Minor MLB Transactions: 2/14/18
The latest minor moves from around the game….
Newest moves
- The Mariners have agreed to sign outfielder Junior Lake to a minor league deal, the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reports. Manager Scott Servais said that Lake’s deal contains an invitation to their big league Spring Training camp, and the contract will be official once Lake passes a physical. Lake, who turns 28 next month, hit .235/.278/.376 over 703 plate appearances with the Cubs, Orioles, and Blue Jays from 2013-16, and he played for the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate and in the Mexican League last season.
Earlier today
- The Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Daniel Robertson to a minor league deal, according to Baseball Prospectus Kansas City’s David Lesky (Twitter link). Robertson, 32, has a .262/.314/.328 slash line over 386 career plate appearances in the big leagues, with four different clubs since 2014. He most recently played for the Indians, appearing in 32 games for Cleveland last season.
- The Rays have signed right-hander J.D. Martin to a minors deal, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter). Martin tossed 125 innings for the Nationals as a starter in 2009-10 but hasn’t been back to the majors since, with stints in Korea and independent baseball as well as the affiliated minor leagues. Rosenthal notes that Martin, who turned 35 last month, is trying to recast himself as a knuckleballer.
Padres To Sign A.J. Ellis
The Padres have signed catcher A.J. Ellis, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The agreement is a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell (all links to Twitter). Ellis can earn at a $1.25MM rate in the majors, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.
The longtime Dodgers catcher is returning to the NL West after spending the end of the 2016 campaign with the Phillies and 2017 with the Marlins. Ellis hit .210/.298/.371 with six homers over 163 plate appearances for Miami last season, working behind A.J. Realmuto. He’ll now look to serve as Austin Hedges‘ backup with the Padres, as Ellis will compete with Rocky Gale, Rafael Lopez, and Luis Torrens for the job.
Padres manager Andy Green said earlier today that his team was still considering adding veteran catchers and shortstops on minor league deals to compete for jobs in spring camp, so the Ellis signing checks one box off the front office’s to-do list. Ellis has far more experience than his competition, so he could have a leg up on Gale and company given Ellis’ ability to serve as a mentor to San Diego’s many young pitchers.
White Sox Sign Hector Santiago
The White Sox have agreed to a minor-league deal with lefty Hector Santiago, GM Rick Hahn told reporters including Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Santiago would earn at a $2MM rate in the majors, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
It’s a homecoming for Santiago, who’s now thirty years of age. He more than made good on the South Siders’ decision to draft him in the thirtieth round of the 2006 draft, ultimately cracking the majors for the first time with Chicago in 2011. Santiago ended up departing in the memorable three-team deal that landed the Sox Adam Eaton.
The move also lands the rebuilding White Sox another bounceback arm that’ll help deepen the staff. If Santiago throws well in camp, he might conceivably challenge for a rotation spot or — perhaps more likely — earn a long relief role for the coming season.
Santiago has at times produced solid results. Indeed, through the 2015 seasons, he had compiled a 3.55 ERA over 532 2/3 MLB innings. But the peripherals never quite supported that kind of output; for example, Santiago carried a 4.54 FIP to that point.
Since, though, things have fallen apart. Santiago produce a messy 2016 effort, struggling after a mid-season swap from the Angels to the Twins but at least managing to compile 182 frames. He collapsed last year, managing only 70 1/3 innings of 5.63 ERA pitching in a season marred by back and shoulder problems. Santiago coughed up 15 long balls in that span and saw his average fastball velocity drop to 90.8 mph.
Avisail Garcia Wins Arbitration Against White Sox
White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia has emerged victorious from his arbitration hearing with the team, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). The Mato Sports Management client will earn $6.7MM in the 2018 season.
That salary represents an exact match for the arbitration projection of MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz. As MLBTR’s 2018 MLB Arbitration Tracker shows, the Chicago organization had argued for a $5.85MM salary.
Garcia, 26, earned a nice raise from his 2017 salary of $3MM by turning in a breakout effort. Over 561 plate appearances, he slashed a healthy .330/.380/.506 with 18 home runs. He’ll be eligible for arbitration one final time after the current season.
This represents the eighth player victory out of fourteen arbitration cases that have gone to a hearing to this point. In terms of the total dollars at stake, this is the second-largest case to have been decided. (Mookie Betts previously defeated the Red Sox in a case with a hefty $3MM spread.) There are eight arb cases that have yet to be resolved.
Braves To Sign Chris Stewart
The Braves have reached agreement with catcher Chris Stewart on a one-year deal, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (via Twitter). It’s a non-guaranteed MLB contract, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution adds on Twitter, which could pay Stewart $575K, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).
Notably, Bowman adds, this signing will represent the veteran depth move that was referenced earlier today. He adds that he was mistaken in suggesting that the club was close to adding an outfielder, so it seems that the organization is currently set in its outfield mix.
Also of importance, the reports suggest that Stewart is not expected to replace either of the team’s top two catchers. That is, both Tyler Flowers and Kurt Suzuki are expected to remain with the organization.
Stewart hit the free agent market after the Pirates declined a $1.5MM option for his services for the coming season. He had slashed only .183/.241/.221 through 144 plate appearances on the year, a career-low output from the 11-year MLB veteran.
Soon to turn 36, Stewart is not likely to suddenly turn into a quality producer at the plate. After all, he carries a lifetime .590 OPS at the MLB level. Clearly, though, he’s valued for his presence behind the dish and in handling a pitching staff. Just how he’ll fit into the picture in Atlanta remains to be seen.
Cardinals Designate Rowan Wick For Assignment
The Cardinals have designated righty Rowan Wick for assignment, the team announced and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported (via Twitter). His 40-man spot will go to righty Bud Norris, whose previously reported signing is now official.
Wick has yet to pitch at the game’s highest level. The converted catcher/outfielder was added to the 40-man in advance of the Rule 5 draft in the winter of 2016, following his first full competitive season on the mound. He was also tabbed to participate in the World Baseball Classic with Team Canada.
Last season, Wick ended up spending most of his time in the upper minors as he worked to refine his new craft. While the hard-throwing righty was able to tamp down on the walk issues that plagued him in his first attempt at Double-A in 2016, he evidently did not show quite enough for the Cards to ensure they’d retain him entering camp. Wick ended the 2017 campaign with 42 1/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball with 8.9 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/13/18
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Nationals announced a slate of 17 players they’ve signed to minor league deals with invites to Spring Training, including a deal with former Padres righty Cesar Vargas. (Some of the remaining names — Edwin Jackson, Tommy Milone, Ryan Raburn, Miguel Montero — were veterans with notable big league experience, though each of those deals had been previously reported.) Vargas, 26, tossed 34 innings for the 2016 Friars, logging a 5.03 ERA with a 28-to-15 K/BB ratio in seven starts as a Major Leaguer. After working as a starter in ’16, though, Vargas pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen between the Padres’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates this past season. He struggled to a 5.50 ERA and averaged five walks per nine innings, though he also averaged 10.2 K/9 in that time. He could serve as depth either in the ‘pen or the rotation with his new organization.
Blue Jays Sign Craig Breslow To Minor League Deal
Feb. 13: Breslow’s spring opt-out date is March 22, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter links). He can also earn up to $700K worth of incentives if he makes the big league roster. The Blue Jays have formally announced the deal.
Feb. 12, 11:59am: Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports that Breslow would earn a $1.25MM base salary if he makes the team (Twitter link). He’d also have the opportunity to earn more through incentives and has an opt-out date near the end of Spring Training.
11:33am: The Blue Jays are in agreement with left-handed reliever Craig Breslow on a minor league contract, tweets Robert Murray of FanRag Sports. Breslow, who is represented by the Baratta Partners, will vie for a bullpen job in Major League Spring Training.
Toronto has been stockpiling bullpen options on minor league deals lately, as they’ve now added Breslow, John Axford (link) and Jake Petricka (link) in the past week alone. Toronto also added Al Alburquerque on a minors pact earlier this winter. The 37-year-old Breslow will give the Jays an option to compete alongside Aaron Loup, Matt Dermody, Tim Mayza and fellow non-roster pitcher Chad Girodo for a spot as a lefty in the ‘pen.
Breslow opened the 2017 season with the Twins on the heels of a winter in which worked to alter his mechanics and lower his arm slot. He didn’t fare particularly well in Minnesota (5.23 ERA in 31 innings), although that was largely due to the fact that other injuries throughout the bullpen (and some short outings from the rotation) early in the season forced the Twins to use Breslow against right-handed opponents far more than would be preferable. Breslow faced twice as many righties as lefties in 2017, and they clobbered him at a .330/.393/.542 clip. However, lefties were utterly befuddled against Breslow, hitting just .196/.294/.286.
Rays Outright Micah Johnson
Micah Johnson‘s offseason odyssey has come to an end. The Rays announced today that the infielder has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Durham as a means of clearing a 40-man roster spot for the newly re-signed Sergio Romo.
Once considered the second baseman of the future for the White Sox, Johnson initially went from the ChiSox to the Dodgers by way of the three-team Todd Frazier trade with the Reds. Johnson spent the 2016 season in the Dodgers’ organization but was flipped to Atlanta last January. He enjoyed a solid run with Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate, hitting .289/.377/.400 in a small sample of 155 plate appearances but also missed a significant portion of the year due to a fractured left wrist.
Johnson, 27, finished out the season in the Braves organization but has since been placed on waivers and claimed by three different clubs. Johnson went from the Braves to the Reds, to the Giants and to the Rays before finally clearing waivers and remaining with his current organization. A career .224/.291/.259 hitter in 131 MLB plate appearances and .281/.341/.393 hitter in 1323 Triple-A PAs, Johnson will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee with the Rays this spring.
Rays Sign Sergio Romo
FEBRUARY 13: Romo is guaranteed $2.5MM in the deal, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The deal is official.
FEBRUARY 9: The Rays have agreed to terms on a one-year, Major League deal with right-hander Sergio Romo, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter). He can earn up to $2.75MM, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (Twitter link), though the amount guaranteed remains unclear. The deal is still pending a physical. Romo is a client of Meister Sports Management.
Romo, 35 next month, was cut loose by the Dodgers after struggling through 25 innings in Los Angeles last season but found new life when L.A. sent him to the Rays in a minor trade following a DFA. In 30 2/3 frames with Tampa Bay, Romo thrived, pitching to a minuscule 1.47 ERA with an excellent 28-to-7 K/BB ratio and a 38.8 percent ground-ball rate.
Though Romo’s average velocity on his four-seamer and sinker both checked in under 87 mph last season, his penchant for missing bats didn’t deteriorate whatsoever. While one wouldn’t think it when looking at the radar gun, Romo has averaged better than a strikeout per inning in all but two seasons of his career, and he averaged 9.5 K/9 on the season as a whole in 2017. That impressive mark was accompanied by a 14.9 percent swinging-strike rate that tied him with Cody Allen for 25th among 155 qualified relievers.
Romo will serve as an elder statesman in a young and rather inexperienced Tampa Bay bullpen. At present, Alex Colome projects as the team’s closer, though trade rumblings surrounding his name have persisted even as Spring Training approaches. The Rays are reportedly still under ownership directive to cut a bit more payroll, and that figures to be ever the more true after adding Romo on a one-year deal — even if it comes at a modest rate. Should Colome ultimately be moved, it stands to reason that Romo, formerly the Giants’ closer, could find himself in the mix for saves early in the season.
[Related: Updated Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]
Beyond Romo and Colome, the Rays’ bullpen, at least from the right side, looks somewhat undefined. Dan Jennings and Jose Alvarado should hold down spots as southpaws, while Matt Andriese figures to pitch from the right side in a multi-inning capacity (though Andriese could end up in the rotation depending on whether Jake Odorizzi, another trade candidate, is moved prior to Opening Day).
Other right-handers who could work in a middle relief or setup capacity include Austin Pruitt, Chaz Roe, Andrew Kittredge, Ryne Stanek, Chih-Wei Hu, Jamie Schultz and Diego Castillo — each of whom is on the 40-man roster. The Rays will also have some veterans with big league experience in camp on minor league deals, including righty Evan Scribner and lefties Vidal Nuno and Jonny Venters.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.