Phillies Sign Will Venable To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have signed outfielder Will Venable to a minor league contract, the club announced. The deal contains an invitation to Philadelphia’s big league spring camp. Venable is represented by Turner Gary Sports.
The move comes just a day after Venable was released from his previous minors deal with the Indians. CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reported earlier today that the Phils had a serious interest in adding Venable to their outfield mix.
Venable is a fit as a platoon partner in either left or right field for the Phillies, with his left-handed bat in tandem with either Peter Bourjos or Rule 5 draft pick Tyler Goeddel (both right-handed hitters). The 33-year-old has spent much of his career as a part-time player with the Padres and Rangers, with 2601 plate appearances against right-handed pitching (with a .256/.324/.422 slash line) and only 526 career PA against southpaws. Venable isn’t known much for his power, though he rather surprisingly socked 22 homers for the Padres in 2013.
The versatile Venable has been an above-average defender at all three outfield spots as per the UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics over his career, though his numbers took a bit of a dip last season. Venable is also considered to be an excellent baserunner, with 135 steals over 166 career attempts.
Venable would appear to have an advantage over the other left-handed hitting outfielders trying to make the Phillies’ roster, namely David Lough and Cedric Hunter. Lough is known as a defense-first player with little pop, while Hunter’s MLB experience consists of six games for San Diego in 2011.
Braves Release Nick Swisher
The Braves have unconditionally released first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher, the club announced.
Atlanta had been trying to trade Swisher for much of the offseason but will instead have to eat much of the $15MM owed to the veteran for 2016. The Indians will also be covering a portion of that dollar figure, as the Tribe sent roughly $15MM to cover portions of Swisher and Michael Bourn‘s salaries as part of the August trade that brought Chris Johnson to Cleveland in a swap of bad contracts. If Swisher were to sign with a new team, that club would only be responsible for a prorated minimum salary while Atlanta and Cleveland would cover the rest of the $15MM.
Between the salary, Swisher’s age (35), his meager .204/.291/.326 slash line over 661 PA in 2014-15 and the double arthroscopic knee surgery he underwent in 2014, it’s not a surprise that Swisher didn’t generate much trade interest. He did hit decently well during Spring Training, however, and he told MLBTR’s Zach Links earlier this month that he “feels great” physically.
With such a small financial cost attached, there’s a good chance at least one team will explore adding Swisher as a bench bat and a veteran clubhouse presence. An AL team is more likely than an NL team for Swisher since senior circuit clubs wouldn’t have the benefit of the DH spot to preserve his knees. This is just my speculation, but the White Sox stand out as a team that could use some first base/DH depth now that Adam LaRoche has retired.
Players Exercising Opt-Out Clauses: Monday
As Opening Day approaches, teams will be making tough roster decisions involving their veteran players. Some of these decisions pertain to Article XX(B) free agents who have their opt-out date on Tuesday, though other players have opt-outs today or later this week. We’ll keep track of the players who opt out of their deals in search of new opportunities here:
- Lefty Brian Duensing told reporters (including Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star) that he will be opting out of his minor league deal with the Royals, giving the team 48 hours to either release him or add him to the 25-man roster. As per the terms of his contract, Duensing will make $2MM in base salary if he makes the team. It isn’t yet clear if K.C. will part ways with Duensing or not; while the Royals are deep in relief options, most of them are right-handed. Danny Duffy is the only southpaw slated for a bullpen job.
- Roberto Hernandez has been told he isn’t making the Blue Jays roster, and the veteran right-hander is expected to exercise his opt-out clause today, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports. Hernandez signed a minor league deal in February that would’ve paid him $1.25MM in salary and another $750K in available bonuses he had made the Major League roster. The 10-year veteran posted a 4.36 ERA, 4.5 K/9 and 1.62 K/BB rate over 84 2/3 innings with the Astros last season.
Carlos Quentin Elects Free Agency, May Retire
11:40am: Ryan tells reporters (including LaVelle E. Neal III) that Quentin indicated that he will return to his family and retirement, rather than seek out another team.
11:04am: Veteran outfielder Carlos Quentin has rejected his Triple-A assignment from the Twins and is now a free agent, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger reports (Twitter link). The Twins granted his release after Quentin asked to be let go, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets.
The minor league deal Quentin signed with Minnesota in February didn’t contain an opt-out date until June 1, though there was an unofficial agreement in place between the two sides that Quentin would be released if he didn’t make the club. After Quentin was assigned to the minors, the Twins gave him a few days to decide on his next move, with GM Terry Ryan and manager Paul Molitor both hoping Quentin would stay in the organization since the veteran would almost assuredly get called up at some point during the season.
The nine-year MLB veteran last played in the bigs in 2014, as Quentin played just five games with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in 2015 before deciding to retire. The virtual year off, however, eased a lot of pain in Quentin’s knees and shoulder and he decided to give playing another shot this offseason.
Injuries have long limited Quentin’s career, as he only cracked the 100-game plateau three times in nine seasons. When he was on the field, however, Quentin swung a dangerous power bat. As recently as 2013, he hit .275/.363/.493 with 13 homers over 320 PA with the Padres. Despite this track record, it seems unlikely that Quentin would land a big league job without at least some time in the minors.
Added To The 40-Man Roster: Monday
As Opening Day approaches, teams will be making tough roster decisions involving their veteran players. Some of these decisions pertain to Article XX(B) free agents who have their opt-out date on Tuesday, though other players have opt-outs today or later this week. We’ll keep track of the players who make the big league roster cut here:
- The Indians announced that veteran outfielder Marlon Byrd has made the team. The move guarantees Byrd $1MM in base salary. Byrd signed his minor league deal with Cleveland just last week, and his addition will add some power (especially against left-handed pitching) to the Tribe’s unsettled outfield situation.
- The Nationals will put right-hander Matt Belisle on the 25-man roster, manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s William Ladson. Though Belisle was an Article XX(B) player, his opt-out date was actually yesterday. Making the Nats roster will earn Belisle a $1.25MM base salary in 2016, as per the terms of the minor league deal he signed with Washington last month.
Red Sox Release Carlos Marmol
The Red Sox have released veteran reliever Carlos Marmol, who was in camp on a minor league deal. The Sox announced the release along with several other roster moves this morning (hat tip to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald).
Marmol was looking to return to the big leagues for the first time since 2014, though his career-long control problems resurfaced in Boston’s spring camp. Though Marmol only pitched four spring innings, he walked seven batters (to go with five strikeouts) while posting a 6.75 ERA. At age 33, the question of whether Marmol has thrown his last Major League pitch has to be asked, though his track record and still-tantalizing ability to miss bats may get him another minors deal with another team.
The former Cubs closer has long been defined by his high strikeout and walk totals, posting an 11.6 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9 over his 577 career innings with the Cubs, Dodgers and Marlins from 2006-2014. He spent most of the 2015 season pitching for the Indians’ Triple-A affiliate.
With this morning’s flurry of moves, Boston now has 27 players in its Major League camp as the Sox prepare to get down to 25 men for Opening Day.
Mariners Place Jesus Montero On Waivers
7:28pm: Montero has indeed been placed on waivers, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (via Twitter). The Mariners will make an official announcement tomorrow once the 48-hour waiver period has passed, according to MLB.com’s Greg Johns (Twitter).
12:46pm: While there is no official word on the matter, it appears that the Mariners have placed Jesus Montero on waivers, as Bob Dutton of The News Tribune writes. The Mariners declined to speak about Montero’s status on Sunday morning, but his locker in the clubhouse was empty.
When asked about Montero’s whereabouts, manager Scott Servais told reporters that the designated hitter is “spending a day with his family.” Montero’s absence on Sunday coupled with the news that Dae-Ho Lee has been added to the 40-man roster seems to suggest that former top prospect is out of the picture in Seattle.
The Mariners traded right-handed pitcher Michael Pineda for the 26-year-old prior to the 2012 season. Since then, he’s disappointed by accruing -1.4 WAR over parts of four seasons. He did enjoy an extremely successful stint at Triple-A last season, hitting .355/.398/.569 in 430 plate appearances.
Brad Johnson contributed to this post.
David Murphy Opts Out Of Red Sox Contract
Outfielder David Murphy has opted out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox, according to several media members (including Tim Britton of the Providence Journal). The club now has 48 hours to either release the veteran or add him to the 25-man roster.
The move doesn’t come as a surprise, as there has already been speculation about other teams (namely the Orioles) that would be interested in Murphy if he was hit the open market. The 34-year-old hit .283/.318/.421 with 10 homers over 391 PA with the Angels and Indians last season, and he has a career .795 OPS against right-handed pitching, making Murphy a solid candidate for any club looking for left-handed bench depth or a platoon role. Murphy has hinted that he would consider retiring rather than take a minor league job at this stage of his career, though this could be a moot point if there is a solid market for his services.
If Boston puts Murphy on its Opening Day roster, he’ll receive a $2MM base salary for 2016 as per the teams of his minors contract with the team. It’s not out of the question that Murphy remains with the Sox, though the team has a number of outfield options to weigh. Even if Rusney Castillo is sent down to Triple-A, the Red Sox could use Brock Holt or Travis Shaw as the left-handed hitting side of a platoon with Chris Young in left field, rather than retain Murphy.
Nationals, Braves Trade Tyler Moore For Nate Freiman
The Nationals announced that they have acquired minor league first baseman Nate Freiman from the Braves in exchange for infielder/outfielder Tyler Moore.
Freiman, 29, signed on with Atlanta in December after having a disappointing year for the Athletics’ Triple- A affiliate. In 305 plate appearances for Triple-A Nashville, the first baseman slashed just .220/.279/.321. His last major league stint came in 2014 when he appeared in 36 games (93 plate appearances) for the A’s in 2014, slashing .218/.269/.448 with five homers. Freiman had hoped to crack the roster in Atlanta, but he’ll now look to get back to the big leagues with the Nats.
Moore was put on waivers and then outrighted by Washington earlier this week, so it was pretty apparent that the out-of-options Moore was no longer in the team’s plans. In four years as a bench bat in D.C., Moore hit .228/.281/.401 over 649 PA, with virtually equal numbers against both lefty and righty pitching. Moore has played almost exclusively at first base and left field during his career, though he’s also appeared in nine games in right and worked out briefly as a third baseman this spring.
Padres Return Rule 5 Pick Blake Smith To White Sox
Padres pitcher Blake Smith has cleared waivers, according to Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). The Padres will now return the Rule 5 Draft selection to the White Sox.
Smith, 28, was a second round pick of the Dodgers in 2009 The University of California product was in the Los Angeles organization until May 2015 when he was shipped to the White Sox for left-hander Eric Surkamp.
Last year, Smith split time between Double-A (with both Dodgers and White Sox affiliates) and Triple-A, posting a combined 3.23 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. When he was left exposed, the Padres pounced in the Rule 5 draft. However, he apparently did not do enough to compel the Padres to add him to the big league bullpen.