Cubs Sign Williams Perez To Minor League Contract
The Cubs have signed free agent right-hander Williams Perez to a minor league contract, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Perez had been available since the Braves released him Dec. 8.
[RELATED: Updated Cubs Depth Chart]
The 25-year-old Perez saw fairly extensive action the past two seasons in Atlanta, where he made 34 appearances (31 starts) and logged a 5.18 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 170 1/3 innings. All 11 of Perez’s appearances came via starts in 2016, and his results were unsightly (6.04 ERA) despite the fact that he paired a high ground-ball percentage (57.1) with a quality walk rate (2.52 per nine innings).
Perez’s new organization has one of the majors’ top rotations on paper with Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey and either Mike Montgomery or Brett Anderson, though the need for more depth is obvious. The Cubs are cognizant of that, having added Perez, swingman Casey Kelly (another ex-Brave) and Eddie Butler in recent days.
Wilmer Flores Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Mets
Infielder Wilmer Flores has won his arbitration hearing with the Mets, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Flores, who was arb-eligible for the first time this winter, will earn $2.2MM for the 2017 season; the Mets had countered with a $1.8MM figure. Flores is represented by the McNamara Baseball Group.
Flores, 25, delivered something of a breakout offensive performance for the Mets in 2016, posting a career-best 112 wRC+ while hitting .267/.319/.469 with 16 homers over 335 plate appearances. Much of that damage came from against left-handed pitching, as Flores delivered a whopping 1.093 OPS over 107 PA against southpaws. He played a valuable utility role around the Mets’ infield, seeing action at all four spots but primarily serving as a third baseman in the wake of David Wright‘s health issues.
Flores’ season was cut short on September 10 when he injured his wrist in a home-plate collision with A.J. Pierzynski, and he underwent hamate bone surgery in October to correct the problems. With the minor procedure now behind him, Flores is again expected to play an important role for the Mets. He and Jose Reyes will be the primary options at third should Wright again hit the DL, and Flores’ ability to hit lefty pitching makes him a strong compliment at first base alongside the left-handed hitting Lucas Duda.
The $2.2MM figure is slightly higher than the $1.9MM that MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Flores would earn. With Flores’ case now in the books, the Mets’ busy winter of arbitration dealings is now complete; New York entered the offseason with 10 players eligible for arbitration. You can follow the numbers for every arbitration-eligible player in baseball via MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Minor MLB Transactions: 2/4/17
Here are the latest moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…
- The Cubs assigned Dylan Floro to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (via Twitter). Floro was designated for assignment earlier this week when Chicago acquired Eddie Butler from Colorado. Muskat adds that Floro will be a non-roster invitee to the Cubs’ Spring Training camp. The 26-year-old Floro made his MLB debut last season, posting a 4.20 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 2.8 K/BB rate over 15 relief innings for the Rays. He joined the Chicago organization in January after the Cubs claimed him off waivers.
Nationals Sign Jeremy Guthrie
The Nationals have inked righty Jeremy Guthrie to a minor-league pact, the club announced. He’ll receive an invitation to the major league side of spring camp, and can opt out on March 27th if he’s not added to the MLB roster (per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick, on Twitter).
Guthrie, who’ll turn 38 in April, didn’t appear in the majors last year after a dozen seasons in the bigs. He went to camp with the Rangers and spent time at Triple-A with the Padres and Marlins, but was hit hard at every stop in 2016. Over his 86 2/3 frames at the highest level of the minors, Guthrie worked to a 7.17 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.
The last time that Guthrie threw in the majors, in 2015 with the Royals, he wasn’t much better. He ended that campaign with a 5.95 ERA in 148 1/3 innings. That being said, he was still averaging 92 mph with his fastball and cycling through what Pitch F/X classifies as a six-pitch mix. And it wasn’t long ago that Guthrie was racking up sturdy, 200+ inning seasons with regularity. From 2007 through 2014, the durable veteran averaged 197 frames annually while carrying a 4.18 ERA.
Presumably, the Nats intend for Guthrie to function as a depth piece, as the organization has its five-man rotation set. He’ll likely represent an option if there’s an injury in camp, or if the need for an arm comes up during the course of the season.
Braves To Sign Rex Brothers
The Braves have agreed to a minor-league deal with lefty Rex Brothers, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Brothers will not receive an invitation to MLB camp.
Brothers, 29, was picked up by the Cubs last winter. But he didn’t even make it through Spring Training before he was cut loose. Brothers struggled badly with his control while with the Chicago club, culminating with four wild pitches in a single spring frame. The veteran southpaw never ended up joining another organization, which rated as a surprise given his rather lengthy MLB track record.
Now, Brothers will seek to earn his way back to the majors in Atlanta after a full season of rest. The big question is whether he can stay in the zone. He has declined in that regard in each successive season, landing at just 40.5% in 2015. Reflecting that difficulty, Brothers owns a 5.00 ERA in 66 2/3 innings since the start of the 2014 season, with 8.1 K/9 against 6.3 BB/9.
Before 2014, though, Brothers had been remarkably effective. Despite calling Coors Field home, he carried a 2.82 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in his 175 2/3 innings from 2011 through 2013. Beyond that history, there are some more recent markers that afford some degree of hope. Brothers sat at 93 mph with his average heater in his last MLB action, and still posted double-digit swinging-strike rates even in his two rough campaigns.
Mets To Re-Sign Fernando Salas
2:18pm: Salas will earn $3MM and can tack on an additional $350K in incentives, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports on Twitter.
1:34pm: The Mets have reached an agreement to re-sign right-hander Fernando Salas, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Salas, a client of Paragon Sports, will receive a one-year deal, Rosenthal adds. The contract is pending a physical.
[Related: Updated New York Mets Depth Chart]
The 31-year-old Salas opened the 2016 season with the Angels and posted fairly uninspiring results through 56 1/3 innings there, logging a 4.47 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 in what was his third season with the Halos. However, Salas was dominant following an August trade to the Mets, allowing just four runs in 17 1/3 innings (2.08 ERA) with 19 strikeouts and zero walks. He’ll now return to the Mets for a second season, joining Addison Reed as a right-handed bridge to closer Jeurys Familia.
Of course, Salas also will play a larger role with the Mets early in the season, as Familia figures to be suspended under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. With Familia on the restricted list, Reed seems likely to close, which could make Salas the primary setup man for manager Terry Collins for a portion of the season.
Much of the chatter surrounding the Mets and their desire to add a relief pitcher have centered around lefties — specifically former Met Jerry Blevins. New York has been said to be working with some financial constraints as their payroll approaches $150MM, but Newsday’s Marc Carig reports that the team is not yet out on Blevins (Twitter link).
Salas, for what it’s worth, has held opposing lefties to a .239/.294/.383 batting line in his career and limited lefties to a .237/.270/.412 slash in 2016. So, while not utterly dominant against opposite-handed batters, he does limit lefties more effectively than a number of right-handed middle relievers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Phillies, Cesar Hernandez Avoid Arbitration
The Phillies have avoided arbitration with second baseman Cesar Hernandez by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.55MM, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (on Twitter). As MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker shows, that sum lands just north of the midpoint between Hernandez’s $2.8MM filing number and the $2.2MM figure at which the Phillies countered. Hernandez, a client of Octagon, will receive $50K more than the $2.5MM salary projection of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.
Hernandez, 26, was arbitration-eligible for the first time as a Super Two player this offseason after wrapping up the year with two years and 154 days of Major League service time. The 2016 campaign proved to be a breakout year for the young switch-hitter, as he batted .294/.371/.393 with six homers, 17 stolen bases and an NL-leading 11 triples in 622 plate appearances. Hernandez also played decidedly above-average defense at second base, further adding to his value for the Phils.
That excellent performance prompted a fair share of trade speculation surrounding Hernandez this offseason, and he was at one point connected to both the Dodgers and Angels. However, it now seems likely that Hernandez will open 2017 with the Phillies, who can control him through the 2020 season. He’ll be eligible for arbitration in each of the next three offseasons in the meantime.
Mets, Tom Gorzelanny Agree To Minor League Deal
The Mets have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter links). Gorzelanny, who will be invited to Major League Spring Training, would earn $1MM upon making the roster and has another $1.8MM available via incentives, Heyman adds. The ISE client also has a March 24 opt-out date in his contract.
Gorzelanny, 34, split the 2016 season between the Orioles and Indians organizations, pitching to a combined 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 Triple-A innings. Gorzelanny appeared in seven games with the big league club in Cleveland as well, though he was hit hard and ultimately allowed seven runs in just three innings of work.
Gorzelanny has struggled in two straight seasons, but from 2012-14 was a quality bullpen piece. In 178 1/3 innings between the Nationals and Brewers in that time, Gorzelanny logged a 3.13 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a 43.5 percent ground-ball rate. Though he’s not an overpowering arm against left-handed hitters, Gorzelanny has nonetheless held same-handed opponents to a .229/.302/.356 batting line in parts of 12 seasons at the Major League level.
The Mets have been seeking left-handed relief help for much of the offseason, and while they’re rumored to have interest in a reunion with Jerry Blevins, there could be financial constraints preventing that from happening. Josh Edgin, Josh Smoker and Sean Gilmartin represent left-handed options that are already on the 40-man roster, while Adam Wilk has also inked a minor league contract and will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invite.
Rays Sign Rickie Weeks To Minor League Deal
The Rays have signed infielder/outfielder Rickie Weeks to a minor league contract, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). Weeks is represented by the Legacy Agency.
After an awful 2015 season with the Mariners, the now-34-year-old Weeks had a respectable season at the plate with the Diamondbacks in 2016, though his work flew largely under the radar. In 205 trips to the dish with Arizona, the longtime Brewers second baseman batted .239/.327/.450 with nine home runs. He was particularly effective against left-handed pitching, mashing southpaws at an exceptional .284/.368/.642 clip. Six of his nine home runs on the season came in the 76 plate appearances he received against southpaws.
For the Rays, it’s easy to envision Weeks making the roster in a number of scenarios. Tampa Bay has reportedly agreed to re-sign Logan Morrison to a one-year deal, and Weeks could conceivably platoon with him at first base if he’s able to demonstrate the ability to play there in Spring Training. It’s been two years since Weeks appeared at second base, and his glovework there declined rapidly late in his stint with Milwaukee, but he could also split time with lefty-swinging Brad Miller there. And, as Weeks has played corner outfield exclusively over the past two seasons with the Mariners and D-backs, he could certainly act as a right-handed-hitting complement to Colby Rasmus in the corner outfield as well.
Weeks no longer profiles as an above-average defender anywhere on the diamond, but his ability to perform against left-handed pitching should give him a chance to earn a bench role this spring.
Royals, Kelvin Herrera Avoid Arbitration
The Royals and right-hander Kelvin Herrera have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $5.325MM, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). That figure falls directly in between the $5.6MM for which Herrera filed and the $5.05MM figure at which the team countered, as shown in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker. Herrera’s ultimate payday will fall nicely in line with the $5.3MM which MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him to earn.
The 27-year-old Herrera was in his third year of arbitration eligibility as a Super Two player and will be eligible once more next winter before reaching free agency upon completion of the 2018 campaign. He’d previously avoided his first two arbitration hearing by agreeing to a two-year, $4.15MM contract prior to the 2015 season.
Armed with a blazing fastball that averaged 97.1 mph in 2016 (and 98.1 mph from 2014-15) as well as an excellent changeup which sits around 89 mph, Herrera will now look to anchor a Kansas City bullpen in which he’s previously functioned as a setup man to Wade Davis (and Greg Holland before him). Herrera saw his first extended stint as the Kansas City closer last year when Davis was injured, and he’s now the favorite to inherit the ninth inning following Davis’ trade to the Cubs (which netted the Royals Jorge Soler). Herrera’s resume certainly looks like that of a closer, as he’s pitched to a pristine 2.30 ERA with 8.9 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 46.1 percent ground-ball rate across the past three seasons.