Angels, Ryan Buchter Agree To Minor League Deal
The Angels have signed left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter to a minor league contract and invited him to Major League camp this spring, tweets Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. He’s represented by The L. Warner Companies.
Buchter, who turned 33 earlier this week, is making the rounds in California, as he’s also spent time with the Athletics and Padres organizations in the past few seasons. The late-blooming southpaw didn’t even make his big league debut until he was 27 and didn’t pitch a full campaign in the Majors until his age-28 season. However, Buchter has now racked up 214 innings in the big leagues and never posted a single-season ERA higher than last year’s 2.98 mark. He boasts a career 2.86 ERA with a 4.01 FIP, 9.9 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9.
It may be surprising to some that a pitcher with those run-prevention number was non-tendered and subsequently relegated to a non-roster invite after camp had opened. But Buchter’s effectiveness has waned a bit in recent years. His control in 2019 was the worst of his career, and while he was effective against both left- and right-handed hitters earlier in his big league tenure, right-handers clobbered Buchter at a .274/.420/.484 clip last year. Given the implementation of the new three-batter minimum, some clubs were surely skeptical of his ability to retire right-handed opponents.
That said, Buchter is an eminently reasonable flier for the Halos to take. The base salary he’ll receive upon making the big league roster won’t be particularly substantial, and if he performs well the Angels will have the opportunity to control him through the 2021 season via arbitration. Buchter even has a pair of minor league option years remaining, which would give the Angels all the more flexibility should he land a spot on the team.
Brewers, Brent Suter Avoid Arbitration With Two-Year Deal
The Brewers announced on Sunday that they’ve signed left-handed pitcher Brent Suter to a two-year deal, avoiding arbitration. Per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, it’s a $2.5MM guarantee for the 30-year-old Suter: he’ll collect salaries of $900K in 2020 and $1.5MM in 2021, along with a $100K signing bonus. The contract also includes incentives that could bring Suter’s 2021 salary to $1.75MM based on innings pitched milestones.
Until the two sides reached an agreement, Suter was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing tomorrow; he had asked for $1.25MM while the Brewers offered $825K.
The two-year deal means that the Brewers have bought out Suter’s first two years of arbitration eligibility. However, since he’s a Super Two player, he’ll still have two years of eligibility remaining after the contract expires. Suter is due to reach free agency after the 2023 season.
Suter enjoyed a nice season—albeit a shortened one—in 2019, after spending the majority of the season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He proved a valuable multi-inning, change-of-pace option in the bullpen, tossing 18 1/3 innings and allowing just one run.
And while Suter seems likely to begin the 2020 season in the bullpen, it’s clear from the incentive clauses in his contract (Suter would max out the bonuses with 160 IP) that the Brewers still see potential for Suter to start games this year. With newcomers Josh Lindblom, Eric Lauer, and Brett Anderson rounding out the projected Opening Day rotation, Suter will likely have to cut his teeth as a multi-inning reliever and spot starter, but could get an opportunity to start in case of injuries.
Yankees Sign Chad Bettis
FEBRUARY 16: The Yankees have announced the signing of Bettis to a minor-league deal.
FEBRUARY 15: Former Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis is among those who have been invited to Yankees’ camp this spring, according to multiple reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Once finalized, it will be a minor-league deal for Bettis, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). He would stand to make $1.5MM if he makes the active roster, with an additional $2MM available in performance bonuses, Sherman adds.
Bettis carved out a few solid seasons as a back-of-the-rotation arm in Colorado, most notably from 2015-16. Over that stretch, he tossed 301 innings with a 4.57 ERA and 4.11 FIP, decent production for a pitcher calling Coors Field home. Unfortunately, a series of health scares knocked Bettis off course and he hasn’t managed to replicate that past production.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December 2016, although he made an inspiring return to the mound that August. A blister on his pitching hand and a left hip impingement sent Bettis back to the injured list each of the past two seasons. When he did manage to take the mound, Bettis’ results had waned. In 2019, his first year in a full-time relief role, he mustered just a 6.08 ERA, causing Colorado to cut him loose after the season.
There was little word on interest in Bettis thereafter, although he says he’s feeling better physically than he has since beating cancer. He could be starting or relief depth for a Yankee club that bolsters quite a few talented arms in both the rotation and the bullpen.
Phillies Acquire Kyle Garlick From Dodgers
The Phillies and Dodgers have agreed to a trade that will send outfielder Kyle Garlick to the Phillies, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. In return, the Dodgers will receive minor league left-hander Tyler Gilbert. To clear a spot for Garlick on the 40-man roster, outfielder Nick Martini was designated for assignment.
Garlick had been designated earlier this week. He got a brief taste of the Majors with the Dodgers in 2019, appearing in 30 games and slashing .250/.321/.521 with three home runs. It was a nice showing from the 28-year-old rookie, who will have to show that he can hang around in the big leagues after an impressive showing at Triple-A.
With two minor league options remaining, Garlick could be a nice reserve option for the Phillies in the corner outfield. He’ll compete with the likes of Nick Williams, Roman Quinn, and Jay Bruce for bench at-bats. For what it’s worth, Garlick is the only true righty of that group (Quinn is a switch-hitter).
Gilbert is a 26-year-old reliever who was the Phillies’ 6th-round pick in 2015. He spent all of last season at Triple-A, pitching 47 2/3 innings of 2.83-ERA baseball, striking out 46 batters. With the Dodgers’ crowded bullpen unit, he’s a long shot to genuinely contend for a roster spot, but he at least represents good depth, especially in case of injuries.
A’s Acquire Burch Smith
The A’s have acquired reliever Burch Smith from the Giants for cash considerations, the club announced (h/t to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Smith was designated for assignment by San Francisco earlier this week. As the A’s noted, this is the first swap involving an MLB player between the Bay Area rivals since 1990.
Smith, 29, hasn’t found much success at the MLB level. In 99.1 innings with the Royals, Brewers and Giants over the past two seasons, Smith has just a 6.61 ERA with an underwhelming combination of strikeouts (20.9%) and walks (11.6%). He has continued to find 40-man roster spots around the league, though, suggesting teams are holding out hope for better results.
To create roster space for Smith, Daniel Mengden was placed on the 60-day injured list, tweets Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. Mengden underwent elbow surgery earlier this week.
Angels Outright Parker Markel
The Angels announced that righty Parker Markel has been outrighted after clearing waivers. He was designated recently to make way for the addition of another hurler.
This’ll give the Halos another arm in camp without any real commitment. Markel hasn’t actually appeared with the club; he was added in an early-offseason trade with the Pirates for cash considerations.
Markel, 29, scuffled badly last year when he first got a shot in the majors. But he earned his way up with an interesting arsenal — a 50/50 mix of a mid-nineties fastball and slider. Markel turned in a 1.74 ERA in his 41 1/3 Triple-A frames, logging an eye-popping 16.3 K/9 to go with 5.7 BB/9.
Red Sox Sign Kevin Pillar
7:37pm: This one’s in the books, with the Sox announcing the signing.
5:25am: The Red Sox are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $4.25MM deal with free-agent outfielder Kevin Pillar. The All Bases Covered Sports Management client is said to be set for a physical this weekend, after which the deal will be officially announced by the club (assuming all goes well).
Pillar, 31, was non-tendered by the Giants earlier in the winter after hitting .259/.287/.432 with a career-high 21 home runs in 2019. He’d been projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $9.7MM in arbitration. Pillar also swiped 14 bags — his fifth straight season with at least that many — and struck out in just 13.8 percent of his plate appearances. However, the longtime Blue Jays center fielder also only walked at a 2.8 percent clip — a career low — and the resulting .287 on-base percentage was one of the worst marks of any qualified MLB hitter.
Defensively, he played a roughly average center field by measure of metrics like Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average. That’s a step back from the days when he graded out as one of MLB’s premier defensive players, but Pillar is still at least a serviceable option in center and likely an above-average glove in the corners.
Following the trade of Mookie Betts, the Red Sox had an all-left-handed-hitting outfield comprised of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr. and newly acquired Alex Verdugo. Pillar will give them a right-handed hitting complement to that bunch as well as insurance against an injury (or perhaps an eventual trade of Bradley) at any of the three positions. He’s a career .281/.313/.453 hitter against southpaws, so while he’s not exactly a lefty masher, he’s still a bit above average in those situations.
Dumping the salaries of Betts and David Price (well, half of his deal) in the Dodgers trade dropped the Red Sox south of the $208MM luxury tax threshold by a bit less than $10MM. They should be able to bring Pillar aboard while maintaining ownership’s preference to remain south of that cutoff.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the two sides were close to a deal. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal added that a Major League pact was in the works. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reported that a deal had been reached, and Heyman tweeted the final guarantee.
Justin Nicolino Signs With Taiwanese Club
Former MLB southpaw Justin Nicolino will keep his career going with a move to Taiwan. He has signed on with the Rakuten Monkeys, per a team announcement (via CBPL Stats).
Now 28 years of age, Nicolino spent three years in the bigs with the Marlins between 2015 and 2017. He worked to a cumulative 4.65 ERA over 201 1/3 innings while maintaining an off-the-charts-low 3.8 K/9 strikeout rate.
Nicolino has served as minor-league depth over the past two seasons. He endured a particularly rough 2019 season as one of many hurlers that couldn’t keep the ball in the yard at Triple-A. Over 135 1/3 innings in the White Sox and Twins systems, he posted a 6.12 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 2.4 HR/9.
Bartolo Colon, Rajai Davis To Play In Mexican League
Long-time MLB hurler Bartolo Colon is making a comeback … in the Mexican League. Per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, via Twitter, Colon has signed on with the Acereros de Monclova, where he’ll join outfielder Rajai Davis.
It’ll certainly be an interesting campaign for Monclava residents, who’ll be treated to two recent big leaguers. Colon didn’t pitch in 2019 but has logged 21 seasons at the game’s highest level. And Davis has appeared in the bigs in each of the past 14 years.
Bartolo isn’t back just yet, but he’s now going to get a pretty good look from MLB scouts. The Mexican League has sent homegrown players to the majors and hosted former big leaguers before, so this is hardly a publicity stunt. Last year’s Aceros outfit was managed by Pat Listach and featured Chris Carter, Erick Aybar, Bruce Maxwell and others with MLB experience.
Now 46 years of age, Colon struggled in his two most recent MLB efforts. But he gave the Mets 191 2/3 frames of 3.43 ERA ball in 2016 — just three years ago, a mere blip in his seemingly perpetual career. It’s certainly not impossible to imagine that some club will give him a ring if he shows well in Mexico and there’s a need for innings.
Likewise, Davis is a clear candidate to head north at some point during the coming season. The 39-year-old still has elite foot speed and can cover plenty of ground in the outfield. He’s not likely to do much damage at the plate — over the past three seasons, he carries a .230/.285/.327 batting line — but could still be an interesting potential late-inning/postseason roster piece
Brewers Defeat Josh Hader In Arbitration
The Brewers have won their arbitration case against lefty relief ace Josh Hader, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). He’ll receive the $4.1MM that the team presented rather than the $6.4MM salary he had sought.
This is a significant win for the team side. For the Brewers, specifically, it not only means immediate savings but sets the team up to pay quite a lot less in each of the three remaining seasons of team control.
More broadly, this case now joins the Dellin Betances ruling in tamping down arbitration leverage for exceptional relief pitchers who have not accumulated a large number of saves. It has been a good winter for teams generally, as they’ve taken six of seven arbitration hearings thus far after the players scored some wins last offseason.
Hader, 25, will not earn as much as he had hoped. But he’ll still do much better throughout his arbitration years than would’ve been expected at the time of his initial promotion to the majors. Most of that is due to his excellent work on the field, of course, but he also did not seem in line for Super Two status. Hader just did sneak in to early arb qualification owing to this year’s unusually low service-time cutoff.
The Brewers have received quite a few good innings from Hader over the past three years. In 204 2/3 total frames, he carries a 2.42 ERA with 15.3 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. He was homer-prone last year but otherwise remained all but impossible to square up. The flamethrower finished the season with a personal-best 6.90 K/BB ratio.