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Brewers Claim Dylan Baker From Indians

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The Brewers announced that they’ve claimed righty Dylan Baker off waivers from the Indians. Baker was designated for assignment last week as part of Cleveland’s slew of moves in advance of the deadline to set 40-man rosters in advance of the Rule 5 Draft.

The 25-year-old Baker hasn’t pitched much since the 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery and other injuries. The 2012 fifth-rounder has tossed just 21 1/3 innings across three levels in the past three minor league seasons combined, though he’s posted a 3.58 ERA in 241 2/3 innings in his minor league career when healthy. With Baker’s addition, the Brewers now have a full 40-man roster.

Reds Claim Kyle Crockett From Indians

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The Reds announced on Monday that they’ve claimed left-handed reliever Kyle Crockett off waivers from the Indians. Crockett, 25, was designated for assignment in Cleveland last week as the team set its 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft.

Crockett was a fourth-round pick back in 2013 and was the first player from that draft class to reach the Majors, debuting in 2014. While he turned in a promising 1.80 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 30 innings that season, he’s struggled to a 4.84 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 in 35 1/3 big league innings since then. To his credit, Crockett has allowed just a minuscule three homers in 65 1/3 MLB innings and has held lefties to a .614 OPS in 167 plate appearances. Righties have knocked him around at a .280/.373/.452 clip, though.

The addition of Crockett fills Cincinnati’s 40-man roster.

Athletics, Jake Smolinski Avoid Arbitration

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The A’s have avoided arbitration with outfielder Jake Smolinski, reports MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (on Twitter). Smolinski will be paid a $775K salary for the 2018 season, which comes in a bit north of the $700K at which he was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.  Smolinski is a client of Sosnick, Cobbe, and Karon.

The 28-year-old Smolinski has spent parts of the past three seasons in Oakland, hitting a combined .236/.297/.371 with a dozen homers in 466 trips to the plate. While he’s struggled immensely against right-handed pitchers over parts of four big league seasons, he’s tattooed lefties at a .299/.371/.507 clip and belted 11 of his 16 career homers against southpaws. Smolinski gives Oakland a right-handed-hitting platoon partner for Matt Joyce in an outfield corner spot as well as an option in center field from time to time, though his usage in 2018 will be somewhat dependent on the remainder of the moves that Oakland makes to address its outfield needs between now and Opening Day.

Mark Appel, Alberto Tirado Clear Waivers

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The Phillies announced that right-handers Mark Appel and Alberto Tirado have been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after clearing waivers. The pair was designated for assignment last week as Philadelphia set its roster in advance of the Rule 5 Draft.

Now 26 years of age, Appel was the top overall pick in the 2013 draft by Houston, who surprised some a year prior by passing over Appel and taking Carlos Correa with the first overall pick in 2012. (Appel did not sign in 2012 after being selected eighth overall and returned to the ’13 draft).

Appel went from Houston to Philadelphia in the Ken Giles trade and has struggled with the Phils as much or more than he did with the Astros. In 188 2/3 career innings of Triple-A work, Appel has pitched to a 4.82 ERA with 7.4 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9, battling shoulder and elbow troubles along the way.

As for Tirado, the 22-year-old ranked as high as eighth in the Blue Jays’ system during his prospect tenure, per Baseball America. The Phillies picked him up in the 2015 trade that sent Ben Revere to Toronto, but he’s largely stalled out at the Class-A Advanced level. Tirado was showing promise at that level, albeit with extreme control issues, in 2015 when the Jays traded him. He’s repeated the level twice now without significantly better results, however. While he did make his Double-A debut this past season, the bulk of Tirado’s year was spent at Class-A Advanced, where he logged a 3.69 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 5.4 BB/9 in 63 1/3 innings of relief.

Pirates Claim Sam Moll From Athletics

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The Pirates have claimed left-hander Sam Moll off waivers from the Athletics, according to press releases from both teams. Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster is now at 39 players.

Moll, 25, is a former third-round pick of the Rockies that was traded to Oakland this past August for cash considerations. The A’s designated him for assignment last week when clearing space on their 40-man roster to protect several players from the Rule 5 Draft.

The 2017 season saw Moll make his big league debut in Oakland, though the results weren’t especially pretty. In 6 2/3 frames, the Memphis product was tagged for eight runs on 13 hits (including two homers) and three walks with seven strikeouts.

In 54 1/3 innings between the Triple-A affiliates for the Rockies and the A’s, Moll pitched to a more respectable 3.64 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9. He also registered a promising 50.3 percent ground-ball rate in his 47 1/3 innings with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate, though that fell to 33.3 percent in admittedly tiny seven-inning sample with Oakland’s affiliate. Overall, Moll has a history of missing bats and inducing grounders at decent clips in the minors. He joins Nik Turley as the second southpaw claimed off waivers by the Bucs since the offseason began.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Rays, Ohtani, Pentecost

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The Orioles figure to give top prospect Chance Sisco the opportunity to prove himself ready for regular MLB work next season, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that they’re still likely to add at least one veteran alternative on a minor league pact this winter. Caleb Joseph is in line to share the catching duties following a bounceback season, and the O’s also added 27-year-old Austin Wynns to the 40-man roster last week, though he’s yet to suit up for a big league game. Speculatively speaking, names like Jose Lobaton, Hector Sanchez and Chris Stewart could all be available on minor league deals this winter after lackluster showings in limited big league time in 2017.

Some more notes from around the AL East…

  • With Logan Morrison hitting the open market, the Rays are likely to sign a first baseman this offseason, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. However, they’ll likely do so “when the music stops,” suggesting that Tampa Bay will wait out the first-base market and see which of the numerous sluggers is left without a contract later in the offseason. That’d present the Rays with numerous bargain options — a strategy that worked well last offseason when they held out and waited until Feb. 7 to re-sign Morrison on a one-year, $2.5MM deal. Eric Hosmer and Carlos Santana are the top names on the free agent market and will be considerably too expensive for the Rays’ tastes. They’re followed up by Morrison, Yonder Alonso, Lucas Duda, Mitch Moreland as well as slightly older options in Danny Valencia, Adam Lind, Mark Reynolds and Mike Napoli.
  • Topkin also notes that the Rays plan to make a “serious bid” for Shohei Ohtani, hoping that their willingness to let this year’s top pick, Brendan McKay, develop as both a pitcher and a hitter in the minor leagues will show Ohtani that they’re willing to let him try his hand as a genuine two-way player. Even the $20MM posting fee would seem to be a steep price for the Rays, though most clubs seem to be approaching Ohtani as a rare acquisition opportunity, so ownership could be willing to green light that expenditure. Signing with the Rays would require Ohtani to truly be prioritizing elements other than money, as the Rays can only offer $440,500 at present (though there’s still time for them to acquire more international dollars). Beyond that, of course, the Rays obviously aren’t a team that is well-positioned to sign him to an extension down the line.
  • Max Pentecost’s omission from the Blue Jays’ slate of 40-man roster additions surprised some, but Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that troubles with the former No. 11 overall pick’s shoulder caused the Jays to leave him unprotected. Pentecost was shut down near the end of the AFL, which could make it difficult for a team to select him or to carry him for the bulk of the 2018 season. Pentecost has undergone multiple surgeries since being drafted in ’14 and has managed to play just 30 of his 171 games at catcher, spending the bulk of his time as a DH in addition to some work at first base. “We’re continuing to work hard to help Max be in the best possible physical shape and baseball shape he can be in,” said GM Ross Atkins of Pentecost.

Jung Ho Kang Released By Dominican Winter League Club

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Jung Ho Kang’s stint in the Dominican Winter League has been cut short after 24 unsuccessful games, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. Kang was released by Aguilas Cibaenas after hitting .143/.219/.202 with one homer, two doubles and a 31-to-8 K/BB ratio in 92 plate appearances. His four errors were tied for the team lead (though the two players with whom he tied had each played at least six more games).

The 30-year-old Kang sat out the 2017 season on the restricted list and was not paid, nor did he accrue MLB service time, after a third DUI conviction and a suspended jail sentence in his native South Korea prevented him from securing a work visa in the United States. Kang was granted an exemption from the restricted list to play in the Dominican Winter League, but his tenure there has ultimately proven to be brief in nature.

As far as a potential return to the Majors is concerned, Kang’s release from the Dominican Winter League won’t necessarily impact that possibility. His fate is still tied to his ability (or lack thereof) to secure a work visa to return to pro ball in the U.S. For the Pirates, it’s conceivable that the poor showing could enhance the team’s desire to bring in additional infield depth this offseason. That was already a possible need — albeit not necessarily a critical one — given the uncertainty surrounding Kang and the trade of Gift Ngoepe to the Blue Jays.

[Related: Pittsburgh Pirates Depth Chart]

General manager Neal Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Bill Brink back in September that the Pirates, at a certain point, would have to “plan as if [Kang is] not going to be here,” so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pittsburgh bring in some depth pieces. That said, the club figures to utilize a trio of solid veterans in Josh Harrison (second base), Jordy Mercer (shortstop) and David Freese (third base), with veteran Sean Rodriguez (acquired from Atlanta in an August swap) and the younger Adam Frazier on hand as alternatives. Infielders Max Moroff and Chris Bostick are also coming off solid minor league seasons and fairly brief MLB cameos, so they could factor into the mix next season as well.

Quick Hits: Betancourt, Rangers, Cobb, Lynn, Padres

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Brewers infield prospect Javier Betancourt was shot in the arm in the wake of an argument on Friday in his native Venezuela, according to reporter Andriw Sanchez Ruiz (hat tip to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  Betancourt is headed to Milwaukee to recover and surgery may be required, though Brewers GM David Stearns told Haudricourt (Twitter link) that the club is still considering treatment options.  “Javier’s injuries are not life threatening and he is resting comfortably,” Stearns said.  MLB security is currently investigating the incident.  Betancourt, 22, joined the Brewers from the Tigers in November 2015 as part of the return in the Francisco Rodriguez trade.  The infielder has hit .265/.311/.357 over 2231 career plate appearances in the minors, with the last two seasons coming at Milwaukee’s Double-A affiliate.  All of us at MLBTR wish Betancourt the best in a full recovery.

Here are some notes from around baseball…

  • The Rangers signed Doug Fister earlier today but aren’t done looking for pitching, as MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports (Twitter link) that the club is still showing interest in Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn.  Given the uncertainty in the Texas rotation and Fister’s own inconsistent performance in recent years, it isn’t surprising that the Rangers are looking to further augment their staff with a pitcher who could be more comfortably slotted near the front of the rotation.  Texas has cast a wide net in search of pitching help — beyond Cobb and Lynn, the team has also been linked to Jake Arrieta and Tyler Chatwood, plus the Rangers are expected to be one of the top suitors for Shohei Otani.
  • The Padres have some degree of interest in Eric Hosmer since he is younger than other free agent first base options, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.  For instance, Lin hasn’t heard of anything serious about the Padres pursuing Carlos Santana, the second-best first baseman on the open market.  Hosmer is just 28, and thus if signed to a long-term deal, would likely still be a contributor once the Padres are ready to contend.  A player like Santana, who turns 32 in April, could already be declining by the time San Diego is done rebuilding, which could be at least two seasons from now.  Of course, the Padres also already have Wil Myers at first base, and a Hosmer signing is probably the only scenario that would see the team ask Myers to move to a corner outfield spot.

East Notes: Braves, Odorizzi, Colome, Rays, Nats, Bush, Red Sox

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The Braves lost their rights to 12 international prospects earlier this week as part of Major League Baseball’s punishment of the organization for signing violations, creating an unexpected influx of talent into the 2017-18 international signing market.  Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper ranks the top eight prospects of that group, with Kevin Maitan still leading the way, even if his star has somewhat dimmed after a lackluster first season in the minors.

Some items from around the two East divisions…

  • Jake Odorizzi and Alex Colome “have been popular in early [trade] conversations,” Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes.  The two pitchers are perhaps the most likely members of the Rays’ 12-player arbitration class who will be dealt in order to cut costs, as MLBTR projects that dozen players to earn $40.4MM in 2018.  Topkin figures that the Rays will be in heavy trade talks this week in order to move some of these names before Friday’s non-tender deadline.  There’s also the specter of a total rebuild, which would come if Tampa decided to move a franchise cornerstone (i.e. Chris Archer, Evan Longoria, Kevin Kiermaier) this offseason.  While the Rays will clearly shop the arbitration-eligible players first, Topkin wonders if the club would pounce if they got a great offer for one of Archer and company before any of the arb class had been moved.  Previous reports have cited the Twins’ interest in both Odorizzi and Colome, while the Cardinals have been linked to Colome in their search for bullpen help.
  • A case could be made that the Nationals should pursue a top-tier starting pitcher rather than just rotation depth this winter, though as the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes outlines, the team could be gearing up for a bigger pitching addition next winter.  The Nats will have over $50MM in salary coming off the books after the 2018 season, which could allow the club to sign or trade for a notable arm.
  • Nine-year big league veteran Dave Bush has been working as a Red Sox pitching development analyst for the last year, as the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato details in this look at Bush’s duties within the organization.  Bush sees his role as helping bridge the gap between the analytics department and young pitchers who may be being exposed to such information for the first time.  “Baseball is not known for accepting change in a hasty manner.  But I also think there’s also a benefit for someone like me, who has been a player,” Bush said.  “I’m comfortable having that conversation.  And it’s my responsibility to present information to them because I think it’s going to make them better.”  Bush’s duties are part of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s plan to overhaul how the Sox select and develop young pitchers, as the club has been notably short on homegrown arms over the last decade.

Nationals Not Expected To Re-Sign Jayson Werth

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The Nationals don’t have Jayson Werth in their plans for next season, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reported earlier this week, “barring an unexpected development.”  There had been some rumors that Werth could return to the team on a one-year deal for 2018, a scenario that GM Mike Rizzo “wouldn’t close the door on” in a recent interview, though it seems as though the team is ready to move on.

Werth was limited to just 70 games last season, perhaps emblematic of his overall injury-plagued tenure in Washington.  The outfielder played in 808 out of 1134 games over his seven seasons in D.C., missing the equivalent of over two full seasons of action due to a variety of maladies.  Despite the injuries and the criticism that often followed Werth in the wake of his seven-year, $126MM free agent deal with the club, Werth was an overall valuable asset when he did play, batting .263/.355/.433 with 109 homers in a Nationals uniform.  As Castillo notes, Werth also provided a big boost off the field; Werth’s signing was seen as a pivotal moment in Nationals history as the club began to shape into a contender, and Werth brought a hugely-respected veteran presence into a young clubhouse.

The Nats will use Adam Eaton in Werth’s old left field position, with Michael Taylor becoming the regular center fielder and Bryce Harper holding down right field.  Brian Goodwin, Andrew Stevenson, and top prospect Victor Robles all represent additional outfield depth for Washington, and if the team did decide to bring in another veteran outfielder, it would likely be a player with more positional versatility than Werth can provide.

It remains to be seen what kind of market will develop for Werth, 38, as he prepares for his 16th big league season.  It should be noted that Werth hit .262/.367/.446 with eight homers over 196 plate appearances prior to suffering a bone bruise and fracture in his left foot in June, and he was likely still bothered by that injury after returning from the DL, given how his numbers fell off down the stretch.  Werth could best stay healthy and productive by joining an American League team that can offer DH at-bats, though he joins a long list of DH/first base/corner outfield types on the free agent and trade markets this winter.

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