Pablo Sandoval Placed On DL With Shoulder Strain
The Red Sox have placed third baseman Pablo Sandoval on the disabled list with a shoulder strain an recalled infielder Josh Rutledge from Triple-A Pawtucket to take his place on the roster, as WEEI’s Rob Bradford tweets. In order to clear a spot for Rutledge on the 40-man roster, the Sox transferred Brandon Workman to the 60-day disabled list. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets that the Sox have outlined a conditioning program for Sandoval while he is on the disabled list.
Manager John Farrell acknowledged to the Boston media that a “breather” from the heavy scrutiny he’s received could do Sandoval some good, adding that the DL stint could indeed give him some time to work on conditioning. Speier tweets a few fully transcribed quotes from Farrell, who says he “firmly believes” that Sandoval will contribute to the club. The manager couldn’t trace the ailment, which Sandoval reported to the team today, to a specific moment, tweets the Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson. “To give you an exact moment when it took place, I don’t have that, to be honest,” said Farrell. “He’s been hitting a lot extra.” Sandoval himself told reporters, including the Herald’s Evan Drellich (Twitter link), that he woke up this morning unable to move his arm. He had a similar problem in 2011 with the Giants and will meet with a doctor about the injury tonight.
Sandoval, who signed a five-year, $95MM contract with the Red Sox in the 2014-15 offseason, lost the starting third base job to sophomore Travis Shaw this spring and has received a total of just seven plate appearances this season. The 29-year-old opened his first season in Boston with such great struggles versus left-handed pitching that he abandoned switch-hitting and hit exclusively left-handed for the bulk of the season. That change, however, did little to spark Sandoval’s disappointing bat, and after a dismal .210/.267/.335 batting line in the season’s second half, his overall 2015 line sat at .245/.292/.366.
While Sandoval once rated as a solid defender in the eyes of metrics like Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved, his glove graded out terribly in 2015. Earlier today, ESPN’s Buster Olney released a video blog shooting down any speculation surrounding a Pablo Sandoval/James Shields swap — a trade proposal that is frequently suggested but indeed makes virtually no sense for the Padres (as we’ve written here multiple times) — and within the video he noted that evaluators to whom he’s spoken have deemed Sandoval “unplayable” at the hot corner.
Sandoval is earning $17MM this season and will have the same salary in 2017 before earning $18MM in 2018 and again in 2019. His contract contains a $17MM club option that comes with a $5MM buyout, meaning he’s owed a bit less than $75MM through the end of the 2019 season.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/13/16
Here are the day’s outright assignments and minor moves from around the league…
- The Pirates announced (on Twitter) that shortstop Pedro Florimon has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis. However, because Florimon has been outrighted once before, he has the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. Florimon has 72 hours to decide whether he will accept and head to Triple-A or reject and seek another organization. The 29-year-old switch-hitter is an excellent defensive shortstop with a questionable bat, as evidenced by a career .199/.262/.295 batting line in 717 plate appearances. Florimon was the Twins’ everyday shortstop in 2013, based solely on his glovework, but he has just 111 MLB plate appearances since that time. He batted .245/.315/.367 for Indianapolis last season.
- In other Pirates news, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was among the reporters to tweet that right-hander John Holdzkom, who was placed on release waivers after being designated for assignment, has cleared those waivers and is now a free agent that is free to sign with any club.
Yankees Sign Nick Swisher To Minor League Deal
APRIL 13: Swisher’s deal is now official, tweets Feinsand. He’s on his way to Scranton and will be in the starting lineup there on Thursday.
APRIL 9: Nick Swisher is working out at the Yankees’ minor-league complex, and the team will likely sign him to a minor-league deal, Chad Jennings of LoHud.com tweets. Swisher will receive a June 15 opt-out if he isn’t in the Majors by then, according to Mark Feinsand of the Daily News (On Twitter). Swisher is a client of MVP Sports Group.
The Braves released Swisher late last month. He’s owed $15MM for 2016, but the Braves and Indians will be on the hook for the vast majority of that amount. The $56MM deal to which the Indians signed Swisher prior to the 2013 season has not gone well, to say the least — he’s produced just a .224/.315/.373 batting line since then, also producing little in the way of defensive value while splitting his time between outfield, first base and DH.
Swisher enjoyed better days with the Yankees from 2009 through 2012, batting .268/.367/.483 with 105 home runs in his tenure in New York and playing on four straight playoff teams, including the Yanks’ 2009 championship squad. At this point, though, it’s unclear how much gas the 35-year-old has left in the tank, or how he might now fit on a 2016 team that has Alex Rodriguez at DH, Mark Teixeira at first and Brett Gardner, Carlos Beltran, Dustin Ackley and others to play the corner outfield positions.
Blue Jays Designate Arnold Leon For Assignment, Recall Pat Venditte
The Blue Jays announced today that they have designated right-hander Arnold Leon for assignment in order to clear a spot on the active roster for ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte, who has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo. (Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun first tweeted that Venditte was joining the big league club.)
Leon, 27, was acquired in a minor trade back in January after the A’s, too, designated him for assignment. Originally signed by the Athletics as an amateur free agent out of Mexico in 2008, Leon made his MLB debut last year and soaked up 26 1/3 innings with the A’s bullpen. In that time, he posted a 4.39 ERA and averaged 6.4 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 with a 45.9 percent ground-ball rate and a fastball that averaged 91.7 mph. This season, he’s allowed a pair runs in 2 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays.
Venditte, 30, also made his Major League debut as a member of the Oakland bullpen last season. The switch-pitcher logged a 4.40 ERA with 23 strikeouts against 12 walks in 28 2/3 innings, inducing grounders at a 32.9 percent clip. Venditte, whose entire pro career had come in the Yankes’ minor league system prior to last year, is considerably tougher when pitching left-handed, as evidenced by the woeful .116/.191/.256 batting line that opponents mustered in left-on-left scenarios in 2015. The Jays claimed him off waivers last October, and he’s fired two perfect innings with five strikeouts in Triple-A so far this year. With Aaron Loup on the disabled list and Brett Cecil struggling, Venditte will give manager John Gibbons an additional weapon to help neutralize left-handed opponents.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/12/16
Here are the day’s outright assignments and minor moves from around the league…
- The Braves formally announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who will start tonight’s game. Right-hander Joel De La Cruz was optioned to Triple-A to clear room on the 25-man roster, while left-hander Jesse Biddle was transferred to the 60-day disabled list in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Chacin, 28, was a mainstay in the Rockies rotation from 2010-14, but he was released by Colorado last spring and ultimately signed minors deals with the Indians and D-backs. Chacin logged a 3.22 ERA in 128 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level and then had a nice run with the Diamondbacks’ big league club late in the year, turning in a 3.38 ERA in 26 2/3 innings.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel tweets that right-hander Ariel Pena has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A from the Brewers after being designated for assignment last week. Pena, who had been outrighted once before, had the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency but chose to remain in the Brewers organization. The Brewers originally acquired Pena along with Johnny Hellweg and Jean Segura in the trade that sent Zack Greinke to the Angels. The Brewers also announced (on Twitter) that they’ve released three players from their Dominican Summer League affiliate.
Red Sox, Wesley Wright Agree To Minor League Deal
4:45pm: Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports that Wright can earn $1MM in the Majors (Twitter link). He’ll head to Triple-A for the time being.
4:12pm: The Red Sox have signed left-handed reliever Wesley Wright to a minor league contract, per the MLB.com transactions page. The 31-year-old had been in camp with the D-backs but was released late in Spring Training when he didn’t make the club.
Wright split the 2015 season between the Orioles and the Angels, though he spent a good chunk of the season Baltimore’s DL due to a strained left trapezius muscle. The O’s had inked Wright to a big league contract in the offseason but designated him for assignment upon activating him from the 60-day DL in mid-July. Wright latched on with the Angels and was called up to the Major League club in September, tossing 5 2/3 innings and permitting a pair of earned runs to score across the season’s final month.
Prior to last year’s injury-marred campaign, Wright had spent 2012-14 in the bullpen for the Cubs, Astros and Rays, working to a combined 3.38 ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 154 1/3 innings of work. He’s held opposing left-handed bats to a .237/.313/.334 batting line in parts of eight Major League seasons and will give the Sox some additional depth in their left-handed relief corps. Boston presently has lefties Tommy Layne and Robbie Ross in the ‘pen, and the 40-man roster also includes lefties Roenis Elias and Edwin Escobar, each of whom is pitching at the Triple-A level to begin the season.
Padres Return Rule 5 Pick Josh Martin To Indians
The Indians announced that they have received righty Josh Martin back from the Padres. The Rule 5 pick had been designated for assignment, with some suggestion that San Diego may attempt to find a way to hold onto him.
Cleveland will slot Martin in at the Triple-A level, where he can continue to develop and serve as pen depth without occupying a 40-man spot. Martin worked to a 3.07 ERA with 10.7 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 over 67 1/3 innings last year at Double-A.
That showing wasn’t enough to get the Indians to commit a roster spot, but proved tantalizing enough for the Pads to give him a shot to stick. But Martin struggled this spring, allowing 13 earned runs in his 11 frames in camp. While he struck out 12 opposing batters in that span, he also surrendered 16 hits and seven walks.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/11/16
Here are the day’s minor transactions, with the newest moves at the top of the post…
- The Pirates have placed John Holdzkom on release waivers, a week after the righty was designated for assignment. Holdzkom went from independent baseball to a key role in the Bucs’ bullpen in 2014, recording a 2.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts in nine relief innings (his first and, to date, only taste of MLB action) to help Pittsburgh reach the postseason. Holdzkom battled injuries, a loss of velocity and control issues in 2015, however, and he pitched only 24 1/3 innings of minor league ball.
- The Angels selected the contract of left-hander Greg Mahle and optioned A.J. Achter to Triple-A in a corresponding move, the club announced. (The Angels already had a 40-man roster spot open, so no further transactions were necessary to add Mahle.) A 15th-round draft pick in 2014, Mahle has a 2.97 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 4.00 K/BB rate over 97 career minor league relief innings. The 2016 Baseball America Prospect Handbook ranked him as the 13th-best prospect within the Halos’ thin farm system, noting that Mahle delivers his pitches from three different arm angles, including a sinking fastball that ranges from 85-94mph depending on from where Mahle is throwing it. He also has a plus changeup.
- The Diamondbacks outrighted Kyle Drabek to Triple-A after the righty went unclaimed, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports (via Twitter). Drabek signed a minor league deal with the D’Backs during the offseason and pitched in one game for the club before being designated for assignment last Friday. The 18th overall pick of the 2006 draft, Drabek has struggled at the big league level and also battled injuries, most notably two Tommy John surgeries. Drabek has only thrown 12 2/3 innings over the last four seasons.
- The Lancaster Barnstormers of the independent Atlantic League have signed left-hander Phil Coke and right-hander Ryan Kelly, Jason Bristol tweets. Coke threw 12 2/3 innings with the Cubs and Blue Jays last season, and has also since signed minor league deals with the A’s and Braves. The veteran southpaw was released by Atlanta during Spring Training. Kelly was also released by the Braves during the offseason, ending a three-year stint in the organization. Kelly made his Major League debut last season, posting a 7.02 ERA over 16 2/3 innings out of Atlanta’s bullpen.
Cubs Acquire LHP Giovanni Soto From Indians
The Cubs announced today that they have acquired left-handed reliever Giovanni Soto from the Indians in exchange for cash considerations. Cleveland had designated the 24-year-old southpaw for assignment last week. Kyle Schwarber has been transferred to the 60-day DL in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Soto, of course, is not to be confused by the catcher of the same (but differently spelled) name that won 2008 Rookie of the Year honors in a Cubs uniform. This Soto was a 21st-round pick by the Tigers in the 2009 draft that was ultimately traded to the Indians in exchange for Jhonny Peralta back in 2010. The Puerto Rican lefty made his big league debut with Cleveland last season, logging 3 1/3 scoreless innings without a walk or strikeout. Soto has posted very strong ERA marks throughout his minor league career, but he has struggled with his control in at the Triple-A level, averaging 5.5 walks (and 8.5 strikeouts) per nine innings to go along with a 3.03 ERA. Soto was tough on both lefties and righties last season, although in 2014 he posted a much more traditional platoon split.
The Cubs have optioned Soto to Triple-A Iowa, so he’ll serve as a depth piece for the team right now. Chicago already has two lefties — Clayton Richard and Travis Wood — in its Major League bullpen, to say nothing of lefty reliever C.J. Riefenhauser‘s presence on the 40-man roster.
Braves To Designate Jose Ramirez For Assignment
The Braves will designate right-handed reliever Jose Ramirez for assignment, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. Ramirez’s departure from the 40-man roster will allow the Braves to add left-hander Hunter Cervenka and right-hander Joel De La Cruz to the 40-man and 25-man rosters. The Braves still need to clear another spot on the 40-man, though presumably they could do so by transferring left-hander Jesse Biddle or right-hander Daniel Winkler (who, sadly, fractured his elbow in yesterday’s contest) to the 60-day disabled list.
Ramirez, 26, began last season with the Yankees but was traded to the Mariners alongside Ramon Flores in exchange for Dustin Ackley. The new Seattle front office subsequently flipped Ramirez to the Braves in exchange for a player to be named later (Ryne Harper) this offseason.
Ramirez appeared in two games for the Braves, and though he struck out four batters in his two innings of work, he also surrendered six runs on five hits and four walks. Ramirez throws hard, having averaged 95.1 mph on his fastball in the Majors, and he’s said to have a plus changeup to pair with that velocity. Ramirez, though, does have a lengthy injury history, and his performance in the Majors and upper minors has yet to line up with his raw stuff. The right-hander’s 2016 struggles have caused his Major League ERA to balloon to 10.53 (in a small 19 2/3 innings sample), and he has a 4.06 ERA in 106 1/3 minor league innings as well.
Cervenka and De La Cruz, each 26 years old, will be making their big league debuts with the Braves. Neither was drafted by Atlanta (Cervenka was drafted by the Red Sox, while De La Cruz was initially signed by the Brewers), but each signed a minor league deal with the Braves this past year and were in camp as non-roster invitees. Cervenka has displayed a penchant for missing bats but also questionable control of the strike zone, as evidenced by career averages of 9.1 strikeouts and 5.9 walks per nine innings in the minors. Last year, he held lefties to a .224/.318/.241 slash while pitching for the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate . De La Cruz, meanwhile, has a 3.99 ERA in 128 1/3 Triple-A innings. Last year he split the season between the Yankees’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, combining to throw 84 1/3 innings of 3.41 ERA ball with 4.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.