The Giants have outrighted first baseman Ryder Jones to Double-A Richmond, according to Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group. He was designated for assignment last week and is no longer on the 40-man roster, though he will remain in the Giants organization.
Archives for July 2019
Minor MLB Transactions: 7/28/19
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- Former Mets outfielder Matt den Dekker announced his retirement via Instagram, as Tim Healey of Newsday reports. Now 31 years old, den Dekker enjoyed a 10-year professional career, playing in parts of six Major League seasons with the Mets, Nationals, and Tigers. He was a fifth-round selection by the Mets in 2010, and compiled a career .223/.305/.337 batting line with seven home runs. All of us at MLBTR extend our congratulations to den Dekker on his playing career and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
- The Rays have signed infielder Tyler Ladendorf to a minor-league contract, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 31-year-old will be sent to Triple-A Durham as infield depth—the Rays currently have four infielders on the injured list. A former second-round pick, Ladendorf last appeared in a Major League game in 2016, when he was with the Athletics. In just 68 plate appearances, he has batted .123/.149/.154.
Rockies Release Mark Reynolds, Seunghwan Oh
The Rockies have officially released first baseman Mark Reynolds and right-handed pitcher Seunghwan Oh, according to Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. Both Reynolds and Oh had been designated for assignment by the club.
Reynolds’s second stint in Colorado will officially come to a close after a dreadful season in which he has managed an abysmal .170/.290/.311 slash line. While Reynolds has always been strikeout-prone, the problem has come to a head this season: the 35-year-old has struck out 57 times in 162 plate appearances. On the positive side, he has drawn 22 walks in that span, but that hasn’t translated to an above-average on-base percentage. In free agency, Reynolds could earn a minor-league contract with a team that hopes to tap into the power that allowed him to slug 30 home runs just two years ago.
Oh, meanwhile, was designated after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery. He had been playing out the final season of a two-year contract and was slated to reach free agency at season’s end. However, it’s far from a sure thing that he will play again in the Major Leagues. Oh has been rumored to be contemplating a return to the Korean Baseball Organization, where he pitched from 2005-2013. Now 37 years old, Oh has played four seasons in Major League Baseball and has pitched to a 3.31 ERA in 225 2/3 innings.
Rays Trade Ian Gibaut To Rangers
The Rangers have acquired right-handed pitcher Ian Gibaut from the Rays, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays will receive cash or a player to be named later in return. Gibaut was designated for assignment last week, with today marking the last day for the Rays to make a decision on his future. The Rangers announced that he has been optioned to Triple-A Nashville, while left-handed pitcher Jesse Biddle has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Gibaut has appeared in just one Major League game in his career, but his impressive minor-league track record made him a popular trade target after he was designated. Gibaut, 25 was an 11th-round draft choice of the Rays in 2015, and in four seasons impressed the organization enough to warrant his addition to the 40-man roster prior to this season.
He began the season on the injured list before throwing 12 1/3 innings in Triple-A and earning a promotion to the big leagues. In 2018, Gibaut pitched 56 innings for Triple-A Durham, striking out 75 batters and walking 21. With a record of success at every minor-league level, he looks like a good bet to receive an extended look in the Texas bullpen over the final two months.
Athletics Release Nick Hundley
The Athletics have released catcher Nick Hundley, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The veteran catcher was designated for assignment last week.
The move marks the end of a disappointing Athletics tenure for Hundley, who signed with the club on a minor-league contract last winter. He slashed an underwhelming .200/.233/.357 in just 73 plate appearances. That lack of production, coupled with injuries that limited his availability, left Hundley falling behind the A’s other catching options in Chris Herrman and Josh Phegley.
Despite his struggles, Hundley’s experience should earn him another chance with a team in search of depth behind the plate. Prior to this season, he served as a capable backup for San Francisco’s Buster Posey. He’s the owner of a career .703 OPS—certainly an acceptable mark for a reserve catcher—but defensive metrics see his framing and control of the running game as below-average.
Trade Notes & Rumors: Padres, Jays, Chang
While Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler and Trevor Bauer may be dominating the headlines, numerous under-the-radar names are also being bandied about as the trade deadline approaches. We’ll round up a few here.
- Unsurprisingly, the Padres have been getting calls on some of their top prospects. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports interest in infielder Luis Urias among teams who believe he can be a capable everyday shortstop. Urias has continued to play predominantly shortstop in the minors, but the position is obviously filled in Petco for the forseeable future by Fernando Tatis, Jr. Most public outlets believe second base to be a better fit for Urias regardless, but there’s little concern he can’t handle the increased offensive demands of the keystone. The 22 year-old is laying waste to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and is a consensus top-50 prospect. While not necessarily related to any interest in Urias, Rosenthal further notes the Friars have been on the lookout for a left-handed bat to help balance their lineup.
- Urias isn’t the only San Diego high-minors farmhand piquing interest. Amidst speculation about a three-team Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman trade, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee tweets the Blue Jays have interest in Padres’ left-hander Adrian Morejon. The 20 year-old was a high-profile Cuban signee as an amateur and has flown through the minors. While he’s not likely a future ace and has a bit of a spotty injury history, Fangraphs’ Eric Longehagen and Kiley McDaniel note that Morejon’s stuff and command give him a chance to be a mid-rotation starter.
- Speaking of the Jays, Rosenthal reports interest on an under-the-radar relief option. In addition to the commonly-speculated Ken Giles and Daniel Hudson, Rosenthal notes there have been some calls on right-hander Joe Biagini. The 29 year-old has a 3.42 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate in 47 relief appearances. While he won’t be anyone’s headline acquisition, he also comes with three years of team control beyond this season at likely affordable rates.
- The Padres aren’t the only team with a high-minors prospect sparking leaguewide demand. Cleveland infielder Yu Chang is drawing some calls, per Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. Soon to turn 24, the Taiwnese infielder is a bat-first prospect who made his MLB debut this season but could have a hard time breaking into a loaded left side of the Cleveland infield. He’s slashing a solid, if unspectacular .273/.344/.448 this season in Triple-A.
Astros Reluctant To Deal Kyle Tucker For Noah Syndergaard
Houston has been involved in this week’s Noah Syndergaard rumor extravaganza, but at last check, the Astros were said to be “pessimistic” about acquiring him. It turns out the team has “backed off” in its pursuit of Syndergaard partly because of a hesitance to trade high-end outfield prospect Kyle Tucker, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required).
Now 22, Tucker has been considered one of the game’s premier prospects since the Astros drafted him fifth overall in 2015. Baseball America (subscription required) ranked him as the game’s 12th-best farmhand in its most recent update, while ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription) placed him 19th. Tucker’s lone taste of major league action last year went horribly – he hit .141/.236/.203 in 72 homer-less plate appearances – but Law explains there’s little cause for panic. At the same time, though, BA and Law each suggest he may be a candidate for a change of scenery.
There is no immediate opening for Tucker in Houston, which has Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick as its primary corner outfielders, superlative rookie Yordan Alvarez at designated hitter and Yuli Gurriel at first base (where Tucker has been getting work of late). Nevertheless, indications are that Tucker’s an Astro to stay. Two weeks ago, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic (subscription) wrote that “it would be a major upset” to see the Astros ship him out for a starting pitcher by Wednesday’s deadline. General manager Jeff Luhnow explained to Kaplan at the time that the Astros still regard Tucker as a cornerstone in the making.
Although he stopped short of calling Tucker “untouchable,” Luhnow noted, “I see Tucker as a part of this team going forward.” He added that “it would be very difficult for us to move one of the top prospects in the game who is just starting his career and is still young and looks like he’s going to have a lot of upside.”
Tucker, for what it’s worth, has slashed .261/.344/.558 with 26 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 403 Triple-A plate appearances this year. Those look like exceptional numbers on paper, but Tucker’s output has only been 10 percent better than average in the offensive gantlet known as the Pacific Coast League, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric. Tucker was an incredible 55 percent superior to the league mean when he hit .332/.400/.590 with 24 HRs and 20 steals in 465 PA during his first try at the Triple-A level in 2018. He has since upped his strikeout rate from 18.1 percent to 24.1.
Despite his downturn in production this year, doubters in Tucker’s long-term potential are few and far between. And if the Astros don’t want to move Tucker for Syndergaard, arguably the most valuable starter on the trade market, then it stands to reason he’s not going anywhere.
Yankees Place CC Sabathia On IL
The Yankees have placed left-hander C.C. Sabathia on the 10-day injured list and recalled utilityman Tyler Wade from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team announced. Sabathia is dealing with right knee inflammation.
This continues a brutal week for New York’s pitching staff, which has taken beatings at the hands of the Twins and Red Sox over the past several days. Archrival Boston has been especially hard on the Yankees, having outscored them 38-13 in the first three games of the teams’ series. The Red Sox pounded Sabathia on Saturday and will try to sweep the series Sunday.
The Yankees still boast the AL’s top record (66-38) and an eight-game lead over the Red Sox in their division. Still, pitching’s a significant concern for the Yankees leading up to the July 31 deadline, and Sabathia’s health and performance issues could further put the onus on general manager Brian Cashman to bring in outside help.
This is the second IL placement this year because of right knee inflammation for Sabathia, who has undergone multiple knee surgeries in his career. When Sabathia has taken the mound this season, the potential Hall of Famer has looked his age (39). Now in the last season of his career, Sabathia has pitched to a 4.78 ERA – nearly a full run higher than he combined for from 2016-18 – with a 5.93 FIP in 90 1/3 innings.
Brewers Considering Trading Moustakas, Grandal For Pitching
Only one game back in the NL Central but featuring one of baseball’s worst farm systems, the Brewers are kicking around ideas to address their beleaguered pitching staff. Per Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic, Milwaukee has had internal discussions about moving one of its productive big leaguers, Yasmani Grandal or Mike Moustakas, to bolster other areas of the roster. As Rosenthal notes, each player is scheduled to hit free agency after this season.
To be clear, such a move would not be part of a broad sell-off. Instead, Milwaukee would consider moving a veteran position player only to add to a starting rotation in desperate need of aid. Injuries to ace Brandon Woodruff and Opening Day starter Jhoulys Chacin in the past week have dealt a blow to what was already the roster’s weak point, while Gio Gonzalez left Friday’s start with shoulder tightness (although fortunately he appears to have avoided another serious injury). Even with Woodruff’s stellar contributions, Milwaukee’s rotation ranks 20th in park-adjusted ERA and 17th in park-adjusted FIP. The current crop of Gonzalez, Zach Davies, Chase Anderson and Adrian Houser hardly inspires much confidence as Milwaukee looks to remain afloat in a crowded NL playoff field.
While there’s little harm in considering creative solutions, it remains difficult to imagine this working in practice. Any club acquiring Moustakas and Grandal would need to be contending this year themselves, since both players are rentals. Given every contender’s reluctance to thin out their pitching depth, it’s hard to find a match on paper. (Indeed, Rosenthal notes it’s possible these discussions haven’t actually led Milwaukee’s front office to contact any potential trade partner yet).
Further, it’s not entirely clear moving one of their top performers would be anything more than a lateral move for Milwaukee. Grandal and Moustakas trail only Christian Yelich among Brewer position players in Fangraphs WAR in 2019. Each has been a strong hitter; Grandal’s 126 wRC+ has been fourth-best among regular catchers, while the Moose’s 119 wRC+ might finally have him poised for the multi-year contract that has so long eluded him.
Replacing Grandal, one of baseball’s best pitch framers, might also have cascading effects on the questionable pitching staff inspiring these talks in the first place, to say nothing of the clear offensive downgrade to backup Manny Pina and/or any veteran stopgap Milwuakee could bring in to replace Grandal behind the dish. Moving on from Moustakas could be easier, Rosenthal opines, with rookie second baseman Keston Hiura raking and veteran Travis Shaw on hand at the hot corner. Shaw, though, has had a woeful offensive season that led Milwaukee to demote him to Triple-A just last month. While he hit well in the minors since then and was an above-average player in each of his first two years in Milwaukee, handing a player sporting a season .160/.273/.283 line a full-time job with little depth on hand may prove too risky.
Given the challenges, it seems more likely than not Milwaukee will hold Grandal and Moustakas and make smaller additions to the pitching staff by moving lower-level prospects. General manager David Stearns and his front office have had success over the past few years turning such seemingly marginal acquisitions (including Shaw himself) into productive big leaguers, so it may be best to hope the player development group can work some more magic. Nevertheless, it’s at least noteworthy to hear the club exploring nontraditional ways to improve. The addition of Grandal and Moustakas to the trade market, if it does end up happening, could change the outlook of the crowded National League race.
Twins Designate Carlos Torres
The Twins have designated right-handed reliever Carlos Torres for assignment, per Besty Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The move clears roster space for fellow righty Sergio Romo, who was acquired from the Marlins yesterday.
The Twins’ ongoing bullpen shuffle ends Torres’ brief tenure in Minnesota. His contract had just been selected Wednesday to replace fellow reliever Blake Parker, who was himself designated for assignment. Torres, 36, never got into a game for the Twins, but he did pitch in four games earlier this season for Detroit, showing a low-90’s fastball. He’s also pitched in the Padres’ organization this season and again figures to draw interest on a potential minor-league deal once he (presumably) clears waivers.
