NPB’s Yomiuri Giants To Acquire Rubby De La Rosa
The Diamondbacks are in the process of selling the rights to right-hander Rubby De La Rosa to Japan’s Yomiuri Giants, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Terms of the deal aren’t known, though Piecoro writes that De La Rosa is “likely to make more significant money” for the Nippon Professional Baseball team than he would if he cracked Arizona’s Major League roster.
De La Rosa underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2017, and then turned a two-year minors deal with Arizona that offseason. The agreement allowed the D’Backs to retain De La Rosa’s rights while he spent all of 2018 rehabbing, with an eye towards being fully healthy this season.
Thus far, De La Rosa seems to be both healthy and effective, judging by his 2.49 ERA, 4.14 K/BB rate, and 12.1 K/9 over 21 2/3 relief innings for Triple-A Reno. Piecoro also notes that the right-hander is again throwing a high-90s fastball, yet despite this apparent success and the overall middling results posted by Arizona’s bullpen, De La Rosa doesn’t appear to be in the Diamondbacks’ plans.
De La Rosa has a significant injury history that includes two Tommy John procedures and a stem cell treatment on his elbow, though he achieved some decent success in appearing in parts of seven big league seasons with the Dodgers, Red Sox, and D’Backs from 2011-17. Over 421 1/3 career innings (starting 70 of 98 games), De La Rosa posted a 4.49 ERA, 2.27 K/BB rate, 48 percent grounder rate, and 7.6 K/9.
MLB Draft Signings: 6/20/19
Here’s a look at the latest noteworthy draft signings, with the newest moves at the top of the post. Click here for the full list of slot values and draft pool bonuses, and you can find prospect rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America’s Top 500, Fangraphs’ Top 200, MLB.com’s Top 200, and the Top 50 of ESPN.com’s Keith Law….
- The Orioles have signed Kyle Stowers, their pick from Competitive Balance Round B, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports (Twitter link). Stowers signed for $884.2K, matching the recommended bonus price for the 71st overall pick. Stowers received a pretty wide range of evaluations from draft pundits, with Fangraphs (32nd) rating the Stanford outfielder highest, Baseball America (102nd) putting Stowers outside their top 100 and MLB.com (78th) falling in between. He has a big swing that has led to strikeouts in the past, though Stowers has shown some solid left-handed hitting and power potential.
- The Angels signed third-rounder Jack Kochanowicz, Mayo tweets. Kochanowicz signed for a hefty $1.25MM bonus worth almost twice the $637.6K slot price of the 91st overall pick, as the high school right-hander clearly needed a heavy incentive to break his commitment to Virginia. BA (61st), MLB.com (75th) and Fangraphs (80th) all had Kochanowicz in their top 80, noting his 6’6″ height and potential for three plus pitches as he continues to develop. This includes adding velocity to a fastball that already clocks in the low 90’s.
Cubs DFA Tim Collins, Promote Adbert Alzolay
TODAY: The Cubs have officially announced the move. Alzolay tells 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine and other reporters that he was informed by the team that he’ll be pitching tonight.
YESTERDAY: The Cubs have designated reliever Tim Collins for assignment, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. His 25-man roster spot’s going to promising pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay, who’s coming up from Triple-A Iowa.
The more notable move here is the call-up of Alzolay, a 24-year-old who rates as one of the Cubs’ best farmhands. Now 24, the right-handed Alzolay joined the Cubs as an international free agent out of Venezuela for just $10K in 2012. MLB.com currently ranks Alzolay fourth on the Cubs’ list of prospects and notes the team’s of the belief he could develop into a mid-rotation starter.
Alzolay has thrived this year at the Triple-A level, where he has pitched to a 3.09 ERA/3.10 FIP with 12.94 K/9 and 1.69 BB/9 in six starts and 32 innings. However, even though key starter Kyle Hendricks is on the injured list, the Cubs aren’t planning to have Alzolay join their rotation immediately. He’ll instead back up No. 5 starter Tyler Chatwood, who’s set to take the ball Thursday against the Mets.
Collins, meanwhile, has gone back and forth between Chicago and Iowa since the club signed him to a major league deal in late March. The 29-year-old lefty has thrown 7 2/3 innings this season in Chicago, with which he has allowed three earned runs on nine hits and three walks (with four strikeouts). Collins also owns a 2.12 ERA (with a far less encouraging 5.45 FIP) and 9.53 K/9 against 4.76 BB/9 in 17 Triple-A frames this season.
Angels Select Dustin Garneau, Place Kevan Smith On 10-Day IL
The Angels have selected the contract of catcher Dustin Garneau from Triple-A, the team announced today. Garneau will take over the backup catching role from Kevan Smith, who will hit the 10-day injured list due to a metacarpal strain in his left hand. Garneau will take the 40-man spot left open after Cody Allen was released on Tuesday; the Halos officially confirmed that release today.
This is the second time in a month that Garneau replaced an injured Smith, as the Angels made the same move in late May after Smith was placed on the seven-day concussion IL. Garneau was subsequently DFA’ed and then outrighted off Los Angeles’ 40-man roster after Smith returned. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Garneau has appeared in seven games for the Halos this season, hitting .250/.455/.313 over 22 PA.
Smith has swung an even mightier bat, with a .296/.387/.469 slash line over 93 plate appearances. While Smith posted roughly league-average production over 187 PA with the White Sox in 2018, his rather unexpected offensive outburst this year has been a boon for the Angels, who gave Smith more playing time as Jonathan Lucroy continued to scuffle at the plate.
Blue Jays Activate Ken Giles From Injured List
The Blue Jays have activated closer Ken Giles from the 10-day injured list, as noted by multiple reporters (including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca). Righty Justin Shafer was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Giles will end up missing only the 10-day minimum after being sidelined with elbow inflammation. While obviously the good health news is appreciated by both the player and the club, Giles’ quick return could also have an impact on his status as a trade candidate. The closer has been almost untouchable over 25 innings this season, with a 1.08 ERA, 6.00 K/BB rate, and a stunning 15.1 K/9. Between these excellent numbers and the fact that Giles is controllable through the 2020 season, the rebuilding Jays will look to extract a nice return on the right-hander before July 31.
Orioles Designate Dan Straily, Place John Means On IL
The Orioles have designated right-hander Dan Straily for assignment, as per a team announcement. The move is one of a series of transactions for the O’s, as the club also placed southpaw John Means on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 17) with a left shoulder strain, reinstated Dwight Smith Jr. from the 10-day IL and recalled righty Evan Phillips from Triple-A.
Today’s news ends Straily’s brief time in Baltimore after 47 2/3 innings and a disappointing 9.82 ERA. After the Marlins surprisingly released Straily near the end of Spring Training, the O’s inked the righty to a $575K one-year deal to fill a hole in their shaky rotation. Unfortunately, Straily simply never got on track either as a starter or as a reliever, as his career-long flyball tendencies bit him especially hard at Camden Yards. Straily has already allowed a whopping 22 homers during his brief time on the mound this season — for perspective’s sake, Dylan Bundy allowed a league-high 41 homers in 2018, though that was over 171 2/3 innings.
There was enough interest in Straily after his release from Miami that you would figure he’d get some looks now that he is on the market again, as the veteran posted decent numbers for the Reds and Marlins from 2016-18. Another Major League contract doesn’t seem as likely, however, as Straily seems like a candidate for a minor league deal with a team that will try to iron out his flyball problems down on the farm.
In terms of pure results, Means has been the lone bright spot on the Orioles’ struggling rotation this year, with a 2.67 ERA, 2.81 K/BB rate, and 7.5 K/9 over 70 2/3 innings. ERA indicators (4.08 FIP, 5.07 xFIP, 4.67 SIERA) hint at some serious regression, though Means hasn’t allowed much in the way of hard contract, with only a .309 xwOBA and .299 wOBA.
Marlins Designate Peter O’Brien
The Marlins have designated corner infielder/outfielder Peter O’Brien for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot was needed to make way for righty Zac Gallen, whose promotion is now official.
O’Brien had been on optional assignment for much of the year. To clear an active roster spot, the team optioned hurler Jeff Brigham.
While the Fish entered the year resolved to give O’Brien a shot, he just didn’t hit enough to stay in the big leagues. The 28-year-old carried a 135 wRC+ in a 22-game stint last year but dropped to 45 in his 47 plate appearances in the present campaign. He was slashing a healthier .278/.361/.556 with five home runs in 61 trips to the dish at Triple-A.
Royals Place Adalberto Mondesi On 10-Day IL, Designate Ben Lively
The Royals announced a series of roster moves today. Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi is headed to the 10-day injured list with a groin injury. His placement is backdated to the 19th.
To replace Mondesi on the active roster, the club selected the contract of infielder Humberto Arteaga. Righty Ben Lively was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot.
The Royals are going nowhere fast in 2019, and there doesn’t appear to be any long-term concern, so the loss of Mondesi should be only a temporary blip. The 23-year-old switch-hitter hasn’t been quite as good with the bat this year as last, but he has been close enough to league average at the plate and good enough in the field and on the bases to rack up 2.2 fWAR.
Lively was knocked around in his only MLB outing of the year. He carries a 4.07 ERA in 42 frames at Triple-A, with a 41:19 K/BB ratio. The 27-year-old as had his share of chances over the years but has not yet managed to hold down a steady big league job.
Rangers Designate Drew Smyly
The Rangers announced today that they have designated veteran pitcher Drew Smyly for assignment. His 40-man and active roster spots will go to fellow lefty Locke St. John, whose contract was selected.
In a pair of other moves also involving southpaw hurlers, the Texas club called up Kyle Bird and optioned Joe Palumbo.
While rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Smyly signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Cubs in anticipation of a full and productive 2019 season. The Rangers acquired that contract last fall, installing the lefty in a rotation full of salvaged former quality starters.
Unfortunately, Smyly’s attempt to come back after two missed campaigns has simply not gone as hoped. He has been torched for 8.42 earned runs per nine in 51 1/3 innings on the season, with his struggles continuing after a move to the bullpen.
Though Smyly is back to his customary 91 mph fastball range, he’s having a hard time coaxing hitters to offer at pitches out of the zone (22.4% chase rate). With batters not being fooled by the breaking stuff, they’re having an easy time drawing walks (just under six per nine) from the typically under-control Smyly. And they are teeing off on his mistakes, having already launched 19 long balls against him.
Still only thirty years of age, Smyly may well have a second act left. He was at times a highly effective starter with the Tigers and Rays. If he’s to get back on track, though, it’ll likely mean spending some time working on things at an extended spring facility and then earning another shot at the big leagues through some time in the minors.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/19/19
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- The Rangers have re-signed right-hander Nick Gardewine to a minor league contract, the team announced. Gardewine’s back with the Rangers shortly on the heels of his release last Thursday, five days after they designated him for assignment June 8. A seventh-round pick of the Rangers in 2013, Gardewine reached the majors for the first time in 2017 and then pitched to a 4.85 ERA with 4.85 K/9 and 4.85 BB/9 (that’s a lot of 4.85s) in 13 innings through 2018. The 25-year-old has missed substantial time over the past couple seasons because of injuries, though he has pitched 323 innings of 3.71 ERA ball with 8.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 during his minor league career.