KBO’s Lotte Giants Re-Sign Aaron Wilkerson
The Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization announced Thursday that they’ve re-signed righty Aaron Wilkerson to a one-year deal for the 2024 season (English link via Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency). He’ll be guaranteed $750K and can take home another $200K of incentives.
Wilkerson, 34, logged big league time with the Brewers each season from 2017-19 but posted a 6.88 ERA in a combined 35 1/3 innings. He’s since pitched in Triple-A with the A’s and Dodgers in addition to stints in Japan’s NPB and, in 2023, in the KBO.
His first year of KBO ball was a strong one. The 6’3″ righty joined the Giants midseason and made 13 starts with a sterling 2.26 ERA in 79 1/3 frames. Wilkerson fanned 24.8% of his opponents against a tidy 6.1% walk rate alongside a strong 56.1% grounder rate.
The journeyman righty, who’s pitched in four different MLB teams’ minor league systems in addition to stints in indie ball and in Asia, will now take home a nice seven-figure salary that can reach nearly $1MM — a nice windfall at this stage of an 11-year grind through professional ball.
Perhaps he can further parlay strong overseas results into an MLB return in his late 30s. Even if that’s not in the cards for Wilkerson, a nice 2024 campaign would likely put him in position to re-sign in the KBO and continue earning at levels he’s rarely, if ever seen to this point in his career.
Dodgers Re-Sign Ricky Vanasco To Major League Deal
2:18 pm: Vanasco will make a salary of $900K in 2024, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group.
11:43 am: The Dodgers announced Thursday that they’ve re-signed right-hander Ricky Vanasco to a one-year, major league contract. He’d previously been outrighted and elected minor league free agency, but he’ll now return to the organization and secure a spot on the 40-man roster for the winter. Los Angeles now has 39 players on its 40-man roster.
The 25-year-old Vanasco has spent the vast majority of his career in the Rangers organization, but the Dodgers acquired him on June 1 after Texas had designated the former 15th-round pick for assignment. Once regarded as one of the more promising pitchers in the Rangers system, his career has been slowed by repeated health troubles. Vanasco posted an outstanding 1.81 ERA in 11 starts back in 2019 but didn’t pitch in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season, underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 and spent significant time on the minor league injured list in 2023 as well.
When healthy, however, Vanasco pitched quite well in the Dodgers’ system. In fact, after being removed from the team’s 40-man roster, Vanasco logged 28 innings betweeen Double-A and Triple-A while pitching to a pristine 0.64 ERA with a 42-to-10 K/BB ratio (36.5% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate). That showing was apparently enough for the Dodgers to offer up a big league deal in order to keep him in the system.
Although he has not yet made his big league debut, Vanasco spent the past two seasons on the 40-man roster in Texas and Los Angeles, which required him to be optioned at the end of spring training. As such, he’s exhausted two option years already. He still has an option remaining, and given his minor league injury history it’s possible he could eventually qualify for a fourth option year. For now, he’ll head to spring training healthy and perhaps on the verge of finally making his big league debut.
Cardinals Outright Connor Thomas
Left-hander Connor Thomas went unclaimed and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Memphis by the Cardinals, per a team announcement. He’ll remain in the organization after being designated for assignment Tuesday, when the Cards set their roster in advance of the deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft.
Thomas, 25, was the Cardinals’ fifth-round pick in 2019. He’s yet to make his big league debut but was selected to the roster last offseason when the Cards were setting their roster to protect players (Thomas included) at that same deadline. A rough 2023 campaign in Triple-A, however, dropped his stock and led the team to remove him from the roster.
In 21 appearances with Memphis this year — 17 of them starts — Thomas worked 94 1/3 innings of 5.53 ERA ball. That marked his third straight stint in Triple-A and his second with an ERA north of 5.00. Thomas notched a 3.10 ERA in Memphis back in 2021, and the Cards saw fit to protect him from Rule 5 selection last year in hopes that he’d rebound in a third look with their Triple-A club.
Instead, Thomas saw his strikeout rate plummet to a career-low 15.7%. He maintained strong command, although this past season’s 7% walk rate, while still better than the league average, was his highest in a full season. As a soft-tossing lefty with plus command and plenty of grounders, Thomas has profiled as a fifth starter at his best. He’s something of a throwback to prior generations in an era increasingly populated by power arms.
Thomas had previously ranked as highly as No. 19 prospect in the Cardinals’ system at Baseball America and No. 20 at MLB.com. FanGraphs pegged him 11th heading into the 2023 season. The Cards will hope to get him back on track this year, and given the general organizational need for rotation depth, they’re likely happy to stash him back in Memphis.
A’s Acquire Abraham Toro
The A’s have acquired infielder Abraham Toro in a trade with the Brewers. Minor league pitcher Chad Patrick is headed back to Milwaukee. Oakland already had four vacancies on the 40-man roster, so no further move was necessary.
Toro, 27 next month, has now been traded three times in his career. The former Astro draftee went to the Mariners in the Kendall Graveman deal at the 2021 deadline. Toro didn’t find consistent offensive success over a season and a half in Seattle. He hit only .213/.276/.342 in 605 plate appearances (roughly one full year of playing time) through the end of the 2022 campaign.
As a result, the Mariners looked to upgrade at second base. They sent Toro alongside designated hitter Jesse Winker to Milwaukee for Kolten Wong. The trade didn’t work out for anyone involved. Wong was released by August while Winker slumped to a .199/.320/.247 line before hitting free agency. Toro barely played for the Brew Crew, getting into just nine MLB contests.
Toro spent most of the season on optional assignment to Milwaukee’s Triple-A team in Nashville. The switch-hitter had solid numbers there, running a .291/.374/.471 batting line over 414 plate appearances. He only hit eight home runs but walked at an excellent 11.8% clip while striking out 17.6% of the time. Despite the solid numbers, Milwaukee stuck with light-hitting rookie Brice Turang at second base and rotated through a number of third base options. 26-year-old rookie Andruw Monasterio and scuffling veteran Josh Donaldson got looks at the hot corner instead of Toro.
That limited usage made him a non-tender candidate approaching Friday’s deadline. While his projected $1.3MM arbitration salary isn’t exorbitant, it’s almost twice the league minimum rate. Toro is also out of minor league option years. Milwaukee would have had to keep him on the MLB roster or designate him for assignment at the beginning of next season.
Oakland is apparently more willing to take that shot. The A’s have almost nothing locked down in the infield. Second baseman Tony Kemp hit free agency. A’s third basemen (primarily the since-traded Jace Peterson, Jordan Diaz and Aledmys Díaz) combined for dreadful .192/.271/.285 batting line. Toro has a solid minor league track record and is eligible for arbitration through 2026. The A’s can afford to give him some run in what’ll be another uncompetitive season to see if he can hit MLB pitching.
The move for Milwaukee is mostly about clearing the roster spot and projected salary. Rather than a straight non-tender, they’ll pick up a mid-tier pitching prospect. Patrick joined the A’s before the trade deadline in the deal that sent Peterson to the Diamondbacks.
A former fourth round pick, Patrick spent the 2023 campaign in the upper minors. He logged a 5.59 ERA over 124 innings between the Arizona and Oakland organizations. The Purdue-Northwest product struck out 23% of opponents while issuing walks at a slightly high 9.4% clip. He won’t be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until next offseason, so Milwaukee can keep him in Nashville as non-roster rotation depth.
Padres, Cal Mitchell Agree To Minor League Contract
The Padres are signing outfielder Cal Mitchell to a minor league deal, reports Britt Ghiroli of the Athletic (X link). He’ll be in MLB camp as a non-roster invitee.
It’s a homecoming for the San Diego native. A product of Rancho Bernardo high school, he was a second round pick of the Pirates in 2017. Mitchell hit well enough in the low minors to hold a spot among the top 30 prospects in the Pittsburgh system for a few years. He carried that offensive success as high as Triple-A, where he posted a .339/.391/.547 line in 63 games in 2022.
That earned the left-handed hitter his first MLB opportunity. Mitchell didn’t produce much in that initial look, posting a .226/.286/.349 showing across 232 trips to the plate. The Bucs kept him on optional assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis for the majority of 2023. He didn’t find the same kind of success as he had there a year ago.
Mitchell hit .261/.333/.414 over 78 Triple-A contests this past season. His strikeout rate doubled, ending at an alarming 29.4% clip. He played in only two big league games and was designated for assignment in September. Mitchell cleared outright waivers and became a minor league free agent at season’s end.
Still just 24 (25 in March), Mitchell will battle for a spot in the San Diego outfield in exhibition. He’s limited to the corners. San Diego has Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. there but limited depth otherwise. Taylor Kohlwey occupies a 40-man roster spot after hitting .276/.390/.437 in Triple-A.
Padres Claim Logan Gillaspie
The Padres have claimed right-hander Logan Gillaspie off waivers from the Red Sox, per a team announcement out of Boston. The Padres have several open spots on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary. Boston’s 40-man roster count is now down to 38 players.
Gillaspie, 26, spent only a couple months in the Boston organization. The Sox picked him up from the division-rival Orioles via an early September waiver claim. He pitched 4 1/3 innings with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate but will now join his third organization of the year.
Baltimore signed Gillaspie as a minor league free agent prior to the 2021 season, and he was with the O’s from the time of that contract until Boston’s waiver claim. He’s missed plenty of bats in the upper minors, fanning just over a quarter of his opponents between Double-A and Triple-A. In 26 1/3 MLB innings, Gillaspie has a 4.10 ERA with a much lighter 15% strikeout rate. He’s limited free passes nicely (6.7% walk rate) and averaged better than 95 mph on his heater. He’ll give the Padres some depth in the bullpen, and he still has a minor league option remaining, which gives them some additional flexibility with their relief corps next year — if Gillaspie lasts that long on the 40-man roster, of course.
Nationals Avoid Arbitration With Victor Robles, Tanner Rainey
The Nationals have avoided arbitration with outfielder Victor Robles and right-handed reliever Tanner Rainey, the team announced. Robles, 26, was eligible for his final year of arbitration, while Rainey, 30, will be arbitration-eligible one last time next winter.
Rainey will earn $1.5MM in 2024 (per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post), which doesn’t come as any surprise; he made the same salary this past season in a year almost completely lost to injury, and arbitration-eligible players rarely receive raises after lost seasons. No dollar value has been reported for Robles, although he was projected to earn $2.7MM in arbitration. The center fielder made $2.325MM last year, and the Nationals turned down a $3.3MM club option for his services in 2024. His new deal most likely falls somewhere in between those two figures.
Around the end of the regular season, Washington agreed to a contract with veteran utilityman Ildemaro Vargas, who was eligible for his second year of arbitration. The team now has four players who could still go to arbitration this winter: outfielder Lane Thomas, closer Kyle Finnegan, set-up man Hunter Harvey, and former top prospect Luis Garcia. The Nationals have already DFA’d several arb-eligible players ahead of the non-tender deadline on November 17, including first baseman Dominic Smith, right-handed reliever Victor Arano, and utility player Michael Chavis.
Diamondbacks Select Blake Walston, Outright Chris Rodriguez
The D-Backs announced they’ve added left-hander Blake Walston to the 40-man roster. That ensures he won’t be selected in next month’s Rule 5 draft. To clear a spot, the Snakes outrighted righty Chris Rodriguez off the roster.
Arizona drafted Walston 26th overall in 2019. The 6’5″ hurler was an upside flier out of a North Carolina high school. His minor league résumé has been somewhat mixed, although he still draws praise for his projectable frame and athleticism. Baseball America rated him as the #5 prospect in a quality Arizona system midseason.
Walston spent all of 2023 at Triple-A Reno. That’s an exceedingly difficult environment for a young pitcher. He posted a decent 4.52 ERA in 149 1/3 innings covering 30 starts. That came without particularly impressive strikeout or walk numbers, though. He punched out only 15.6% of opponents while walking 14% of batters faced.
Arizona just claimed Rodriguez off waivers from the Angels a couple weeks ago. They’ve succeeded in passing him through unclaimed, meaning he’ll remain in the organization without occupying a 40-man spot. A hard-throwing reliever, Rodriguez has battled shoulder and back injuries for the better part of three years. He has barely pitched since 2021. He’ll hopefully be able to put the injuries beyond him and compete for a bullpen job in Spring Training.
Dodgers Add Three To 40-Man Roster
The Dodgers have selected the contracts of three players: right-handers Nick Frasso and Landon Knack and catcher Hunter Feduccia. The trio would have otherwise been eligible for the Rule 5 draft. The 40-man count is up to 38.
Frasso was a fourth round selection of the Blue Jays in 2020. The Dodgers acquired him at the ’22 deadline in the deal sending Mitch White to Toronto. A Loyola Marymount product, Frasso has mid-upper 90s velocity and is an excellent athlete. Baseball America recently ranked him as the #5 prospect in the L.A. system. He spent the bulk of 2023 at Double-A Tulsa, working to a 3.91 ERA in 73 2/3 innings. The 6’5″ hurler struck out almost 30% of opponents against a solid 7.6% walk rate in that breakout showing.
Knack, 26, was a second round pick in the same draft. A senior sign out of East Tennessee State, he’s a potential back-end starter. Knack split the ’23 campaign between Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, posting a sub-3.00 ERA at both stops. He allowed 2.51 earned runs per nine in 100 1/3 frames overall, striking out 24% of batters faced with a 7.3% walk percentage.
Feduccia, also 26, is a left-handed hitter out of LSU. A 12th-round pick in 2018, he has spent six seasons in the minors. He logged all of 2023 in OKC, running a .279/.387/.451 batting line over 380 trips to the plate. Feduccia walked at a huge 15.3% clip, struck out around 21% of the time and connected on 11 home runs.
Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 first reported the selections of Frasso and Feduccia this afternoon.
Marlins Select Anthony Maldonado, Victor Mesa Jr.
The Marlins selected the contracts of Anthony Maldonado and Victor Mesa Jr. ahead of the Rule 5 deadline, the team announced to reporters (including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). These moves leave the team with three open spots remaining on the 40-man roster.
Maldonado, 25, could pitch for Miami at some point next season. The right-handed reliever had a strong year at Triple-A in 2023, pitching 46 innings with a 1.76 ERA, nine saves, and a 39.4% strikeout rate. Those are promising numbers indeed, although it’s much harder to miss bats in the majors than it is at Triple-A, so Maldonado still has his work cut out for him to prove that he’s ready for a bigger role. Nonetheless, the Marlins clearly like what they have seen enough to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
Mesa, 22, isn’t as close to being ready for the majors, but with his quick legs and strong defense in center field, another club certainly could’ve picked him up and stashed him on their active roster in 2024. Miami’s No. 6 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, his glove and contact skills give him a high floor, while his power potential gives him a high ceiling, especially if he can stick in center field as he ages.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Marlins chose not to protect Troy Johnston. The 26-year-old lefty batter had a phenomenal season in 2023, batting .307 and slugging 26 home runs in 134 games between Double- and Triple-A. However, given his age and position – he is a first baseman who can cover an outfield corner in a pinch – Johnston really needs to hit in order to stick on a major league roster. That’s precisely what he did last season, but he has yet to prove he can do so consistently at the highest level. Moreover, the Marlins already have Josh Bell plugged in at first base, and they’re hoping to bring back Jorge Soler at DH. Evidently, they decided they did not have room for Johnston on the major league roster.