Click here to read a transcript of this week’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.
Archives for September 2018
Pirates Promote Kevin Kramer, Designate Buddy Boshers
The Pirates announced several September call-ups today, designating lefty Buddy Boshers to create roster space. Pittsburgh selected the contract of well-regarded middle-infield prospect Kevin Kramer along with that of journeyman catcher Ryan Lavarnway.
Also heading up to the majors are a series of players who already possessed 40-man roster spots. Righties Tanner Anderson, Michael Feliz, and Clay Holmes will all join the organization for the stretch run, as will outfielder Jordan Luplow.
Kramer will join Kevin Newman, another talented young infielder seen as part of the future, on the MLB roster. Chosen in the second round of the 2015 draft, Kramer is viewed as a solid all-around player. Certainly, he has impressed in the upper minors in the past two seasons, turning in identical 141 wRC+ figures in an injury-shortened 2017 at Double-A and in a full campaign this year at Triple-A.
In his 527 plate appearances with Indianapolis in 2018, Kramer owns a .311/.365/.492 slash with 15 home runs and 13 steals. He has spent some time at shortstop in the minors, but the bulk of his innings of come at second base and that’s where he’s expected to play in the big leagues.
As for Boshers, the 30-year-old southpaw has seen time in three MLB seasons but didn’t make it up in 2018. He has worked to a 3.32 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in his 57 frames at Triple-A, with time spent at both the Bucs’ and Astros’ top affiliates.
White Sox Select Jose Ruiz, Outright Matt Skole
The White Sox announced today that they have selected the contract of righty Jose Ruiz. To open a 40-man spot, the club outrighted infielder Matt Skole to Triple-A.
The move on Ruiz is one that the team announced yesterday, so it comes as no surprise. Of course, the exciting news for him was overshadowed by the team’s decision not to promote top-rated prospect Eloy Jimenez.
As for Skole, 29, he received his first MLB call-up and performed well in four games. But the corner infielder didn’t hit all that much at Triple-A, turning in a .237/.336/.404 slash in five hundred trips to the plate at Charlotte.
Francisco Mejia Drops Lawsuit Against Big League Advance
Padres prospect Francisco Mejia has dropped his lawsuit against the prospect investment firm known as Big League Advance, as ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick recently reported. He had filed suit in April seeking to be released from his contractual relationship with BLA.
Mejia, who is considered a top-flight prospect, was dealt from the Indians to the Padres over the summer. He has seen only brief MLB time, and hasn’t yet cracked the big leagues with the Friars, but has turned in a strong .293/.338/.471 hitting performance at the Triple-A level this season.
Accordingly, Mejia still hasn’t earned much money in the majors but could well turn into a high-dollar player. With the end of this litigation, Big League Advance stands to receive a ten-percent cut of Mejia’s MLB earnings — the amount that the sides had evidently agreed upon in a series of contracts. To achieve that interest in Mejia’s future, BLA provided him a total of $360K while he was playing in the low minors.
Whatever one thinks of the business model, former MLB hurler and BLA CEO Michael Schwimer undeniably comes away from this episode with a clear win. Mejia not only disclaimed his prior accusations in his statement, but apologized to and even issued a glowing endorsement of Big League Advance.
Had this lawsuit been meritorious, it might have posed some problems for BLA’s burgeoning business. Instead, the outfit will not only continue to draw a piece of the salary of contracted players who are already in the majors, but will perhaps increasingly factor in the ever-evolving transactional landscape.
As ever, most minor-leaguers play on meager incomes. While some achieve major bonuses at the outset of their careers, the majority get by without the benefit of significant up-front cash. Though early-career extensions increasingly represent a potential source of relatively early-in-time income, that’s a route that’s only available to the highest-regarded talent and that also means sacrificing earning upside.
Given those factors, it is not difficult to see how BLA might occupy some of the space here. Indeed, so long as the business is fairly operated, it may function in effect to spread the benefits of MLB earnings to many young players, only some of whom will achieve the full and final promise of millions in salary, without capping any individual player’s future earning capacity. (Needless to say, a sizeable chunk of change will also be expected to flow to BLA and its investors.)
There are many ways in which this approach could impact the broader market, too, if BLA (and, potentially, competitors) increasingly provide up-front money to pre-MLB players. It’s also a somewhat murky and potentially complicated contractual situation to introduce, particularly if a player’s interests ultimately fall out of alignment with the financial priorities of BLA. Needless to say, it’s a fascinating new realm to keep an eye on.
Reds Select Tim Federowicz, Gabby Guerrero
The Reds announced today that they have selected the contracts of catcher Tim Federowicz and outfielder Gabby Guerrero. To create 40-man space, the organization recalled righty Keury Mella and placed him on the 60-day DL.
That pair of newcomers to the MLB roster will be joined by righty Tyler Mahle. The well-regarded young hurler has already spent most of the season in the majors, of course.
Federowicz joined the Reds earlier this year on a minors pact after he was cut loose from the Astros. The 31-year-old will now have seen time with five MLB clubs over parts of seven seasons. Though he hasn’t hit all that well thus far at the Triple-A level in the Cincinnati organization, and is a marginal hitter in his limited experience at the game’s highest level, Federowicz will provide some welcome catching depth down the stretch. He’ll be eligible for arbitration at season’s end, though it stands to reason that he’ll be allowed to test the open market.
As for Guerrero, he originally came to the Cincinnati organization on a waiver claim, then was non-tendered and re-signed in the winter of 2016. Today’s news means that he’ll beat his cousin, elite Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to the big leagues. Of course, Gabby is now 24 years of age, so he had more than a five-year head start. He earned his way up after a solid year in the upper minors, during which he slashed .293/.328/.474 with 19 home runs in 539 plate appearances.
Ryan Howard Announces Retirement
Long-time MLB slugger Ryan Howard announced in a post today at The Player’s Tribune that he is retiring from the game of baseball. Howard had not played during the 2018 season, but also had not formally hung up his spikes.
Howard will finish out his big-league playing tenure having logged time in 13 seasons, all of them with the Phillies. Though he spent time with the Rockies and Braves organizations last year, Howard’s final MLB showing came in 2016 with Philadelphia.
It’s perhaps too easy to forget now that Howard was once one of the game’s most productive power hitters. He was voted the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 2005 and its Most Valuable Player in 2006, emerging alongside players such as Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, and Cole Hamels to form a core that would soon take the game by storm.
As it turned out, the fate of the Phillies was tied closely to that of its first baseman. Howard finished in the top-ten of MVP voting in every one of the five ensuing seasons, 2007 through 2011, helping to drive the club’s five-year run of NL East titles.
Though the 2008 World Series win represents the crowning achievement of that era of Phillies baseball, the 2011 club actually turned in the most impressive regular-season performance with an excellent 102-60 record. That great team was bounced in stunning fashion from the postseason, though, with Howard making the final out of the NLDS on a play in which he tore his left Achilles tendon.
As went Howard, so went the Phillies; neither was the same from that point forward. The once-feared slugger posted a .226/.292/.427 batting line over the next five seasons. The club played a cumulative 88 games under .500 in the same span.
Of course, the relationship might have ended much sooner had it not been for the fact that Howard signed a five-year, $125MM extension at the start of the 2010 season — an agreement we examined at length after its conclusion. As I explained in that post, the cracks in Howard’s game may not have been obvious at the time of the deal, but began to show not long after.
Mostly, of course, the contract represented a combination of partially but not completely related failures: then-GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and the Phillies’ brass did not accurately project Howard’s future and the big man’s body did not hold up. There was some tension later in his tenure with the team, though ultimately he played out his contract and bowed out after some nice moments to wrap things up in Philadelphia.
While the club did not achieve value on that contract, it certainly made out quite well overall on a player who came to the organization as a fifth-round pick in the 2001 draft. And Howard expressed fond memories in his farewell statement, which is well worth a full read. MLBTR wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Outright Assignments: Yankees, Cubs, Blue Jays
Several players, previously designated for assignment, were outrighted yesterday after clearing waivers. Among them:
- The Yankees have outrighted outfielder Shane Robinson and left-hander Ryan Bollinger to Triple-A Scranton, per a team announcement. New York recently designated both players for assignment after acquiring Andrew McCutchen and Adeiny Hechavarria, respectively. Robinson and Bollinger have each been outrighted in the past, so they’ll be able to elect free agency if they’re so inclined. The 33-year-old Robinson already has significant major league experience on his resume (849 plate appearances), including 54 PAs this season, but has only managed a .580 OPS at the game’s highest level. Bollinger, 27, has not yet reached the majors, but he has performed well in the Yankees’ system this year. Over 111 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, Bollinger has logged a 3.87 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
- Cubs hurlers Rob Zastryzny and Cory Mazzoni both cleared waivers and were outrighted after losing their 40-man spots recently. The former, a 26-year-old lefty, has seen scattered action with the MLB club over the past three seasons. Zastryzny has moved to a relief role this year at Triple-A, throwing 56 innings of 3.86 ERA ball over 33 appearances (including one start). As for Mazzoni, 28, he allowed just one earned run in his 8 2/3 frames this year in the majors, but also recorded only seven strikeouts with five walks. In his 38 1/3 innings at Iowa in 2018, the former second-rounder pitched to a 4.46 ERA while compiling 34 strikeouts and 11 walks.
- Righty Murphy Smith was outrighted by the Blue Jays, per a club announcement. It made for a nice story when the 31-year-old debuted in the majors after a lengthy minor-league career, but he was always at risk of being bumped from the 40-man as soon as a roster need arose. Smith allowed three earned runs in his 3 1/3 innings of MLB action this year, but worked to a 3.59 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over 62 2/3 Triple-A innings.
Nationals To Select Kyle McGowin
The Nationals will select the contract of right-hander Kyle McGowin, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports on Twitter. He’s expected to land on the MLB roster tomorrow.
McGowin, 26, came over in the late-2016 swap that sent Danny Espinosa to the Angels. Things weren’t looking very promising for McGowin after the 2017 campaign, as he allowed more than six earned runs per nine in the upper minors.
The 2018 season, however, has been a bit of a breakout effort. In 136 2/3 innings over 22 starts, all but two of them in the upper minors, he’s carrying a 2.90 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.
While McGowin was bypassed in the Rule 5 draft last year, that might not have been the case this coming winter. The Nats will presumably plan to carry him on the 40-man throughout the winter, so this represents an opportunity to get him some MLB experience while making a roster move that would have been necessary regardless.
It seems likely he’ll be joined in the majors at some point by Austin Adams, the other hurler who headed to D.C. in the Espinosa deal. Adams, a reliever, has already briefly reached the majors in each of the past two seasons. He turned in an interesting effort this year at Syracuse, posting a 3.50 ERA with a hefty 15.2 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9.
Dodgers Pursued Adrian Beltre Before Revocable Waiver Deadline
The Dodgers pursued Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre in advance of the recent revocable waiver deadline, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports (and on Twitter). A lack of interest — on the part of both the Texas organization and its veteran star — evidently scuttled talks between the clubs.
With full no-trade protection, Beltre controlled his own destiny. He was never formally presented with a deal for a yay or nay, though that simply isn’t how he and his long-time employer handled the matter. Rather, both GM Jon Daniels and Beltre labeled it a mutual decision not to pursue a trade.
For Beltre, passing on the opportunity meant missing out on a chance to serve as a reserve for his former team in Los Angeles — a role that ultimately was filled through the acquisition of David Freese. That would have meant a shot at a deep postseason run, it still wasn’t enough to pique Beltre’s interest. He reiterated yet again that he wishes to wrap up his playing career with the Rangers.
Where this situation is most interesting is in the evident regard both Beltre and the Rangers front office showed for one another. Beltre says he’d only have been interested in a deal if “it was a perfect situation for me and the organization.”
Daniels said that the Rangers would not have stood to recoup much in the way of a return (in terms of prospects and/or cost savings). He explained: “If [Beltre] had wanted to push for a trade, we would have honored that; for him to not to have done so says a lot about his relationship with the fans and his teammates. That piece of it, I’m in awe of.”
As Grant notes, it’s a rather unusual situation in several regards. While it’s still unclear whether Beltre will play another season, and if so whether it would be with the Rangers, this episode certainly makes it appear more likely that team and player will remain united from this point forward.
Twins Select Gregorio Petit
The Twins announced that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Gregorio Petit. In a corresponding move, the club transferred injured first baseman Logan Morrison to the 60-day disabled list.
Petit, 33, didn’t put up great numbers this season in Rochester, where he hit .268/.313/.327 with one home run over 312 PAs. He was somewhat more productive n a limited Twins stint earlier this year, with a .308/.400/.308 showing in 30 trips to the plate.
Over parts of six seasons in the majors, Petit carries a .253/.298/.350 slash in 456 plate appearances. His chief appeal lies in his defensive versatility. In that limited MLB action, Petit has appeared everywhere on the field except for behind the dish, on the mound, and in center field while spending most of his time as a middle-infielder.
