Diamondbacks Sign Tom Wilhelmsen
The Diamondbacks have announced a minor-league deal with righty Tom Wilhelmsen. He’ll receive an invitation to participate in MLB camp; salary provisions and other terms remain unreported.
[RELATED: Updated D-Backs Depth Chart]
Wilhelmsen, 33, represents an interesting bounceback candidate for an Arizona team that has some potential openings. He’ll surely need to earn a spot in camp, but figures to have a solid chance of cracking the Opening Day roster.
The 2016 season was a tough one for Wilhelmsen, who had been a solid late-inning option for the Mariners before being dealt last winter to the Rangers. He scuffled badly in Texas, coughing up 25 earned runs on 38 hits in his 21 1/3 innings before being cut loose.
Things did improve when Wilhelmsen landed back with the M’s. He provided 25 frames of 3.60 ERA ball with 6.1 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9. Still, even those peripherals lagged his peak efforts. While Wilhelmsen still brought his fastball at a typical ~95 mph average velocity in 2016, he allowed far more contact on pitches in the zone (91.5%) than ever before (85.2% career average) and proved highly susceptible to the long ball (20.4% HR/FB rate and 2.14 HR/9).
White Sox Outright Kevan Smith
The White Sox have outrighted catcher Kevan Smith to Triple-A, per a club announcement. He has already cleared waivers, it seems, as the organization says he’ll be a non-roster invitee. The move leaves the club with a free spot on its 40-man roster.
Smith, 28, earned his first brief call-up to the majors in 2016 after an injury to Alex Avila opened an opportunity. But he never really got much of a chance, as he was sidelined with back issues and ultimately saw action in just seven MLB contests.
Though he never rated as a top prospect, Smith has shown his share of promise. He put up .800+ OPS offensive years in 2013 (at High-A) and 2014 (at Double-A). But he owns a less exciting .245/.315/.380 batting line in his 565 Triple-A plate appearances over the past two seasons.
Blue Jays To Sign Jose Tabata
The Blue Jays have struck a minor-league deal with outfielder Jose Tabata, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Other terms of the arrangement remain unreported at this time.
Still just 28 years old, Tabata will be looking to spark a career revival in Toronto. Once a highly promising young talent, he was shipped to the Dodgers in the middle of the 2015 season in a bad-contract swap that sent Michael Morse back to the Pirates.
After two solid seasons to start his MLB career with the Bucs, Tabata signed an extension that the club hoped would deliver surplus value over its lengthy term (six guaranteed years with three options). But he struggled in the first season after signing and never developed into more than a part-time player in Pittsburgh. Hopes were raised by a solid 2013 campaign, in which he slashed .282/.342/.429 over 341 plate appearances, but Tabata fell off sharply thereafter.
Los Angeles paid down the remainder of the deal when it cut Tabata loose last summer, wrapping things up with a $250K buyout of a 2017 club option. He had failed to earn a return to the majors after a tepid start to the 2016 season at Triple-A, though he did exhibit his typically high-quality approach during a stint in the Mexican League. In 123 plate appearances for Quintana Roo, Tabata slashed .320/.439/.410 while drawing 18 walks against just 13 strikeouts.
Padres Sign Collin Cowgill To Minor League Deal
The Padres announced their list of non-roster invitees to Major League Spring Training today, and new among the mix is veteran outfielder Collin Cowgill, who has agreed to a minors pact with the team.
The 30-year-old Cowgill spent the 2016 season in the Indians organization, with most of his work coming in Triple-A. In addition to nine Major League games and 14 plate appearances, Cowgill logged 103 games and 407 plate appearances with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate in Columbus, batting .234/.311/.320. A veteran of six Major League seasons, Cowgill is a career .234/.297/.329 hitter in 759 PAs between the Angels, A’s, Diamondbacks, Mets and Indians. While he doesn’t have a track record of producing at the plate, Cowgill has typically graded out as an above-average baserunner and corner outfielder. He’s also plenty capable of playing center field as well, though UZR and DRS rate his work there less favorably.
Cowgill enters a crowded outfield mix in Padres camp. Alex Dickerson, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Travis Jankowski are all but assured to have roster spots and see considerable playing time during the regular season. Cowgill will battle with fellow non-roster invitees Rafael Ortega, Jabari Blash and Nick Buss for a reserve spot on the bench, though the Padres are already carrying multiple center-field capable outfielders in Margot and Jankowski. Beyond that, Christian Bethancourt will probably see occasional reps in the outfield, and infielder Cory Spangenberg has seen brief time in the outfield as well (in 2015).
Pirates Acquire Phil Gosselin, Designate Nefi Ogando For Assignment
The Diamondbacks announced that they’ve traded recently designated infielder Phil Gosselin to the Pirates in exchange for minor league righty Frank Duncan. Right-hander Nefi Ogando has been designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster, the Pirates announced. (Gosselin was designated for assignment earlier in the week when the D-backs signed Daniel Descalso to a one-year deal with a club option for 2018.)
The 28-year-old Gosselin originally came up with the Braves back in 2013, but he’s spent the majority of the past two seasons with the Diamondbacks. Primarily a second baseman, Gosselin batted .283/.338/.409 in 316 plate appearances with the D-backs over the past two seasons and is a .283/.331/.385 hitter in 501 Major League plate appearances.
Gosselin grades out as a fairly solid second baseman from a defensive standpoint, though despite the fact that it’s been his most frequent position in the Majors, he’s still logged only 487 innings there. He’s also spent some time at shortstop, third base, first base and in the outfield corners as a Major Leaguer.
Gosselin should get a chance to make the Pirates’ roster out of Spring Training, though he could vying for the same utility infield job as the out-of-options Alen Hanson. Hanson’s status could complicate matters for Gosselin, as he still has two minor league options remaining and wouldn’t need to be exposed to waivers in order to be sent down. Even if Gosselin isn’t a fixture on the roster in 2017, the Bucs have the ability to control him through at least the 2020 season, as he has just two years, 85 days of Major League service time to this point in his career.
Duncan, 25, reached Triple-A for the first time in 2016 and posted a combined 2.34 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 55.7 percent ground-ball rate between Double-A and Triple-A. Despite those gaudy numbers, Duncan drew a somewhat lukewarm review from Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen in his review of the Pirates’ farm system. Longenhagen noted that Duncan “fills the zone and eats innings, but his stuff (sinker in the upper-80s, fringe-average breaking ball, below-average changeup) is that of an up-and-down arm more than a big-league mainstay.”
Losing his spot on the roster as a result of this move is the 27-year-old Ogando, whom Pittsburgh claimed off waivers from the Marlins back on Dec. 23. There’s plenty to like about Ogando, who has averaged better than 95 mph on his fastball and induced grounders on 57.6 percent of the balls put into play against him in his brief MLB sample of work (19 2/3 innings, 3.66 ERA). However, despite Ogando’s ability to overpower hitters with his fastball, he’s fanned just 10 hitters in the Majors to go along with 10 walks.
A look at Ogando’s minor league production reveals a similar tale; though he throws in the mid- to upper-90s, he’s averaged 7.4 K/9 in his minor league career and just 7.0 per nine in Triple-A. Walks have been a persistent issue for him in the minors as well, as he’s consistently averaged between four and five walks per nine innings pitched. Ogando has changed hands on waivers three times in the past 14 months, going from Philadelphia to Miami to Pittsburgh, so it’s possible that another club will want to try its hand at harnessing his intriguing velocity.
Angels Acquire Austin Adams, Designate Deolis Guerra
The Angels announced today that they’ve acquired right-hander Austin Adams from the Indians in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. Fellow right-hander Deolis Guerra has been designated for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Adams, 30, has seen action in the past three seasons with Cleveland and was particularly sharp in 2015 when he pitched to a 3.78 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rate. His numbers took a step back across the board in 2016, though, as Adams allowed an unsightly 20 earned runs on 27 hits and seven walks with 17 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings — a 9.82 ERA on the year. Overall, the former fifth-round pick has a career 6.29 ERA in 58 2/3 Major League innings.
On a more positive note, Adams has had plenty of success in Triple-A, where he’s spent parts of three seasons. In that time, he’s tossed 103 2/3 innings of relief, logging a 3.47 ERA with 9.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. He’s also averaged better than 96 mph on his fastball in recent seasons. Adams will join an unsettled bullpen mix with the Halos, where Huston Street, Cam Bedrosian, J.C. Ramirez and Andrew Bailey seem like the only right-handers that have spots locked down at this time.
The 27-year-old Guerra had his first extended stint of success in the Majors in 2016, as he logged a 3.21 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 1.2 BB/9 and a 42.2 percent ground-ball rate in 53 1/3 innings with the Halos. Though he showed excellent control, Guerra averaged just over 90 mph on his fastball and didn’t miss many bats in 2016, neither of which helped his cause. His strike-throwing ability could certainly pique the interest of another club, but at this stage of the offseason, but teams have gravitated more and more toward power arms in their bullpens (as this trade/DFA demonstrates), which could allow the Halos to pass Guerra through waivers.
Orioles Acquire Gabriel Ynoa From Mets, Designate Francisco Pena
The Orioles have acquired right-hander Gabriel Ynoa from the Mets in exchange for cash and designated catcher Francisco Pena for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, per a team announcement. The move opens a spot on the Mets’ 40-man roster, which the team still needed to do in order to make the re-signing of Fernando Salas official.
The 23-year-old Ynoa made his MLB debut with the Mets this past season, tossing 18 1/3 innings with a 6.38 ERA. His 17-to-7 K/BB ratio, 49.2 percent ground-ball rate and average fastball velocity of 93.5 mph were all more encouraging numbers than the unsightly ERA in that small sample. In 154 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this past season, Ynoa posted a 3.97 ERA with 4.5 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 48.8 percent grounder rate.
Ynoa ranked among the Mets’ top 20 prospects each year from 2012-15, with BA’s most recent report calling him a “control artist” and a potential fourth starter if he can make improvements to his secondary offerings. Also noted, though, was that while Ynoa has a knack for throwing strikes, he doesn’t hit his spot within the zone often enough, so honing his command could also be an area of focus moving forward.
“Our scouts feel he can develop into a Major League starting pitcher by developing a consistent breaking pitch,” said Orioles GM Dan Duquette of the newly acquired Ynoa. “We look forward to his contributions to the Orioles this season and beyond.”
Ynoa will give the Orioles some much-needed rotation depth beyond the quintet of Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez. He has a minor league option remaining, which was likely a key factor for the Orioles, as there doesn’t look to be an immediate spot in the rotation for Ynoa, barring a spring injury to one of the previously listed rotation members. The 154 innings that Ynoa threw at Triple-A last season represent his only experience at that level, so it seems likely that he’ll head to Norfolk to open the season for further development. Should things pan out for Ynoa, he’ll be under club control through the 2022 season in Baltimore.
Pena, 27, appeared in 14 games and hit .200/.238/.275 across 43 plate appearances for the Orioles last season. He was expected to compete with Caleb Joseph for the backup catcher role this spring and may still do so if he clears waivers. The defensive-minded backstop was out of minor league options, which undoubtedly played a role in the Orioles’ decision to designate him. In parts of four Triple-A seasons (1188 plate appearances), Pena has displayed good power but struggled to get on base, as evidenced by his .248/.294/.453 batting line. He’s thrown out 32 percent base base thieves in his minor league career and routinely draws considerably above-average framing grades from Baseball Prospectus.
Reds Sign Desmond Jennings
FEBRUARY 9: Cincinnati has announced the signing of Jennings. He would earn $1.5MM in the majors, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter), with another $1MM available through incentives based upon how many games he appears in, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 2: The Reds are nearing a deal with veteran outfielder Desmond Jennings, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter). It’ll be a minor league pact, tweets Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Jennings, 30, has been limited by leg injuries for the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy through camp, though, he ought to battle with players such as Arismendy Alcantara and Patrick Kivlehan for a bench role.
The right-handed-hitting veteran could make for a useful reserve or platoon piece to pair with center fielder Billy Hamilton (a switch-hitter) and odds-on right field favorite Scott Schebler (who hits from the left side). Though he was overtaken in center in Tampa Bay, Jennings has plenty of experience there. And metrics have graded him as an excellent defender in the corners.
Perhaps the biggest question with Jennings is whether he can restore his lost luster at the plate. Once a steadily average-or-better offensive producer with a nice blend of pop and speed, Jennings has failed to post an OPS over .700 in any of the past three campaigns.
Blue Jays Designate Chad Girodo For Assignment
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve designated left-hander Chad Girodo for assignment in order to create roster space for fellow southpaw J.P. Howell, whose one-year, $3MM deal has now been announced by the team.
Girodo just turned 26 three days ago and is coming off a season in which he made his Major League debut with the Jays. In 10 1/3 big league innings, the former ninth-rounder allowed five runs (4.35 ERA) on 11 hits and two walks with five strikeouts. His work in Triple-A Buffalo resulted in a 3.79 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 57.2 percent ground-ball rate. Including both his Major League and Minor League work, Girodo yielded a .263/.289/.419 batting line to left-handed hitters and a much more alarming .347/.417/.584 slash to right-handed opponents.
Blue Jays Sign J.P. Howell
FEB. 9: The Blue Jays announced the signing of Howell to a one-year deal and confirmed that he’ll earn $3MM in 2017.
JAN. 31, 5:25pm: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that Howell’s deal with the Blue Jays will guarantee him $3MM.
4:40pm: The Blue Jays have reached a one-year deal with left-handed reliever J.P. Howell, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). The Legacy Agency client’s contract is pending a physical, Olney notes.
[Related: Updated Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart]
Howell, 34 in April, has spent the past four seasons as a member of the Dodgers’ bullpen, working to a collective 2.49 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a hefty 58.5 percent ground-ball rate across 205 2/3 innings of relief. In that four-year stretch, left-handed opponents have been stymied by Howell, batting a collective .210/.283/.274 in 423 plate appearances. While Howell carries some degree of a platoon split, right-handers have batted a relatively unimpressive .246/.329/.351 against him over the life of that same four-year term.
Howell is coming his worst ERA (4.09) since 2011, but the rest of his stats were fairly consistent with his 2015 marks. The veteran southpaw averaged 7.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in last season’s 50 2/3 innings, and his 59.1 percent ground-ball rate was again one of the best in all of Major League Baseball (15th among pitchers with at least 50 innings thrown, per Fangraphs). Among Howell’s other most appealing traits is durability. While he did undergo surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder back in 2010. Howell hasn’t landed on the Major League disabled list since the 2011 season.
One somewhat concerning element of Howell’s 2016 campaign was the .302/.343/.417 batting line that he surrendered against left-handed opponents. However, that figure seems largely attributable to a .375 BABIP against lefty hitters. He still managed to strikeout out 21.4 percent of the lefties he faced in 2016, and while that number represents a slight dip from the 23.2 percent mark he tallied in 2015, Howell’s control against lefties was improved last season (3.9 percent walk rate versus 7.3 percent in 2015). Howell also saw his fastball velocity dip to an average of 85.3 mph in 2016, which could also have caused some clubs to shy away.
For the Blue Jays, left-handed relief has been a glaring area of need all offseason. Toronto watched bullpen mainstay Brett Cecil hit free agency and sign a still-surprising four-year, $30.5MM deal with the Cardinals, leaving Aaron Loup as the most experienced left-hander in manager John Gibbons’ bullpen. While much of the chatter surrounding the market for lefty relievers has centered around Jerry Blevins and Boone Logan in recent weeks, Howell more quietly remained available as an alternative with a lengthy track record of quality innings.
As it stands, he figures to join Loup as a second lefty in support of closer Roberto Osuna, veteran setup man Jason Grilli and sophomore righty Joe Biagini in Toronto. The remaining spots in the Toronto bullpen could go a number of ways, as the Blue Jays will have Bo Schultz, Ryan Tepera, Dominic Leone, Danny Barnes, Glenn Sparkman, Mike Bolsinger and Matt Dermody all in the mix for jobs. It also seems highly plausible that Toronto president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins could continue to pursue relief help and look to add one of the many right-handers remaining on the market.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.