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Brandon Dixon

Padres Select Brandon Dixon

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The Padres announced they’ve selected corner infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon onto the major league roster. San Diego designated outfielder Luis Liberato for assignment in a corresponding move.

Dixon is back on a major league roster for the first time in two years. Initially a Dodgers draftee, the right-handed hitter was dealt to the Reds as a prospect and made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in 2018. He bounced to the Tigers via waivers the following offseason and played his most significant MLB role with Detroit in 2019. Dixon tallied 420 plate appearances and collected a team-leading 15 home runs, but he struck out at a 32.5% clip and hit only .248/.290/.435. The Tigers designated him for assignment and outrighted him off the 40-man roster the following winter.

While Dixon made it back to Detroit briefly at the end of the 2020 campaign, he was granted his release heading into 2021 to pursue an opportunity in Japan. The Arizona product signed with the Rakuten Eagles and split the year between their major league team and their minor league club. While Dixon hit well in the minors, he struggled in 38 NPB games and came back to the United States this past offseason. Dixon inked a non-roster deal with the Friars during Spring Training, and he’s split the season between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso.

The 30-year-old has hit extremely well at both stops. He’s cranked 23 home runs in just 50 combined games, posting an on-base percentage above .400 while slugging over .780 for both affiliates. Thanks to those eye-popping minor league numbers, Dixon will get another look against big league arms. He’s split his defensive action between all four corner spots in the minors, but he’ll presumably work mostly as a right-handed bench bat for skipper Bob Melvin. Dixon has yet to reach arbitration eligibility, so the Friars could keep him around beyond this season if they’re willing to devote him a 40-man roster spot.

Liberato just earned his first major league call a few weeks ago. The longtime Mariners prospect signed a minor league deal with San Diego over the winter, and he’s spent much of the season in El Paso. Liberato had an impressive .261/.354/.541 showing with 20 homers for the Chihuahuas, but he’s been used in a very limited role since being promoted. The 26-year-old hasn’t gotten a start, although he’s come off the bench seven times (usually as a pinch runner). He’s gone hitless in his first five MLB at-bats, striking out three times.

San Diego will place Liberato on waivers over the next few days. Given his strong Triple-A numbers this year and ability to cover all three outfield spots, it’s possible another club will take a no-risk flier to add to their outfield depth. Liberato still has all three minor league option years remaining, so any team willing to keep him on the 40-man roster could stash him in Triple-A for the foreseeable future.

Padres Sign Trayce Thompson, Brandon Dixon To Minors Deals

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The Padres recently signed outfielder Trayce Thompson and corner infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon to minor league contracts, according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. It’s the first season in the organization for both players, who each have a few years of big league experience.

Thompson has played in a little more than 200 MLB games between four teams. He broke in with the White Sox in 2015, posting an excellent small-sample showing as a rookie. He was traded to the Dodgers as part of a three-team deal that offseason — one which, coincidentally, saw Los Angeles send Dixon to Cincinnati. He tallied a career-high 262 plate appearances with Los Angeles that season, hitting .225/.302/.436, but he saw only sporadic action over the next couple years.

After appearing in 27 games with L.A. in 2017, he bounced from the Yankees to the A’s and back to the White Sox via waivers and minor trade the following year. He spent the next couple seasons at Triple-A before resurfacing in the big leagues with the Cubs last September. Thompson only tallied 35 plate appearances with the North Siders last season, but he popped four homers and had a solid .233/.344/.492 showing in 88 games with Triple-A Iowa, where he played all three outfield positions.

Dixon has spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues. He debuted with the Reds in 2018, a few years after they acquired him in the aforementioned deal with Los Angeles. Cincinnati waived him that winter, and he landed with the Tigers, receiving a good chunk of MLB playing time during the 2019 season. Dixon hit .248/.290/.435 with 15 homers over 420 PA and 117 games with Detroit that year, but then appeared in only five big-league contests in 2020.

The next step was a move outside of North American ball entirely, as Dixon headed to Japan in 2021 to play with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Dixon roughly split his time between the Eagles and their top minor league affiliate, and struggled to only a .167/.268/.324 slash line in 123 PA for the Sendai-based team.

The two minor league deals give the Padres some additional depth options to choose from during Spring Training. While rumors continue to swirl about how San Diego could upgrade their outfield, Jurickson Profar remains the top option for left field at-bats, and Thompson has more defensive flexibility than another non-roster invitee in Nomar Mazara. Dixon has also spent a lot of his time as a corner outfielder, and brings added versatility due to his experience at first, second, and third base.

Tigers Release Brandon Dixon To Pursue Opportunity In Japan

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The Tigers announced this morning that they’ve released infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon in order to allow him to pursue an opportunity in Japan. The move drops Detroit’s 40-man roster to a total of 36 players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 Draft.

It’s not yet clear which Nippon Professional Baseball will be signing the 28-year-old Dixon. The former third-round pick (Dodgers, 2013) was traded from Los Angeles to Cincinnati alongside Scott Schebler and Jose Peraza in the three-team swap that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox. (The Dodgers picked up Frankie Montas, Trayce Thompson and Micah Johnson from Chicago in that deal.)

Dixon made it to the big leagues with the Reds in 2018 but struggled through 124 plate appearances before being jettisoned from the 40-man roster that November. The Tigers claimed him and gave him a fairly substantial role with their 2019 club, as Dixon logged a career-high 420 plate appearances while hitting .248/.290/.435 with 15 homers, 20 doubles and four triples. His poor on-base percentage and the arrival of some younger talent for the Tigers in 2020 limited Dixon’s chances; he appeared in just five games with Detroit this past season and went 1-for-13 with a walk and a double.

Overall, Dixon is a .228/.271/.410 hitter in 558 Major League plate appearances, but he’s fared much better in Triple-A: .280/.333/.472 in 184 games. He’s worked primarily as a first baseman and corner outfielder in recent seasons with the Tigers, but Dixon has at least some professional experience at every position on the diamond except shortstop and catcher.

Tigers Select Brandon Dixon’s Contract

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The Tigers have selected the contract of utiltyman Brandon Dixon from their alternate training site, the team announced.  There was already an open spot on Detroit’s active roster since infielder Sergio Alcantara was previously optioned to the alternate site, and a 40-man roster spot was opened for Dixon since second baseman Jonathan Schoop has been moved from the 10-day injured list to the 45-day injured list, which will officially end Schoop’s 2020 season.

This will be Dixon’s first bit of Major League action during the 2020 season, following 544 career plate appearances with the Reds and Tigers in 2018-19.  Detroit claimed Dixon off waivers from Cincinnati following the 2018 season and Dixon went on to receive pretty regular playing time last year, hitting .248/.290/.435 over 420 PA and actually leading all Tigers batters with 15 homers.

Dixon has mostly played first base in the big leagues but he has also seen quite a bit of action around the diamond, starting multiple games as a corner outfield, second baseman, and third baseman.  (He also has one game played in center field and even four pitching appearances in late-game mop-up duty during blowouts.)  This versatility should help Dixon continue to get looks at the big league level, and he is a useful player for the Tigers to have on hand for depth purposes.

A sprained right wrist sent Schoop to the IL (retroactively) on September 13, but the infielder will now wrap up what could his only season in Detroit.  Schoop signed a one-year, $6.1MM deal with the Tigers last winter and enjoyed a productive season, hitting .278/.324/.475 and eight homers over 177 PA, good for a 114 wRC+ and 115 OPS+.

Tigers Outright Brandon Dixon

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The Tigers announced today that infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon has been outrighted to Triple-A. He cleared waivers after recently being designated for assignment.

Dixon, who’ll turn 28 later this month, got a lengthy look in 2019 in Detroit but wasn’t able to take advantage. Over 420 plate appearances, he hit 15 home runs and slashed just .248/.290/.435. If he’s to carve out a career in the majors, the former third-round pick will have to improve upon his strikeout (32.4%) and walk (5.0%) rates.

Tigers To Sign C.J. Cron

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The Detroit Tigers have completed their coup of the Twins’ right side, agreeing to a one-year deal with first baseman C.J. Cron, per Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. This deal matches the one made with Schoop, coming in at $6.1MM, per Fenech and MLB Insider Jeff Passan. The Tigers have announced the deal with Cron, represented by Moye Sports Associates.

Cron joins his third club in as many seasons after being non-tendered in back-to-back winters by the Rays and Twins, respectively. The Twins claimed Cron from Tampa and paid him $4.8MM last season, but balked at the $7.7MM salary he was projected to earn through arbitration. Cron ends up getting a raise from the Tigers, though still coming in under his projected arbitration mark.

The trepidation over paying Cron stems from the fairly limited skillset offered by the slugging first baseman. The power is legit, as Cron has put together back-to-back seasons with an ISO north of .200 – but as with his once-and-future teammate Jonathan Schoop, the power comes with below-average walk rates and a batting average consistently in the neighborhood of .250 (he’s a .258 BA career hitter).

Cron did post an above-average barrel rate rate in 2019, but he also suffered some bad luck with a .277 BABIP that fell well below his average rate of .293. In his one year in Minnesota, Cron hit .253/.311/.469 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs while helping the Twins to the AL Central crown.

Along with Schoop, Cron brings much-needed pop to the right side of the Tigers infield and gives them some potential trade chips come July. To make room for the Cron and Schoop signings, Brandon Dixon has been designated for assignment, the team announced. Coincidentally, Dixon led the Tigers with 15 home runs last season, a mark that both Schoop and Cron topped with the Twins. The Tigers 40-man roster is currently full.

Tigers Claim Dixon From Reds, Fernandez From Blue Jays

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The Tigers announced Friday that they’ve claimed infielder Brandon Dixon off waivers from the Reds and left-handed reliever Jose Fernandez off waivers from the Blue Jays.

It stands to reason that the Detroit organization will continue to look for ways to find value from roster castaways from other organizations. In this case, they’ll take a look at a pair of players who earned first-time MLB promotions in 2018 but failed to impress at the game’s highest level.

Dixon, 26, raked in his second attempt at Triple-A but racked up 43 strikeouts and limped to a .574 OPS in his first 124 plate appearances in the big leagues. The former third-rounder is capable of playing the corners in both the infield and outfield but also has experience at second base, potentially making him a versatile piece if he can earn a shot with the Tigers.

As for Fernandez, he’ll turn 26 right as camp opens, just in time to push for a job in the Detroit pen. He’s exclusively a reliever and occasionally threw multiple innings in the upper minors last year, working to a 2.97 in 60 2/3 frames over 44 appearances. Though he has allowed a few too many free passes in recent years, Fernandez gets some swings and misses. He also showed a 94+ mph heater from the left side.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/22/18

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Here are the day’s minor moves…

Latest Transactions

  • The Nationals signed outfielder Jaff Decker to a minors contract, the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes reports (via Twitter).  The 30-year-old has appeared in each of the last five MLB seasons, posting a .510 OPS over 191 career plate appearances with the Padres, Pirates, Rays, and A’s.  Decker signed a minor league deal with Atlanta over the winter but was released earlier this month.
  • The Mets signed veteran lefty Aaron Laffey to a minor league deal, purchasing his contract from the independent Atlantic League.  The Somerset Patriots, Laffey’s Atlantic League team, reported the news on Twitter.  The 33-year-old worked as both a starter and reliever for six teams (including a brief stint with the Mets in 2013) over parts of eight MLB seasons, though Laffey has only 7 1/3 innings in the Show since the end of the 2013 season and none since 2015.  He has bounced around the minors, including a previous stint with Somerset last season that ended when he signed a minors deal with the D’Backs.

Earlier Today

  • The Reds selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Brandon Dixon from Triple-A, optioning Rosell Herrera to Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Dixon, a third-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2013 draft, was one of the three youngsters (along with Jose Peraza and Scott Schebler) dealt to Cincinnati as part of the three-team trade that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox.  Neither Baseball America or MLB.com ranked Dixon among the Reds’ top 30 prospects, though he put himself on the map this season thanks to an impressive .326/.371/.527 slash line over 140 PA at Triple-A Louisville.  While he has spent much of his pro career as a second and third baseman, Dixon has made multiple starts as a first baseman and corner outfielder this season, giving him added versatility on the Reds’ roster.
  • The Tigers announced the purchase of left-hander Kevin Chapman’s contract from the independent Atlantic League’s New Britain Bees.  Chapman has been assigned to Triple-A.  The southpaw posted a 4.09 ERA over 55 relief innings for the Astros in 2013-16, and spent last season in the Braves’ and Twins’ farm systems.  The Tigers are short on left-handed relievers both in the majors and upper minors, so there seems to be an opportunity for Chapman to earn a spot back to the big leagues.
  • The Nationals announced that outfielder Moises Sierra has cleared waivers and been optioned back to Triple-A.  Sierra was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear roster space for the promotion of top prospect Juan Soto.  Appearing in his first MLB action since 2014, Sierra hit .167/.217/.404 over 60 PA for Washington this season.
  • Southpaw Jairo Labourt has been released by the Tigers, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com covers on Twitter. Despite being a popular waiver wire target over the offseason, the 24-year-old lefty has not been in good enough form even to join an affiliate to this point. The Tigers originally acquired him in the 2015 David Price swap.
  • The Pirates have released right-hander Tyler Jones, according to John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com. Jones, 28, has had some promising seasons in the upper minors, but hasn’t shown as well in the last two campaigns. Homers have been an issue for Jones thus far, as he has been tagged for a 5.40 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 over 16 2/3 innings with the Bucs’ top affiliate.
  • Rangers righty David Ledbetter has decided to retire, according to MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). Per the report, the 26-year-old decided to hang things up as a “family decision.” A third-round pick in 2013, Ledbetter has never quite found his form in the minors. In 115 1/3 Triple-A innings, he owns a 4.99 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.

Reds Announce Minor-League Signings, Non-Roster Invitations

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The Reds have announced 18 non-roster invitations to MLB camp this spring, as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. That includes a variety of internal players as well as a few outside additions: southpaw Lucas Luetge along with catchers Rob Brantly and Shawn Zarraga.

Luetge, 29, spent 2016 at Triple-A for the Angels after spending parts of four seasons in the majors with the Mariners. He ended the campaign with 55 2/3 innings of 4.85 ERA pitching. Though he managed a healthy 9.4 K/9, Luetge continued to issue a few too many free passes (4.7 BB/9).

The 27-year-old Brantly has seen action in three major league seasons, hitting .225/.286/.317 over 392 plate appearances. At Triple-A with the Mariners last year, he slashed .244/.268/.432 over 315 trips to the plate. He also chipped in a personal-best 14 long balls.

Zarraga, also 27, will also join the group of backstops hoping to establish a place in the pecking order. He reached base at a useful .384 clip in 99 Double-A plate appearances with the Dodgers in 2016, but struggled with the bat in limited action at the highest level of the minors. Zarraga is still looking for his first crack at the majors.

Other players receiving big league invites include, on the position-player side, catcher Chad Wallach, infielders Brandon Dixon, Tony Renda (who was recently outrighted), and Zach Vincej, utilitymen Hernan Iribarren (who will stay with Cincinnati after also being outrighted) and Patrick Kivlehan (claimed and then outrighted in October), as well as outfielders Sebastian Elizalde and Gabriel Guerrero (who was claimed, non-tendered, and then re-signed to a minors deal). Among pitchers, lefties Ismael Guillon and Nick Routt are joined by righties Alejandro Chacin, Jimmy Herget, Tyler Mahle, Evan Mitchell, Kevin Shackelford, and — perhaps most intriguingly — just-signed Cuban hurler Vladimir Gutierrez.

Dodgers Notes: Chapman, Turner, Jansen, Grandal

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The Dodgers’ decision to back out of last December’s agreed-upon Aroldis Chapman trade wasn’t solely the mandate of ownership but was a collective consensus between the baseball operations staff and the ownership group, writes Jon Heyman in his latest notes column at FanRag Sports. By the time the baseball operations staff reached out to managing partner Mark Walter about the domestic violence allegations with which Chapman was faced, they’d already decided the deal should no longer be pursued, and Walter agreed. Heyman also adds that the three prospects that would’ve gone to Cincinnati in that deal ultimately wound up in the Reds organization anyhow, as the proposed package was Jose Peraza, Scott Schebler and Brandon Dixon for Chapman. Those three all went to the Reds in the three-team trade that sent Todd Frazier to the White Sox. (The Dodgers received Trayce Thompson, Micah Johnson and Frankie Montas from the Sox in that deal.)

A few more notes on the Dodgers…

  • Heyman also reports that there have been some “very preliminary contract talks” between the Dodgers and impending free agent Justin Turner, though there’s been nothing serious enough to indicate that Turner will forgo the open market this winter. Turner has said he’d love to remain with the Dodgers, but on the heels of a monster season, he should find widespread demand for his services. The 31-year-old (32 in November) batted .275/.339/.493 with 27 homers in 151 games this season and erased a dreadful first April/May with a torrid four-month stretch to close out the season. He also grades out as a premium defender at the hot corner, all of which contributed to his 4.9 rWAR and 5.6 fWAR in 2016. He’s also been a brilliant performer thus far in his short postseason career, hitting .405/.519/.667 in 52 plate appearances. While that doesn’t necessarily do much for his free-agent stock, it certainly can’t hurt him and figures to be brought up by his agents as they seek the best deal possible for their client this winter.
  • Manager Dave Roberts tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he told Kenley Jansen before the 2016 season even began that he planned to get him at least a half-dozen outings in which he pitched more than one inning over the life of the regular season as a means for preparing him for the postseason, and that indeed played out. Jansen was also candid with Rosenthal in explaining that he felt his trust was betrayed when former GM Ned Colletti signed Brandon League to a three-year deal in the wake of Jansen being diagnosed with and treated for an irregular heartbeat. He didn’t mind the possibility of the Dodgers adding Chapman this winter, stressing that he only asked that Friedman be up front with him about what might happen. And it should be noted that former teammate A.J. Ellis also spoke to Rosenthal about how frank Jansen is when discussing free agency. Ellis compared him to Zack Greinke in some respects, noting that Jansen feels he’s earned his one opportunity at a lucrative free-agent deal and figures to go to the highest bidder.
  • Yasmani Grandal’s struggles at the plate this postseason are reminiscent of his offensive woes last year in the playoffs, after which he underwent shoulder surgery, but the catcher tells Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times that he’s not injured this time around. Grandal isn’t letting his lack of offense so far get to him, as he clearly laid out to Moura that his priorities are his defensive work/game-calling behind the plate, then drawing walks, then slugging at the plate. “I’m hitting seventh, and there’s a reason why they have me hitting seventh,” he said. “They want me to make sure I run the pitching staff like it’s supposed to be ran.” Grandal also talked about his frequent visits to the mound this October, explaining that the Dodgers are keenly aware of which players on opposing teams can relay signs to hitters at the plate when they’re standing on second base.
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