Here are some recent minor league moves from around the game, as chronicled by Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise credited. The newest transactions are at the top of the post…
- The Giants inked catcher Josmil Pinto to a minor league deal. Pinto appeared in six games with Milwaukee last season, his first MLB exposure since 2014. The backstop has 84 games and 286 plate appearances to his record with the Brewers and Twins, as well as a .274/.349/.442 slash line over 3242 minor league PA.
- The Mariners signed outfielder Kyle Waldrop to a minors contract. The longtime Reds farmhand became a free agent after a 2016 season that saw him outrighted off Cincinnati’s 40-man roster. Waldrop (a different player than the former Twins right-hander of the same name, for the record) appeared in 15 games for the Reds last season, mostly as a pinch-hitter or late-game sub. He has a .274/.320/.429 slash over 2698 PA in the Reds’ minor league system.
- The White Sox signed righty Jorge Rondon to a minor league pact earlier this month. Rondon has a 13.26 ERA over 19 career innings pitched in the majors, making brief appearances in each of the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Rockies, Orioles and Pirates. A pro since 2006, Rondon has a 4.24 ERA, 5.8 K/9 and 1.54 K/BB rate over 647 1/3 career frames in the minors, appearing as a reliever in 346 over his 387 career games.
- The Red Sox re-signed catcher Dan Butler on a minor league deal. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent in 2009, Butler has spent his entire pro career in Boston’s organization, save for a season with the Nationals in 2015. Butler has a .256/.348/.405 slash line over 2441 career PA in the minors, and he appeared in seven games in the bigs in 2014.
- The Tigers signed righties Jake Brigham and outfielder Jim Adduci to minor league deals. As Eddy notes, Detroit has been active in signing players from international leagues as minor league depth, including these two former big leaguers. Brigham spent 2016 with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles after nine pro seasons in North America, receiving his first taste of the majors in the form of 16 2/3 innings with the Braves in 2015. Adduci, 31, played 11 seasons in the minors and parts of two seasons (148 PA with the Rangers in 2013-14) in the majors before spending the last two years with the Korean Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants.
Mariners purchased contract of Indy ball player Willie Argo
Jorge Rondon is heading to Japan to pitch for Chunichi
Isn’t Kyle Waldrop’s full moniker “Kyle M. Waldrop”? As to not mix it up with the twins pitcher
As a Tigers Fan, I miss Dave Dombrowski. I understand the Tigers, like all teams, have to make minor league signings to fill the openings in the system, but couldn’t Avila at least try to sign someone with the slightest potential to help the big league club in case of an injury? Having Jim Aducci at AAA is not going to be of any help should Cabrera go down (not that anyone can replace him). Colin Baelester was a nobody when Detroit had him years ago. I thought he had retired, from lack of ability. Where are the Sandy Leon’s, and the Quinten Berry’s? Both Alex Presley and Craig Gentry were FA this year. Instead of signing the solid defensive OF that can add speed to the lineup, if he makes the team, Avila chose to sign Pressley. He’s shown he can’t hit for average. He’s barely capable of covering CF, and offers no power or speed. The Tigers lack depth and have no money to spend, but what Avila is doing makes the lack of depth look intentional.
How can you miss Dumbrowski? He was given a blank check from the owner and couldn’t get it done. He depleted their farm system which the Tigers are paying for now. I did a little dance when he got fired. If you like getting close then he’s your guy. If you want long term sustainability he isn’t. Plain and simple. I have full confidence in Avila.
None of these players AA signed will not help at AAA or MLB. AA is a bad joke. The league GM’s are laughing at him.
AA is the laughingstock in the MLB.
Too bad for the team and fans.
He’s playing the cards that the last gm left him. Given some patience Avila will be fine.
It doesn’t look too promising for the Tigers. I don’t know what their payroll is. But, it doesn’t happen, too often, that a team of kids goes far, in the majors. I put up with a lot of Padres teams, when management’s #1 priority was to save money. The front office would keep telling the fans that they would not pay a ton of money to one single free agent. And, all the while, essentially be a Triple A team. When it came time to re-sign a player, who showed potential, he would be traded.
Josmil Pinto is an interesting signing – has some power, draws some walks, terrible defender. He’s like Bizarro Eli Whiteside.
I like Pinto. He could see ABs if he outplays Brown in camp.
Ceiling looks somewhere between organizational depth and platoon bat in the AL where he could fill in at DH 15 games/year