Minor MLB Transactions: 7/3/16
Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around baseball:
- The Brewers selected the contract of third baseman Will Middlebrooks from Triple-A Colorado Springs, the club announced. To create roster space, Milwaukee also optioned outfielder Keon Broxton to Triple-A while Chris Capuano was moved to the 60-day DL. Middlebrooks signed a minor league deal with the Brew Crew last winter after being non-tendered by the Padres. The former highly-touted prospect made a strong debut as a rookie with the Red Sox in 2012 but has hit just .213/.258/.363 in 878 PA with Boston and San Diego over the last three seasons. Middlebrooks has a solid .816 OPS at Triple-A this season, though Colorado Springs and the PCL as a whole are very hitter-friendly environments.
- The Braves selected the contract of outfielder/third baseman Ronnier Mustelier, the club announced. This will be Mustelier’s first taste of the big leagues in a 13-year pro career that began with seven seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional. Since defecting from Cuba, Mustelier has played in the Yankees’ minor league system and in the Mexican League. Over 1382 career plate appearances in the New York and Atlanta farm systems, Mustelier has a .303/.356/.440 slash line and 26 homers.
- The Marlins selected the contract of outfielder Yefri Perez. The 25-year-old Perez has been in the Marlins’ system since 2009, slashing .256/.310/.312 over 2209 PA. It’s worth noting that both the Braves and Marlins didn’t need to make corresponding moves, as the teams were allowed an extra 26th man on the roster for tonight’s special game played in front of the troops at Fort Bragg.
- The Orioles selected the contract of southpaw Ariel Miranda prior to today’s game, and the Cuban lefty made his Major League debut in a relief outing. Miranda, 27, is a seven-year veteran of the Serie Nacional who signed a minor league deal with the O’s in May 2015. He made a rather quick rise through Baltimore’s system, posting a 3.84 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.86 K/BB rate 147 2/3 innings. In corresponding moves, Tyler Wilson was optioned to Triple-A and Brian Duensing was moved to the 60-day DL.
- The Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo has released right-hander Roberto Hernandez, per a club announcement. Hernandez entered the season having logged major league action in 10 straight campaigns, though that streak looks to be in jeopardy. In his latest big league stint, the 35-year-old posted a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 84 2/3 innings as a member of the Astros last season. With a 4.42 ERA, 6.06 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 in 71 1/3 innings, the unspectacular numbers Hernandez put up in Buffalo are fairly similar to his Houston statistics.
Dodgers Release Ian Thomas, Outright Two
The Dodgers have made a trio of roster moves, releasing left-hander Ian Thomas and outrighting righties Yaisel Sierra and Layne Somsen off the 40-man roster, reports Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Updated Dodgers depth chart]
Thomas, whom the Dodgers designated for assignment Thursday, originally joined the team via trade with the Braves last summer. He logged a combined 23 1/3 innings with the two clubs in 2015 and posted a 3.86 ERA with 23 strikeouts against 11 walks. Thomas racked up quality numbers early this season for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate — 1.42 ERA, 22 strikeouts and five walks in 19 innings — but has been on the minor league disabled list since mid-May because of tendinitis in his left shoulder.
The Dodgers claimed Somsen off waivers from the Yankees on June 22 and subsequently designated him Friday. Somsen’s only major league action came earlier this season as a member of the Reds, with whom he threw 2 1/3 innings and gave up five earned runs. The 27-year-old has been far better this season in the minors, where he has put up a 1.44 ERA with 10.4 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 across 25 Triple-A frames.
Los Angeles signed Sierra – a Cuba native – to a deal worth upward of $30MM in February, making him easily the most interesting name in this group. The move hasn’t gone according to plan, though, as the 25-year-old has disappointed at the High-A level this season. In 49 innings, Sierra has run up a 4.69 ERA with 6.05 K/9 against 3.70 BB/9.
Pirates Claim Eric Fryer From Cardinals, Designate Rob Scahill
3:33pm: The Pirates have announced both the Fryer claim and right-handed reliever Rob Scahill‘s designation for assignment. Scahill threw 16 1/3 innings for the Pirates this year prior to the designation and recorded a 4.41 ERA, 7.16 K/9, 3.31 BB/9 and 58 percent ground-ball rate. In 104 big league innings, the 29-year-old owns a 3.89 ERA, 6.23 K/9, 3.72 BB/9 and 52.7 percent grounder rate.
[RELATED: Updated Pirates depth chart]
1:32pm: The Pirates have claimed catcher Eric Fryer off waivers from the division-rival Cardinals, reports Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link). The 30-year-old became available when the Redbirds designated him for assignment Tuesday, though they were hoping he’d sneak through waivers and remain in the organization.
This will be the second stint in Pittsburgh for Fryer, who was previously with the Bucs from 2010-12. He looks poised to take the place of Chris Stewart – who could head to the disabled list, Adam Berry of MLB.com tweets. Stewart would then join starting backstop Francisco Cervelli as the second Bucs catcher on the DL, leaving the position to Fryer and Erik Kratz.
In parts of six major league seasons, Fryer has totaled 199 trips to the plate and hit .270/.347/.354. Forty-one of those PAs came this year in St. Louis, with which Fryer slashed an outstanding .368/.415/.421. Those numbers are vastly superior to the .237/.328/.328 line Fryer has compiled in 935 Triple-A plate appearances, so regression is clearly on the way. Defensively, Fryer has graded respectably as a pitch framer and thrown out 29 percent of base stealers during his minor league career.
Nationals Activate Stephen Strasburg, Place Joe Ross On DL
The Nationals have activated right-hander Stephen Strasburg from the disabled list and placed fellow righty Joe Ross on the DL with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, Dan Kolko of MASN was among those to report (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Updated Nationals Depth Chart]
Strasburg, whose last action came June 15, will start for the Nats on Sunday. The 27-year-old hit the DL with an upper back strain on June 26, retroactive to June 16. Prior to that, the ace posted stellar numbers – 2.90 ERA, 11.4 K/9 and 4.92 K/BB rate – over 93 innings and began the season a perfect 10-0. Strasburg also inked a seven-year, $175MM contract extension in May, of course, so the first-place Nats can breathe a sigh of relief that one of their top players and most significant investments avoided a serious injury.
Unfortunately, the same might not be true in regards to the 23-year-old Ross, whose average sinker velocity fell nearly two miles per hour (from 93.5 to 91.8) in his start Saturday and dropped into the high 80s in his fifth and final frame. Notably, Ross’ brother – Padres ace Tyson Ross – has missed nearly the entire season with shoulder inflammation, and the Nats will now hope their Ross doesn’t suffer a similar fate. Before succumbing to injury, the second-year man tossed 95 1/3 innings of 3.49 ERA ball and added a 7.46 K/9, 2.25 BB/9 and 44.1 percent ground-ball rate. Even though Ross has emerged as a quality starter, his loss shouldn’t do much in the near term to hinder a Nats rotation that has Strasburg, Max Scherzer, Tanner Roark, elite prospect Lucas Giolito and Gio Gonzalez in the fold.
Diamondbacks Place Zack Greinke On DL
The Diamondbacks have sent right-hander Zack Greinke to the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain and reinstated outfielder Rickie Weeks Jr. from the bereavement list to take his place on the roster, according to a team announcement. This ends Greinke’s consecutive starts streak at 106, as Jack Magruder of FanRag Sports tweets.
[RELATED: Updated Diamondbacks Depth Chart]
Greinke sustained the injury during his start against the Phillies on Tuesday and had to exit after two innings as a result. Prior to that outing, Greinke had rebounded from initial struggles to record a 2.58 ERA over 11 starts dating back to April 30. All told, the $206MM offseason investment has pitched to a solid 3.62 ERA in 109 1/3 frames in his first year in Arizona and logged a 7.49 K/9, 1.73 BB/9 and 47.6 percent ground-ball rate. He’s one of several notable Diamondbacks currently on the DL, joining fellow starter Rubby De La Rosa and outfielders A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, Chris Owings and Socrates Brito. Those injuries have contributed to the Diamondbacks’ 37-46 start, and Greinke’s absence certainly won’t help matters for a club that’s 7.5 games out of an NL Wild Card spot and trying to claw its way back into contention prior to the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said Sunday that the team hopes to have Greinke back shortly after the All-Star break (Twitter link via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com), so it appears – at least for now – that he’ll avoid a long DL stint.
Nick Swisher To Sit Out Rest Of Season
Nick Swisher has announced via his Facebook page that he will sit out the rest of the 2016 season to be with his family following the birth of his second child. He emphasizes that he is not retiring — he will continue to train and will determine over the winter whether he will play next year.
This season must have been frustrating for Swisher. The Braves released him in late March, and he quickly signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, only to be passed over repeatedly as one Yankees first baseman after another went down with an injury. That said, it’s not hard to see why the Yankees apparently weren’t comfortable with Swisher as a big-league option — he batted just .196/.312/.320 with Cleveland and Atlanta last season, then hit a modest .255/.297/.377 in 236 plate appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2016.
Swisher is making $15MM in the last season of a contract he initially signed with the Indians. (He has a vesting option for 2017 that obviously won’t be picked up.) The Braves are responsible for that total, although they were paid a significant sum by the Indians when they dealt for Swisher in an exchange of bad contracts last year. The 35-year-old Swisher is a career .249/.351/.447 over a dozen years in the big leagues.
Nationals To Sign Yasel Antuna, Luis Garcia
The Nationals have agreed to a $3.9MM deal with Dominican shortstop Yasel Antuna, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets. They’ve also come to terms with fellow Dominican shortstop Luis Garcia for $1.3MM, via the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes (on Twitter).
The 16-year-old Antuna ranks No. 14 on MLB.com’s list of the top international prospects, winning praise for his mature approach as both a hitter and fielder. He’s a switch-hitter with gap power and strong overall offensive potential, via MLB’s scouting report, and he has solid range and an improving arm and could eventually become an everyday big-league shortstop. The Nats had long been connected to the young infielder.
MLB.com is even higher on Garcia, which it rates the No. 7 prospect available, praising his contact ability and athleticism. Baseball America likes him even more, rating him the signing season’s No. 3 prospect and noting in its subscribers-only scouting report that the 15-year-old has become one of the best pure hitters available this year. He could stick at shortstop, or move to second base or center field at some point.
The Nationals’ international bonus pool is just $2,235,000, so Antuna’s deal alone would move them into penalty territory. They have also been connected to Venezuelan shortstop Jose Sanchez, also a top prospect.
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/2/16
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.
- The White Sox have announced that they’ve acquired catcher Alfredo Gonzalez from the Astros and optioned him to Double-A Birmingham. Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Astros will receive cash considerations in return. The Astros designated Gonzalez for assignment last week after he batted just .158/.236/.205 in 162 plate appearances at Double-A Corpus Christi. The 23-year-old posted a .409 on-base percentage in a 2015 season split between three levels, however, and has a reputation for having a good arm.
- Righty Casey Coleman has opted out of his minor league deal with the Mariners, Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto tweets. Coleman is in the midst of a terrific season, with a 2.08 ERA, 8.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 39 innings of relief in the PCL. “It was just a thing where I’ve been told I have some of the best numbers in the whole league,” said Coleman, via News-Press.com’s Seth Soffian. “Seattle had a bunch of guys that were coming off injury soon and their roster was pretty full. I’ve put myself in a situation to hopefully sign somewhere else.” Coleman, who will be 29 tomorrow, has a career 5.72 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in parts of four big-league seasons with the Cubs and Royals.
Red Sox Outright Mike Miller
The Red Sox have outrighted infielder Mike Miller to Triple-A Pawtucket, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets. The move removes Miller from the team’s 40-man roster.
The Red Sox had added him to their active roster last Monday, and he collected just one plate appearance in the big leagues before being optioned back to Pawtucket yesterday. The light-hitting 26-year-old has batted .251/.317/.301 in 180 plate appearances split between Pawtucket and Double-A Portland in 2016. He has played second, third and short this season, although he’s also appeared in the outfield in the past.
Notable Draft Signings: 7/2/16
Here are today’s significant draft signings from around the league.
- The Athletics have signed Florida righty Logan Shore for $1.5MM, as various reporters, including FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, have tweeted. Shore, the No. 47 overall pick, was the second Florida hurler the A’s took in this year’s draft, having used their first selection to grab lefty A.J. Puk. Prior to the draft, MLB.com rated Shore the 42nd-best prospect available, noting that he has an excellent changeup and possesses good command, helping compensate for average velocity. Baseball America rated Shore the draft’s No. 34 prospect, with its subscribers-only scouting report essentially describing him as a potential future innings-eater. Shore’s $1.5MM bonus comes in slightly above the $1,351,800 pool value for the pick.