Minor MLB Transactions: 2/5/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Danny Barnes has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Buffalo. He’ll be in Major League Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. Barnes, 29, was designated for assignment when the organization signed Freddy Galvis last week. Barnes pitched to a 3.55 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 3.3 B/9 through 66 innings of relief for the 2017 Jays but saw those numbers plummet to a 5.71 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9 in 41 innings this past season. As an extreme fly-ball pitcher with a relatively modest fastball, home runs have been especially problematic for Barnes over the past couple of seasons (1.43 HR/9).
- Left-hander Pat Dean announced on Instagram this week that he’s returning to the Twins organization on a minor league contract after spending the 2017-18 seasons pitching for the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization. Originally a third-round pick back in 2010, Dean ascended to the Majors with the Twins as a 26-year-old in 2016 but was hit hard; in 67 1/3 innings, Dean was tagged for a 6.28 ERA with 6.7 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. That represents his only MLB experience to date, though Dean does have a lifetime 3.50 ERA in 306 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Dean had a solid first season in the hitter-friendly KBO before struggling to a 6.26 ERA there in his second season. He’ll give the Twins some left-handed depth in the upper minors — be it as a starter or reliever.
Tommy Pham Wins Arbitration Case Against Rays
Outfilder Tommy Pham won his arbitration case against the Rays, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The GSE client will earn $4.1MM rather than the $3.5MM figure that the team had submitted.
This victory may not make for a particularly massive increase in Pham’s 2019 earnings, but it’s a substantial sum that will also be reflected in both of his two ensuing arb paydays. Arbitration salaries are critical to any player, but are perhaps of particular importance to Pham, given that he’ll reach his 31st birthday before the start of the 2019 season.
The Tampa Bay organization happily took a chance on the late-blooming Pham over the summer and will still enjoy his services at an appealing rate of pay. Pham raked upon joining the Rays, slashing .343/.448/.623 down the stretch. All told, he’s now a .279/.375/.482 hitter through 1,458 MLB plate appearances.
This decision is now reflected in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Carlos Correa Wins Arbitration Case Against Astros
Shortstop Carlos Correa won his arbitration case against the Astros, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The GSE client will earn $5MM rather than the $4.25MM figure that the team had submitted.
One of the game’s brightest young stars, Correa picked a poor time for his first misstep in the majors. After turning in monster offensive numbers in an injury-limited 2017 season, the former Rookie of the Year again missed time in 2018 and wasn’t quite himself at the plate. He ended up posting a .239/.323/.405 slash over 468 plate appearances.
So long as Correa can put his back issues behind him, his outlook remains quite bright. He’ll still open his arb earning period with a strong $5MM base rate, though that’s about half of what he might have taken home with a platform season that better matched his prior offensive output. (Fellow youthful star shortstop Francisco Lindor earned $10.55MM after posting his best offensive season in his final pre-arb year.)
This decision is now reflected in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Giants Acquire Jake Barrett, Designate John Andreoli
The Giants announced another move on the fringes of the team’s 40-man roster, acquiring righty Jake Barrett from the Diamondbacks after he was recently designated for assignment by the Arizona organization. Just-claimed outfielder John Andreoli was in turn designated to create space.
This is hardly the first time the San Francisco organization has undertaken such fast-paced roster churn this winter. Whether the club is mostly seeking to stash players off of the 40-man, or simply keeps finding new players it prefers to the others it has claimed, the result has been a fair bit of movement.
In this case, the 27-year-old Barrett will come aboard after his once-promising MLB career fizzled in Arizona. He has shown an ability to get strikeouts at the game’s highest level and could compete for a pen job in camp.
Andreoli may yet be an outfield option for the Giants, if he clears waivers, but will need to earn his way back onto the 40-man roster in that case. This is now the third time this winter that Andreoli has been designated for assignment.
James Loney Signs With Sugar Land Skeeters
Former big league first baseman James Loney is looking to resurrect his career by joining on with the indy ball Sugar Land Skeeters, Baseball America’s JJ Cooper tweets. Loney is slated to line up in the field and on the mound for his new club, in addition to serving as a player-coach.
As Cooper notes, Loney was seen as a two-way prospect as an amateur. Taken with the 19th overall pick in the 2002 draft, Loney ultimately pursued a career with the bat. He had his ups and downs over the years, but carved out an eleven-year career as a low-power first baseman, ultimately turning in 5,487 plate appearances of .284/.336/.410 hitting with 108 home runs.
Loney last appeared on the transactional map in 2017, when he signed on for a brief run with Korea’s LG Twins. The club was not pleased with what it received from him in a 23-game stint — a very Loney-esque .278/.366/.456 slash with three home runs and 11 walks against just 14 strikeouts over 93 plate appearances — and he elected to leave the KBO rather than accept a demotion.
Whether Loney can craft a return to the majors as a two-way player will obviously remain to be seen, though the odds seem long. Given that he’s taking on a coaching role as part of the signing, that may not even be the goal. He’ll reach his 35th birthday in three months and has not dedicated himself to the craft of pitching since high school. That said, it will surely be interesting to see whether Loney can find a spark upon re-taking the mound.
Marlins Sign Curtis Granderson
The Marlins have announced a minor-league deal with outfielder Curtis Granderson. It includes an invitation to participate in MLB Spring Training. He’ll earn $1.75MM in the majors with $250K in possible incentives, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).
Granderson turns 38 in March but can still get the job done at the plate. He ended the 2018 campaign with 403 plate appearances of .242/.351/.431 hitting, good for a 116 wRC+. That’s right at his career mark for overall productivity (117 wRC+), though the most recent iteration of Granderson relied a bit more on on-base percentage than the power that has traditionally driven his value.
There are certainly some major caveats here from an on-field perspective. Granderson was not trusted to face lefties last year, reflecting his longstanding struggles against same-handed pitching. And metrics have increasingly soured on his glovework in the outfield.
Still, it seems like a nice addition for the Marlins, who likely gave Granderson assurances that he’d have an inside track to a roster spot and semi-regular playing time. The team is likely headed for another rough season in the standings, but needs to maintain some fan interest and provide veteran leadership. Granderson, a widely respected clubhouse presence, is more a contemporary of Marlins CEO Derek Jeter (his former Yankees teammate) than of the many young players on the Miami roster. He’ll join recent signee Neil Walker in providing some affordable gravitas before potentially transforming into a mid-season trade chip.
Phillies Sign Drew Butera
The Phillies have announced a deal with veteran catcher Drew Butera, as Jon Heyman of MLB Network first reported (Twitter link). It’s a minor-league arrangement that provides for a $1.3MM salary in the event that Butera is able to crack the MLB roster. He receives a spring invite.
Butera, 35, also picks up a $200K incentives package and notably early opt-out date of March 21st, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). That means he’ll have a shot to bolt to another organization late in camp if it seems there’s a better opportunity elsewhere.
A nine-year MLB veteran, Butera has never only once topped two hundred plate appearances in a single season — back in 2011, his sophomore campaign with the Twins. At the same time, he has reached triple-digit PAs in eight of those years.
Butera has carved out a robust career in spite of a lack of ability with the bat. He carries a meager .201/.258/.299 lifetime slash line, with just five home runs in 1,345 total trips to the plate. Butera doesn’t stand out in the pitch framing department either — actually, he has been a negative in recent years — but is otherwise sturdy behind the dish and has obviously carved out a reputation for handling a pitching staff.
For the Phillies, the signing gives the team another option to go with the youthful duo of Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp. Odds are, presuming no further additions are made, Butera will do battle with Knapp in camp for the right to open the year in the majors alongside Alfaro.
Rangers To Re-Sign Ricardo Rodriguez
The Rangers have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty Ricardo Rodriguez, according to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. Whether he’ll receive a MLB spring invite isn’t yet known.
Rodriguez was dropped from the 40-man roster last fall after an injury-limited campaign. Arm troubles aren’t a new phenomenon for the 26-year-old, who sat out the 2016 campaign owing to Tommy John surgery and has only once completed a campaign with more than 47 total innings.
Despite boasting a mid-nineties heater to work off of, Rodriguez has failed to generate many swings and misses over his twenty MLB appearances. He carries an anemic 6.8% swinging-strike rate in that stretch. Perhaps there’s more in the tank in that regard, as Rodriguez has compiled 287 strikeouts in 292 1/3 career minor-league innings. His most notable skill as a prospect, though, has been the ability to limit the long ball. Rodriguez has allowed just a dozen dingers in his seven years in the minors.
Steve Delabar To Retire
Former MLB righty Steve Delabar announced that he’s no longer pursuing playing opportunities in an appearance on the Outta the Park show with Barry Davis (audio link). Though he hasn’t filed formal paperwork, Delabar says he’s “ready to move on” and is now coaching at the high school level in his hometown.
Delabar, 35, is now two full seasons removed from his MLB playing career. He had briefly appeared at the Triple-A level last year with the Rangers organization, but was not able to get back into form to challenge for a return to the majors.
It ended up being quite a journey for Delabar, which he discusses at length in the podcast. After washing out of the Padres organization, he had to fight his way back into the affiliated ranks. Delabar re-launched with the Mariners in 2011, sparking a six-year MLB career. It’s an inspiring tale, albeit one that was marred by a 2017 PED suspension. (He gave his side of the story at the time.)
Delabar will ultimately be remembered most as a big league hurler for his time with the Blue Jays. He thrived for a brief stretch in Toronto, securing an All-Star appearance in 2013. All said, Delabar hangs up his spikes with 194 2/3 innings of 4.07 ERA pitching, with 11.2 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9.
Indians Designate A.J. Cole For Assignment
The Indians announced that they’ve designated right-hander A.J. Cole for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to newly acquired right-hander Nick Wittgren.
If Cole’s time with the Cleveland organization is up, his stay will have been brief; the Indians only claimed him off waivers from the Yankees back on Jan 11. He’d have been in line to compete for a bullpen job in Spring Training and may still have that opportunity, though he’ll first need to clear outright waivers. If another club claims Cole, that new team will have to open the season with him on the Major League roster or else once again expose him to waivers, as Cole is out of minor league options.
Cole, who turned 27 earlier this month, gave the Yankees 38 innings of 4.26 ERA ball after being acquired from the Nationals in 2018, pitching in primarily a multi-inning relief role. Along the way, he averaged a strong 11.6 K/9 and registered an enormous 15.9 percent swinging-strike rate with a very good 34.3 percent opponents’ chase rate on out-of-zone pitches. However, he was also immensely susceptible to home runs, as he averaged 2.13 homers per nine innings pitched with the Yankees. In all, between New York and Washington, Cole yielded a staggering 15 home runs in 38 innings.
That said, Cole was at one point considered to be among the most promising pitching prospects in all of baseball, and surely the strikeout rate, swinging-strike rate and chase rate could hold appeal to another team — particularly one that is thin on rotation depth and/or has multiple bullpen spots up for grabs. He’ll need to learn to keep the ball in the yard, but the level at which Cole missed bats in 2018 would be elite if he proved it to be sustainable; the 15.9 percent swinging-strike rate he logged as a Yankee would’ve ranked 12th in the game among qualified relievers last year.