International Signings/Moves: Kuroda, Pino, Davies, Cardinals, Stults
Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times passes on a Sponichi report (Twitter link) noting that former Dodgers/Yankees right-hander Hiroki Kuroda will earn $4.9MM in 2016 on his latest one-year deal with the Hiroshima Carp. That, as Hernandez notes, makes Kuroda the highest-paid player in Japan. Kuroda, who will turn 41 in February, returned to Japan last year for what many believed would be his final season. However, the veteran showed no signs of his age, reeling off a 2.55 ERA in 169 2/3 innings across 26 starts and averaging 5.6 K/9 against 1.5 BB/9. The strong campaign marked another impressive chapter in Kuroda’s exceptional career, which now spans 19 seasons between Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball. The upcoming season will be his 20th as a professional, and to this point, he has a lifetime 193-176 record, a 3.53 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and a 1.22 WHIP in 3202 2/3 innings.
Here are a few signings/moves pertaining to Japan and Korea…
- Right-hander Yohan Pino has signed a one-year deal with the KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization, the club announced (hat tip: Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency). The soon-to-be 32-year-old Pino, a client of agent Steve Comte, logged 79 2/3 innings over the past two Major League seasons between the Twins and the Royals (spending more time on the mound with the former but enjoying better results with the latter). He owns a 4.63 ERA with averages of 7.1 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 as a big leaguer, and he’s also compiled a 4.38 ERA in 494 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level in his career. This will be his first stint with an Asian team.
- Via NPB Tracker’s Patrick Newman (Twitter link), the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball have considered signing right-handers Kyle Davies and Josh Lueke as well as lefty Luis Perez. Newman initially cited a Japanese-language report indicating Yakult had signed the trio, but now indicates that report was incorrect. Davies has the most Major League experience of the bunch, having totaled 768 innings with the Royals and Braves from 2005-11. Davis returned to the Majors this past season, tossing 2 1/3 innings for the Yankees. Though he’s been around for quite some time, Davies will pitch nearly all of next season at age 32, so he could potentially have several relatively lucrative years ahead of him if he thrives in NPB.
- The Cardinals announced that they have sold the rights to right-hander Zach Petrick to NPB’s DeNA Yokohama Bay Stars (Twitter link). St. Louis will receive cash considerations (the exact amount has yet to be reported) for surrendering the 26-year-old Petrick, who will be better-compensated pitching in Japan’s top league than he would have been in the minor leagues here. Petrick breezed through the minor leagues and posted strong ERA marks until reaching Triple-A, where he’s struggled a bit over the past two seasons, registering a 4.56 ERA with 6.4 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 272 1/3 innings. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent, Petrick rose to No. 15 on Baseball America’s list of Top 30 prospects following the 2013 season, with BA praising his sinking fastball, above-average changeup and repeatable mechanics, which led to strong command.
- Left-hander Eric Stults will either pitch in Japan this season or retire, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (on Twitter). It’s not clear exactly whether Stults has a concrete offer from a Japanese club, although that does seem to be the implication. Stults made eight starts for the Braves in 2015 and has recorded 683 1/3 innings at the Major League level, working to a 4.24 ERA. His best years came with the 2013-14 Padres, when he was a staple in the team’s rotation and delivered 379 2/3 innings of 4.10 ERA ball.
Dodgers Designate Danny Reynolds For Assignment
In announcing their recent acquisition of lefty Tyler Olson from the Mariners, the Dodgers also announced that they had designated righty Danny Reynolds for assignment. Reynolds’ time in the Dodgers organization has been brief, as they claimed him from the Angels less than two weeks ago.
The 24-year-old Reynolds spent the 2015 season pitching in relief with the Angels’ Double-A Arkansas affiliate, and he struggled with his control, posting a 4.57 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 after earning a place on the Angels’ 40-man roster with a better campaign the previous season. Most reports indicate, however, that Reynolds’ fastball plays very well in relief, reaching into the high 90s.
Pirates To Release Allen Webster
SATURDAY: Webster is indeed heading abroad — the Samsung Lions of the KBO have announced that they’ve signed him along with righty reliever Collin Balester. Sung Min Kim of River Ave. Blues initially tweeted that Webster was headed to Korea. The 29-year-old Balester has a 5.47 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in parts of five big-league seasons with Washington, Detroit and Cincinnati. He made 15 appearances with the Reds in 2015.
FRIDAY: The Pirates have released righty Allen Webster, as the team’s transactions page reflects and as Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Webster had been acquired for cash after the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment.
Tim Williams of PiratesProspects.com first noted the unexpected change in Webster’s status on the Bucs’ transactions page, explaining that Pittsburgh did not seem to have an immediate need for a 40-man spot. That could mean that Webster is headed for an opportunity with an Asian club, as the Bucs had previously seemed set to give a chance this spring to the out-of-options right-hander.
Webster, 25, has long been seen as a rising power arm, but he’s struggled to make good on his promise in the majors. In 120 1/3 MLB frames over the past three years, he owns a 5.81 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9.
While he had previously put up strong numbers in the upper minors, Webster was bombed to the tune of a 8.18 ERA over 15 Triple-A starts last year. It’s worth noting, too, that Webster’s average fastball velocity (in the majors) dropped to 91.5 mph in 2015 after clocking in at over 94 in his first season of MLB action.
Minor MLB Transactions: 12-18-15
Here are some notable minor league deals on a day that produced a high volume of minor transactions…
- The Nationals have signed veteran left-hander Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training, tweets MASNsports.com’s Dan Kolko. Because he debuted at 22 years of age, it might be a surprise for some to find that the well-traveled Laffey is still just 30 years old. He spent the 2015 season in the Rockies organization but wound up pitching just 7 1/3 big league innings for Colorado, with the rest of his work coming in the minors. Laffey has spent parts of eight big league seasons in the Major Leagues and, with the exception of the 2014 season, has seen big league action each year dating back to 2007. He sports a career 4.44 ERA with 4.5 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9.
- The Twins announced that they’ve signed outfielder Ryan Sweeney to a minor league deal and invited him to Major League Spring Training. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that Sweeney would receive a $750K base salary upon making the club. Sweeney, also 30, was a significant piece of the Athletics’ roster from 2008-11 but has been limited to a part-time role since that time. Sweeney was out of baseball in 2015 but will look to get back into the Majors in 2016. That he can handle all three outfield positions and has an outstanding defensive reputation in right field would seem to help his cause. Minnesota doesn’t have a clear-cut fourth outfielder at this time.
- Lefty Ryan Buchter is headed to the Padres on a minor league deal with a big league Spring Training invite, MLB.com’s Corey Brock was the first to report (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has just one inning in the Majors — a scoreless frame with the Braves in 2014. However, he had a very strong year at Triple-A with the Cubs and Dodgers in 2015, pitching to a 1.78 ERA with 11.0 K/9 against 4.4 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of relief. Control issues have long plagued Buchter, but his strikeout prowess has helped him overcome that trouble in the minors, resulting in a career 3.26 ERA. Lefties barely stood a chance against him at Triple-A this season, where he yielded just a .187/.237/.225 against same-handed batters. His .211/.344/.257 line against righties was strong as well, though it also exemplifies his control issues.
- Right-hander Jarrett Grube will return to the Indians on a minor league pact with a camp invite, tweets Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The 34-year-old has pitched just two-third of an inning in the Majors (2014 with the Angels), and while his overall body of work at Triple-A has resulted in a 5.07 ERA, Grube was outstanding at Triple-A in the Cleveland organization last year, firing 79 2/3 innings of 2.26 ERA ball with 7.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.
- The Mariners have announced five minor league signings. In addition the previously reported signing of infielder Ed Lucas, Seattle has invited outfielder Mike Baxter, left-hander Brad Mills, right-hander Casey Coleman and right-hander Blake Parker to Major League Spring Training. Each player has some big league experience, though Baxter and Coleman have the most of the bunch. Baxter split last season with the Cubs and their Triple-A affiliate, logging 66 PAs in the Majors. Coleman saw significant work out of the Cubs’ bullpen and rotation from 2010-12, while Parker has spent a couple of seasons in the Cubs’ bullpen as well. Mills made one start for the A’s last season and has a fair bit of MLB experience but has never spent more than 21 innings in the Majors in a single season despite a strong track record at Triple-A.
- Former No. 1 overall pick Matt Bush has signed with the Rangers on a minor league deal, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Bush has spent the past three years in prison, serving out a 51-month sentence for critically injuring a motorcyclist in a DWI incident back in 2012. GM Jon Daniels explained to Grant that he was skeptical when learning that Bush was interested in getting back into baseball, but the team was impressed with the level of sincerity expressed by Bush as he explained his regret and desire to turn his life around. (In May 2014, the victim, Tony Tufano, told Gabe Kapler — then of FOX Sports — that he has forgiven Bush and even will root for him in his attempt to turn his life around.) Bush won’t receive an invite to Major League camp and will instead be hoping to make one of the Rangers’ minor league affiliates, Grant notes, adding that Bush is enrolled in a 12-step program and will have to adhere to a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol and drug use with the Rangers.
Tigers Sign Mike Aviles
The Tigers announced on Friday that they have signed free agent infielder Mike Aviles to a one-year, Major League contract. Aviles will receive $2MM plus a possible $300K in incentives, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. The 34-year-old Aviles is represented by The Legacy Agency.
Aviles has spent the bulk of his career in the American League Central, as his first four-and-a-half seasons were spent with the Royals, and he’s spent the past three years in Cleveland. He’ll be a depth piece in Detroit — a veteran right-handed bat that can serve as a backup at second base, third base, shortstop and in the corner outfield as well. In spite of that versatility, though, Aviles hasn’t hit much in recent seasons, batting a collective .244/.279/.345 over his three-year tenure with the Indians and posting an OPS+ of just 61 last season.
Though defensive metrics peg Aviles as below average around the infield this past season, he received positive marks in left field and has traditionally received positive marks at shortstop. (Given his age, questions about his range are at least fair to ask.) There’s value for any team in having a player who can capably handle four to five positions, though, even if he’s not a plus defender at any of those spots. And, given the presence of Andrew Romine on Detroit’s roster, manager Brad Ausmus will have a pair of highly versatile players to mix and match when other players incur injuries, need a day off or have been removed from games for various reasons.
Buster Olney of ESPN.com first reported the agreement, on Twitter.
Tigers Designate Kyle Lobstein For Assignment
The Tigers announced that they have designated left-hander Kyle Lobstein for assignment in order to clear a space on the 40-man roster for utility man Mike Aviles, whose one-year, big league contract with Detroit is now official.
Lobstein, who turned 26 late in the 2015 season, has had a fairly significant role with the Tigers over the past two seasons, totaling 103 innings across 20 appearances, 17 of which came out of the rotation. His results haven’t been great — a 5.33 ERA, 5.2 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 — but he has capably soaked up innings as the Detroit rotation battled through injuries. He’s struggled due to an inability to miss bats, as evidenced by the low strikeout rate and the fact that he’s yielded 113 hits in those 103 innings.
Nonetheless, there’s reason to believe that Lobstein could be effective in a different role. He’s shown the ability to work multiple innings, which would have value in the bullpen, and he’s held left-handed batters to a paltry .234/.307/.321 batting line to this point in his Major League career. Lobstein has a 3.19 FIP and 3.41 xFIP against same-handed batter, so some clubs could potentially look at him as a bullpen piece. Lobstein also has a 4.08 ERA in 236 innings at Triple-A, where he’s averaged 7.8 strikeouts and 2.9 walks per nine innings pitched, so he’s also a nice enough depth piece for the Tigers (or another club) if he ultimately clears waivers and finds himself outrighted to Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate in Toledo.
Mets Re-Sign Bartolo Colon
DEC. 18: The Mets have announced the one-year deal (Twitter link).
DEC. 16: The Mets and Bartolo Colon have reached agreement on a one-year, $7.25MM deal, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Sources tell Rosenthal (link) that Colon had better offers from other teams, but he wanted to remain with the Mets. Colon’s affinity for the Mets’ fans, his teammates, and the organization led him to re-up in Queens.
All in all, there’s plenty of reason to believe that the 42-year-old can continue functioning as a useful MLB pitcher. Colon signed a two-year, $20MM deal to join the Mets after putting up two stellar seasons with the A’s. He hasn’t quite matched the results he had in Oakland, but has contributed a remarkable 397 innings of 4.13 ERA pitching with 6.5 K/9 and a sterling 1.2 BB/9.
Now, it remains to be seen how Colon will factor into the Mets’ plans for the 2016 season. Colon probably wouldn’t hold down a rotation spot all season in Queens barring an injury to one of the Mets’ excellent young starters, he could be a valuable stopgap early in the year as Zack Wheeler progresses in his Tommy John rehab.
New York figures to roll out a rotation fronted by Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, and Noah Syndergaard and also likely including highly-rated prospect Steven Matz. Still, will Jonathon Niese out of the picture and Wheeler still working his way back, Colon will help to ease uncertainty in the Mets’ rotation. Beyond Colon, the Mets could also turn to players like Rafael Montero and Logan Verrett if they need additional support in the starting five.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mets Designate Johnny Monell For Assignment
The Mets have designated catcher Johnny Monell for assignment, reports ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin (via Twitter). Monell’s roster spot will go to right-hander Bartolo Colon, whose one-year deal with the Mets has been announced by the team, on Twitter.
Monell, 30 next March, received his second taste of Major League action last season, collecting a career-high 52 plate appearances with New York. Prior to that, his lone experience in the big leagues was a brief eight-game stint with the 2013 Giants (nine plate appearances). In the Majors, Monell is a .161/230/.196 hitter across his small sample of 61 PAs, but he has a sound track record in the minors, where he’s put together a .279/.356/.455 batting line with 31 homers across 1012 PAs in Triple-A. He’s caught 29 percent of the runners who have attempted to steal against him over the life of his nine-year minor league career, though he nabbed an impressive 13 of 31 (42 percent) with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas this past season.
Pirates Sign Ryan Vogelsong
4:39pm: Vogelsong receives a $2MM guarantee and can earn up to $3MM worth of incentives, according to MLB.com’s Adam Berry (Twitter link).
3:00pm: The Pirates have announced a one-year deal with free agent righty Ryan Vogelsong. Contract terms have not yet been reported, though a source tells MLBTR that it’s an incentive-laden deal that can max out at $5MM.
Vogelsong, 38, had seemed to wrap up his MLB career after a stint with the Bucs in the early and mid-2000s. But he returned with new vigor after a stint in Japan, and has played with the Giants for the past five seasons.
Last year was not the best season for the veteran. He logged a rough 4.67 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9. And ERA estimators saw that earned run mark as a more-or-less accurate reflection of his actual contribution on the hill.
But there are still some positives. Vogelsong threw 135 innings over 22 starts and 11 relief appearances, and has a good track record of reliability. His velocity actually trended up slightly, with an average fastball of 91 mph.
For a Pirates organization that entered the offseason looking for rotation options with limited resources, it’s easy to see the appeal in the steady veteran. Pittsburgh recently dealt away Charlie Morton after acquiring Jon Niese, so the need is still there, and further staff additions still seem likely.
Blue Jays Sign Roberto Hernandez, Brad Penny
The Blue Jays have announced a series of minor league pitching signings today, including righties Roberto Hernandez and Brad Penny. Toronto also confirmed the previously-reported signing of southpaw Wade LeBlanc and announced the additions of right-hander Scott Copeland and lefty Pat McCoy. All of the above-listed players will receive invites to major league camp.
Hernandez, 35, threw 84 2/3 innings (in eleven starts and nine relief appearances) last year for the Astros before losing his roster spot. He put up a 4.36 earned run average with 4.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in that span. Hernandez lost a mile off of his fastball last year, ending with an average 88.9 mph heater, but rested for the second half of the season and could be a swingman/long relief candidate.
Toronto will owe pay Hernandez at a $1.25MM annual rate if he makes the roster, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (on Twitter). The deal also includes $750K in incentives. And there’s a March 28 opt-out, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca adds via Twitter.
Penny still brings a mid-nineties heater even as he closes in on 38 years of age, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick noted yesterday in reporting the signing on Twitter. He can opt out of his deal at the end of camp, Nicholson-Smith notes via Twitter. Penny worked as a starter last year at Triple-A for the White Sox, throwing 135 1/3 innings of 4.46 ERA ball.
Copeland, meanwhile, just turned 28. He debuted briefly for the Jays last year, but spent most of the year working to a 2.95 ERA in 125 Triple-A innings, but with a marginal 4.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9.
As for McCoy, he has also received a short stint in the bigs — in 2014 with the Tigers — and will be looking for a chance at a return. He spent last year in the Orioles organization, throwing 83 1/3 minor league innings and compiling a 3.78 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.