Willie Bloomquist Announces Retirement
Veteran infielder Willie Bloomquist announced his retirement today with an entertaining tweet that’s well worth a look. He had yet to sign with a team over the offseason after being released by the Mariners last summer.
The 38-year-old will wrap up his playing career after logging time in 14 major league seasons. Though he topped 400 plate appearances only once in a single campaign — his 2009 stint with the Royals — Bloomquist stepped to the dish over 3,000 times in the bigs.
All told, Bloomquist provided only a .269/.316/.342 overall batting line, which landed a fair sight below league-average. Though he never managed even five home runs in a season, he did put up double-digit stolen base tallies in half a dozen campaigns and was generally rated as a top-quality baserunner.
But it was never really about the offensive side of the equation for Bloomquist, who spent time everywhere on the diamond except on the mound and behind the plate, with about a third of his innings coming at shortstop. Though he’s never been a darling of defensive metrics, he generally provided sturdy glovework and immense defensive flexibility.
Bloomquist will be best remembered as a member of the Mariners, having spent parts of nine seasons — including the beginning and the end of his career — in Seattle. In addition to the aforementioned Royals, Bloomquist also suited up for the Diamondbacks and Reds.
There are several other veterans who’ve announced their retirement in recent days, including fellow utilityman Skip Schumaker and lefty Randy Wolf. Remember, you can look back at all such announcements by clicking on the “Retirement” tag at the bottom of this post or following this link.
As with those players, MLBTR extends its best wishes to Bloomquist in his post-playing days.
Blue Jays, Randy Choate Agree To Minors Deal
Veteran left-hander Randy Choate will join the Blue Jays on a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, reports WFAN’s Sweeny Murti (via Twitter). The 40-year-old lefty specialist is represented by ACES.
Choate will compete for a job in a Blue Jays bullpen that is currently dealing with an injury to left-hander Aaron Loup. Choate has spent the past three seasons pitching for the Cardinals, limiting left-handed batters to a paltry .176/.270/.247 batting line in that time. Conversely, right-handers have roughed him up, slashing .333/.395/.416 in that same three-year stretch. Choate is among the most highly specialized relievers in baseball, as evidenced by the fact that the Cardinals allowed him to face just 23 right-handed batters over the life of the entire 2015 season (as opposed to 94 lefties). The market for Choate was fairly quiet for much of the offseason, though he’s known to have drawn some interest from the Astros, as well.
Brett Cecil figures to serve as the primary left-handed option in the Toronto bullpen, but there’s room for Choate to make the club, especially if Loup’s flexor strain in his left forearm proves to be more serious than currently anticipated. Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte represents another option that is currently on the 40-man roster, and the Jays also have veteran lefties Wade LeBlanc and Scott Diamond in camp as non-roster invitees.
Rays Sign David Carpenter To Minor League Deal
The Rays have signed right-handed reliever David Carpenter to a minor league deal, the club told reporters, including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets that Carpenter, who split last season between the Yankees and Nationals, will be in big league camp.
Carpenter, 30, was a huge part of the Braves’ bullpen in 2013 and 2014, pitching to a combined 2.63 ERA with 10.0 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and a 37.9 percent ground-ball rate in 126 2/3 innings of work. That impressive performance was enough to pique the Yankees’ interest, prompting the club to part with left-hander Manny Banuelos to acquire Carpenter and left-hander Chasen Shreve on a New Year’s Day swap in 2015. Carpenter is no stranger to trades, having been sent from the Cardinals to the Astros in exchange for Pedro Feliz before joining the Blue Jays in the 10-player J.A. Happ/Francisco Cordero trade in July 2012. Toronto traded him to the Red Sox along with manager John Farrell in exchange for Mike Aviles a few months later, and he eventually made his way to the Braves via waiver claim, where he finally broke out as a quality reliever.
Inflammation in his right shoulder cost Carpenter a huge chunk of the 2015 season, however, limiting him to 24 2/3 innings and perhaps contributing to a lackluster 4.01 ERA when he was healthy enough to take the mound. Carpenter’s K/9 rate dipped to 5.5, though he didn’t see a marked decline in his fastball velocity (still averaging 95 mph) or his swinging-strike rate. The Rays will hope to land the 2013-14 version of Carpenter, though it’s worth noting that he’s already been released by the Braves this spring (albeit after throwing just one scoreless inning). If Carpenter is able to re-establish himself with the Rays, the club will be able to control him through at least the 2017 season, as he’s accrued only four years, 16 days of Major League service time and would thus be arbitration eligible following the season.
Randy Wolf Retires
Veteran lefty Randy Wolf has decided to retire, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). Though a club recently called to inquire about his availability, the 39-year-old is uninterested in taking another shot at a return to the majors.
Wolf spent parts of 16 seasons in the majors with a total of eight different clubs. Most recently, he contributed 60 1/3 innings over the last two seasons for the Marlins and Tigers. He has also pitched at the Triple-A level for the Angels, Diamondbacks, Orioles, and Blue Jays organizations since the start of 2014, making for quite a farewell tour.
It had seemed that Wolf would break camp with the Mariners back in 2014, but he resisted the organization’s demands for an advance consent form that would have allowed Seattle to cut him loose without a full year’s pay within 45 days of the start of the season. As MLBTR’s Zach Links explored at the time, that decision highlighted a little-known but frequently-used approach for teams dealing with veterans on minor league deals.
There’s little question, though, that Wolf will be best remembered for his time with the Phillies, which accounted for about half of his total career (in seasons, innings, and starts). After breaking in at age 22 back in 1999, Wolf provided Philadelphia with 1,175 frames of 4.21 ERA pitching with 7.4 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9.
Those early-career numbers in Philly largely mirror Wolf’s overall stat line, which serves as a testament to his longevity. Wolf worked almost exclusively as a starter, with 379 of his 390 appearances coming from the rotation. Beyond his time with the clubs mentioned above, Wolf appeared in parts of three consecutive campaigns for the Brewers, worked for two seasons with the Dodgers, and appeared with the Padres, Astros, and O’s.
MLBTR congratulates Wolf on his long and productive career, and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
Cubs Release Rex Brothers
The Cubs have released left-handed reliever Rex Brothers, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Brothers was acquired in a November swap with the Rockies, and his release will open a spot on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.
The 28-year-old Brothers, once looked at as the potential closer of the future in Colorado, has seen his stock dip in recent seasons. While control has never been Brothers’ strong suit, he’s seen his walk rate rise considerably since 2013. From 2014-15, Brothers posted a 5.00 ERA in 66 2/3 innings with the Rockies, averaging 8.1 strikeouts and 6.3 walks per nine innings pitched. That walk rate is troublesome enough, but Brothers’ control was actually worse at the Triple-A level last season, where he walked a jarring 44 batters in 42 1/3 innings. Chicago picked him up in exchange for minor leaguer Wander Cabrera this winter, but Brothers’ stay on the team’s roster proved to be a brief one.
Brothers’ release isn’t without financial implications. The Cubs avoided arbitration with him by agreeing to a $1.42MM salary for the 2016 season. While arbitration salaries aren’t fully guaranteed, Chicago is on the hook for 30 days worth of termination pay, which will amount to $232,786. He’ll now be free to sign with a club for any amount, though a minor league deal certainly seems likely given Brothers’ recent struggles (which, I should add, include yielding three runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings this spring).
The Cubs still have plenty of left-handed bullpen options in camp, with both Travis Wood and Clayton Richard representing relatively well-compensated bullpen candidates at $6.175MM and $2MM, respectively. Waiver claim C.J. Riefenhauser represents another option on the 40-man roster, although he has a minor league option remaining and can thus begin the year at Triple-A. Additionally, veteran Manny Parra and well-traveled southpaw Edgar Olmos are in camp as non-roster invitees.
Orioles Release Andrew Triggs
The Orioles announced that they have released minor league right-hander Andrew Triggs in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the newly signed Pedro Alvarez, whose one-year deal is now official. As MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko points out (links to Twitter), players can’t be designated for assignment this early in Spring Training, so the O’s will likely try to re-sign Triggs on a minor league deal. Baltimore took the same approach with lefty Chris Jones two springs ago after signing Nelson Cruz.
Triggs, a relief prospect that will turn 27 next week, was acquired by the Orioles from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations last April. The former 19th-round pick posted a strong 2.90 ERA and very briefly reached Triple-A in his final full season with the Royals organization (2014), but his previously strong K/9 rate plummeted to 5.5. Triggs experienced a huge rebound in that department in 2015, recording not only a 1.03 ERA in 61 innings at the Double-A level but also posting excellent averages of 10.3 strikeouts and 1.6 walks per nine innings. Per MLBfarm.com, Triggs also posted a gaudy 61.15 percent ground-ball rate last season. Of course, Triggs was pitching at the Double-A level for the second full season and was older than the average competition that he was facing, so one would expect fairly successful numbers.
MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo recently rated Triggs as the 28th-best prospect in a weak Orioles farm system, noting that his sidearm delivery created deception on a 90-94 mph fastball. Paired with a sweeping slider for which he has good feel, that helps Triggs exhibit mastery over right-handed batters. Indeed, while his work against lefties was impressive (lefties hit just .218/.295/.244 against Triggs in 2015), opposing right-handers experienced even more futility, hitting just .184/.234/.206 against Triggs. MLB.com’s scouting report notes that despite a lack of experience at the Triple-A level, Triggs shouldn’t require much more minor league time before he’s ready for a look in the Majors.
Orioles Sign Pedro Alvarez
The Orioles have added some more punch to an already powerful lineup, as they formally announced a one-year contract with first baseman Pedro Alvarez on Thursday. Alvarez, a client of Scott Boras, will reportedly be guaranteed $5.75MM and can earn another $1.25MM in incentives tied to plate appearances. Specifically, he’ll receive a $200K bonus upon reaching 350, 400, 450, 500, and 550 turns at bat, plus an additional $250K if he gets to 600 plate appearances.
Alvarez, 29, just wrapped up a six-year run with the Pirates — the organization that chose him second overall in the 2008 draft — when he was non-tendered earlier in the offseason. He had moved across the diamond from third after his defensive struggles increased, but continued to receive poor reviews with the glove.
On the other hand, Alvarez’s power at the plate has never been in question. He swatted 27 home runs last year in 491 plate appearances, and has twice topped thirty bombs in a single season. Though he’s not much of an on-base threat, Alvarez’s overall batting line of .243/.318/.469 landed well above league-average in overall output.
That production is fairly typical for Alvarez, who strikes out quite a bit and doesn’t walk quite enough to make up for a low batting average. His left-handed bat should play quite well at Camden Yards, though, and he’ll join an impressive group of sluggers in the middle of the Baltimore order.
Presumably, Baltimore won’t utilize Alvarez much in the field, as Chris Davis and Manny Machado are entrenched at the corners. He’ll join fellow power hitter Mark Trumbo (a right-handed bat) as a DH option — both carry traditional platoon splits — though Trumbo will likely also see quite a bit of action in the corner outfield. Alternatively, Davis did see some time in the outfield last year, and it’s at least possible that the O’s will deploy him there and Trumbo at first base.
Orioles fans can expect to be treated to quite a show when the offense is clicking. Alvarez is one of six players on the roster who have cracked 30 homers in a single season, along with Davis, Machado, Trumbo, Adam Jones, and J.J. Hardy. Likewise, catcher Matt Wieters and second baseman Jonathan Schoop have shown plenty of pop for their respective positions. Rounding things out, new left fielder Hyun Soo Kim may not quite see his KBO production translate fully to the majors, but he delivered 28 long balls last season in Korea.
The O’s have long been said to be pursuing another bat, with Reds outfielder Jay Bruce a possible trade piece. While Alvarez won’t factor as an option in the grass, his addition likely brings that dalliance to an end by pushing Trumbo back into the field (at least against right-handed pitching).
It’s been an eventful winter in Baltimore, to say the least. Wieters’ decision to accept his $15.8MM qualifying offer may have set the course, as that one-year deal (and the loss of a chance at draft compensation) helped nudge the club towards its later investments. The Orioles also brought back reliever Darren O’Day (four years, $31MM) and re-signed Davis to a huge contract (seven years, $161MM), punted a pick to ink Yovani Gallardo (two years, $22MM), also added Kim (two years, $7MM) and Alvarez via free agency, and acquired Trumbo via trade. The aggregate outlay tops $250MM in new salary commitments (including Trumbo’s arb payday) and ultimately required the team to pass up or part with three selections in this summer’s amateur draft (including the one that Wieters might have delivered had he rejected the QO).
Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported the signing on Twitter. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports had the term (on Twitter), Joel Sherman of the New York Post the guarantee (in a tweet), Jon Heyman of MLB Network the total incentives (via Twitter), and Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com the incentives breakdown (in his own tweet).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Skip Schumaker To Retire
Utilityman Skip Schumaker has departed Padres camp and appears to be wrapping up his MLB career, manager Andy Green told reporters including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Though he’s not referring to the decision as a formal retirement, the veteran made clear he is moving on from his playing days to spend more time with his family.
Schumaker, 36, signed a minor league deal with San Diego a month ago, and had made a strong impression in camp on the field staff and younger players in the organization. Earlier in the winter, the Reds declined an option to put him onto the open market.
Schumaker has spent parts of eleven seasons in the majors. Most recently, he logged two disappointing seasons in Cincinnati, putting up a meager .238/.297/.322 batting line over 539 turns at bat.
He’ll be remembered most for his time with the Cardinals, where he was a strong contributor for eight campaigns. Schumaker was a regular contributor over 2008 through 2012, and ultimately provided St. Louis with over 2,500 plate appearances with a .288/.345/.377 slash line while splitting his time between second base and the outfield. Schumaker also played for one season with the Dodgers.
With the move, the Padres seem positioned to infuse some additional youth onto the active roster, as players such as Jose Pirela and Jabari Blash now have a clearer path to cracking the club. The competition is also thinned for other potential utility/bench/platoon options in camp, including Alexi Amarista, Brett Wallace, Adam Rosales, Nick Noonan, Jemile Weeks, and Alex Dickerson.
MLBTR wishes Schumaker the best in his future pursuits.
Braves, Phil Coke Agree To Minor League Deal
5:15pm: Coke did not receive an invite to Major League Spring Training, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
4:07pm: The Braves and left-hander Phil Coke have agreed to a minor league contract, reports MLive.com’s Chris Iott (via Twitter). The 33-year-old Coke is a client of Full Circle Sports Management.
Coke began the 2015 campaign with the Cubs but found himself designated for assignment and subsequently released after yielding seven earned runs in 10 innings with the club. Coke latched on with the Blue Jays on a minor league deal but pitched just 2 2/3 innings before the club attempted to option him to Triple-A Buffalo. Coke, as a player with with more than five years of service time, had the right to decline the optional assignment and did so in favor of free agency. He signed a new minor league deal with Oakland after that but surrendered 16 runs in 14 2/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate and didn’t force his way onto the club’s big league roster.
While Coke clearly had a down year in 2015, he’s a season removed from a 3.88 ERA across 58 innings with the Tigers and entered the 2015 campaign with a lifetime 4.16 ERA, 6.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9. His ground-ball rate has steadily increased throughout his career, topping 55 percent in each of the past two seasons, and his heater checked in at a strong average of 93 mph in 2015. Coke has held lefties to a .239/.298/.356 batting line throughout his career and will look to work his way into an Atlanta bullpen that also features lefty options in the form of Ian Krol (his former Tigers teammate), Matt Marksberry, Alex Torres and Rule 5 pick Evan Rutckyj.
Astros, A.J. Hinch Have Agreed To “Revised” Contract
The Astros reached agreement with manager A.J. Hinch on a “revised” contract at some point earlier in the offseason, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports. His new agreement is said to increase his earnings and “put[] him in position to remain with the club longer.” All told, says Drellich, Hinch now appears to have a guaranteed term that runs through 2018.
Precise details remain hazy in large part because the exact terms of Hinch’s original contract were never entirely clear. Reports at the time pegged it at three years and an option, but he has suggested that may not have been the case.
Regardless of whether this deal is properly termed an extension, or whether it is just includes the exercise of an option year, it obviously reflects an enhanced commitment from the organization. Hinch impressed on all fronts last year, bringing a broad skillset to the job and drawing positive reviews from GM Jeff Luhnow and owner Jim Crane.
The proof was in the pudding, of course, as the new-look ‘Stros surged to the post-season and very nearly took the AL West. With a host of exciting young players returning, and a few key additions plugged in over the winter, expectations are high in Houston for 2016. That doesn’t mean a repeat will be easy; the entire American League has hopes of contending, and the western division in particular seems wide open.