Marlins Designate Christian Colon For Assignment
The Marlins announced on Friday that they’ve reinstated third baseman Martin Prado from the disabled list and designated infielder Christian Colon for assignment to clear a spot on the active roster.
Colon, 28, was claimed off waivers from the Royals a bit more than a month ago but struggled at the plate in his relatively brief time with Miami. Through 38 plate appearances, the former No. 4 overall draft pick batted just .152/.243/.182 with a double and seven strikeouts.
Though he’ll always be remembered fondly in Kansas City for some postseason heroics — including a 12th-inning, game-tying single against the A’s in 2014 and a 12th-inning, go-ahead RBI single against the Mets in the 2015 World Series — Colon’s bat simply hasn’t panned out in the Majors as hoped. Through 386 big league plate appearances, he’s a .252/.315/.315 hitter. He does have a bit of defensive versatility, having played second base, third base and shortstop, and his Triple-A numbers are solid (.288/.349/.393), so it’s possible that another club scoops him up as a depth option.
Red Sox Claim Doug Fister Off Release Waivers
1:15pm: Cotillo tweets that Fister will be added directly to the Red Sox’ Major League roster.
12:40pm: The Red Sox have claimed righty Doug Fister off release waivers, reports SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links). The signing is a reunion of sorts for Fister, who previously spent two and a half seasons with the Tigers when Dave Dombrowski was Detroit’s general manager. Because he was claimed off release waivers, Fister will have the option to reject the claim and hit free agency, though he’d be turning a way a spot on Boston’s 40-man roster, so that route seems unlikely.
By making the claim, the Red Sox are agreeing to take on Fister’s existing contract, which came with a $1.75MM salary (pro-rated) for any time spent in the Majors, Cotillo reported at the time of the signing. He can also earn up to $1MM worth of incentives based on games started or $200K based on relief work, per the associated press. It’s not clear whether Fister will head to Triple-A or join Boston’s big league staff, though he is tuned up to the point where he could conceivably step into manager John Farrell’s rotation.
Fister made three starts with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate, totaling 15 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts against five walks. Of course, most of his success came in his first minor league outing (five innings, one run on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts). Fister was hit a bit harder in his second and third outings, yielding six runs in 10 2/3 innings with more walks (four) than punchouts (three).
Fister, though, has a lengthy track record of success in the big leagues and should provide some depth to a rotation that currently has options Steven Wright, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brian Johnson and Roenis Elias on the disabled list. While it’s been a few years since he posted above-average marks as a starter, Fister did take the ball for 32 starts as a member of the 2016 Astros, working to a 4.64 ERA across 180 1/3 innings in the Houston rotation.
Twins Designate Alex Wimmers, Mason Melotakis
The Twins announced that they’ve designated left-handed reliever Mason Melotakis and right-handed reliever Alex Wimmers for assignment on Friday. The moves will clear way for the the team to select the contracts of veteran righty Dillon Gee and right-hander Trevor Hildenberger, one of the organization’s top bullpen prospects.
The DFA of Melotakis comes as something of a surprise, as he entered the season rated as one of the better relief prospects in the Twins system and has pitched well thus far in 2017, working to a combined 2.28 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate a bit north of 50 percent. Certainly, the Twins’ front office either saw something it didn’t like or feels there’s a good chance he’ll clear waivers, but it’s nonetheless a surprise to see him cut loose with the Twins in obvious need of bullpen help at the Major League level.
Wimmers, 28, has previously been outrighted by the Twins before, so he’ll have the option to elect free agency if he clears waivers. The former first-round pick was touted as a fairly safe bet to eventually join a big league rotation back in the 2010 draft, but his career has been derailed in large part by injuries. He’s tossed 7 1/3 inning with the 2017 Twins and walked more batters (nine) than he’s struck out (eight), though he’s posted a 3.72 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 4.1 BB/9 in 67 2/3 career innings at Triple-A.
Twins Sign Dillon Gee
10:55pm: In a change of course, the Twins are actually set to select the contract of Gee prior to tomorrow’s game, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (via Twitter). Minnesota was pummeled in a 9-0 loss to the White Sox today, as starter Nik Turley didn’t escape the first inning. Given the excess work required of the ‘pen, Gee will be immediately summoned to the Majors.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN also tweets that the Twins will select the contract of Trevor Hildenberger, who ranked among the team’s top 20 or so prospects entering the season and has turned in a 2.05 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 with a 54.4 percent ground-ball rate through 30 2/3 innings in Triple-A.
JUNE 22, 5:29pm: The Twins have announced the signing, noting that Gee will pitch for Rochester tomorrow. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that Gee has a July 15 opt-out date in his contract and will earn a pro-rated $1MM salary if he’s called up to the Majors.
JUNE 20: The Twins have agreed to a minor league pact with free-agent right-hander Dillon Gee, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN was the first to report that the two sides were in talks, and SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweeted soon after that the two sides were “very close” to an agreement. Gee is a client of SSG Baseball.
Gee, 31, elected free agency after being outrighted by the Rangers over the weekend. The longtime Mets righty had pitched to a 4.15 ERA through 13 big league innings as well as a 3.88 ERA in 51 Triple-A innings with the Rangers this season. That follows up the 4.68 ERA, 6.4 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 41 percent ground-ball rate that Gee logged in 125 innings as a member of the Royals in 2016.
Gee underwent thoracic outlet surgery back in October but hasn’t shown any lasting effects from that operation thus far in 2017. Gee will head to Triple-A as a starter, though it would seem likely that he’d emerge as a viable option for the big league rotation before long. Outside of Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios, Minnesota starters have struggled through a disastrous 2017 season. Despite the strong work of the team’s top two starters, the Twins’ rotation currently owns a 4.79 ERA that is the eighth-highest of any team in the Majors.
[Related: Minnesota Twins depth chart]
Phil Hughes, Hector Santiago and Trevor May are all on the disabled list, while longtime rotation member Kyle Gibson had to be optioned to Triple-A earlier this season as a result of his early struggles. (Gibson has shown some improvement since returning from Rochester, though he’s yet to rediscover his 2015 form.) Promising young lefty Adalberto Mejia has made a handful of starts thus far, but he hasn’t yet replicated his solid minor league numbers as a big leaguer.
All of that has contributed to a revolving door in the back of the Minnesota rotation, which has led to starts from journeymen Adam Wilk and Nik Turley — both of whom took the hill in a critical weekend series that resulted in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Indians. With that sweep, Cleveland leapfrogged Minnesota and took hold of the division lead.
Royals To Sign Neftali Feliz
The Royals have reached an agreement with free-agent right-hander Neftali Feliz, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Feliz was designated for assignment and released by the Brewers over the past week.
The 29-year-old Feliz inked a one-year, $5.35MM deal with the Brewers this winter and got off to a red-hot start as Milwaukee’s closer. Through his first seven appearances, he allowed just a run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts while showing upper-90s velocity — looking every bit like the dominant arm that was once the American League Rookie of the Year.
However, Feliz cratered in epic fashion following that impressive start, pitching to a 7.17 ERA with 21 hits and 13 walks against 14 strikeouts over his final 21 1/3 innings in a Brewers uniform. Feliz served up seven home runs in those 21 1/3 frames and ultimately ceded the ninth inning to emergent bullpen buzzsaw Corey Knebel, who now looks like a potential long-term weapon in the Milwaukee ‘pen.
While it’s not known if Feliz is headed directly into the Kansas City relief corps or will first make a stop in Triple-A Omaha, he figures to eventually join a group of relievers that is headed by Kelvin Herrera and Joakim Soria and has generally been far shakier than expected in 2017. Travis Wood, Peter Moylan and Chris Young each have ERAs north of 6.00, while both Matt Strahm and, more surprisingly, Herrera, are sitting at an even 4.50 mark.
From a broader perspective, the addition of Feliz at least somewhat signifies that the Royals aren’t quite ready to concede the 2017 season yet. While he won’t cost them anything — Kansas City need only pay Feliz the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, with the Brewers paying the remainder of his $5.35MM salary — bringing in another veteran piece rather than taking a look at younger arms suggests that the team’s recent improvements have at least staved off an early fire sale. The Royals are 13-6 in the month of June and have won nine of their past 11 contests to surge back to a 35-36 record. Even if they do ultimately sell off pieces, a revitalized Feliz could net them a younger piece if the Kansas City coaching staff is able to get the hard-throwing righty back on track.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/22/17
Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…
- Right-hander Tyler Cloyd has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Mariners after clearing waivers, per a club announcement. The former Phillies farmhand made his return to the Majors for the first time since 2013 this season, though he made just one appearance with Seattle before being designated for assignment. Cloyd, 30, spent the 2015 season in Korea and has pitched well in Triple-A and indy ball since returning stateside. Through 19 1/3 innings with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate this year, he allowed just three earned runs on 12 hits and two walks with 16 strikeouts.
- Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that Padres right-hander Zach Lee cleared waivers and has been sent outright to Triple-A El Paso. The 25-year-old Lee allowed five runs in eight innings for the Padres this year, and he’s tallied more walks than strikeouts in both the Majors and minors in 2017. While Lee was once regarded as one of the game’s best pitching prospects, he’s never excelled in the upper minors or in the Majors. The former Dodgers prospect owns a 4.94 ERA across 435 1/3 career innings in Triple-A.
- Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Rays have signed right-hander Mike Broadway to a minor league contract and will assign him to Double-A Montgomery. Broadway was released by the Nationals earlier this season after serving up 20 earned runs in 17 1/3 innings with their Triple-A club. The 30-year-old did carry a 2.96 ERA in 127 2/3 career Triple-A innings into the 2017 season, however, and he’s shown a knack for missing bats and limiting walks throughout his minor league tenure. He has brief big league experience as well, though he’s managed just a 6.75 ERA through 22 2/3 innings in a small sample of games with the Giants.
Michael Martinez Elects Free Agency
JUNE 22: Martinez has cleared waivers and elected free agency, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times.
JUNE 19: The Rays announced that they have designated infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 25-man roster for Trevor Plouffe, who was acquired from the Athletics over the weekend. Matt Andriese was already moved to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, so the Rays now have an open 40-man spot with Wilson Ramos and Brad Boxberger both nearing returns from the 60-day DL.
The 34-year-old Martinez has been a seldom-used bench piece for the Rays since being acquired from the Indians in exchange for cash. He was set to be designated for assignment nearly two weeks ago, but an injury to Brad Miller prompted the Rays to cancel Martinez’s DFA and instead place Miller on the disabled list. That series of events bought Martinez another 12 days on the big league roster, but the team has now formally announced that he’s been removed from the 40-man.
In a combined 43 plate appearances between the Indians and Rays this season, Martinez is hitting just .162/.262/.189 with 15 strikeouts. Although he’s never hit in the Majors (.194/.243/.261 through 621 plate appearances), Martinez has nonetheless found his way onto big league rosters for part of each of the past seven seasons. He has experience at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions in the Majors, though he’s been primarily a second baseman/third baseman as a big leaguer.
Cubs Designate Zac Rosscup For Assignment
The Cubs have designated left-hander Zac Rosscup for assignment, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney). Rosscup’s DFA will open a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Mark Zagunis, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Iowa today.
Rosscup, 29, made just one appearance for the Cubs this season and recorded two outs. However, he logged a fairly significant amount of time with the club from 2013-15 and has totaled 47 1/3 innings as a member of the Chicago ‘pen dating back to that 2013 season. In that time, the former 28th-round pick owns a 5.32 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 6.1 BB/9. Rosscup has had his share of troubles against right-handed opponents (.287/.384/.611), but he’s been very good against left-handed opponents, limiting them to a terrible .162/.303/.284 batting line in 90 career plate appearances.
Rangers Designate Eddie Gamboa, Select Preston Claiborne, Place Jeremy Jeffress On DL
The Rangers have announced that righty Eddie Gamboa was designated for assignment, via executive VP of communications John Blake. His 40-man spot will go to righty Preston Claiborne, whose contract was purchased. Texas also shifted reliever Jeremy Jeffress to the 10-day DL.
Gamboa, a 32-year-old knuckleballer, cracked the majors for the first time last year with the Rays. He was traded out of DFA limbo over the winter, with the Rangers interested in adding an optionable arm to their roster.
Through 77 2/3 innings over 14 starts at Triple-A this year, Gamboa had struggled to a 6.49 ERA. He’s carrying only 5.3 K/9, down from his typical levels in the upper minors, while issuing 4.5 free passes per nine innings.
Red Sox Outright Kyle Kendrick
The Red Sox have outrighted right-hander Kyle Kendrick off of their 40-man roster, Evan Drellich of CSNNE.com reports on Twitter. He will remain at Triple-A Pawtucket, however, suggesting he has already cleared waivers.
Kendrick, 32, was previously optioned after making two rough starts at the major league level for Boston. He consented to that move and evidently wishes to continue on with the organization despite now losing his 40-man spot. It’s not yet known what the team will do with the new roster opening.
Over 54 2/3 innings through nine starts at Triple-A, Kendrick owns a 5.93 ERA with 6.1 K/9 against 1.3 BB/9. His most recent substantial work at the MLB level came with the Rockies in 2015, when he turned in 142 1/3 frames of 6.32 ERA ball.