 plate appearances and ended with a .294 on-base percentage, he delivered enough power (27 home runs, .484 slugging percentage) to be an above-average overall performer with the bat.

Trouble was, Palka wasn’t up to the task in the outfield, where he graded quite poorly. He needed to make further strides in one or both areas to lock up a roster spot. Instead, he struggled badly in limited MLB chances in 2019, posting an awful .107/.194/.179 slash in 93 trips to the plate.

Some team will still gladly offer the powerful Palka a non-roster invitation on a minors deal. Notably, he showed improved plate discipline during his time at Triple-A in 2019. Offense was up everywhere, so there’s no reason to get carried away with the .900 OPS and 27 dingers he delivered at Charlotte. But Palka has never before managed a K/BB mix like the 109 strikeouts and 72 walks he tallied in 471 plate appearances.

Adrian Sampson Signs With KBO’s Lotte Giants

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NOVEMBER 25: Sampson has formally been granted his release to pursue the KBO opportunity, the Rangers announced. Texas’ 40-man roster now sits at 39 players.

NOVEMBER 20: The Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization are set to sign Rangers right-hander Adrian Sampson, Naver Sports reports (hat tip to Levi Weaver of The Athletic). The deal comes with a $500K salary and a $339,700 signing bonus, per Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net.

The 28-year-old Sampson has been a member of multiple MLB organizations since the Pirates used a fifth-round pick on him in 2012. He went to the Mariners in a 2015 trade for left-hander J.A. Happ, though the M’s cut ties with Sampson after 2016, leading the Rangers to claim him off waivers.

Sampson, then recovering from elbow surgery, didn’t pitch in the majors in his first year with the Rangers. However, the majority of his innings have come at the MLB level since then. While Sampson amassed all 125 1/3 innings of his 2019 frames as part of Texas’ staff, he could only muster a 5.89 ERA/5.69 FIP despite playable strikeout and walk rates of 7.25 and 2.59 per nine. Sampson has enjoyed more success preventing runs in Triple-A ball, where he owns a 4.11 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 over 398 2/3 innings.

A’s Announce Various Minor-League Signings

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The A’s announced a spate of minor-league signings this afternoon, some of which were previously reported by Susan Slusser and Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. On the pitching side, the club brought aboard left-hander Lucas Luetge and right-handers Ian Gardeck, Zach Lee, and Brian Schlitter. They confirmed the earlier-reported signing of Jaime Schultz. Oakland also added depth on the position player side, signing catcher Carlos Pérez, and infielders Eric Campbell, Nate Orf and Ryan Goins. All nine players will receive an invitation to MLB camp in spring training.

Of those players, only Gardeck doesn’t have some MLB experience. The former Giants’ farmhand tossed 18.2 relief innings with a 2.41 ERA last season for Tampa Bay’s AA affiliate in Montgomery. Campbell and Schlitter spent last season in the A’s organization, with Schlitter pitching in six MLB games for Oakland.

Except for Schlitter, only Goins reached the game’s highest level in 2019, his seventh straight year logging MLB action. The former Blue Jay took 163 plate appearances for the White Sox and slashed .250/.333/.347. That tops the .230/.279/.335 (65 wRC+) line the infielder has accumulated over his career. He, Campbell, and Orf, a former Brewers’ prospect, could all vie for a utility role this spring.

Rays Avoid Arbitration With Mike Zunino

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3:54pm: This agreement has now been announced.

2:22pm: The Rays are nearing agreement on a contract with backstop Mike Zunino, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). If finalized as expected, he’ll earn $4.5MM for the 2020 campaign and remain under control in the 2021 season with a $4.5MM club option.

Zunino was projected to earn $4.9MM via arbitration by MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz. That was a big enough sum that it seemed possible he’d be non-tendered by the budget-conscious Tampa Bay organization. But with Travis d’Arnaud heading to Atlanta, the Rays decided to hang onto a known quantity to pair with Michael Perez behind the dish.

The arrangement that the sides have settled upon pays Zunino a bit less than might have been anticipated, though it’s well within the range of plausible outcomes for his arbitration case. He’ll avoid the risks of the open market. The club will be able to achieve value through the option if Zunino performs as hoped. The option year includes an escalator provision that allows Zunino to boost the potential salary by up to $750K based upon the number of plate appearances he takes in 2020, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).

Zunino, 28, is a valued defender who has at times been quite productive with the bat. But he’s coming off of a forgettable 2019 offensive season. Zunino slashed just .165/.232/.312 over his 289 plate appearances, with the departing d’Arnaud taking more of the reps over the course of the season. It wasn’t long ago (2017) that Zunino rode a .355 batting average on balls in play to a .251/.331/.509 batting output. But he managed only a .220 BABIP in 2019. Statcast suggests the dip is the product of both misfortune (his .271 xwOBA dwarfed his .235 wOBA) and a performance downturn (36.9% hard-hit ratio, down from 46.9% in 2017).

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