Angels To Sign Erik Kratz To Minors Deal
The Angels have agreed with catcher Erik Kratz to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). He had been released by the Astros after opening the season in Houston.
Over his seven years in the majors, the 35-year-old Kratz owns a .210/.261/.381 batting line in 590 plate appearances. He’s also hit 23 long balls in that span, with a .171 ISO, so there’s certainly some pop in the bat when he connects.
But Kratz struggled to get going in his 15 games this year with the Astros, who picked him up from the Padres late this spring. He ultimately recorded just two hits and a walk, while picking up 14 strikeouts, over his thirty turns at the plate.
Kratz will look to bolster his case for another MLB opportunity by joining the Angels organization and, presumably, heading to Triple-A Salt Lake. The Halos were in need of catching depth with Jett Bandy coming up to replace Geovany Soto, who is on the 15-day DL.
Dodgers To Promote Julio Urias
The Dodgers expect to purchase the contract of top pitching prospect Julio Urias for his MLB debut on Friday, per a club announcement. It appears that the club is waiting to officially make the move until it’s necessary to do so tomorrow.
Urias will take the start that had been scheduled for Alex Wood. The 25-year-old southpaw will be bumped to Monday after experiencing triceps soreness. While any injuries to the rotation would have been a major concern just weeks ago, this one seems to be minor. And the reinforcements are arriving for Los Angeles, with Hyun-jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy moving toward major league readiness.
Of course, Urias is rather an interesting player to turn to in his own right — and not just because of his fascinating personal story. He’s just 19 years old, meaning he’ll be the youngest player in the majors upon his arrival. The left-hander has ascended the ladder quickly after signing for a relative pittance out of Mexico at 16 years of age.
That’s also exceedingly youthful for the Triple-A level, but age hasn’t stopped Urias from dominating all along the way. He’s been as good as advertised at the highest level of the minors, spinning 41 innings of 1.10 ERA pitching. Urias has recorded more strikeouts (44) than he’s allowed baserunners (24 hits, eight walks, one HBP) on the season.
Entering the year, Urias was viewed as one of the game’s very best prospects, and he’s only increased his stock since. In its prospect handbook, Baseball America praises him for an exceedingly rare “combination of stuff and feel for pitching.” Working off of a mid-nineties heater, he can draw swings and misses with a quality curve and change piece as well as a less-frequently-deployed slider.
It remains to be seen, though, how much of an impact Urias will have on the major league season. Los Angeles has carefully managed the young lefty’s workload, which is obviously not surprising. He’s yet to top 90 innings in a full season, and likely won’t be allowed to dramatically increase that tally, though surely L.A. will be looking to build his endurance.
The teams plans remain largely unknown. With Ryu, McCarthy, and other options soon to be added to the mix, the Dodgers could get a few starts from Urias and then shift him to the pen — where he could be a powerful, multi-inning option to pair with one or more of the team’s rehabbing or less-productive starters. Or, of course, he might well soon end up back in the minors to continue working out of the rotation.
If Urias is able to stay up the rest of the way, he’d stand to accumulate 129 days of service. That would put him on track to be a potential, but far from certain, Super Two candidate — at least assuming he opens on the major league roster in 2017. Urias’s performance could also certainly impact the organization’s trade deadline and post-season pitching plans. For now, though, we’ll all sit back and watch the phenom show his stuff on the game’s biggest stage.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Jonny Gomes Not Retiring
9:15pm: WEEI’s Rob Bradford tweets that he spoke to Gomes himself tonight, who said that he is not retiring.
3:01pm: Veteran outfielder Jonny Gomes has decided to retire, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. The colorful performer hangs up his spikes after a 13-year run in the majors.
Gomes, 35, last appeared briefly in Japan, and was said to be hoping to catch on with another major league organization. A suitable opportunity has evidently failed to materialize, however.
Since his debut in 2003, Gomes has compiled a .242/.333/.436 batting line in just over 4,000 plate appearances. He was always at his best against left-handed pitching, of course, as he hung a lifetime .855 OPS on opposing southpaws.
Gomes ended up playing for seven clubs in the majors after opening up with the Rays. He spent six years in Tampa Bay before moving on to the Reds in 2009 via free agency. After a brief stint with the Nationals, Gomes hit his second wind in a strong 2012 campaign for the A’s.
That season in Oakland is probably when the game was fully introduced to the bearded, tattooed, high-spirited platoon man that Gomes will surely be remembered as. He hit full stride the following year with the World Series-winning Red Sox, playing an important role on the club that extended beyond his solid on-field contributions.
Gomes never really put it together from that point forward, though he did still have use against lefties over 2014-15, which he spent in Boston, back in Oakland, and then with the Braves and Royals. Those, it seems, will be the last seasons of his career.
While he wasn’t on the post-season roster for Kansas City last year, Gomes did memorably brandish a large American flag at the massive celebration following the team’s World Series victory. That added yet another enduring image for a player who played the game hard and with notable verve. MLBTR congratulates him an a memorable run.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marlins, Carlos Corporan Agree To Minor League Deal
The Marlins and catcher Carlos Corporan have agreed to terms on a minor league contract, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. The 32-year-old MDR Sports Management client had recently been released from a minors pact with the Rays, where he’d batted .200/.246/.308 in 70 plate appearances.
Corporan has quite a bit of Major League experience under his belt, having spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues. He’s spent time with the Brewers, Astros and, most recently, the Rangers, combining to bat .218/.280/.342 in 780 trips to the plate as a Major Leaguer. Behind the plate, he’s caught 23 percent of attempted base thieves over the course of his career — a number that improves to 25.6 percent if one is willing to overlook some throwing struggles he had in his first extended look at the big league level back in 2011. He drew strong framing marks from Baseball Prospectus from 2011-14 but turned in slightly below-average numbers in that regard last season and again in his limited time at Triple-A this season.
Corporan will provide the Fish with some depth and figures to head to Triple-A, where Tomas Telis (acquired from the Rangers in exchange for Sam Dyson last summer) and Adrian Nieto have split catching duties. While Telis has hit exceptionally well at the minor league level this season (.361/.430/.470), Nieto has batted .116/.244/.116 after struggling at the Double-A level last season. In the Majors, the Marlins have the quietly solid J.T. Realmuto handling the bulk of the work behind the dish. Veteran Jeff Mathis is his primary backup, though the 33-year-old is hitting just .152/.176/.212 in 34 plate appearances this season.
Rays Designate Jake Goebbert
The Rays have designated first baseman/outfielder Jake Goebbert for assignment, as Roger Mooney reports on Twitter. Righty Ryan Garton was called up, creating the need for a 40-man spot, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweeted earlier.
Goebbert, 28, has seen just one major league stint in his career, slashing .218/.313/.317 in 115 plate appearances with the Padres in 2014. But he’s shown a high-OBP approach in the upper minors, making him a popular name on the waiver wire — which is how Tampa Bay grabbed him earlier in the year from the Pirates. Goebbert has struggled thus far at Triple-A Durham, though, with a meager .163/.258/.221 batting line in his 97 plate appearances.
The 26-year-old Garton earned his first big league promotion with a strong campaign in his first go at Triple-A. He’s shown improved command and punch-out ability in recording 11.5 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. Over 22 2/3 frames, Garton owns a 2.38 ERA.
Braves Claim Dario Alvarez
The Braves have claimed southpaw Dario Alvarez off waivers from the Mets, Adam Rubin of ESPN.com reports on Twitter. Alvarez had recently been designated for assignment.
The 27-year-old has been roughed up in limited MLB action over the last two years. He’s scuffled this year at Triple-A, too, though Alvarez has recorded 27 strikeouts against ten walks in his 15 1/3 innings and has posted better results in the past.
Angels Designate Lucas Luetge, Recall Kaleb Cowart
The Angels have announced that southpaw Lucas Luetge was designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to third baseman Kaleb Cowart.
Luetge, 29, did not appear for the Halos upon his recent call-up. He’s been pitching at Triple-A for most of the year, contributing 19 1/3 innings of 2.33 ERA ball with 7.9 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9. The lefty has previously spent time in the Mariners pen and owns a 4.35 earned run average in 89 total big league frames.
As for Cowart, this represents the second big league stint for a former top prospect. He didn’t do much with his first opportunity, though it was short-lived. Over his 166 plate appearances this year at Triple-A, Cowart owns a .303/.352/.454 batting line with a pair of home runs and three stolen bases.
Cardinals Acquire Jose Martinez
The Cardinals have acquired outfielder Jose Martinez from the Royals, per an announcement from the St. Louis club. Cash considerations will go back to Kansas City in the deal.
Martinez, 27, was designated recently. He’s a ten-year minor-league veteran who has yet to crack the majors. In parts of two seasons at Triple-A, Martinez owns a productive .359/.431/.525 batting line over 556 plate appearances. He hasn’t quite maintained the pace he set last year at Omaha, but will nevertheless provide the Cards some outfield depth in the upper levels of their system.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/24/2016
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Angels announced tonight that right-handers A.J. Achter and Al Alburquerque, each of whom was designated for assignment recently, have cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. Achter was an offseason waiver claim from the Twins, whereas Alburquerque inked a one-year deal as a free agent. The 27-year-old Achter has allowed six runs on 15 hits and three walks in 11 1/3 innings while striking out just four. Alburquerque, 29, hasn’t appeared in a big league game for the Halos this season, though he was recently brought up from Triple-A. He posted a 2.40 ERA with Salt Lake and fanned 15 batters in 15 innings, though he also walked nine in that time and threw three wild pitches. Control has long been an issue for Alburquerque.
- The Orioles announced that they’ve selected the contract of lefty Ashur Tolliver from Double-A Bowie today. The 28-year-old has seen his career slowed by injuries but has enjoyed a very strong season at Double-A thus far, recording a 2.42 ERA with a 25-to-8 K/BB ratio in 26 innings of work. Tolliver will step into the lefty relief role on the Orioles’ roster that was vacated by yesterday’s trade of Brian Matusz to the Braves.
Earlier Moves
- First baseman/outfielder Travis Ishikawa is on the market again after being released by the White Sox Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago tweets. He scuffled to a .201/.277/.344 batting line in 175 plate appearances at Triple-A Charlotte. The eight-year MLB veteran, now 32 years of age, owns a lifetime .255/.321/.391 batting line in 1,050 trips to the plate at the major league level.
- The Phillies have announced the signing of Cuban outfielder Osmel Aguila to a minor league deal, the club announced. The 27-year-old hasn’t played in the Serie Nacional since 2014. Overall, he owns a .280/.384/.447 batting line over 1,310 in the top Cuban domestic league.
- Angels righty Danny Reynolds has been assigned to Triple-A after clearing outright waivers, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports on Twitter. That ends the DFA carousel for the 24-year-old, at least for the time being. He’ll need to show improved command to earn a shot in the L.A. pen.
- The Orioles released infielder Steve Tolleson, David Hall of the Virginian-Pilot tweets. The 32-year-old has spent time with the O’s and Jays in recent years, and owns a .245/.299/.372 slash in his 363 career plate appearances at the major league level. He has dealt with injuries early in 2016 and has only appeared in eight games to date.
- First baseman Cody Decker was released by the Rockies, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy, who rounded up several transactions of note that have yet to appear here at MLBTR. Decker had solid power numbers, as usual, at Triple-A but he also received only 78 plate appearances and struck out in thirty of them.
- The Tigers have cut ties with several minor league veterans, including catcher Humberto Quintero, via Eddy. Now 36, Quintero failed to crack the bigs last year after a dozen consecutive years in which he spet at least some time in the show. He was hitting .250/.297/.333 at Triple-A over 65 pate appearances.
- The Brewers released righty Jim Miller, the Baseball America report provides. He was off to a 7.41 ERA in 17 innings at Triple-A, with 19 punch-outs but also 11 walks. Miller, 34, had a solid campaign for the A’s back in 2012 but hasn’t done much at the major league level before or since.
- Yankees release outfielder Jared Mitchell, Eddy adds. The 27-year-old, a former first-round pick, was off to a .250/.337/.361 start in 83 plate appearances at Double-A. He’s never managed to develop any consistency at the plate in a seven-year minor league career.
- The Phillies released outfielder Alfredo Marte, Eddy reports. Hes seen minimal action in parts of three MLB seasons, and was acquired by the Phils as the team sought to build out its outfield depth. But Marte has recorded just five hits and a single walk over 37 plate appearances on the year at the highest level of the minors.
Astros Release Erik Kratz
MAY 24: Kratz has cleared waivers and been released, tweets MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
MAY 23: The Astros have placed Kratz on release waivers, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo. If he clears tomorrow, he’ll be a free agent.
MAY 16: The Astros announced today that they have designated catcher Erik Kratz for assignment as part of a series of roster moves. Houston has also optioned outfielder Preston Tucker to Triple-A, recalled Evan Gattis from Double-A Corpus Christi and selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp. Gattis will serve as the team’s new backup catcher.
Kratz, 35, came to the Astros late in Spring Training in exchange for right-hander Dan Straily. The veteran backstop appeared in 15 games for Houston, totaling 30 plate appearances, but went just 2-for-29 at the dish before today’s DFA. He also pitched an inning to save the Houston bullpen in an 11-1 loss suffered at the hands of the Mariners on April 26. The former Phillies/Royals/Blue Jays backstop is a career .210/.261/.381 hitter at the Major League level and has caught 33 percent of opposing base-stealers in his big league career.
Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle first reported Kemp’s promotion. The 24-year-old entered the season rated 14th and 15th, respectively, by MLB.com and Baseball America on their lists of Houston’s top 30 prospects. He has a lengthy track record of getting on base and swiped 76 bases from 2014-15, but his defense has drawn some question marks (particularly from BA), and he lacks power, as evidenced by the 14 homers he’s hit in 1644 minor league plate appearances.