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Blaine Boyer

Braves Release Blaine Boyer

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The Braves have released right-hander Blaine Boyer, the club announced via Twitter.  Boyer was in camp on a minor league contract.

Boyer, 35, posted a 3.95 ERA, 1.53 K/BB and just a 3.5 K/9 over 66 relief innings with the Brewers last season.  That low strikeout rate is typical of Boyer’s career (he has just a 5.6 K/9 over 405 1/3 IP during his ten years in the bigs), as he has been a reliable bullpen arm thanks to an ability to induce soft contact and a 51.9% career grounder rate.

If Boyer doesn’t find a job elsewhere, the Braves have left the door open for the veteran to return on another minor league deal, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports (Twitter links).  Boyer said that the Braves would be his probable choice if he did have to settle for another minors deal, as the Georgia native would be able to live at home while pitching for Triple-A Gwinnett.

Injury Notes: Gray, Scheppers, Friedrich, Cabrera, Baez, Ravin, Smith

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The Rockies have perhaps been the game’s most unfortunate team this spring in the injury department, and today delivered another bit of unwelcome news. Key righty Jon Gray left his start after experiencing discomfort in his left big toe, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports on Twitter. It’s certainly far too soon to know whether there’s any real cause for concern in Gray’s case, though the Colorado organization can scarcely afford even a short-term gap in the rotation.

Here’s more on a few other injury situations from around the game:

  • Rangers righty Tanner Scheppers left his club’s game today with what the team is describing as “lower core” pain, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. His outlook won’t be known until he undergoes an MRI, but as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com notes on Twitter, the injury seemingly opens the door for Rule 5 pick Mike Hauschild to make the club. He has impressed in 17 1/3 frames this spring, allowing six earned runs on 15 hits and five walks while recording 15 strikeouts.
  • After being diagnosed with a lat strain, Padres lefty Christian Friedrich is slated to open the year on the DL,Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. That takes him out of the competition for the remaining open rotation spots, at least for the time being. Per Lin, that leaves three pitchers fighting for the jobs, with veterans Trevor Cahill and Jarred Cosart trying to hold off youngster Luis Perdomo — the Rule 5 pick who showed so much promise last year.
  • The Braves may be without high-powered righty Mauricio Cabrera to start the season, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. Cabrera, a key cog in the team’s future and immediate bullpen plans, felt some discomfort in his elbow. It’s possible he’ll end up back on track for Opening Day, but the organization will (understandably) be quite cautious, manager Brian Snitker explains. If he does require a DL stint, Bowman says the organization could choose to use the opening to hang onto either out-of-options righty Chaz Roe or veteran minor-league free agent Blaine Boyer.
  • Though Dodgers hurler Pedro Baez was able to throw a live BP and seems to be progressing through his thumb injury, the news wasn’t so good for fellow right-handed reliever Josh Ravin, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (Twitter links). The 29-year-old, who has shown well in two brief MLB stints in the past two years but struggled this spring, has suffered a groin strain that’s expected to sideline him for several weeks.
  • With all this talk of injuries, perhaps it’s best to end on a positive note. Red Sox righty Carson Smith, who’s on his way back from Tommy John surgery, is moving in the right direction, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports. After Smith’s first pen session, which John Farrell described as “surprisingly good,” the club is hopeful that they’ll welcome him back by June.

Braves, Blaine Boyer Agree To Minor League Deal

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TODAY: Boyer will earn $975K if he makes the MLB roster, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets.

YESTERDAY: The Braves have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Blaine Boyer, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com (Twitter link). Bowman notes that the Aegis Sports client will have a good chance to make the Atlanta bullpen.

The 35-year-old Boyer was originally drafted by the Braves back in 2000 and spent the first five seasons of his career in Atlanta. After a two-year absence from the Majors from 2012-13, during which Boyer has previously said he believed his career to be over, the right-hander returned to MLB on a minors pact with the Padres. Since that time, he’s posted a very strong 3.31 ERA in 171 1/3 innings with the Padres, Twins and Brewers.

Most recently, Boyer tossed 66 innings for the 2016 Brewers, posting a 3.95 earned run average with 3.5 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 48.9 percent ground-ball rate. That K/9 rate stands out as the likely reason that Boyer has continually had to settle for minor league deals in recent years. Boyer misses fewer bats than just about any reliever in the game — he’s averaged just 4.6 K/9 since returning the bigs — but demonstrates strong control and induces plenty of weak contact, which helps his cause.

Fangraphs’ Travis Sawchik recently penned a fascinating look at Boyer in an attempt to determine how he’s been able to succeed despite that lack of strikeouts. Sawchik observes that Boyer allowed the fewest number of barreled balls to opponents in 2016. Beyond that, opponents averaged a feeble 86.2 mph exit velocity against Boyer, which was the 11th-lowest mark in baseball. Sawchik likened Boyer’s knack for inducing consistent weak contact to that of Mark Buehrle, another low-strikeout arm that thrived for more than a decade despite his own lack of missed bats. Braves fans are encouraged to check out the piece in its entirety, as it’s a thorough look at one of the game’s more unique skill sets.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Sunday

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As Opening Day approaches, teams will be making tough roster decisions involving their veteran players.  Some of these decisions pertain to Article XX(B) free agents who have their opt-out date on Tuesday, though other players have opt-outs that fall on Sunday or Monday.  We’ll keep track of the players who make the big league roster cut here:

  • The Mariners confirmed that Dae-Ho Lee has been added to the 40-man roster, as Bob Dutton of The News Tribune tweets.  Lee had the ability to opt out of his minor league deal today if he did not make the 40-man cut.  Per the terms of his deal, the Korean first baseman will earn a $1MM base salary with $3MM in possible bonuses.
  • Mariners right-handed reliever Joel Peralta has been told he’ll be added to the 40-man roster, Greg Johns of MLB.com tweets.  However, nothing is official yet since the 40-man roster is currently full.  It’s possible that a move involving Jesus Montero could free up a spot for the reliever.
  • The Brewers have added Blaine Boyer to their 25-man roster, according to Tom Haudricourt of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter). Boyer, 34, posted a 2.49 ERA in 65 games for the Twins last season, but that was offset by a sub-par 4.6 K/9.  Now that Boyer’s fate has been decided, Milwaukee must figure out what to do with Franklin Morales and Chris Capuano who have opt outs on Monday and Tuesday (respectively).
  • Brewers outfielder Ramon Flores will make the Brewers’ big league roster, as Todd Rosiak of the Journal-Sentinel tweets.  Flores was out-of-options, so the team did not have the option of sending him down to the minors.
  • Left-hander Ross Detwiler has been told he’ll be on the Indians’ Opening Day roster, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets.  Per the terms of his deal, Detwiler will earn a $1MM base salary with the opportunity to add another $1.5MM in performance bonuses.  The former No. 6 overall draft pick spent last season with the Rangers and Braves but struggled with both teams.

Opt-Out Notes: Robinson, Boyer, Morales, Burnett, Murphy

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As Spring Training winds to a close, several teams will face roster decisions on veteran minor league signings.  Some of these veterans are Article XX(B) free agents whose fates have to be decided five days prior to Opening Day, while others have differing opt-out dates.  Here’s the latest on some veterans looking to catch on with Major League rosters…

  • Shane Robinson can opt out of his contract with the Indians on March 29 if he isn’t on the Tribe’s 25-man roster, MLBTR has learned.  While Cleveland is notably thin on outfield options, Robinson could choose to opt out since the Indians have added veterans Marlon Byrd and Will Venable to their outfield mix within the last month.  While Robinson has only a .237/.302/.313 slash line over 649 career plate appearances, he is an above-average baserunner and defender at all three outfield positions.
  • Blaine Boyer’s opt-out with the Brewers is March 27 and Franklin Morales can opt out on March 28, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.  Chris Capuano, another veteran arm competing for a job in the Brewers bullpen, appears to have the standard Tuesday deadline for Article XX(B) players.
  • Sean Burnett’s opt-out date on his Nationals contract is April 1, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports.  The Nats have 24 hours to either add Burnett to the roster or release him if he exercises his clause.  The southpaw is looking to make a comeback after pitching only 10 1/3 innings total over the last three seasons due to shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery.
  • David Murphy hasn’t heard anything from the Red Sox about his roster status and doesn’t expect to before the March 27 opt-out date, the outfielder tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.  “I think in most cases in a situation where an out date is created in a contract, most teams are going to want to take it down to the wire because you never know what might happen with injuries,” Murphy said.  On Monday, the veteran said he might consider retirement rather than go to the minors at this stage of his career.

Brewers Sign Blaine Boyer To Minor League Deal

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FEB. 24: Boyer would earn $950K in the Majors and has another $250K worth of incentives built into his contract, reports Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter).

FEB. 12: The Brewers announced on Friday that they have signed right-hander Blaine Boyer to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Boyer, 34, spent the 2015 season in the Twins’ bullpen and put up outstanding bottom-line results in spite of a notable lack of strikeouts. The Aegis Sports Management client appeared in 65 games with Minnesota, tallying 68 innings with a sparkling 2.49 ERA. He averaged 2.6 walks per nine innings and recorded a strong 47.6 percent ground-ball rate, but Boyer also averaged just 4.6 strikeouts per nine with the Twins. The lack of missed bats led metrics like FIP, xFIP and SIERA to peg him in the 4.00 to 4.40 range.

Those numbers aside, Boyer was an effective member of the Twins’ bullpen last season, marking his second straight year of quality contributions in a big league ’pen after a long layoff from the game. As Boyer explained to MLBTR’s Zach Links in Spring Training with the Twins last season, he actually retired from baseball following the 2011 season, but his love for the game brought him back to the Majors in 2014. Since resurfacing in the Majors, Boyer has a 2.91 ERA in 105 1/3 innings between the Padres and Twins. Considering the large number of open spots in the bullpen behind Jeremy Jeffress, Will Smith, Corey Knebel and Michael Blazek, Boyer seems to have a solid chance at cracking the big league roster if he enjoys a strong Spring Training.

Bullpen Notes: Wilson, Melancon, Twins, Bastardo, Blanton

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The Tigers are interested in Yankees left-hander Justin Wilson and have, in fact, had trade talks with the Yankees about their lefty setup man, reports Marly Rivera of ESPN (via Twitter). It’s not clear how far talks between the two sides progressed, but the Tigers have a known need for a left-handed reliever, and the Yankees have been open-minded about dealing almost any player on their roster. Wilson, who has three years of club control remaining, is in his prime at 28 years of age and has a lifetime 3.03 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in 199 1/3 innings between the Pirates and Yankees.

A few more notes on the relief market…

  • The Nationals had dialogue with the Pirates about closer Mark Melancon, though nothing is serious at this time, Bill Ladson of MLB.com tweets. Before Washington could even acquire Melancon, they’ll probably have to move at least one of Jonathan Papelbon or Drew Storen to free up some room.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan says the team is unlikely to bring back relievers Brian Duensing and Blaine Boyer, as Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com writes. Minnesota is eyeing left-handed relief help in Nashville and is interested in both Tony Sipp and Antonio Bastardo, per Bollinger. The Twins also checked in on veteran Matt Thornton, but their preference is a more strikeout-oriented arm, says Bollinger, so Thornton may not be a fit.
  • Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press hears that teams have reached out to the Twins about All-Star closer Glen Pekrins in their search for left-handed relief, but talks didn’t get far (links to Twitter). Perkins is owed a reasonable $12.8MM over the next two seasons and has a $6.5MM club option for the 2018 campaign. That option becomes a player option if he’s traded.
  • The Cubs meeting with the agents for Bastardo, according to Robert Murray of Baseball Essential (on Twitter). The Cubs have been very active over the past 24 hours and are known to be seeking bullpen upgrades.
  • Shawn Kelley’s agent, Mike McCann, told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter) that his client has yet to pick a team.  The Nationals are among “multiple clubs” in “active discussions” with McCann.
  • Right-hander Joe Blanton is drawing interest from a wide number of teams after a strong 2015 showing in the bullpen, tweets Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Blanton could be a candidate for a multi-year deal after his excellent bounceback campaign.
  • Multiple reporters, including J.P. Hoornstra of the L.A. News Group, have tweeted that Todd Coffey is in Nashville hoping to latch on with a club as he eyes an MLB comeback. Coffey, 35, hasn’t pitched in the bigs since 2012 but was excellent at Triple-A as recently as 2014.

AL Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Boyer, Son

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The Yankees and Red Sox top the list of teams who could be aggressive this offseason, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The Yankees might not be heavily involved with the free agent market, but they could pursue any number of trades, particularly now that their deal for Aaron Hicks, which made it possible for them to deal Brett Gardner. The Sox, meanwhile, have already traded for Craig Kimbrel and could top that move with an even bigger one for a top starting pitcher. Here are more quick notes from the AL.

  • The Royals and other teams have already shown interest in free agent righty reliever Blaine Boyer, but Boyer remains interested in returning to the Twins, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes. “I think I showed this year, and really my whole career, that I can step in for the eighth inning or the seventh inning,” Boyer says. “I can also go long. I pride myself on being a multi-role bullpen piece. I think they know that, and I conveyed that to [Twins manager Paul Molitor].” Boyer was a valuable part of the Twins’ bullpen last year, posting a 2.49 ERA and 2.6 BB/9 over 65 innings, albeit with a very low 4.6 K/9.
  • The Orioles did not win the rights to negotiate with Nexen Heroes slugger Byung-ho Park, but another KBO player, Ah-seop Son, might be a better fit for them, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes. The Orioles can use an outfielder who can hit leadoff, and Son fits the bill — he has a .398 on-base percentage in nine seasons with the Lotte Giants, and he’s been favorably compared to Nori Aoki, in whom the Orioles have previously had at least some interest. Son will be posted tomorrow.

Central Notes: Pirates, Boyer, Tigers, Chapman, Reds

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The Pirates face a significant amount of questions now that their offseason has arrived, writes Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Decisions surrounding Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez top the list, as the team must decide if it can afford to pay Walker his arbitration raise (projected at $10.7MM by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz) and if Alvarez is worth tendering a contract (projected salary: $8.1MM). As Brink notes, Josh Harrison could slide over to second base, with Jung Ho Kang handling third base full-time if healthy enough for Opening Day. Beyond that, the rotation presents a puzzle of sorts as well. Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano are a strong 1-2 combination, but Charlie Morton has dealt with injuries, and the Bucs have received little consistency from Jeff Locke and Vance Worley. Brink feels the team is likely to pursue a starting pitcher, though I’ll opine that adding two — one for stability and one as an increasingly typical Pittsburgh reclamation project — is a sensible route to take. (Doug Fister and Mat Latos stand out as talented arms in need of reestablishing their stock.)

Here are a few more notes from the game’s Central divisions as we all gear up for today’s glut of postseason baseball…

  • Right-hander Blaine Boyer has expressed interest in re-signing with the Twins, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger in his look at the Twins’ upcoming offseason. Signed to a minor league pact last winter, Boyer made the club after a solid Spring Training and held a setup role all season despite possessing one of the lowest strikeout rates (4.6 K/9) of any reliever that pitched a full season. Boyer survived in part due to strong control (2.6 BB/9) and an above-average ground-ball rate (47.6 percent), but ERA estimators like FIP (4.00), xFIP (4.36) and SIERA (4.41) all feel that the stellar 2.49 mark he posted in 65 innings this season is due for a good bit of regression. Whether or not Boyer returns, Bollinger adds that the Twins are expected to look for bullpen upgrades via both trades and free agency.
  • Tigers GM Al Avila was emphatic yesterday in telling the media that he did not speak to a single outside managerial candidate before deciding to retain Brad Ausmus, writes MLive.com’s James Schmehl. Reports had indicated that former division rival Ron Gardenhire was a candidate to step in for Ausmus following the season, but Avila, whom Schmehl says was given sole authority to make the decision on Ausmus steadfastly denied that there was any truth to said rumors.
  • The likelihood of trading Aroldis Chapman this offseason only further muddies a Reds bullpen that desperately needs fixing, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fay, however, cautions the pursuit of free agents — with the exception of a relatively inexpensive arm to replace Chapman, similar to the Braves’ signing of Jason Grilli last winter — instead opining that the team is best suited to use its young arms to fill in the gaps. J.J. Hoover will return, he notes, and Pedro Villarreal and Jumbo Diaz are likely to be in the mix as well. Fay feels it’d be best to move on from Burke Badenhop, suggesting that Michael Lorenzen, Brandon Finnegan and Keyvius Sampson all work in relief initially next year, despite the fact that some feel Lorenzen and Finnegan still have starter upside.

Added To The 40-Man Roster: Monday

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With teams making decisions on the final piece of their Opening Day rosters, especially regarding Article XX(B) players, we’ll keep tabs on the day’s moves to add non-roster invitees to the 40-man.

Right-handed relievers, somewhat unsurprisingly, dominate today’s news in this arena:

  • Lefty specialist Joe Thatcher has been added to the Astros’ 40-man roster, Rosenthal reports on Twitter. The Article XX(B) veteran will receive a $1MM salary and can add an additional $1.3MM through incentives. If he can return to form, Thatcher could be quite a nice addition to a Houston pen that was an area targeted heavily for upgrades this offseason.
  • Fellow non-roster invitee Roberto Hernandez will also make the club, the Astros have announced. As MLBTR originally reported, Hernandez will earn $2.65MM on the year. The 34-year-old joined the fold in Houston late in the spring, but provides a sturdy and versatile presence as the club seeks to take the next step this year.

Earlier Updates

  • The Twins have announced that righty Blaine Boyer is now a member of the team’s major league roster. Boyer’s deal will pay him $750K at the big league level and includes up to $100K in incentives tied to appearances, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. MLBTR’s Zach Links recently spoke with Boyer about his interesting professional journey.
  • Likewise, right-handed Carlos Villanueva has been added to the Cardinals’ 40-man roster, the club announced. That means that the veteran swingman will be entitled to a $2MM salary this year with St. Louis. Villanueva, 31, has racked up 863 2/3 MLB innings in 76 starts and over 300 relief appearances. Though he had only a 4.64 ERA last year with the Cubs, Villanueva’s peripherals earned him strong marks from ERA estimators.
  • The Indians have informed righty Anthony Swarzak that he will make the pen, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune tweets. Though it does not appear he has been officially added to the 40-man, that will need to occur. The 29-year-old has a 4.48 career ERA in 439 2/3 frames at the major league level, most of them coming from the pen. Swarzak will take home a $900K salary and can earn up to $350K in incentives.
  • Similarly, the Cubs have told southpaw Phil Coke that he will be on the club, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Coke had exercised his opt-out clause on Friday when he was not added to the 40-man at that time, says Rosenthal. Now, it appears he will receive the $2.25MM (and up to $900K in bonuses) that his deal allows; indeed, the team has now announced that his contract was selected.
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