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Reds Promote Joel McKeithan To Hitting Coach

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The Reds announced a number of changes to their coaching staff this afternoon. The biggest news is the promotion of Joel McKeithan from assistant hitting coach to the lead hitting coach position. Terry Bradshaw has been named assistant hitting coach; he’ll pair with Tim LaMonte, who has been named assistant hitting coach/integrated performance coach. McKeithan joins returning bench coach Freddie Benavides and pitching coach Derek Johnson as the top staffers for fifth-year skipper David Bell.

McKeithan, 31, first joined the Reds last offseason. A former Vanderbilt and North Carolina State infielder, he also spent some time working with minor leaguers in the Tigers organization. McKeithan was tabbed as assistant hitting coach under Alan Zinter last offseason, and he’ll take the reins after Zinter was let go at the end of the year. It’ll be McKeithan’s first crack in a lead hitting coach position.

Bradshaw, 54, had spent four-plus seasons as the top hitting instructor with the Royals. He was dismissed by Kansas City in May but brings a fair bit of experience working with big league hitters to help the younger McKeithan. LaMonte also steps onto the MLB staff, with the Reds joining a number of other teams in adding a third hitting instructor. He’s previously spent time with the Astros and Mets, working with New York’s minor leaguers this year.

Cincinnati also announced a few more minor hires. Former MLB outfielder Collin Cowgill has been brought on as first base coach. The 36-year-old suited up with five teams from 2011-16. A University of Kentucky product, he had some post-playing experience as a manager in the Seattle farm system. He replaces Delino DeShields, who was let go at the end of the season.

Matt Tracy, who made one MLB appearance with the 2015 Yankees, has been named bullpen coach to replace Lee Tunnell. Joe Singley joins the staff as bullpen catcher, while Kyle Arnsberg was promoted to coordinator of advance scouting.

Mariners Narrowing Outfield Competition

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Entering Spring Training, the Mariners were slated to roll out Mallex Smith in center field and Kyle Lewis in left, but there was little clarity regarding right field following a series of injuries that have left Mitch Haniger without a timetable to return to game action. Jake Fraley, Braden Bishop, Jose Siri and veteran non-roster invitees Carlos Gonzalez and Collin Cowgill were among the team’s options to step into the void created by Haniger’s absence.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the team’s situation has trended toward a resolution. Siri was just claimed off waivers by the Giants earlier this afternoon, the Mariners also announced that Bishop was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. Both struggled in Major League camp with the Mariners — Siri going 2-for-12 with a homer but seven strikeouts and Bishop going 1-for-11 with a pair of walks and five punchouts. (As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets, Bishop has struggled to return to form after having his spleen removed early last summer.)

At this point, Fraley appears to be the favorite to open the year in right field. MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer spoke with Seattle skipper Scott Servais about the 24-year-old, whom the organization acquired alongside Smith in the trade that sent catcher Mike Zunino to the Rays. “I like where Jake is at,” Servais said of Fraley. “There’s still room for growth. … But he comes to work every day. He’s about as serious as anybody in that clubhouse. He knows what he wants to get done every day.”

Fraley got his feet wet in the big leagues last season, although he went just 6-for-40 in his first MLB cup of coffee. That small sample shouldn’t overshadow a huge year between Double-A and Triple-A, however, as Fraley’s combined .298/.365/.545 slash is eye-catching (particularly considering the pitcher-friendly nature of the Double-A Texas League). Fraley appeared in 99 games in the minor leagues (427 plate appearances), but he still racked up 19 home runs, 27 doubles, five triples and 22 stolen bases. Thus far in Spring Training, he’s 6-for-26 with a pair of homers, a pair of doubles and a steal. He’s punched out in eight of his 29 plate appearances but also drawn three walks.

Gonzalez and Cowgill remain in the mix, but it seems unlikely that either would secure a starting job. The Mariners have every reason to get a look at Fraley in a regular role against big league pitching, considering they control him through at least the 2025 season. Gonzalez could be a bench bat and potential fallback option in the event that Fraley struggles early, but the Mariners appear intent on trotting out a young lineup and evaluating their controllable candidates. With uber-prospects Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez looming behind the current crop of outfielders, this is the best time to get a look at Fraley and other currently MLB-ready options.

It’s also possible — and perhaps likely — that neither CarGo nor Cowill breaks camp with the club. Divish tweets that the Mariners could carry both Tim Lopes and Dylan Moore on the Opening Day roster, using one as a fourth outfielder in that scenario. That’d keep with the team’s evaluation-focused modus operandi in 2020, although it’s worth noting that Moore exited today’s Cactus League game after being hit on the wrist by a fastball. Initial x-rays were negative, but his status is one to keep an eye on at the moment.

Mariners Sign Cody Anderson

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FEBRUARY 17, 5:42pm: Cowgill’s signing has also been announced, along with the previously reported deal with Carlos Gonzalez.

11:13am: Seattle has announced its deal with Anderson. Cowgill’s deal has yet to be finalized, it seems.

FEBRUARY 15: The Mariners are nearing agreements with right-hander Cody Anderson and outfielder Collin Cowgill, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Once finalized, both players will get invitations to MLB spring training on minor-league pacts, Divish adds.

Anderson, 29, had spent his entire career in the Indians’ organization. He had an impressive run in Cleveland in 2015, working to a 3.05 ERA in 91.1 innings across 15 starts. His 12.1% strikeout rate that season suggested that level of run prevention was a mirage, but he limited walks and airborne contact and looked to have a shot at sticking in the back of Cleveland’s rotation. That never came to fruition, as Anderson was bombed in limited action the following year and was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in March 2017. That procedure largely wiped out his next two seasons.

While Anderson returned to the mound in 2019, he was mostly limited to minor-league duty in the season’s first half. Another elbow surgery- this time to repair his flexor tendon- last July marked the end of his tenure in Cleveland. Anderson is taking his physical with the Seattle organization today, Divish reports. Assuming all goes well, he may take a shot at cracking a Mariners’ rotation that could also feature injury returnees Kendall Graveman and Taijuan Walker. Alternatively, he could be an option for a Seattle bullpen lacking much certainty.

As for Cowgill, the 34-year-old is hoping to crack the majors for the first time since 2016. He’s largely made the rounds at Triple-A the past half-decade with middling results. Last season, he took 280 plate appearances for the Nationals’ top affiliate and hit .228/.330/.440. In 759 MLB plate appearances over parts of six seasons, Cowgill has compiled a .234/.297/.329 line (79 wRC+).

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/23/19

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Rounding up the latest in minor moves…

  • The Nationals have reportedly signed OF Collin Cowgill and 1B/OF O’Koyea Dickson to minor league deals.  Cowgill, 32, has appeared in the majors for five organizations since his professional career began in 2008, slashing a decent .234/.297/.329 (79 wRC+) over 759 lifetime PA. He spent most of 2018 with Philadelphia’s AAA-Lehigh Valley affiliate, where he turned in a barely-above-average line in 93 games. Dickson had his Japanese sojourn cut short last season; the 29-year-old appeared in just 22 games for Rakuten in the Pacific League, slashing a meager .175/.217/.228. Dickson was thrust from obscurity after a .328/.398/.596 line for AAA-Oklahoma City in 2016; he appeared in seven late-season games for the Dodgers the next season, largely in a pinch-hitting role.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/8/18

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We’ll keep tabs on the latest minor moves in this post …

  • Outfielder Collin Cowgill has signed on with the Phillies on a minor league pact, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The 31-year-old Cowgill would earn an $800K base salary if he cracked the big league roster, per Nightengale, though he’ll have an uphill battle ahead of him in that regard. Philadelphia will have Rhys Hoskins, Odubel Herrera, Aaron Altherr, Nick Williams and Roman Quinn in the outfield mix as it is. Cowgill didn’t play in the Majors in 2017 and only logged nine games in 2016. He’s a career .234/.297/.329 hitter in parts of six Major League seasons and a career .283/.356/.431 hitter in seven Triple-A seasons.

Earlier Moves

  • The Yankees have agreed to a minor-league deal with outfielder Shane Robinson, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). He could earn at a $950K rate in the majors and will receive an invitation to MLB camp this spring. The 33-year-old Robinson has long been a reserve/depth piece, seeing action in eight MLB campaigns but compiling only 795 total plate appearances at the game’s highest level. He spent most of 2017 with the Angels’ top affiliate, slashing a sturdy .319/.370/.425 in his 385 trips to the plate.
  • Righty Stephen Fife is heading back stateside after signing on with the Indians, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). The 31-year-old, a third-round pick in 2008, hasn’t seen the majors since 2014 but does own a 3.66 ERA in 91 career frames. Fife made five starts last year for Japan’s Seibu Lions, but struggled to a 6.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts and 13 walks in just 21 frames. He’ll be looking to get back on track with the Cleveland organization, though he’ll certainly face very long odds to crack the roster out of camp.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/16/17

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Here are some of the latest minor moves from around the game, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy except where otherwise noted:

  • The Mariners outrighted right-hander Christian Bergman to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. Bergman, 29, had the right to opt for free agency now or at the end of the season; given that he’s now listed on Tacoma’s roster, it seems he’ll wait and consider the latter option when the time comes. Bergman, 29, has thrown 51 1/3 innings on the year for Seattle, working to a 4.91 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
  • Outfielder Daniel Robertson will return to the Indians on a minors deal after being designated for assignment and then released, the club announced. The 31-year-old has appeared in each of the past four MLB campaigns — each time with a different team.  This year, he took 88 plate appearances for Cleveland, slashing .225/.287/.338. While it’s not clear whether Robertson will factor at the major league level again this year, the fleet-footed, high-contact 31-year-old could conceivably make for a useful bench piece once rosters expand in September.
  • The Diamondbacks have added right-handers Andury Acevedo and Louis Coleman on minors deals. Acevedo, who’ll soon turn 27, was intriguing enough to land a 40-man spot with the Cubs a few years back, but has yet to show any consistency on the mound in the upper minors. As for Coleman, who threw 48 innings of 4.69 ERA ball last year for the Dodgers, he’ll return to Arizona after briefly testing the open market. He has worked to a 2.05 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over 57 innings this year in stints with the D-Backs’ and Reds’ top affiliates.
  • Heading to the Reds on a minors deal is slugging outfielder Adam Walker. He has bounced around via waiver claims and minor-league deals of late, seeing time in three organizations thus far in 2017. All told, he has compiled a tepid .185/.220/.410 batting line — with a dozen home runs but also 88 strikeouts against just ten walks — in his 241 plate appearances in the upper minors.
  • The White Sox released infielder Grant Green, who had previously seen brief action in the majors this year with the Nationals. On the season, Green owns an overall .232/.306/.300 slash over 245 plate appearances at the Triple-A level with those two organizations. The 29-year-old was once considered a notable possible contributor with the Athletics and Angels, but has managed only a .248/.283/.336 batting line in his 353 trips to the plate in the majors.
  • Six-year MLB veteran Collin Cowgill has been released by the Padres. Cowgill, 31, joined the organization on a minors deal over the winter, but never earned a crack at a return to the majors. He carries a .235/.297/.390 slash through 220 plate appearances
  • Finally, the Rangers have released lefty Bobby LaFromboise and righty Jaye Chapman. The former has made 27 MLB appearances and shown some intriguing numbers at times, but struggled last year at Triple-A with the Phillies and was sidelined for much of the current season. The 30-year-old Chapman, meanwhile, is looking to work back toward the majors for the first time since his lone stint back in 2012. But he was hit hard in his 36 2/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock, with a 6.63 ERA and 6.9 K/9 against 5.2 BB/9.

Padres Sign Collin Cowgill To Minor League Deal

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The Padres announced their list of non-roster invitees to Major League Spring Training today, and new among the mix is veteran outfielder Collin Cowgill, who has agreed to a minors pact with the team.

The 30-year-old Cowgill spent the 2016 season in the Indians organization, with most of his work coming in Triple-A. In addition to nine Major League games and 14 plate appearances, Cowgill logged 103 games and 407 plate appearances with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate in Columbus, batting .234/.311/.320. A veteran of six Major League seasons, Cowgill is a career .234/.297/.329 hitter in 759 PAs between the Angels, A’s, Diamondbacks, Mets and Indians. While he doesn’t have a track record of producing at the plate, Cowgill has typically graded out as an above-average baserunner and corner outfielder. He’s also plenty capable of playing center field as well, though UZR and DRS rate his work there less favorably.

Cowgill enters a crowded outfield mix in Padres camp. Alex Dickerson, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Travis Jankowski are all but assured to have roster spots and see considerable playing time during the regular season. Cowgill will battle with fellow non-roster invitees Rafael Ortega, Jabari Blash and Nick Buss for a reserve spot on the bench, though the Padres are already carrying multiple center-field capable outfielders in Margot and Jankowski. Beyond that, Christian Bethancourt will probably see occasional reps in the outfield, and infielder Cory Spangenberg has seen brief time in the outfield as well (in 2015).

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/2/16

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We’ll use this post to keep tabs on any notable minor moves today:

  • The Blue Jays recently inked outfielder Quintin Berry to a minor league deal, the team’s Triple-A affiliate announced. With the move, the 31-year-old will be available to reprise his now-familiar role as a late-season baserunning option, this time in Toronto. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca was among those to tweet, Berry was actually added on the 31st of August, so he could conceivably be utilized in the post-season. He hasn’t seen more than nine plate appearances in a season since his run with the Tigers in 2012, and hit only .270/.348/.325 in his 395 plate appearances at Triple-A this year for the Angels, but has nevertheless received MLB action in each of the last three Septembers due to his baserunning prowess. Back in 2013, Berry entered three postseason contests for the Red Sox — one in each round — and swiped a bag each time without stepping up to the plate.
  • Outfielder Collin Cowgill has accepted an outright assignment with the Indians after clearing waivers, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports on Twitter. Designated for assignment yesterday, the 30-year-old will remain an option for Cleveland, particularly with rosters now expanded. He saw minimal time at the big league level this year, and struggled at Triple-A, but could still provide the club with a solid outfield glove and additional righty bench bat down the stretch — if the team deems it worthwhile to free up a 40-man spot. Over his 759 career plate appearances in the majors, Cowgill owns a .234/.297/.329 slash line with a dozen home runs and 14 steals.

Indians Designate Collin Cowgill For Assignment

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The Indians have designated outfielder Collin Cowgill for assignment, the team announced as part of a series of roster moves. Cowgill’s roster spot will go to catcher Adam Moore, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland has also activated Danny Salazar from the paternity list, officially added Coco Crisp to the roster and recalled Cody Anderson, Joe Colon and Erik Gonzalez from Columbus.

Cowgill, 30, received just 14 plate appearances with the Indians this season and spent the bulk of the year in Columbus, where he batted .236/.310/.326 with four homers and seven steals in 392 plate appearances. He’s known primarily for his glovework but has nonetheless managed to rack up 759 plate appearances over the past six seasons, including 293 trips to the plate with the 2014 Angels. That year marked the best season of Cowgill’s career, as he batted .250/.330/.354 with solid defensive work in the outfield.

As for Moore, 32-year-old will return to Cleveland for his second stint with the Indians. Moore picked up just four PAs with Cleveland last season but has 287 Major League PAs under his belt. He’s batted a sub-par .201/.241/.309 in that time but has sound numbers in Triple-A: a .275/.334/.421 slash in parts of seven seasons. The former top prospect will serve as a third catcher for the time being, joining Chris Gimenez and Roberto Perez in that regard. Cleveland also hopes to get injured starter Yan Gomes back before the season is over.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: 12-2-2015

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We’ll use this post to keep tabs on arbitration deals struck today in advance of the non-tender deadline. Here’s the latest, with all projections via MLB Trade Rumors:

  • The Padres and Brett Wallace have agreed to a one-year contract for the 2016 season, according to a team announcement. Wallace will earn $1MM next season, tweets MLB.com’s Corey Brock, placing him just shy of his $1.1MM projection.
  • Backstop Chris Gimenez has agreed to a deal to avoid arbitration with the Rangers, per a team announcement. Gimenez will earn $975K while in the majors, but the deal is a split contract, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.
  • The Orioles announced that they’ve agreed to terms with outfielder Nolan Reimold on a one-year deal, thus avoiding arbitration. Rich Dubroff of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports that Reimold will land a $1.3MM salary (Twitter link). He cleared MLBTR’s projection by $400K.
  • The Indians have avoided arbitration with newly acquired outfielder Collin Cowgill by agreeing to a $1MM salary for the upcoming 2016 season, tweets MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. That’s an exact match with his projected salary.
  • The Athletics announced that they’ve avoided arb with second baseman Eric Sogard, outfielder Sam Fuld, and newly acquired southpaw Marc Rzepczynski (Twitter link). Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported Sogard’s contract (via Twitter), adding that he receives a $1.5MM salary, which is a bit shy of his $1.7MM projection.
  • The Cubs announced that they’ve avoided arbitration with lefty Clayton Richard, who, as MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (on Twitter), will take home a $2MM salary next season. That’s a sizable increase over the $1.1MM at which he was projected.

Earlier Updates

  • The Blue Jays have avoided arbitration with first baseman Justin Smoak, per Yahoo’s Jeff Passan (Twitter link). He’ll earn $3.9MM next season with the Jays. That number drastically outpaces the $2MM projected by MLBTR.
  • Jose Lobaton and the Nationals have avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.3875MM, reports James Wagner of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Lobaton’s deal comes in just shy of the $1.5MM he was projected to earn.
  • The Phillies announced deals with infielder Andres Blanco and just-claimed outfielder Peter Bourjos. Yahoo’s Jeff Passan tweets that Bourjos will receive a $2MM salary and Blanco will be paid $1.45MM in 2016. MLBTR had projected Blanco at $1MM while Bourjos came with a projected tag of $1.8MM.
  • Jordan Lyles has a $2.975MM deal with the Rockies, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports on Twitter. The righty will earn a minor bump over his $2.8MM projection.
  • The Athletics announced that the team has agreed to a deal with lefty Felix Doubront on a contract for 2016. The value is not known at this time, but he was projected at $2.5MM.
  • Backstop A.J. Ellis will receive $4.5MM next year with the Dodgers after striking a deal, Heyman tweets. That’s an exact match for the rate projected by MLBTR and Matt Swartz. The 34-year-old, who had a nice bounce-back campaign in 2015, will hit the open market after the coming season.
  • Righty Vance Worley has signed on with the Orioles for $2.6MM, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. That falls just $100K shy of his projected value as a first-year-eligible player. Baltimore added Worley earlier in the winter from the Pirates and figures to utilize him in a swingman capacity.
  • The Cubs have agreed to a $1.42MM deal with just-added lefty Rex Brothers, Heyman tweets. Brothers was projected at $1.5MM and will land just south of that figure. Brothers was recently designated by the Rockies and then shipped to Chicago in a minor trade.
  • And the Nationals will pay $900K to outfielder/first baseman Tyler Moore for the 2016 season, also per Heyman (via Twitter). He’ll land a bit shy of his $1MM projection, but the more relevant matter here is the fact that Moore will keep his roster spot. That has at times seemed at doubt, particularly with Ryan Zimmerman now entrenched at first base.
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