Minor MLB Transactions: 6/25/19
Keeping track of Tuesday’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Padres announced that right-handed reliever Kazuhisa Makita has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Double-A Amarillo. This is the second time the Padres have outrighted Makita, which gives him the right to elect free agency, but that would mean leaving what’s left of his $1.9MM salary on the table. The Padres inked the Japanese submariner to a two-year, $3.8MM contract entering 2018, but it hasn’t worked out for either side thus far. The 34-year-old Makita struggled in the majors last season and hasn’t pitched in the bigs at all in 2019. Makita has instead worked at the Double-A level, where he has put up a 3.82 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings.
- The Marlins have released righty Ben Meyer, Wells Dusenbery of the Sun Sentinel tweets. To this point, Meyer has spent his whole career with the Marlins since they chose him in the 29th round of the 2015 draft. The 25-year-old’s nightmarish production in the majors in 2018 and with Triple-A New Orleans this season sealed his fate with the organization. In his MLB debut last year, Meyer registered a 10.42 ERA/6.42 FIP with 4.26 K/9 and 6.63 BB/9 over 19 innings. Meyer then notched a 7.43 ERA/6.90 FIP with 9.0 K/9 against 5.57 BB/9 in 63 Triple-A frames this season before Miami said goodbye to him.
- The Rangers’ top affiliate in Nashville has released infielder Nolan Fontana, per the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Texas was the third AL West organization for the 28-year-old Fontana, a 2012 second-round pick of the Astros who also played for the Angels. Fontana racked up his only 35 major league PA with the Angels from 2017-18. He has hit .230/.350/.357 in 1,639 PA at the Triple-A level.
Alex Meyer Retires
Right-hander Alex Meyer has announced his retirement via Instagram, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
“After multiple surgeries and countless hours of rehab, the end of the road for my baseball career has come,” said the 29-year-old.
As Meyer noted, injuries were a problem throughout his career, which began in 2011 when the Nationals chose the ex-Kentucky Wildcat 23rd overall. The 6-foot-9 Meyer’s union with the Nationals came together three years after he declined to sign with the Red Sox for $2.2MM as a 20th-rounder in 2008.
Meyer lasted with the Nationals through the 2012 season, after which they traded him to the Twins for outfielder Denard Span. While the hard-throwing Meyer eventually blossomed into one of baseball’s top 50 prospects with Minnesota, he dealt with shoulder issues as a member of the organization and made minimal impact in the majors. Meyer totaled 6 1/3 innings as a Twin from 2015-16, and the team traded him to the Angels in an August 2016 deal that delivered Hector Santiago to Minnesota.
Meyer ultimately garnered almost all of his major league experience as an Angel, with whom he pitched to a 3.94 ERA/4.09 FIP and posted 10.01 K/9 against 5.56 BB/9 across 89 innings and 18 starts from 2016-17. Meyer then underwent surgery on a torn shoulder labrum in September 2017 and never made it back to the majors, though the Angels did re-sign him to a minor league contract last December.
Although Meyer’s time in pro baseball didn’t go the way he wanted, he still ended on a high note. In the final appearance of his career July 19, 2017, Meyer tossed seven innings of shutout, one-hit ball with seven strikeouts against one walk in a 7-0 win over his first team, the Nationals.
Nationals Select Jonny Venters
3:25pm: To make room for Venters and Rodney, the Nationals moved injured right-hander Jeremy Hellickson to the 60-day IL and optioned fellow righty Kyle McGowin to Triple-A Fresno.
11:30am: The Nationals will select the contract of left-hander Jonny Venters prior to tonight’s game against the Marlins, reports Grant Paulsen of NBC Sport Washington (via Twitter). He’ll join fellow veteran Fernando Rodney in a constantly changing Nats bullpen mix; the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty reported yesterday that Rodney is also set to have his contract selected. Both promotions will require corresponding 40-man and 25-man roster moves.
Venters, 34, was the National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 after he returned from three Tommy John surgeries and a five-year MLB absence in 2018 to give the Braves 34 1/3 innings of 3.67 ERA ball. Along the way, the southpaw averaged 7.1 K/9, 4.2 BB/9 and 0.26 HR/9 to go along with a superlative 69.1 percent ground-ball rate while holding left-handed opponents to a laughable .133/.200/.200 batting line.
The Braves naturally tendered a contract to Venters following that performance, but the 2019 season was nothing short of a nightmare. Venters appeared in just nine games with the Braves, pitching a total of 4 2/3 innings but surrendering nine earned runs (plus another four unearned runs). He faced 31 batters and allowed more to reach than he retired (nine hits, eight walks) before being released in May.
Since signing with the Nats on May 29, Venters has been pitching for the team’s Double-A club. While he’s allowed just one run in seven innings, the control problems that dogged him in Atlanta earlier this season have persisted. Venters has issued six walks in seven innings and also hit a batter. He’s generated grounders at a ridiculous 72.7 percent clip in that tiny sample, and lefties are hitting just .194 against him with a .323 slugging percentage between the Majors and Minors in 2019. However, he’s also walked 11 of the 43 lefties he’s faced (against 10 strikeouts), so he’ll need to quickly rediscover some semblance of control if he’s to have much hope of sticking in the Washington ‘pen.
As has been well documented, the Nationals’ bullpen has been an unmitigated disaster so far in 2019, although they no longer lay claim to the league’s worst collective ERA, having narrowly squeaked ahead of Baltimore for that onerous distinction (6.29 to 6.34). Nationals relievers have the game’s fifth-worst collective FIP and second-worst xFIP, and they rank in the bottom third of MLB in BB/9 and HR/9 as well.
Twins Sign Carlos Torres
The Twins have signed free-agent right-hander Carlos Torres to a minor league contract, MLBTR’s Steve Adams tweets.
Torres will now stay in the American League Central, where he spent the previous month before the Tigers designated him for assignment this past weekend. The 36-year-old could have stayed in the Detroit organization after clearing waivers, but he elected for free agency on Monday. It proved to be a good decision for Torres, who quickly found another opportunity.
Torres totaled six innings with the Tigers before they cut the cord on him, allowing five earned runs on nine hits (two home runs) with one walk against eight strikeouts. Also a former National, White Sox, Rockie, Met and Brewer, Torres has recorded a 4.09 ERA/4.23 FIP with 7.94 K/9, 3.41 BB/9 and a 44.3 percent groundball rate in 506 2/3 innings in the majors. Although he hasn’t logged much major league experience since 2017 in Milwaukee, he’ll try to catch on with a contending Twins team.
Orioles Claim Tayler Scott, Designate Sean Gilmartin
The Orioles have claimed right-hander Tayler Scott off waivers from the Mariners and designated left-hander Sean Gilmartin for assignment in order to open a 40-man roster spot, per a club announcement. Scott has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
The South African-born Scott, 27, made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2019, pitching 7 2/3 innings but yielding eight earned runs on 11 hits and six walks with seven strikeouts. Scott’s bottom-line numbers in Triple-A aren’t much more appealing — 6.43 ERA in 35 innings — but he’s posted a 57 percent grounder rate across his past two Triple-A campaigns and averages roughly 95 mph on his sinker. That, it seems, piqued the interest of the new-look Orioles front office. Because Scott only just had his contract selected for the first time in 2019, he has all three minor league option years remaining (2019 included).
Gilmartin, 29, yielded five runs on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout across 2 1/3 innings in his lone start for the O’s. The former first-round pick was once a fairly well-regarded pitching prospect but hasn’t found much MLB success outside a solid 2015 rookie season with the Mets when he was a Rule 5 pick out of the Twins organization. In 107 2/3 innings in the big leagues, Gilmartin has a 4.18 ERA with 7.1 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 (5.90 ERA in 50 1/3 frames from 2016-19). He’s struggled throughout much of his time in Triple-A as well, though he did give the Orioles’ top affiliate 36 1/3 sharp innings this year prior to his selection to the MLB roster. The O’s will have a week to trade Gilmartin or run him through outright waivers.
Twins Designate Gabriel Moya For Assignment
The Twins announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated infielder Ronald Torreyes from the restricted list and designated left-handed reliever Gabriel Moya for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Torreyes was placed on the restricted list earlier this month for undisclosed reasons after already having spent a stretch on the temporarily inactive list. He’s been assigned to Class-A Advanced Fort Myers, where he’ll build back up after last playing in a game on May 3.
Moya, 24, hasn’t pitched in the Majors in 2019 but appeared in the big leagues with the Twins in 2017 and 2018. In 42 2/3 innings at the MLB level, he’s posted a 4.64 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 1.69 HR/9 and a 38.3 percent ground-ball rate. Moya has dominated in the upper minors in the past despite a pedestrian fastball that averages under 90 mph, but he’s been clobbered for a 7.36 ERA with a 27-to-13 K/BB ratio and three hit batters in 22 innings with Triple-A Rochester this year.
Moya logged a 1.90 ERA in 42 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball in 2018 and an eye-popping 0.77 ERA in 58 1/3 Double-A frames back in 2017. Although he’s anything but overpowering, he’s managed to consistently post gaudy strikeout totals in the minors, with a career minor league K/9 of 11.4. He has a minor league option remaining beyond the 2019 season, which, when paired with his prior success in the upper minors, could make him an appealing flier for another team (either via minor trade or a waiver claim).
Red Sox Reinstate Steven Wright
The Red Sox announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Steven Wright from the restricted list. Wright had been serving an 80-game suspension following a failed PED test, but he’ll now join the Boston bullpen in place of righty Josh Smith, who has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Sox transferred Nathan Eovaldi from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot for Wright on the 40-man roster.
Wright, 34, was afforded a brief minor league tuneup in accordance with the suspension rules set forth in the JDA, and he pitched 9 2/3 innings with two runs allowed in Triple-A during that unpaid stint. He’ll return to the Sox in hopes of approximating the 2.68 ERA he posted in 53 2/3 innings last season. The knuckleballer’s averages of 7.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 weren’t nearly as impressive as that ERA, however, and Wright has been rather inconsistent on a year-to-year basis, making it tough to know what to expect from him moving forward.
Despite a lack of offseason additions, Boston relievers rank eighth in the Majors in ERA (3.96). seventh in FIP (4.07) and seventh in xFIP (4.17). The Boston ‘pen currently paces the Majors in K/9 (10.7) and overall strikeout percentage (27.5 percent), and while Wright won’t help in that regard, he’ll be expected to strengthen the overall unit by deepening the mix and perhaps providing some stability in a long relief capacity.
Wright won’t be eligible for postseason play, should the Red Sox return to October baseball. He’ll turn 35 in August and is under team control through the 2020 season via the arbitration process. His 80-game ban ultimately cost him roughly $651K of this season’s $1.375MM salary.
Yankees Designate Kendrys Morales For Assignment
The Yankees announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales from the injured list and designated him for assignment. New York also optioned righty Jonathan Holder to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and recalled lefty Stephen Tarpley in his place.
Morales’ roster spot has looked to be in jeopardy since Didi Gregorius returned and the team and added another healthy option to the infield mix. He dodged one bullet and quite likely had his Yankees tenure prolonged due to the calf strain that landed him on the IL 12 days ago, but his tenure in the Bronx now looks to have reached its conclusion. With Luke Voit and the newly acquired Edwin Encarnacion now likely to split time between first base and DH, the Yankees simply don’t have room on the roster for Morales.
The 35-year-old Morales mustered only a .177/.320/.242 line through 75 plate appearances with New York while splitting first base/DH duties with Voit. It’s been a rough season overall for the veteran slugger, who has followed up a solid 2018 season at the plate (.249/.331/.438) with a .194/.313/.253 effort in 201 plate appearances between Oakland and New York. The Yankees will gauge interest in Morales, if they haven’t done so already, and if there’s no suitor in a trade, he’ll likely be released and return to the open market in search of a new opportunity.
Carlos Torres Elects Free Agency
The Tigers announced that right-hander Carlos Torres has elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo. The club designated designated Torres on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Torres lasted less than a month with the Tigers, who signed him to a minor league deal May 26 and then added him to their major league roster June 9. Torres threw six innings with Detroit, giving up five earned runs on nine hits (two home runs) with one walk against eight strikeouts. It was the first big league action since Torres tossed 9 2/3 frames with the Nationals a season ago.
While Torres will now try to catch on with somebody else, it’s a safe bet he’ll have to settle for another minor league pact. Also a former White Sox, Rockie, Met and Brewer, Torres racked up extensive MLB experience as recently as 2017, though he has been almost a full-time minors arm since then. Overall, Torres has pitched to a 4.09 ERA/4.23 FIP with 7.94 K/9, 3.41 BB/9 and a 44.3 percent groundball rate in 506 2/3 innings in the majors.
Chi Chi Gonzalez To Start For Rockies On Tuesday
Right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez will start the Rockies’ game against the Giants on Tuesday, per Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. The Rockies will need to add Gonzalez to their 40-man roster, which does have an opening at the moment.
Gonzalez’s start will represent his first major league action since his 2015-16 run with the Rangers. Once a quality prospect, Gonzalez has pitched to a 4.54 ERA/5.06 FIP with unattractive strikeout and walk rates (4.31 K/9, 4.77 BB/9) in 77 1/3 major league innings. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2017, and has worked solely in the minors since returning last year.
A Ranger through last season, Gonzalez joined the Rockies on a minor league contract over the winter. The 27-year-old has since managed a below-average 5.66 ERA/5.79 FIP in 14 starts and 76 1/3 innings with the Rockies’ Triple-A club. Gonzalez has pitched in a tough environment in Albuquerque of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, though, and has put up 8.14 K/9, 3.89 BB/9 and a 53.1 percent groundball rate.
Gonzalez’s promotion will come with the playoff-contending Rockies in need of answers in their starting rotation. The club boasted one of the majors’ best staffs last year, but 2018 Cy Young contender Kyle Freeland (now in the minors) and Tyler Anderson (possibly out for the season with a knee injury) have dropped off a cliff since then. German Marquez is amid another fine season, while Jon Gray has also fared well, though Antonio Senzatela, Jeff Hoffman and the recently promoted Peter Lambert have had difficulty preventing runs. The Rockies optioned Hoffman on Sunday, creating an opportunity for Gonzalez.