Twins Release Chris Carter
The Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester has released first baseman Chris Carter, according to Nate Rowan of the Rochester Red Wings PR department (Twitter link). The move was made to accommodate outfielder Jon Kemmer, who acquired by the Twins yesterday in a minor league deal with the Astros.
Carter was picked up in a trade with the Angels in late May, as the Twins were looking to add to their first base depth while Joe Mauer was on the disabled list. Through 144 PA for Rochester, Carter showed a little of his former pop but not much else at the plate, hitting only .187/.299/.423 with seven homers and 43 strikeouts.
Those types of all-or-nothing results defined Carter’s eight seasons in the Major Leagues, as the slugger collected 158 homers and 951 whiffs over 2853 career PA with the A’s, Astros, Brewers, and Yankees from 2010-17. Carter never really generated the type of on-base numbers (career .312 OBP) to become even a three-true outcomes type of player, though he was still a solidly above-average offensive producer for much of his career, posting an 116 OPS+ from 2012-16.
Carter is still less than two full seasons removed from a National League-leading 41 homers for the Brewers, though his increasing arbitration cost led Milwaukee to surprisingly not tender him a contract. He signed with the Yankees prior to the 2017 season but struggled over 208 PA, and Carter hasn’t since returned to the majors. Carter’s track record will likely led to a minor league deal with another organization, though it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever again get an extended chance at the big league level given his one-dimensional game.
Yankees Designate David Hale For Assignment, Promote Clint Frazier
The Yankees have designated right-hander David Hale for assignment, as per a team press release. Clint Frazier has been called up from Triple-A to take Hale’s spot on the 25-man roster.
This is the third time in less than three months that New York has DFA’ed Hale, and the Yankees in fact made this exact same transaction (designating Hale to call up Frazier) back in May. The previous two designations led to Hale leaving the organization, once to briefly join the Twins on a waiver claim, and the other leading to Hale quickly re-signing a new minor league deal to rejoin the Yankees.
Hale has a 4.61 ERA, 1.6 K/BB rate, and 5.3 K/9 over 13 2/3 combined innings for the Twins and Yankees this season. He tossed 5 2/3 relief innings last night in New York’s 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays, so he likely wouldn’t have been available for another outing for the next day or two. The Yankees had also been deploying a nine-man bullpen, so they had need for an extra position player off the bench.
Frazier has a .908 OPS over 24 plate appearances this season, as he hasn’t much opportunity to crack the big league roster thanks to a concussion suffered during Spring Training and the simple fact that the Yankees are already deep in outfield options. The top prospect has a scorching .312/.391/.577 slash line over 215 Triple-A plate appearances this season and would likely already be getting regular big-league playing time for most teams. For New York, however, Frazier could potentially be a trade chip as the club looks to make additions at the deadline.
Draft Notes: Orioles, Mariners, D’Backs, Signing Pools
The signing period for 2018 draft picks came to an end yesterday, as teams had until 4pm CST to agree to contracts with players selected in last month’s amateur draft. Here are some leftover items on players who did and didn’t end up inking deals. Scouting reports and pre-draft rankings can be found courtesy of MLB.com, Fangraphs, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law (the latter two available to subscribers only)…
- The Orioles signed third-rounder Blaine Knight for a $1.1MM bonus, MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski reported yesterday. The bonus is nearly twice the $663.2K value assigned to the 87th overall pick, so Knight will receive a nice payday to begin his pro career. Knight, a right-hander, was a big factor in Arkansas’ recent run to the College World Series, and his drop to the third round represents something of a bargain for the O’s — the pre-draft rankings had Knight no lower than 58th (from Fangraphs), with Baseball America rating him as the 36th-best prospect in this year’s class.
- The Mariners also struck a late deal with a third-round pick, signing Florida State catcher Cal Raleigh to a deal with a $854K bonus, as per MLB.com’s Jim Callis (hat tip to MLB.com’s Greg Johns). Seattle used its remaining pool space to land Raleigh on an above-slot deal, as the 90th overall selection carried a $632.7K slot price. Baseball America was highest on Raleigh, ranking him as the 78th-best prospect and noting that a strong junior season helped him regain some draft stock after a mediocre sophomore year.
- The Diamondbacks didn’t reach an agreement with 25th overall pick Matt McLain prior to yesterday’s deadline, with GM Mike Hazen sharing some general details about the situation to reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro). Though the D’Backs offered the full slot price of $2,636,400, McLain went into the draft with a set price tag that he would need to forego his commitment to UCLA, it became clear that he was serious about going to college. “Those things change sometimes. In fact, they change a lot in a lot of cases,” Hazen said. “The family changes their mind sometimes. I think as you go through the summer, if school is becoming less of a reality, or you don’t want to go to school, then that number can drop sometimes. We’ve had situations where it goes up in the other direction….Everything that was presented to us from Scott [McLain’s advisor Scott Boras] to the family was 100 percent accurate. I really think that school became the driving factor in the decision.”
- McLain was one of three first-rounders who didn’t sign, the highest total since the 2010 draft, as MLB.com’s Jim Callis noted as part of a roundup of stats from this year’s draft class. Only four first-round picks in total had failed to sign in the previous six drafts, or since the league instituted the new bonus pool system for the draft. Overall, 310 of the 314 players taken in the first 10 rounds eventually signed with their teams. Callis also lists what each team spent on their picks; for comparison, here is the listing of what every team had available to spend in their original draft bonus pool.
Astros Promote Kyle Tucker
The Astros have called up top prospect Kyle Tucker, The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan reports (Twitter link). Jake Marisnick will be sent down to Triple-A in the corresponding move, as per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart (via Twitter).
Tucker, 21, has been considered one of the game’s better prospects since he was selected fifth overall in the 2015 draft. Preseason prospect rankings (15th on Baseball America’s list, MLB.com 17th, Baseball Prospectus 20th, ESPN’s Keith Law 21st) tabbed him as being on the verge of Major League readiness, though he hadn’t played in Triple-A prior to this season. Tucker didn’t miss a beat playing at the top minor league level, batting .306/.371/.520 with 14 home runs over 371 plate appearances for the Fresno Grizzlies, strong statistics even in a hitter-friendly league like the PCL.
This marks Tucker’s second straight year of solid power numbers, as he made slight adjustments to his approach in order to generate more pop, albeit while striking out more often (he has 70 whiffs this season). Still, he makes overall very strong contact, and his hand-eye coordination has been widely cited as excellent, which helps him deliver such good results at the plate despite a somewhat unusual swing.
Beyond the bat, Tucker has also stolen 85 bases in 113 chances over his minor league career, including 14 swipes this year. Tucker has seen significant time at all three outfield positions, though evaluators believe he is best suited for a corner spot — MLB.com’s scouting report touts Tucker’s “solid arm strength” as a good fit for eventually becoming a right fielder.
This defensive versatility gives the Astros another valuable piece to work with in their pursuit of another World Series title. George Springer is the only true everyday outfielder in the Houston lineup, playing either center field or right field, with Josh Reddick, Marwin Gonzalez, Tony Kemp and (before today) Marisnick all getting action in the other two positions based on matchups. Gonzalez has recently been deploying his superutility skills at shortstop with Carlos Correa on the DL, and thus the Astros may have felt the time was right to add a stronger bat like Tucker into their outfield mix. Tucker, Reddick, and Kemp are all left-handed hitters, though Kemp has hit well from both sides of the plate this year, so Houston doesn’t necessarily have an unbalanced outfield picture. The ‘Stros also have two more young outfield options in J.D. Davis and Derek Fisher at Triple-A for further depth.
It’s worth noting that Tucker has been a frequent subject of trade rumors over the last couple of years, with teams like the White Sox, Pirates, and Marlins all showing interest in the outfield prospect. In regards to the Miami talks, it was reported that Houston was at least open to moving Tucker if it meant getting J.T. Realmuto back in return, though nothing ever came of those negotiations. There hasn’t been any trade buzz on Tucker in recent months, however, not that Tucker was ever really considered an expendable piece for anything less than a top-tier asset like Realmuto. It certainly appears as through the Astros consider Tucker to be yet another homegrown building block that can help the big league roster both now and in the future.
Marisnick’s 2017 season was something of an outlier, as he produced above-average numbers at the plate (117 wRC+ in 259 PA) while underachieving defensively. The rest of his career has been the exact opposite, as Marisnick has generally been an outstanding defender while not generating much offense at the plate. This season, for instance, Marisnick has a .190/.235/.359 slash line over 163 PA, while posting a +12.1 UZR/150 and +8 Defensive Runs Saved in 410 2/3 innings as a center fielder.
Orioles Outright Luis Sardinas
The Orioles announced today that they have activated infielder Luis Sardinas from the 60-day DL and outrighted him from the 40-man roster. He has the right to decline the assignment, having previously been outrighted, but is presently listed as a member of the Norfolk Tides roster.
Sardinas re-joined the O’s over the winter on a minor-league deal. He was brought onto the roster earlier this year, but lasted only eight days until he hit the shelf with back and then ankle issues.
Though he’s regarded as a quality defender at short, second, and third, Sardinas has never hit much. Through an even five hundred MLB plate appearances, he owns a .224/.274/.292 slash line with five home runs.
Mike Marjama Retires
Mariners catcher Mike Marjama has retired, according to a team announcement (h/t Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, on Twitter). That leaves the team with three openings on its 40-man roster.
Marjama, who’ll turn 29 later this month, was originally a 23rd-round pick in the 2011 draft. He overcame the odds to make it to the big leagues, seeing action in 15 MLB contests over the past two seasons. In his 173 plate appearances this year at Triple-A, he had produced a .247/.302/.424 batting line.
Marjama is wrapping up his playing career in order to pursue a new job with the National Eating Disorders Association, per the announcement. It seems that his pursuit of this particular line of work relates to his own prior struggles with eating disorders, as MLB.com’s Greg Johns notes on Twitter. We at MLBTR certainly wish him the best of luck in this worthwhile endeavor.
Blue Jays Outright Darnell Sweeney
The Blue Jays announced today that utilityman Darnell Sweeney has been outrighted. He had been selected to the 40-man roster recently, appearing briefly in the majors before being optioned to Triple-A.
The 27-year-old saw action in one game but did not take a plate appearance. He’ll presumably head back to Buffalo, though he does have the right to take his free agency instead. In 178 plate appearances there to this point, he carries a .228/.309/.430 slash with six long balls.
Cubs Prospect Oscar De La Cruz Receives 80-Game Suspension
Cubs prospect Oscar De La Cruz has been hit with an eighty-game suspension, per a league announcement. He tested positive for the same banned masking agent/diuretic, furosemide, that led to the recent suspension of Robinson Cano.
Entering the season, De La Cruz was seen as a prospect to watch, with an intriguing combination of size, stuff, and command. MLB.com rated him third among Cubs farmhands, in fact, after seeing him turn in a dozen solid starts at the High-A level in 2017. Though he didn’t carry forward the gaudy strikeout numbers he showed in the prior season, and missed a lot of time with arm issues, De La Cruz had worked to a strong 3.46 ERA in 54 2/3 innings with 7.7 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9.
Now 23, De La Cruz opened the 2018 campaign at the Double-A level after being added to the 40-man roster in the fall to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He hasn’t really generated the results that might have been hoped for over his first 16 starts in the upper minors, though. Over 77 1/3 innings, he carries a 5.24 ERA while recording 73 strikeouts and giving out 31 walks.
It certainly seemed promising that De La Cruz was able to take the ball for the first half of the current campaign, even if he wasn’t exactly thriving. Now, though, he’ll face yet more questions about his future. In the near-term, De La Cruz will miss out on developmental opportunities for the rest of the 2018 season, though perhaps he’ll be a candidate to pitch in the Arizona Fall League. He’ll also again end up with a limited innings tally.
For a Cubs team that is no doubt considering possible mid-season acquisitions, the temporary loss of De La Cruz weakens the upper-level prospect base from which it may need to deal. That’s all the more worrying given that the organization already lost fellow hurler Adbert Alzolay for the season due to injury.
Diamondbacks Activate Randall Delgado, Designate Fernando Salas
The Diamondbacks announced today that they have reinstated righty Randall Delgado from the 60-day DL. To clear a roster spot, the team designated right-handed reliever Fernando Salas for assignment.
Delgado, 28, has been shelved all year by an oblique injury. But he is now ready to go after throwing 16 rehab frames — over which he allowed six earned runs on ten hits with 16 strikeouts and eight walks.
The Snakes will hope that Delgado can get back to being a useful swingman. In 2017, he provided the club with 62 2/3 innings of 3.59 ERA ball with 8.6 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9. He’s earning $2.25MM this season before hitting the open market this fall.
The 33-year-old Salas signed a minors deal over the offseason that included a $1.5MM salary in the majors. He has thrown forty frames for the D-Backs this year, allowing twenty earned runs while recording 6.8 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. He’ll now hope to follow the pattern of the prior two seasons, when he bounced back from slow starts by turning in strong finishes after mid-season organization changes. (Salas went from the Angels to the Mets in 2016, then did the reverse in 2017.)
MLB Reinstates Jenrry Mejia For 2019 Season
Major League Baseball announced today that Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia will be reinstated for the 2019 season. He had previously been banned following a third positive PED test.
Mejia, who is now 28 years of age, last pitched in the majors in 2015. He has been on the restricted list since that time.
While the ban will not be lifted until next season, Mejia will be able to begin working out at Mets facilities after the All-Star break, per the announcement. He’ll also be eligible to take a rehab assignment this August and participate in Spring Training in 2019.
It comes as something of a surprise to see Mejia given a path back to playing, though of course he was never released by the organization precisely because it remained a possibility. Indeed, the Joint Drug Program allows banned players to seek reinstatement after two years away.
Mejia, though, seemingly burned some bridges by launching claims of a conspiracy that were vigorously contested by the league. In his comments today, released through the MLBPA, Mejia acknowledged “the false allegations [he] made about Major League Baseball’s investigation into my testing history.” He also offered apologies all around and specifically thanked Commissioner Rob Manfred for allowing him back into the game.
Ultimately, this represents great news for Mejia but also, potentially, a nice turn for the Mets. Though the righty has certainly caused some headaches in Queens over the years, he’s still youthful and has mostly been a quality MLB reliever — even serving as the organization’s closer at times in 2014.
That said, the upside for the New York organization is somewhat limited. The club said in a statement only that it will assess its options after seeing Mejia on the field. Though Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reported in 2016 that Mejia would continue earning service time while technically banned, Tim Britton of The Athletic tweets today that Mejia will be deemed to have four years and 140 days entering the winter. If the Mets choose to tender him a contract, they’ll presumably revert to his most recent salary ($1.729MM) and would possess control rights through 2020.