Yankees Acquire A.J. Cole, Designate David Hale
The Yankees have acquired righty A.J. Cole from the Nationals, per club announcements. Cash considerations will go to the Washington organization in return. To clear a roster spot, the Yankees designated fellow right-hander David Hale for assignment.
Cole, 26, had recently been designated by the Nats after a poor start to the current season. Originally a fourth-round pick, he was a part of two notable trades swung by the organization, first going to the Athletics in the Gio Gonzalez swap and then returning to D.C. (along with Blake Treinen and Ian Krol) in the three-team arrangement in which the Nationals sent Michael Morse to the Mariners and the A’s picked up John Jaso.
Entering the season, the Nationals planned to utilize Cole as their fifth starter. But he struggled in two turns through the rotation, leading the club to bump him to the pen in favor of Jeremy Hellickson. Cole ultimately made two relief appearances but failed to show signs of improvement. In his 10 1/3 innings on the season, he has allowed 15 earned runs and six home runs while compiling ten strikeouts against six walks.
Cole is out of options, so he’ll go directly onto the Yankees’ MLB roster, where he could work as a longman from the bullpen. He’ll replace Hale, who threw two scoreless innings tonight for the Yanks but had opened the year at Triple-A. In his three starts there, he worked to a 5.52 ERA with a 10:2 K/BB ratio in 14 2/3 innings. He has not seen the majors since 2016; in parts of four seasons in the bigs, Hale owns a 4.48 ERA over 178 2/3 frames.
Dodgers Designate Wilmer Font
The Dodgers have designated right-hander Wilmer Font for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to top prospect Walker Buehler, whose promotion — to make his first-ever MLB start — was previously reported.
Font, who’ll soon turn 28, received his first real shot at the majors to open the 2018 season. The results, however, just haven’t been there, as he has surrendered 13 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings.
There’s just one walk — of the intentional variety — on Font’s stat line, so he’s been in the zone. But he has also coughed up 18 base hits, five of which have left the yard, and generated soft contact on just one of every ten balls put in play against him.
Despite the struggles, it would not be surprising to see another organization roll the dice on the out-of-options Font. After all, he turned in an impressive 2017 effort at Triple-A. In 134 1/3 innings spread over 25 starts last year at the highest level of the minors, Font worked to a 3.42 ERA with even more impressive peripherals (including 11.9 K/9 against just 2.3 BB/9).
Brewers Outright Alec Asher
Right-hander Alec Asher has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Colorado Springs after being designated for assignment last week, as first reflected on the MLB.com Transactions page. He’ll remain with the organization and hope to pitch his way into consideration for a look in the Majors later this season.
The 26-year-old Asher has appeared in 36 big league games over the past three seasons, 18 of them starts, splitting his time between the Phillies (2015-16) and Orioles (2017). Baltimore designated him for assignment when setting its Opening Day roster, and was claimed by the Dodgers and then the Brewers before ultimately clearing the third time he was attempted to be put through waivers.
Last year with the Orioles, Asher totaled 60 innings with a 47-to-23 K/BB and 5.25 ERA. While the righty demonstrated an ability to pitch out of both the rotation and bullpen in multi-inning stints, he also served up 10 homers in last year’s 60 frames. He’ll head to Triple-A with a 3.74 ERA, 6.3 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 173 1/3 innings of work at that level (including a brief three-inning appearance with the Dodgers this year).
Red Sox Trade Roenis Elias To Mariners
The Red Sox announced that they’ve traded left-hander Roenis Elias to the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Boston had originally acquired Elias alongside right-handed reliever Carson Smith in a trade that sent Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro to Seattle. The Mariners had two open 40-man spots prior to the trade, so they don’t need to make a corresponding move for Elias, who will report to Triple-A Tacoma.
Elias, 29, debuted with the Mariners as a 25-year-old back in 2014 and turned in a terrific rookie season, tossing 163 2/3 innings of 3.85 ERA ball with 7.9 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.9 HR/9 and a 45.4 percent ground-ball rate. His sophomore season yielded comparable results in 2015, but the Mariners flipped him for a more established arm at the time in the form of Miley.
Despite his quality results in Seattle from 2014-15, Elias was a scarcely used piece in Boston. The Sox gave him just eight big league innings in total from 2016-17, and he spent most of his time with the organization in Triple-A. Elias had a solid season with Pawtucket in 2016 when he turned in a 3.60 ERA over 125 innings (19 starts, two relief appearances), but injuries limited him to just 43 innings between the Majors and minors last year.
With the Mariners, Elias will likely be shuttled between Tacoma and Seattle for much of the season and serve as a depth option for both the rotation and the ‘pen, though he’s worked exclusively as a reliever with Boston this season. Given his previous success with the M’s and his solid 2016 season in Triple-A, it’s not out of the question that he could eventually claim a more permanent role on the big league roster.
The Mariners have three lefties in the Major League bullpen at present: James Pazos, Marc Rzepczynski and Wade LeBlanc. It’s still early in the season, of course, but neither LeBlanc nor Rzepczynski has come out of the gates with an especially strong start to the season. Dario Alvarez is the only other lefty reliever on the 40-man roster in the minors, so Elias provides some additional depth in that regard.
[Related: Updated Boston Red Sox depth chart and Seattle Mariners depth chart]
From Boston’s vantage point, Elias may simply have been a ways down the depth chart and taking a 40-man spot the team would rather allocate elsewhere. While Brian Johnson is currently the lone left-hander in the big league bullpen, southpaw options on the 40-man roster in the upper minors include Bobby Poyner, Robby Scott and Williams Jerez. Left-hander Daniel McGrath, 23, could be another eventual option who’s gotten off to a strong start in Double-A, though he’s not yet on the 40-man roster.
White Sox Place Miguel Gonzalez On 10-Day DL, Transfer Danny Farquhar To 60-Day DL
The White Sox announced on Monday that they’ve placed right-hander Miguel Gonzalez on the 10-day DL and selected the contract of right-hander Chris Beck from Triple-A Charotte. Right-hander Danny Farquhar, who was hospitalized over the weekend in a terrifying scene after collapsing in the dugout due to a brain aneurysm, has been moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list in order to open a roster spot for Beck.
The health and well-being of Farquhar, at present, is the greatest concern in the otherwise small sequence of roster moves. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote over the weekend that Farquhar is in stable but critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries this weekend, adding that the right-hander will be hospitalized for at least the next three weeks following the career-threatening medical emergency.
We pointed our readers to Nightengale’s column last night, but it’s well worth a look for those who have yet to read. It’s filled with quotes from current and former teammates of Farquhar and some harrowing details on the past 72 hours for a right-hander who, by all accounts, has been beloved in each clubhouse of which he’s been a part. I’ll echo sentiments from other members of the MLBTR staff in sending best wishes to Farquhar and his family as the baseball world hopes for a full recovery.
Turning to the shorter-term roster moves in today’s announcement, Gonzalez will be out for at least the next week (the move is retroactive to April 19) due to inflammation in his right rotator cuff. The Sox didn’t provide any sort of timeline on his injury, though there’s no indication at present that the injury is serious.
Beck, 27, will get another look with the ChiSox after previously being outrighted off the 40-man roster. A second-round pick back in 2012, he’s seen time in the Chicago bullpen in each of the past three seasons but never logged an ERA south of 6.00. Beck throws hard, averaging 95 mph on his fastball in 64 innings last year, but that hasn’t translated to much in terms of strikeouts in the Majors. In 96 big league frames, he has a meager 42-to-34 K/BB ratio. He’s off to a fast start in Triple-A this year, however, with just two runs allowed and a 13-to-3 K/BB ratio in nine innings pitched.
Tigers Designate Drew VerHagen For Assignment
The Tigers announced that they’ve recalled outfielder Mike Gerber from Triple-A Toledo and designated right-hander Drew VerHagen for assignment in order to clear a spot on the active roster. Gerber served as the 26th man in yesterday’s doubleheader but will now formally join the active roster.
VerHagen, 27, has struggled with the Tigers in each of the past few seasons, totaling 63 2/3 innings with a 6.25 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. The righty has a mid-90s heater that is averaging 96.1 mph this season, and he’s shown a knack for inducing grounders in his big league career as well (57.8 percent). But VerHagen was extremely homer-prone in 2017, surrendering 10 long balls in just 34 1/3 innings, and he’s out of minor league options, so the Tigers weren’t able to simply send him to the minors.
If he clears waivers, VerHagen will remain with the organization via an outright assignment, though that’s not a given. In addition to his velocity and penchant for ground-balls, he’s also notched a significant jump in his swinging-strike rate in 2017, spiking from a pedestrian 9.5 percent in 2017 to a considerably more impressive 15.4 percent in 2018. It’s a sample of merely 10 innings, of course, but VerHagen has punched out 11 hitters. The jump in strikeout rate and velocity have been complemented by VerHagen throwing his slider roughly twice as often as he did in 2017. Certainly, there are some elements to like about the 6’6″ righty, so perhaps he’ll generate interest elsewhere despite lackluster run-prevention numbers.
The 25-year-old Gerber, meanwhile, spent most of the 2017 season in Double-A, where he turned in a strong .291/.363/.477 slash with 13 homers, 22 doubles, two triples and 10 steals (in 16 attempts) before briefly reaching the Triple-A level. Detroit protected him from the Rule 5 Draft by placing him on the 40-man roster this past offseason on the heels of that quality effort. He’ll join an outfield mix that currently has JaCoby Jones in left, Leonys Martin in center, Nicholas Castellanos in right and Rule 5 pick Victor Reyes as a reserve option on the bench.
Given the team’s desire to hang onto Reyes, it’s likely that Gerber’s recall will be short-term in nature for now. But the rebuilding Tigers could potentially part ways with Martin and/or Castellanos this summer, and Jones is hardly an established fixture in left (though he is off to a very nice start in 2018). Gerber could eventually find himself with a opportunity to take on a greater role at any of the three outfield slots, as he does come with plenty of experience in center field.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/23/18
We’ll kick off the week with Monday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Dodgers picked up right-hander Tyler Pill from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations in a minor swap late last week (Twitter link via J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group). Pill, 27, signed a minor league deal with the D-backs after making his big league debut with the Mets in 2017. The brother of former big league first baseman Brett Pill, Tyler tossed 22 innings for the Mets and yielded 13 earned runs (5.32 ERA) on 22 hits and 10 walks with 16 strikeouts last season. He’s posted solid numbers up through Double-A but struggled at the Triple-A level, although those shaky results came exclusively at an exceptionally hitter-friendly setting in Las Vegas (and the Pacific Coast League in general). Pill debuted with the Dodgers’ own Triple-A affiliate over the weekend and tossed three scoreless frames. He’ll add some depth to an organization that shuffles its pitching staff and the fringes of its 40-man roster perhaps more aggressively than any club in the game.
- Right-hander Luke Jackson cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A by the Braves after being designated for assignment last week, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. The 26-year-old Jackson owns a 4.85 ERA and a 36-to-21 K/BB ratio in 52 innings with the Braves over the past two seasons and has struggled to a 5.79 ERA in 70 total innings at the big league level. Jackson hasn’t missed enough bats in the big leagues (5.8 K/9, 10.7 H/9), but he does have a track record of missing bats in the minors (career 9.8 K/9).
- Also via Eddy, the Reds have released outfielder Adam Brett Walker from the organization. Walker, 27, was a third-round pick of the Twins in 2012 and boasts huge raw power but plenty of swing-and-miss issues as well as a limited defensive skill set. Minnesota removed him from the 40-man roster after the 2016 season, and he landed with the Brewers, Orioles (twice), Braves and Reds via a series of waivers claims and minor league signings in 2017 alone. Walker’s power is evident in looking at his career .232 ISO in the minors, but he’s whiffed in 30.9 percent of his minor league plate appearances — including an enormous 37.4 percent strikeout clip in Triple-A.
D’Backs Acquire International Bonus Slot From Mariners For Righty Edwin Quezada
The Diamondbacks have acquired a 2017-18 international bonus slot from the Mariners, as per press releases from both teams. Seattle will get minor league right-hander Edwin Quezada back on their end of the swap. The amount of money changing hands isn’t yet known, though international pool money can only be dealt in $250K increments.
The Mariners actively looked to add to their bonus pool during the current international signing period as the team pursued Shohei Ohtani. The M’s added roughly $2.5MM in additional international funds in trades with the Marlins, Twins, and White Sox over the offseason, though once Ohtani chose to sign with the Angels, the Mariners reversed course and began to unload some of that excess cash. GM Jerry Dipoto added two arms to the system in the form of southpaw Anthony Misiewicz (while sending $1MM in pool money to the Rays) and right-hander Shawn Armstrong from the Indians for $500K, and now the Mariners have added another pitcher in Quezada.
The 21-year-old was signed out of the Dominican Republic last year and he made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 1.74 ERA, 2.71 K/BB rate, and 46 strikeouts over 41 1/3 innings of work. Quezada appeared as a reliever in 12 of 15 games.
Nationals Place Anthony Rendon On 10-Day DL
The Nationals announced that third baseman Anthony Rendon has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a left toe contusion, retroactive to April 19. Righty Austin Adams has been recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
The DL placement concludes a frustrating week for Rendon, who hasn’t played since fouling a ball off his toe on April 13. Both Rendon and the Nats were hopeful that Rendon could return without the need for a DL stint, though in effect, this decision led to Washington playing with a 24-man roster for over a week (though the Nats have gone 4-3 over their last seven games). Rendon told the Washington Post’s Jorge Castillo and other reporters that his toe is still bothering him when he’s running or in the field, so it was clear that a roster decision needed to be made. DL stints can only be backdated as far back as three days, hence the April 19 timing of the move.
[Updated Nationals depth chart at Roster Resource]
While the injury still doesn’t seem terribly serious, obviously the Nats want their star third baseman back as quickly as possible, especially with Adam Eaton and Daniel Murphy both still missing from the lineup. Wilmer Difo has been filling in for Rendon at the hot corner, with utilityman Matt Reynolds also providing depth off the Nationals’ bench.
Yankees Promote Gleyber Torres
SUNDAY: Torres is starting at second on Sunday for the Yankees, who optioned Wade to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
SATURDAY: The Yankees are set to promote their best prospect, infielder Gleyber Torres, Jack Curry of the YES Network reports. Torres will join the Yankees for their game against the Blue Jays on Sunday. He’s already on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, so they won’t need to jettison anyone in order to make room for him.
The 21-year-old Torres is in his second full season with the Yankees, who acquired him in a deal with the Cubs centering on closer Aroldis Chapman in July 2016. It’s fair to say the trade has worked out for both teams, given that Chapman helped pitch the Cubs to a World Series that year and then returned to the Yankees as a free agent in the ensuing offseason, and Torres has turned into an elite prospect.
MLB.com is among many outlets with a high opinion of Torres, ranking him as the game’s No. 5 prospect while lauding his offensive and defensive potential. The right-handed-hitting Torres has shown plenty of upside with the bat since his promotion to Triple-A in 2017, having slashed .331/.409/.488 in 149 plate appearances at the minors’ highest level. Torres’ season was cut short in 2017 on account of a left elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, but he returned this year to post a .370/.415/.543 line in 53 PAs prior to his promotion to New York.
Originally a shortstop, Torres also brings minor league experience at second and third base. He’s unlikely to make an impact at short for the Yankees, who have breakout star Didi Gregorius there, but could play either of the other two positions. Of course, fellow highly touted prospect Miguel Andujar has impressed lately at third, where he has been filling in for the injured Brandon Drury (on the DL since April 7 with migraines). On the other hand, New York hasn’t gotten much production at second from accomplished veteran Neil Walker or youngster Tyler Wade, so Torres could be a factor there for a 10-9 club that’s lagging well behind the incredibly hot Red Sox (17-2) in the AL East early in the season.
Regardless of where Torres primarily lines up, or if this just proves to be a cup of coffee until Drury returns, the Yankees will be able to control him through the 2024 campaign.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.