Mets Designate Sean Gilmartin For Assignment
The Mets have designated lefty Sean Gilmartin for assignment, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. The move clears roster space for righty Seth Lugo, who is returning from an elbow injury to make his 2017 debut in a start this afternoon against the Braves.
[Related: Updated New York Mets Depth Chart]
The 27-year-old Gilmartin was a first-round pick of the Braves in 2011, and he headed to the Twins in a 2013 trade for Ryan Doumit. The Mets selected Gilmartin from Minnesota in the Rule 5 Draft the following year, and his big-league career began auspiciously with a 2.67 ERA, 8.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 over 57 1/3 innings in his rookie season, most of them spent in relief.
Gilmartin struggled in limited big-league opportunities last year, though, spending most of the season in the rotation at Triple-A Las Vegas. This year, he struggled with shoulder trouble in Spring Training, posted a 7.05 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 over eight starts at Las Vegas (an admittedly unfriendly setting for pitchers), and allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings in the big leagues.
Twins Designate Drew Rucinski
The Twins have announced that they’ve designated righty Drew Rucinski for release or assignment. The move clears space on the club’s 40-man roster for lefty Nik Turley, who will start today against the Giants, as expected. The Twins also optioned lefty Randy Rosario to Double-A Chattanooga.
[Related: Updated Minnesota Twins Depth Chart]
The Twins signed the 28-year-old Rucinski to a minor-league deal last offseason, and he’s bounced back and forth between Triple-A Rochester and the Majors since the club selected his contract last month. Overall, he’s allowed five runs in 4 1/3 big-league innings with the Twins, but he’s pitched very well for Rochester, with a 2.31 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 in 23 1/3 frames, most of them spent in relief. He had previously pitched in the Indians, Angels and Cubs organizations.
The 27-year-old Turley has spent parts of ten years in the minors since the Yankees selected him in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. He had limited success in the farm systems of the Yankees, Giants and Red Sox but has thrived since a brief stint in independent ball last season — he posted a ridiculous 0.37 ERA, 16.6 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 24 1/3 innings thus far this year in Chattanooga and has also pitched well in Rochester. The journeyman will be making his big-league debut today.
Orioles Designate Edwin Jackson For Assignment
The Orioles have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk and recalled fellow righty Logan Verrett from Norfolk. To clear space, they’ve optioned righty Stefan Crichton from Norfolk and designated righty Edwin Jackson for assignment.
The moves bring two fresh arms to a bullpen that was forced to pitch 7 2/3 innings in a blowout loss to the Yankees yesterday. Crichton and Jackson pitched 3 2/3 of those innings, allowing five runs between them.
The O’s selected Jackson’s contract just four days ago. His brief action with the Orioles was his first in the big leagues since posting a 5.89 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 84 innings with the Marlins and Padres last season. The veteran has now appeared with 12 big-league teams over the course of his 15-year career.
The 25-year-old Yacabonis had an 0.90 ERA over 30 innings with Norfolk, but with an alarming 5.4 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9. As those numbers suggest, control has never been a strong suit for him throughout his five-year minor-league career. MLB.com ranks him 29th among Orioles prospects, noting that he relies heavily on a 93-95 MPH fastball. As David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot notes, Yacabonis continues to work on the development of a hybrid slider-curve that could prove key to his development going forward. He has never pitched in the big leagues.
Yankees Designate Tommy Layne For Assignment
The Yankees have designated left-handed reliever Tommy Layne for assignment, reports Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (on Twitter). In a corresponding move, the team has recalled Triple-A right-hander Domingo German.
The 32-year-old Layne joined the Yankees last August after the division-rival Red Sox designated him, and his first taste of action with the Bombers went well. Layne tossed 16 innings of 3.38 ERA ball, generated ground balls at a 46.5 percent clip and posted 7.31 K/9 against 3.94 BB/9. Most impressively, Layne held the 38 lefty-swingers he faced to a .147/.237/.147 line.
Layne’s initial work with the Yankees earned him a roster spot this season, but he has been among the few weak links in one of the majors’ top bullpens. Prior to his designation, Layne logged a 7.62 ERA, 6.23 K/9 and 5.54 BB/9 over 13 frames. He also experienced a dip in velocity, saw his swinging-strike rate drop from 8.9 percent last year to 6.6 percent this season and was subpar against the 26 same-handed hitters he faced (.318/.423/.409).
Brewers Place Jonathan Villar On DL, Promote Lewis Brinson
The Brewers have announced that they’ve placed infielder Jonathan Villar on the 10-day DL with a lower back strain. To take Villar’s place on the active roster, the Brewers have promoted outfield prospect Lewis Brinson.
Villar’s injury is the latest setback in a miserable campaign for a player who was an offensive standout for the Brewers last year. Then a shortstop/third baseman, Villar led the majors in stolen bases (62) and delivered a terrific .285/.369/.457 batting line with 19 home runs in 679 plate appearances. Villar, now a second baseman, remains a threat on the base paths (14 steals), but his work at the plate hasn’t given him the opportunity to swipe as many bags. Across 248 PAs, Villar has batted a meager .213/.283/.342. As long as Villar’s out, the majority of the work at the keystone figures to go to Eric Sogard, who has hit a red-hot .375/.500/.609 in 80 PAs.
With Brinson now up, Milwaukee has added its two best prospects in as many days, having promoted left-hander Josh Hader on Friday. Brinson is regarded as the better of the two, as Baseball Prospectus (No. 12), MLB.com (No. 13), FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Baseball America (No. 20) each rank the 23-year-old among the game’s 20 best prospects, while ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 38) is only slightly less bullish.
Brinson joined the Brewers last summer as the centerpiece of the package they received from the Rangers for catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Jeremy Jeffress. The right-handed-hitting Brinson, a first-round pick in 2012, has done nothing but produce since he joined the Milwaukee organization, slashing .382/.387/.618 in 93 PAs with its Triple-A affiliate in Colorado Springs last year and .312/.397/.503 in 204 plate trips this season. Along the way, Brinson has drawn walks in 10.8 percent of PAs and added six homers and seven stole bases. Brinson has the type of power and speed that could lead to his emergence as a 30-30 threat in the majors, according to MLB.com. Unsurprisingly, his speed also comes in handy in center field, continues MLB.com, as it it helps him overcome “shaky jumps and reads.”
Brinson could open in left field for the Brewers (depth chart), whose top option, Ryan Braun, has been on the disabled list since late May. Once Braun returns, it’s unclear how the Brewers will handle the young outfield quartet of Brinson, Domingo Santana, Keon Broxton and Brett Phillips for the rest of the season and in the coming years. All four have minor league options remaining, and only Santana has fared well this year at the big league level. If Brinson holds his own, it could lead to a bench role or a minor league demotion for the strikeout-prone Broxton, whose output has paled in comparison to that of both Braun and Santana. The Brewers could also trade Braun, who’s controllable through 2020, but there’s no indication they’re in any rush to do that.
In the event Brinson remains with the Brewers for the rest of the season, he’ll accrue 114 days of service time and should fall short of Super Two eligibility. If that happens, Brinson wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2020 season and he wouldn’t be in line to hit free agency until the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.
Orioles Designate Francisco Pena For Assignment
The Orioles have announced they’ve reinstated catcher Welington Castillo from the 10-day disabled list. To clear space for him on the active roster, they’ve designated fellow catcher Francisco Pena for assignment. Castillo had missed the last ten days with a groin injury, and Pena had served as Caleb Joseph‘s backup during that time.
[Related: Updated Baltimore Orioles Depth Chart]
This is the third time the Orioles have designated the out-of-options Pena this year. The O’s acquired him from the Royals during the 2015-16 offseason, then optioned him back and forth between Triple-A Norfolk and the big leagues last season. They designated him the first time in Spring Training this year, then again in May. He has cleared waivers each time, so the O’s could be hoping to send him back to Norfolk yet again if he clears for a third time. The 27-year-old is a career .247/.292/.450 hitter in 327 Triple-A games. He’s regarded as a strong defender.
Pirates Designate Pat Light For Assignment
The Pirates announced today that they’ve designated righty Pat Light for assignment. The move clears space on the Bucs’ 40-man roster for righty Edgar Santana, who was promoted today, as anticipated, along with fellow reliever A.J. Schugel. The move fills the Bucs’ 25-man roster after the demotions of starter Tyler Glasnow and reliever Dovydas Neverauskas.
[Related: Updated Pittsburgh Pirates Depth Chart]
The 26-year-old Light has pitched this season for Triple-A Indianapolis, posting a 3.76 ERA and 6.8 K/9 over 26 1/3 innings, but with 5.1 BB/9. The former Red Sox first-round pick throws hard but has struggled with his control in the high minors and in brief big-league stints with Boston and Minnesota. The Bucs acquired him from the Twins in a minor deal in February.
The 25-year-old Santana got off to a late start to his pro career, making his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League at age 22, but he’s quickly emerged as one of the Bucs’ most interesting young relievers. This year, he’s posted a 1.93 ERA, 8.5 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 over 32 2/3 innings with Indianapolis. He ranks 21st in MLB.com’s list of the Pirates’ top 30 prospects, receiving praise for his 96-97 MPH fastball and his slider.
Pirates Option Tyler Glasnow, Will Activate Jameson Taillon
The Pirates have optioned starter Tyler Glasnow and reliever Dovydas Neverauskas to Triple-A Indianapolis, MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets. The idea, as Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets, is that Jameson Taillon will return and start on Monday, with Chad Kuhl pitching in Glasnow’s rotation spot on Wednesday. There’s no official word on who will Glasnow and Neverauskas on the roster in the short term, although the agent for righty reliever Edgar Santana recently tweeted congratulations to his client for making it to the big leagues for the first time.
Of these moves, the most newsworthy is Taillon’s quick return. Taillon had surgery for testicular cancer in early May and returned almost immediately, hopping back into baseball activities and then making three rehab starts in the high minors during which he showed little rust. That he will have been able to rejoin the Pirates’ rotation so quickly is heartwarming news after his shocking cancer diagnosis. Before his surgery, he had a 3.31 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 31 1/3 innings this season.
Glasnow, who once joined Taillon atop lists of the Pirates’ best pitching prospects, has struggled greatly this season, posting a 7.45 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 over 54 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old has size and elite stuff, with a mid-90s fastball and an excellent curveball, but he has made little evident progress in the development of his control.
Reds Sign Cuban Shortstop Jose Israel Garcia
JUNE 10: The deal has been cleared by the league and is now official, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.
JUNE 8: The Reds and Garcia have a deal, per FanRag’s Jon Heyman, who confirms it’s for $5MM (Twitter link).
JUNE 7: There’s no official deal in place just yet, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer, but the Reds are close. MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets that there’s an agreement in place, but nothing official yet due to the fact that Garcia still needs to pass a physical. Sanchez pegs the bonus at precisely $5MM and says it could become official on Thursday.
JUNE 6: The Reds have agreed to a contract with 19-year-old shortstop Jose Israel Garcia, reports Baseball America’s Ben Badler. The Cuban native, who is subject to international bonus pools due to both his age and lack of professional experience, will receive a bonus of roughly $5MM on his minor league deal, according to Badler. Because the Reds have already vastly exceeded their league-allotted international signing pool, they’ll pay a 100 percent luxury tax on the signing, meaning the addition of Garcia to their improving farm system will cost them somewhere in the vicinity of $10MM.
Badler provides a fairly lengthy scouting report on Garcia that Reds fans will want to check out. Listed at 6’3″ and 170 pounds, Garcia has room to add another 20 or so pounds to his frame and will moving from second base to shortstop in pro ball, per Badler’s piece, though there are questions about his ability to stick at the position. He has the arm for third base but perhaps not the power to profile at the position, as Badler notes that he’s more of a gap hitter whose power ceiling currently projects around 10 to 15 homers per year with plus speed on the bases. Garcia has also been tied to both Houston and San Diego since being declared a free agent.
The Reds have already inked right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez and shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez as their two largest international signings of the 2016-17 period, though like the Astros earlier today, they managed to pull off at least one more significant add before the closing of the current signing period on June 15. At that point, there’ll be a roughly two-week dead period where international prospects are ineligible to sign before the 2017-18 signing period kicks off on July 2. As part of their penalty for shattering their bonus pool, Cincinnati will be barred from signing any international free agent for greater than $300K in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 signing periods.
Angels Designate Shane Robinson For Assignment
The Angels have activated outfielder Cameron Maybin from the 10-day DL and designated outfielder Shane Robinson for assignment in a corresponding move. (Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to tweet the news.)
[Updated Angels depth chart at Roster Resource]
Robinson has spent the last two seasons with the Angels on a pair of minor league contracts. He has made 123 plate appearances over 70 total games in a Halos uniform, including 12 PA in five games this season. A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Robinson has a .227/.295/.300 slash line over 772 career PA with the Angels, Twins, and Cardinals, and he brings defensive versatility with his experience at all three outfield spots.
Robinson and Eric Young Jr. were both recently called up from Triple-A to help fill the void left by Maybin and Mike Trout both hitting the disabled list. While Trout’s absence until at least the All-Star break will continue to hurt, Maybin will look to help keep the lineup afloat by continuing his recent hot streak. Maybin hit .270/.414/.438 over 111 PA in May before going down with a left oblique contusion on June 1 (his DL placement was retroactive to May 30). Overall, Maybin has a .242/.367/.369 in his first season in Anaheim.