Minor MLB Transactions: 4/10/17
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game:
- Righties Ray Black and Ian Gardeck have reached minor-league agreements with the Giants after clearing waivers, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). Both 26-year-old relievers were moved off the 40-man recently. Black possesses a huge fastball and has shown big strikeout tallies at times, but he also has yet to demonstrate anything close to the command needed to succeed in the majors. Gardeck, meanwhile, is returning from Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he pitched to a 3.54 ERA with 10.8 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 86 1/3 innings at High-A.
- The Mets have reached a minors deal with first baseman Cody Decker, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Decker, 30, has also spent some amount of time at most every other spot on the diamond. He earned a brief call-up in 2015 with the Padres, the organization he had been with for his entire career until last season. Last year, Decker bounced between the Royals, Rockies, and Red Sox organizations, hitting a combined .230/.284/.484 with 19 home runs in 335 plate appearances in the upper minors.
- Joining the Cardinals on a minor-league deal is first baseman Rangel Ravelo, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter link). The 24-year-old played most recently in the Athletics organization, where he was known for his high-contact approach and solid on-base abilities. Ravelo struggled last year, though, slashing just .262/.334/.395 with eight long balls in 416 Triple-A plate appearances.
Dodgers Acquire Joe Gunkel
The Dodgers have acquired righty Joe Gunkel from the Orioles, per a club announcement. Los Angeles will send cash or a player to be named later in return.
Gunkel was designated for assignment recently by Baltimore, after the club claimed young fireballer Miguel Castro. Now, he’ll became the latest hurler to make the move to the Dodgers, who are seemingly always gathering rotation depth.
The 25-year-old had a notable 2015 season. After moving from the Red Sox to the O’s via trade, Gunkel threw 104 1/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball with 6.0 K/9 against only 1.3 BB/9. He continued to exhibit elite command last year, but gave up quite a few more hits and earned runs while working to a 4.02 ERA in 161 innings — most of them at Triple-A.
Blue Jays Claim Ty Kelly From Mets
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve claimed infielder Ty Kelly off waivers from the Mets. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Jays transferred injured Rule 5 pick Glenn Sparkman from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL.
Kelly, 28, made his MLB debut with New York last year and batted .241/.352/.345 in 71 plate appearances. A former 13th-round pick by the Orioles (2009), Kelly has spent most of his minor league career playing second base and third base, though he does have more than 1000 innings of experience in left field as well. The switch-hitter has a lifetime .275/.382/.383 batting line in 397 games and 1586 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
The minor league veteran will serve as a depth option for the Blue Jays, who needn’t carry him on the Major League roster immediately, as he does have a minor league option remaining. Toronto second baseman Devon Travis has a history of injuries, and third baseman Josh Donaldson left Sunday’s game with a minor hamstring issue, though he’s already expressed confidence that he’ll be able to play in tomorrow’s game. Kelly nonetheless gives the Jays a bit of insurance against any significant injury around the infield and potentially in the corner outfield as well.
As for Sparkman, the 24-year-old suffered a broken thumb back in Spring Training during pitchers’ fielding practice and seemingly won’t be ready to get back on the mound before the onset of summer.
Brewers Outright Michael Blazek
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- The Brewers announced that right-hander Michael Blazek, who was designated for assignment last week when they claimed Nick Franklin off waivers, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A. The 28-year-old righty turned in a disappointing 5.66 ERA in 41 1/3 innings with the Brewers last year, but he’d previously been a reliable piece of the Milwaukee bullpen. In 55 2/3 innings for the Brew Crew in 2015, Blazek registered an excellent 2.43 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 47.4 percent ground-ball rate. Blazek’s home-run, ground-ball and walk rates all went backward last season, but he did maintain a healthy 93 mph average on his velocity. Pitching in Triple-A Colorado Springs will hardly be a cakewalk, but he’ll look to get back on track in that hitter-friendly setting and work his way back into the Brewers’ big league plans.
Tigers Option Bruce Rondon, Select Contract Of Joe Jimenez
The Tigers have optioned right-hander Bruce Rondon to Triple-A Toledo and selected the contract of highly touted relief prospect Joe Jimenez, the team announced Monday morning. The Tigers have three open spots on the 40-man roster, there’s no corresponding move necessary to bring Jimenez to the Majors.
It’s been a brutal start to the season for the 26-year-old Rondon, who has made three appearances but recorded just four outs. Rondon has been roughed up for six runs on four hits and three walks with just one strikeout in this season’s brief sample. With Rondon in Toledo to get back on track, left-hander Justin Wilson will become the team’s primary setup option to closer Francisco Rodriguez, manager Brad Ausmus tells reporters (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jason Beck).
Rondon has been heralded as a potential closer in Detroit, and the fanfare he’s received is understandable. Though he’s never put everything together in the Majors, the right-hander has averaged 98 mph on his fastball and punched out 10.4 hitters per nine innings pitched in his Major League career (97 1/3 innings). That said, Rondon’s brief career has been marred by inconsistency as well as a 2015 incident in which the Tigers sent him home early for the year due to his “effort level.” Last season looked to be a turning point for Rondon, as he logged a 1.80 ERA with a 33-to-9 K/BB ratio across his final 25 innings, but he’ll now again look to rediscover his top form in the minors.
As for Jimenez, the 22-year-old will head to the Majors and make his MLB debut the first time that Ausmus calls him into a game. There’s no doubt that the Puerto Rican righty earned his promotion; in 53 2/3 innings across Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A last season, Jimenez logged a ridiculous 1.51 ERA with 13.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 34.3 percent ground-ball rate. He rated between fourth and sixth among Tigers farmhands according to Baseball Prospectus (subscription required), MLB.com, ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required) and Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen.
Jimenez is touted as a potential closer and a definite candidate for a high-leverage relief role, thanks to a 70-grade fastball and an impressive slider. Law notes that both his command and slider took steps forward in 2016, which bodes well for his long-term outlook.
Braves Sign Jason Motte To Minor League Deal
The Braves have signed reliever Jason Motte to a minor league contract, tweets David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Motte is likely to report to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.
The 34-year-old Motte came available when the Rockies released him Wednesday, which was not the outcome they had envisioned when signing him to a two-year, $10MM contract in December 2015. Motte battled a rotator cuff injury and a dip in velocity in in his lone season in Colorado. Thanks in part to those issues, Motte posted a 4.94 ERA and a 20.7 percent home run-to-fly ball ratio across 23 2/3 innings. However, he did log solid strikeout and walk rates per nine (9.13 and 3.04, respectively). The right-hander was at his best with the Cardinals from 2010-12, when he pitched to a 2.43 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 2.39 BB/9 across 192 1/3 frames, but he hasn’t approached those numbers since.
The Braves’ bullpen entered Sunday with a 4.86 ERA and a 5.02 FIP in 16 2/3 innings, and relievers Arodys Vizcaino, Jim Johnson and Jose Ramirez then combined to allow four late-game runs in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates. Barring a turnaround from the unit, Motte could conceivably get back to the majors with Atlanta this year, though the organization does have another well-known option in Triple-A in fellow minor league signing David Hernandez.
Nationals To Re-Sign Joe Nathan To Minors Deal
The Nationals are re-signing reliever Joe Nathan to a minor league deal, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Nathan opted out of his previous minors contract with the Nationals on March 27, but he was then unable to land a major league pact elsewhere.
The 42-year-old Nathan threw just 6 2/3 big league innings over the previous two seasons, largely because he underwent his second Tommy John procedure while with the Tigers in April 2015. He returned to the majors with the Cubs and Giants last season and fired 6 1/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, though he did walk four. In 923 1/3 career frames, Nathan has posted a 2.87 ERA, 9.51 K/9 and 3.35 B/9. The longtime closer has also amassed 377 saves, good for eighth on the all-time list.
Now, Nathan will look to make it back to the majors with the Nationals, whose bullpen entered Sunday with a 7.71 ERA over its first 18 1/3 innings of the season. The club’s top late-game options are closer Blake Treinen and setup men Koda Glover, Joe Blanton and Shawn Kelley, another two-time Tommy John recipient. Glover took the loss against the Phillies on Sunday, when he entered a 3-3 game in the bottom of the ninth and allowed the winning run on two singles and a walk.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/9/17
Sunday’s minor moves…
- The Mariners have released outfielder James Ramsey, whom they acquired in a trade with the Dodgers last summer. Ramsey didn’t see any major league action with the Mariners, instead picking up 110 plate appearances with Triple-A Tacoma, and still hasn’t cracked the bigs since the Cardinals selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft. The 27-year-old Ramsey, who has also been in the Indians organization, owns a .256/.337/.404 batting line in 1,027 Triple-A plate appearances.
Marlins Place Adeiny Hechavarria On 10-Day DL With Oblique Strain
The Marlins have placed shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria on the 10-day DL due to a left oblique strain. Infielder J.T. Riddle will take Hechavarria’s spot on Miami’s 25-man roster. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, though even mild oblique injuries have a tendency to linger, so the Fish could be careful with Hechavarria this early in the season.
Acquired as part of the 12-player blockbuster trade with the Blue Jays in November 2012, Hechavarria has since become Miami’s everyday shortstop with a track record of excellent defense and below-average hitting. Hechavarria has particularly come into his own with his glove since the start of the 2015 season, accumulating 19 Defensive Runs Saved and a +13 UZR/150 in that span. At the plate, however, Hechavarria has managed just a .254/.291/.335 slash line in 2356 career PA, including an ugly .594 OPS over 547 PA in 2016. The Marlins were reportedly willing to discuss Hechavarria in trades for pitching this winter, though no deal materialized in what was a pretty quiet offseason market for shortstops.
Hechavarria’s injury further hampers an already thinned-out infield situation for the Marlins, as Martin Prado is still on the DL with a strained hamstring. Derek Dietrich has been manning third base with Prado out, and Miguel Rojas is likely to get most of the playing time at short with Hechavarria out, though the Marlins could use the left-handed hitting Riddle in a temporary platoon with Rojas (a righty-swinger) as Riddle gets his first taste of big league action.
A 13th-round pick for Miami in the 2013 draft, the 25-year-old Riddle has a .276/.319/.370 slash line over 1613 career plate appearances in the minors. Baseball America ranked Riddle as the 21st-best prospect in the Marlins’ system, describing the Kentucky product as a possible future utilityman with a good glove and a strikeout-limiting swing, plus “high marks for leadership and makeup.”
DL Notes: Howell, Beltre, Rickard, Johnson, Otani
Here’s the latest injury news from around the baseball world…
- The Blue Jays placed southpaw J.P. Howell on the 10-day DL with a sore shoulder, with righty Dominic Leone recalled from Triple-A to take Howell’s place on the roster. (Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi was among those to report the news.) Signed to a one-year, $3MM deal in the offseason, Howell has a 54.00 ERA over one-third of an inning in his brief Jays tenure, thanks to an ugly outing on Friday that saw him allow two runs without recording an out. Howell underwent labrum surgery in 2010 but his shoulder hasn’t had any issues since; the durable reliever has averaged 64 games per season from 2012-16. With Howell sidelined, Aaron Loup is the only left-hander in the Toronto bullpen. [Updated Blue Jays roster at Roster Resource]
- Adrian Beltre is eligible to return from the 10-day DL today but the Rangers have decided against activating the star third baseman, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Beltre has been out of action due to a right calf strain and isn’t quite ready to play, though he has participated in batting practice and some running drills. Joey Gallo has been filling in at third in Beltre’s absence.
- Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard is headed to the 10-day DL due to a sprained left middle finger, manager Buck Showalter told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters. Rickard suffered the injury sliding into second base yesterday. The O’s had a ready-made replacement for Rickard on the 25-man roster, as Wade Miley was activated from the 10-day DL for his scheduled start this afternoon against the Yankees. There was some question over how Baltimore would find a 25-man roster spot for Miley upon his return, and according to Showalter, Rickard wouldn’t have been optioned had he been healthy. With Rickard out, Trey Mancini and Craig Gentry will be the right-handed hitting sides of Baltimore’s corner outfield platoons, with Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith providing the lefty bats. [Updated Orioles roster at Roster Resource]
- Showalter also told media that Chris Johnson suffered a broken bone in his forearm after being hit by a pitch during a Triple-A game yesterday. Johnson is expected to miss six to eight weeks. The Orioles signed Johnson to a minor league deal this winter, and then released and re-signed the veteran to a fresh contract at the end of Spring Training. The opt-out dates within Johnson’s contract (if any) aren’t known, though this lengthy absence could likely impact his decision about staying in Baltimore’s organization.
- In notable international injury news, Shohei Otani will miss approximately six weeks due to a strain in his left thigh muscle, The Associated Press reports. Otani suffered the injury trying to beat out an infield single, and as the AP piece notes, “the injury will add further debate to Otani’s insistence on batting as well as pitching.” The two-way star is both Japan’s best pitcher and a very promising hitter, posting a 1.004 OPS with 22 homers over 382 PA last season for the Nippon Ham Fighters and is off to a blistering start in his first eight games this season. (Otani has yet to pitch in 2017.) Otani’s professional future is the subject of wide interest on both sides of the Pacific, as the 22-year-old is reportedly planning to come to the Major League Baseball in 2018.