Cubs Designate Tsuyoshi Wada For Assignment
The Cubs announced that they have designated Tsuyoshi Wada for assignment, as Carrie Muskat of MLB.com tweets. The move will help create room for Taylor Teagarden on the 40-man roster.
Wada, 34 (35 in February), is set to hit the open market this offseason. Signed to a one-year, $4MM deal with Chicago in 2015, Wada only made seven starts and one relief appearance this past season. Overall, he posted a 3.62 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. In the year prior, the left-hander made 13 starts and pitched his way to a 3.25 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9. Following a distinguished nine-year career in Japan, Wada signed a two-year, $8.15MM deal with the Orioles in December 2011, though he never threw as much as a pitch for the O’s thanks to Tommy John surgery.
Teagarden will not join the Cubs’ playoff roster, but he could be called upon in the event of an injury.
De Fratus, Parmelee, Marcum Elect Free Agency
Several players with significant big league service time have elected free agency since the conclusion of the regular season. Per baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, players with more than three years of Major League service time that have been outrighted off a 40-man roster have the right to elect free agency at season’s end.
This list — not to be confused with our full list of 2015-16 free agents (which has been updated to include these names) — represents some of the players that would’ve been arbitration eligible following the season and were regular or fairly regular contributors recently but now find themselves on the open market after being outrighted…
- First baseman and outfielder Chris Parmelee has elected free agency, tweets Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. Parmelee spent the 2015 season in the Orioles organization and made 102 plate appearances with the big league club. He hit a modest .216/.255/.433, but he was much better at Triple-A. The 27-year-old is a career .245/.311/.396 hitter in 1,003 plate appearances. He spent his entire career with the Twins prior to joining Baltimore this year.
- Veteran pitcher Shaun Marcum is also a free agent, per the same tweet from Cotillo. Marcum, 33, is a well-traveled veteran of eight seasons (he didn’t pitch in the majors in 2009 or 2014). He’s tossed 1,030 innings with 167 starts, 28 relief appearances, and a 3.93 ERA. More recently, he struggled at the major league level. He has a 5.34 ERA since 2013 in 113 innings. This season with the Indians, Marcum continued to post a decent strikeout (7.71 K/9) and walk (2.83 BB/9) rate, but he allowed nine home runs in just 33 innings. The fly ball pitcher throws just 85 mph.
- Justin De Fratus has elected to become a free agent, the right-hander announced via his Instagram page (hat tip to Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer). De Fratus praised the Phillies organization and thanked it for giving him his start as a professional ballplayer “but it’s time for me to start a new chapter in my life and career.” The Phillies outrighted De Fratus off their 40-man roster on Wednesday. The righty was originally drafted by the Phils in the 11th round of the 2007 draft and he’d posted solid career numbers out of Philadelphia’s bullpen (3.08 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 2.27 K/BB rate over 114 IP) prior to this season. Over 80 innings in 2015, De Fratus posted a 5.51 ERA, 7.7 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Indicators such as xFIP and SIERA suggest that De Fratus was a bit unlucky to post that 5.51 ERA as he was hurt by a .335 BABIP and 66.2% strand rate. De Fratus, who turns 28 later this month, is entering his first year of arbitration eligibility and MLBTR projects him to earn a $700K salary in 2016.
Angels Designate Jo-Jo Reyes
The Angels have designated lefty Jo-Jo Reyes for assignment, the club announced. His roster spot was needed for the claim of outfielder Todd Cunningham.
Reyes returned to the big leagues this year for the Halos, but faced just one batter. That went well, at least: he recorded the out and managed to line himself up for a win in the process. Over his 150 innings at Triple-A, Reyes put up a 4.32 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9.
Angels Claim Todd Cunningham
The Angels have claimed outfielder Todd Cunningham off waivers from the Braves, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. The move represents the first acquisition of the tenure of new GM Billy Eppler.
Cunningham is a 26-year-old switch-hitter who saw his first real taste of big league action this past season. Over 93 plate appearances, the former second-round pick slashed just .221/.280/.267. As poorly as he fared with the bat in that short sample, though, Cunningham impressed advanced defensive metrics. Playing mostly in left field, UZR rated him at +18.4 runs-per-150 innings and he racked up six Defensive Runs Saved.
Cunningham was Atlanta’s 23rd-rated prospect coming into the year in the estimation of Baseball America. He has spent most of his time in center field during his minor league career, but BA said — and the metrics suggest — that Cunningham is a plus defender in left. Offensively, he is known as a contact hitter with good speed. But Cunningham hit just .261/.325/.337 in 375 Triple-A plate appearances last year.
It’s possible that the out-of-options Cunningham could find himself back on the waiver wire soon, as MLB.com’s Aldez Gonzalez tweets that the Angels will try to “slip him [through] waivers.”
Cubs To Sign Eddy Julio Martinez
The Cubs have reached agreement with Cuban outfield prospect Eddy Julio Martinez, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports on Twitter. He’ll receive the $3MM bonus that he was reportedly seeking.
Martinez, 20, had been said to be in agreement with the Giants earlier in the week. The $2.5MM deal was said to be complete pending only a physical, with San Francisco GM Bobby Evans acknowledging it to the press. But things fell apart, apparently for financial reasons, as Sanchez reported that that the youngster was looking for a $3MM bonus.
Chicago swooped in to meet that asking price, adding him to an already-loaded class of international signings. The Cubs, like the Giants had previously committed to spending well past their overall pool allocation, meaning that they were already set to face a two-year ban on $300K+ signings. Adding Martinez did nothing to impact that, though the club will pay a 100% overage tax on his bonus.
We’ve heard some varying opinions on Martinez’s outlook over the last several months, but all agree that he is a legitimate prospect with a good hit tool and excellent speed. The questions are about his power potential and ability to handle center field in the long run. Read more on the BHSC client from Sanchez and Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required and recommended).
Elected Free Agency: Gee, Thayer, Gillaspie, Pestano
Several players with significant big league service time have elected free agency since the conclusion of the regular season. Per baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, players with more than three years of Major League service time that have been outrighted off a 40-man roster have the right to elect free agency at season’s end.
This list — not to be confused with our full list of 2015-16 free agents (which has been updated to include these names) — represents some of the players that would’ve been arbitration eligible following the season and were regular or fairly regular contributors recently but now find themselves on the open market after being outrighted…
- Dillon Gee: The right-hander opened the season in the Mets’ rotation, and the possibility of trading him loomed large in Spring Training and early in the regular season. Instead, Gee was designated for assignment after eight appearances (seven starts) and a 5.90 ERA this season. Of course, Gee’s FIP and xFIP marks were mostly in line with his career numbers, and he was plagued by factors like a .355 BABIP and a fluky 63 percent strand rate. Gee would eventually clear waivers and be outrighted, due in large part to his $5.3MM salary. His struggles continued, to some extent, in Triple-A, where he logged a 4.58 ERA in 88 1/3 innings, though that performance comes with the caveat that the Pacific Coast League is an incredibly hitter-friendly environment. Gee has less than five years of Major League service, so any team signing him this winter could control him for two seasons. He’s a nice bounceback candidate for a team in need of help at the back of its rotation.
- Dale Thayer: The elder statesman of the players listed here, the 34-year-old Thayer was designated and outrighted earlier this season when the Padres signed Bud Norris. Thayer worked to a reasonable 4.06 ERA in 37 2/3 innings this season, but his 6.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 rates were significant departures from his previous seasons, perhaps a portent for less desirable results. However, Thayer was an effective member of the San Diego ‘pen from 2012-14, notching a 3.02 ERA, 8.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 with eight saves — he briefly served as closer whilst Huston Street was injured in 2012 — across 188 innings. Thayer, too, has four-plus years of service and would be controllable for two seasons upon signing.
- Conor Gillaspie: The White Sox’ regular third baseman from 2013 through the first half of 2015, Gillaspie looked the part of at least a serviceable platoon option at the hot corner until a dismal start to the most recent season. Designated for assignment by the Sox then acquired by the Angels, Gillaspie would again be designated in Anaheim and eventually outrighted. He hit just .228/.269/.359 this season between the two clubs, but he managed a solid, if unspectacular .265/.322/.404 line from 2013-14 in Chicago. Those numbers are almost identical to his lifetime .266/.325/.410 line versus right-handed pitching, suggesting that the 28-year-old can help a big league roster in a platoon capacity. At 28 years old, he has three-plus years of service and would be controllable for three seasons.
- Vinnie Pestano: The Angels designated and outrighted the former Cleveland setup ace struggled through 11 2/3 innings in the Majors this year. Pestano, who lost his grip on regular setup work in 2014, posted a 5.40 ERA with 13 strikeouts but eight walks (two intentional) in the Majors this season. However, he was a dominant setup man in Cleveland from 2011-12 and has posted serviceable big league numbers and strong Triple-A marks since. With a lifetime 1.97 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in his Triple-A career, a reasonable amount of big league success and two years of team control remaining, Pestano could be a nice buy-low candidate for teams seeking low-cost bullpen help
- Hector Noesi: Last season, Noesi stepped into the White Sox rotation and soaked up 166 innings with a 4.39 ERA. The 2015 campaign didn’t go as smoothly, however, as his 6.89 ERA in 32 2/3 innings ultimately served as reason for a DFA and an outright assignment. Noesi will turn 29 in January and has three years of team control remaining for any team that feels it can get him back to the fourth/fifth starter he looked like for much of the 2014 season.
Full lists of players that have declared free agency following a 2015 outright assignment can be seen on the transactions pages for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and International League.
Outrighted: De Fratus, Pettibone, Kratz, Green
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Phillies announced that they’ve outrighted seven players from the 40-man roster. Right-hander Justin De Fratus, catcher Erik Kratz, infielder Chase d’Arnaud, outfielder Jordan Danks and lefties Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts were all outrighted off the roster. Additionally, right-hander Jonathan Pettibone was activated from the 60-day DL and outrighted. The 27-year-old De Fratus has been a regular member of the Philadelphia bullpen for the past three seasons but struggled to a 5.51 ERA in 80 innings this season. Pettibone, 25, tossed 100 1/3 solid innings for the Phils in 2013 but has struggled to recover from shoulder surgery. He threw just three innings last year and didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2015.
- The Angels announced today that infielder Grant Green has cleared outright waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A. Green, 28, was designated for assignment just before the end of the regular season. He was once a prized young player, and continues to perform in the upper minors, but has slashed just .249/.283/.335 over an even 300 career plate appearances. Notably, the move does not necessarily mean that Los Angeles will be able to stash Green in the minors. Now that he’s off of the 40-man, he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency.
White Sox Outright Adrian Nieto
The White Sox have outrighted catcher Adrian Nieto off the club’s 40-man roster, per a club announcement (h/t to Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com, on Twitter). After also losing Junior Guerra via waiver claim, the team has three open 40-man slots.
Nieto, 25, was taken from the Nationals in the pre-2014 Rule 5 draft. The White Sox carried him all year, even as he slashed .236/.296/.340 over 118 plate appearances. That earned the team permanent rights over the Cuban native.
Known as a defensively-gifted backstop who would need work at the plate, Nieto did not take much of a step forward in 2015. Optioned to Double-A to start the year, he put up a .207/.344/.316 slash line with five home runs over 315 plate appearances. Nieto did carry a strong 16.5% walk rate, but was retired 24.4% of the time via strikeout as well.
Brewers Claim Junior Guerra, Designate Nevin Ashley
The Brewers have claimed righty Junior Guerra off waivers from the White Sox, per a club announcement (hat tip to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, on Twitter). To create roster space, Milwaukee has designated catcher Nevin Ashley for assignment.
Today’s waiver claim marks the team’s first acquisition under the leadership of GM David Stearns. It’s not an obviously significant move at first glance, but it is interesting.
Guerra, 30, returned to a big league organization for the first time since 2008. In the interim, he played independent ball and threw in the Venezuelan winter league. Despite never before appearing above the High-A level, Guerra jumped into the upper minors and earned his first MLB call-up in Chicago.
Though he only tossed four big league innings, he averaged 94.1 mph with his fastball. Guerra obviously showed enough in the minors to draw Milwaukee’s attention. Over 83 1/3 frames — most of them at the Triple-A level, and including 11 starts — he pitched to a 3.13 ERA with 11.3 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9.
As for Ashley, the 31-year-old also made his MLB debut this year, registering two base hits in limited action. He earned that brief promotion with a solid year at Triple-A, putting up a productive .306/.374/.442 batting line over 381 plate appearances. That represents the sixth season in which Ashley has seen time at the highest level of the minors, where he’s slashed .259/.339/.391 over 1,161 turns at bat.
Marlins Re-Sign Ichiro Suzuki
1:58pm: The deal also includes a $2MM option for 2017, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets.
12:20pm: The Marlins have announced the re-signing of outfielder Ichiro Suzuki today, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro first reported on Twitter. The John Boggs client will receive a $2MM guarantee, per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).
A reunion had largely been expected, and it seems that the sides chose to accomplish that by reaching agreement before the likely future Hall-of-Famer hit the open market. It’s not uncommon to see late-career veterans reach extension agreements of this kind when a mutually agreeable situation is at hand.
The club will probably look to give the 41-year-old somewhat less action in 2016 than he did this past season. With Giancarlo Stanton injured and Marcell Ozuna spending time in the minors, Ichiro ended up taking 438 plate appearances and playing in all but nine of the team’s games. That greater-than-anticipated usage did, however, allow the Japanese great to rack up some additional hits, leaving him just 65 shy of the 3,000-hit mark at season’s end.
Miami obviously likes Ichiro’s presence, and his milestone pursuit is not without its appeal. And he still rates as at least a league-average defender and baserunner. But things did not go so well on the offensive side of the equation, as he slashed an anemic .229/.282/.279 on the year for 2015.
That represents a drop off from an already-downward trend, as Ichiro has been consistently below average with the bat since the start of 2011. He was at least serviceable in 2014, earning him a one-year deal with a $2MM base guarantee and a variety of incentives. The Fish will hope that he can return to that level of offensive production (87 wRC+), though that could be the best-case scenario at this point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.