Pirates Acquire Sean Rodriguez From Braves
The Pirates have acquired utilityman Sean Rodriguez from the Braves, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes (Twitter links). In return, the Braves will receive minor-league 1B/OF Connor Joe, according to FanRag’s Tommy Stokke (on Twitter). The move is now official. The two sides consummated the deal after the Pirates put in a waiver claim on Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, of course, played for the Pirates in 2015 and 2016 and had his career-best season with the Bucs (.270/.349/.510 over 342 plate appearances) in 2016 before signing a two-year, $11.5MM deal with Atlanta last winter. Later that same offseason, however, Rodriguez and his family were in a serious car accident, and Rodriguez spent the first few months of the season working his way back from a shoulder injury. He finally returned in mid-July and has batted .162/.326/.351 in 47 plate appearances since.
Now, though, the Braves don’t have the need for Rodriguez they once might have — as Bowman notes, Johan Camargo has hit well while playing the leftmost three infield positions for the Braves this year, and the team added another versatile player, Danny Santana, in a trade in May. Meanwhile, the Pirates have been left without Jung Ho Kang this season as the third baseman struggles to get a visa, and the team has gotten poor production at various points from bench players like Philip Gosselin, John Jaso and Max Moroff. Rodriguez will provide them with another option around the infield and at the corner outfield spots. In addition to the remainder of his salary this season, he will make $5MM in 2018.
The 24-year-old Joe was the 39th overall pick out of the University of San Diego in the 2014 draft, but he’s moved through the minors slowly for an early college pick, owing in part to a 2014 back injury but also to his struggles to generate offense commensurate with the corner positions at which he’s played. This season, he’s batted .240/.338/.380 in 28 plate appearances for Double-A Altoona, demonstrating a good batting eye (with a 12.1 BB%) but modest average and power. He did not rank in MLB.com’s list of the Pirates’ top 30 prospects.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Giants Place Brandon Belt On Concussion DL, Promote Pablo Sandoval
The Giants have announced that they’ve placed first baseman Brandon Belt on the 7-day concussion DL. Taking his place on the roster will be a familiar face — that of Pablo Sandoval, who the team recently signed to a minor-league deal.
[Related: Updated San Francisco Giants Depth Chart]
Belt was struck in the head by an Anthony Banda curveball yesterday. Belt has an extensive concussion history that includes three DL stints in 2014, so it’s likely any potential head trauma would be worrisome to the Giants. He’s batting .241/.355/.469 with 18 homers this season.
Sandoval returns to play for the Giants for the first time since 2014, after which he left to begin what turned out to be a disastrous tenure with the Red Sox. Since his return to the Giants organization last month, he’s batted just 8-for-38 in two minor-league stops. Still, the last-place Giants arguably have little to lose in promoting him, and at least something to gain, since his current contract gives them options for 2018 and 2019 (when he’ll still be paid by the Red Sox) at the league minimum as long as he’s on the Giants’ roster.
Mariners Place Felix Hernandez On 10-Day DL
The Mariners have announced that they’ve placed righty Felix Hernandez on the 10-day DL with right biceps tendinitis. To take his place on the active roster (and to start for him today against Kansas City), they’ve recalled righty Marco Gonzales from Triple-A Tacoma.
Hernandez has struggled in his last two starts, giving up a total of eight runs over 11 innings against Boston and Texas, and he’s in the midst of an uncharacteristically uninspiring season, with a 4.28 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 over 73 2/3 innings. He also missed time earlier this season to a right shoulder inflammation. Nonetheless, the timing of his current injury comes as somewhat of a surprise. It’s unclear, at this point, how much time we’ll need to miss, but a second bout of arm trouble is never welcome news to player or team. As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets, Hernandez’s injury could increase the likelihood of the Mariners acquiring a starter via a waiver trade.
The Mariners last month acquired Gonzales from the Cardinals for Tyler O’Neill. He briefly appeared in the big leagues with St. Louis earlier this season but has not yet pitched in a game with the Mariners, although GM Jerry Dipoto said last week that he was impressed with Gonzales and expected him to appear in the big leagues later in the season. He has a 3.02 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over 86 1/3 minor-league innings this year after missing all of 2016 after having Tommy John surgery.
Orioles Acquire Brallan Perez From Rangers For Int’l Bonus Spending Rights
2:04pm: The Rangers will receive $500K in international spending rights, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.
11:25am: The Orioles have acquired minor-league infielder Brallan Perez from the Rangers for the rights to international bonus spending, the teams have announced. The Orioles have assigned Perez to Class A+ Frederick.
The 21-year-old Perez was batting .234/.309/.266 for the Rangers’ Class A+ Down East, although he hit fairly well at the Class A level in 2016 and performed well in a smaller sample at Class A Hickory this season. He’s played mostly second base in 2017, although he’s also played shortstop and third. He signed with the Rangers out of Colombia in 2012. He did not rank among the Rangers’ top 30 prospects, via MLB.com.
For the Orioles, the move continues a recent trend in which they’ve added talent in exchange for international bonus spending rights. They picked up righty Yefry Ramirez from the Yankees for international bonus rights last week, and also added pitchers Matt Wotherspoon, Jason Wheeler and Damien Magnifico and infielder Milton Ramos in separate trades earlier this season. They also gave up international bonus rights in their acquisition of Jeremy Hellickson from the Phillies.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have done the opposite, dealing infielder Yeyson Yrizarri to the White Sox for international bonus spending in mid-July. They currently have a relatively costly July 2 class that includes Venezuelan outfielder Wilderd Patino ($1.3MM), Venezuelan shortstop Keyber Rodriguez ($1M) and Mexican right-hander Damian Mendoza ($1M), although their overall plans for their international spending season aren’t yet entirely clear.
White Sox Sign Al Alburquerque
The White Sox have signed righty Al Alburquerque to a minors deal, Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports on Twitter. He’ll report to Triple-A Charlotte.
Alburquerque, 31, becomes the latest veteran reliever to join a Chicago organization that is stockpiling arms after a flurry of deadline activity. He’ll join veterans such as Mark Lowe, Jean Machi, and Danny Farquhar as recent additions to the depth chart.
Most recently, Alburquerque pitched with the Royals. He took his free agency after losing his roster spot following ten innings of 3.60 ERA ball. He’s still throwing 94 and getting swings and misses, though his career-long walk problems were also still evident. That said, Alburquerque did manage to allow only 1.7 BB/9 in his 26 Triple-A frames on the year, over which he also recorded 9.7 K/9 while carrying a 2.08 ERA.
Braves Acquire International Pool Money From Reds
The Braves have struck a deal to acquire some international spending capacity from the Reds, both teams announced. In return, Cincinnati will receive minor-league outfielder Randy Ventura.
$1.25MM in pool money is changing hands, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Under the new bonus system that goes into place this year, there’s a hard cap on spending. The Reds had started with $5.25MM in availability, while Atlanta had $4.75MM. It’s permissible for teams to trade away their entire allocation, though clubs can only boost their original pools by 75%.
This exchange of spending capacity is more about the volume of signings than aiding the pursuit of bigger fish. Both teams are serving bans on doling out bonuses of over $300K after blowing past their allocations in the prior signing period (when that was still permitted, albeit with penalties).
Both clubs have been rather aggressive with their international outlays in recent years — Atlanta, in particular. Indeed, that’s how the Braves landed Ventura, who signed during the 2014-15 period.
Despite a slight build, Ventura has drawn some attention for his tools — especially, his speed. He swiped 55 bags in just 58 games in the Dominican Summer League upon signing and has stolen 29 through 95 games of Low-A ball this year. That said, he has also yet to develop any pop, with his on-base percentage out-pacing his slugging percentage in each of his pro seasons. Through 413 trips to the plate in 2017, Ventura owns a .294/.338/.325 batting line.
Angels Designate Ramon Flores
The Angels have designated outfielder Ramon Flores for assignment, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the roster by righty Daniel Wright.
Flores, 25, saw just three games during his brief run with the Halos. He has spent somewhat more time in the majors in each of the prior two years, though still has only 331 MLB plate appearances on the ledger. He’s hitting just .204/.281/.256 at the game’s highest level.
That said, Flores has hit quite well at Triple-A over the years, including this one. The left-handed hitter carries a .291/.383/.436 slash in over a thousand trips to the plate there, with only 22 home runs but an intriguing 153:135 K/BB ratio.
Dodgers Claim Dylan Floro
The Dodgers have claimed righty Dylan Floro off waivers from the Cubs, the Los Angeles organization has announced. A 40-man spot was opened by moving Franklin Gutierrez to the 60-day DL.
Floro, 26, was knocked around in 9 2/3 innings (over three relief appearances) earlier this year with the Cubs. And he has managed just 4.8 K/9 in his 48 2/3 Triple-A frames on the season.
Still, teams obviously remain interested in Floro’s ability to draw grounders. He has induced worm burners on 61.6% of the balls put in play against him this year at Iowa, where he owns a 3.88 ERA.
Mariners Outright Christian Bergman
The Mariners have outrighted right-hander Christian Bergman off of the 40-man roster, per a club announcement. That clears the way for the activation of utilityman Shawn O’Malley from the 60-day DL; he was optioned to Tacoma.
Seattle did not specify whether Bergman has cleared waivers and, if so, whether he has accepted his assignment. The 29-year-old would be eligible to choose instead to hit the open market, as he has been outrighted previously.
Over 46 1/3 innings at the major league level this year, Bergman carries a 5.44 ERA with 5.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9. That’s mostly in line with his prior work at the game’s highest level, all of which came with the Rockies. Though he has had more success at times in the minors, Bergman has managed only a 5.10 ERA through 72 1/3 frames this year at Tacoma.
Athletics Claim Dustin Garneau From Rockies
The Athletics announced on Friday that they’ve claimed catcher Dustin Garneau off waivers from the Rockies. Oakland already had a spot open on its 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.
With Jonathan Lucroy now in Colorado following last Sunday’s trade, in addition to fellow catchers Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy, Garneau became a somewhat expendable piece for the Rox. The A’s, however, aren’t as well-stocked in terms of catching depth, with Bruce Maxwell, Josh Phegley (currently on the disabled list with an oblique strain) and Ryan Lavarnway currently representing their top options.
Garneau, who’ll soon turn 30, has seen limited MLB action in each of the past three seasons — 76, 75, and then 74 plate appearances in each successive campaign. He owns a subpar .199/.259/.335 slash with four home runs in that span.
That said, there could be more in the tank. Garneau has thrived over the past two years at Triple-A Albuquerque. Though it’s a noted hitter’s paradise, his numbers there stand out: through 355 plate appearances, he has knocked 25 long balls and a .962 OPS.