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Conner Greene

Orioles To Sign Conner Greene To Minors Deal

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The Orioles are signing right-handed pitcher Conner Greene to a minor league deal, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Greene will be a non-roster invitee in the Orioles’ spring camp.

Drafted by the Blue Jays in 2013, Greene started to garner some attention from prospect evaluators as he made his way up the minor league ranks. In 2016, Baseball America ranked him as the second-best prospect in Toronto’s system, though he fell to #5 and #16 in the next two seasons as he struggled to succeed in the upper levels of the minors.

In 2018, he was sent to the Cardinals as part of the Randal Grichuk trade, but was designated for assignment after just one season in the Cards’ system. He was claimed by the Royals but they, too, cut him loose after just one year.

The Orioles signed him to a minor league deal prior to the 2021 season. Greene eventually had his contract selected, got claimed off waivers by the Dodgers and re-claimed by the Orioles. In between those stints on the waiver wire, he managed to throw 25 1/3 MLB innings between the two clubs, putting up an ERA of 7.11, along with mediocre strikeout and walk rates of 21.5% and 9.9%. His numbers in 28 Triple-A innings were somehow worse, as he had a 7.39 ERA, 20.4% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate. The Orioles outrighted him at the end of the season.

Despite the lack of results, Greene continues to intrigue teams due to his stuff, with his fastball landing in the 86th percentile of MLB hurlers in terms of velocity and 70th percentile in terms of spin. He’s also still young (turning 27 in a few weeks), has less than a year of MLB service time and one option year remaining. For a team that seems destined for another year in the basement of the AL East, there’s little harm in taking a chance on Greene and seeing if he can harness his talents into better outcomes. If he succeeds, they could keep him around for years to come.

Orioles Announce Series Of Outrights

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NOVEMBER 5: The O’s formally announced the outrights of Severino, Diplan and Greene on Friday evening. Additionally, Baltimore announced that right-handers Chris Ellis and Spenser Watkins and catcher Nick Ciuffo have cleared waivers. Ellis has already elected minor league free agency, and Watkins and Ciuffo will also have that right.

Ellis made six starts for the O’s after being claimed off waivers from the Rays. He worked to a 2.49 ERA in 25 1/3 innings but did so with underwhelming peripherals after struggling in Triple-A. Watkins posted an 8.07 ERA over 54 2/3 frames during his first major league action. Ciuffo appeared in just two big league games at the very tail end of the season.

NOVEMBER 3: The Orioles have outrighted catcher Pedro Severino and right-handers Marcos Diplan and Conner Greene to Triple-A Norfolk.  According to MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, all three players will elect free agency rather than accept the outright assignment.

Severino is the most experienced name of the trio, with parts of seven MLB seasons under his belt (the last three in Baltimore).  Severino was projected to earn $3.1MM in arbitration this winter, but was seen as a non-tender candidate following a season that saw him hit .248/.303/.383 with 11 home runs over 419 plate appearances.

The 28-year-old shouldn’t have much trouble catching on somewhere as a platoon partner or backup catcher.  As for the Orioles, Nick Ciuffo is the only catcher in the organization with Major League experience, but the O’s are expected to add another low-cost veteran backstop this winter, and star prospect Adley Rutschman is expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2022.

Diplan made his Major League debut in 2021, with a 4.50 ERA over 30 innings out of the Orioles bullpen.  A veteran of seven minor league seasons with the Orioles, Twins, Brewers, and Rangers, 2021 was Diplan’s first season as a full-time reliever, though he had gotten an increasingly large share of bullpen work by 2019.  He showed some solid improvements to his strikeout and walk rates with Norfolk this season and even pitched in the Futures Game during All-Star week.

Greene also got his first taste of MLB action this year, posting a 7.11 ERA over 25 1/3 combined innings with the Orioles and Dodgers.  Beginning the season with the O’s, Greene was claimed on waivers by Los Angeles and then claimed back by Baltimore, all within the span of less than three weeks in August.  Greene has a live fastball, but he has yet to translate that heater into big strikeout numbers or even consistent results in the minors, with a 4.34 ERA over 729 2/3 career innings on the farm.

Orioles To Designate Maikel Franco For Assignment, Claim Conner Greene From Dodgers

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2:10pm: The Orioles announced that Jones has been recalled, Greene has been claimed, Martin has been optioned and Franco has been designated for assignment. Kubatko now tweets that the Gutierrez move won’t become official until tomorrow, so it seems there’s some additional roster tweaking on the horizon.

1:30pm: The Orioles have also reclaimed right-hander Conner Greene off waivers from the Dodgers, tweets Dan Connolly of The Athletic. The O’s lost him to the Dodgers on waivers earlier this month but have now claimed him back after the Dodgers designated him for assignment themselves.

12:38pm: The Orioles will announce multiple roster moves today, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). Baltimore is set to designate third baseman Maikel Franco for assignment and option infielder Richie Martin to Triple-A Norfolk, per Kubatko. They’ll recall second baseman Jahmai Jones and third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez in their place.

Franco, who’ll turn 29 this week, has never really found his footing with the O’s after signing well into Spring Training. He’s been Baltimore’s primary third baseman this season, appearing in 104 games and totaling 403 plate appearances, but he’s mustered only a .210/.253/.355 slash with 11 home runs and 22 doubles in that time.

The O’s were surely hoping for something closer to Franco’s 2020 production, when he appeared in all 60 games for the Royals and batted .278/.321/.457 with eight homers and 16 doubles in 243 plate appearances. Kansas City still non-tendered Franco last winter rather than pay him a raise in arbitration — his second non-tender in as many years — and he lingered in free agency into Spring Training before finally settling on a one-year, $800K deal with Baltimore.

In an ideal setting, the Orioles probably would’ve enjoyed a few reasonably productive months out of Franco and subsequently flipped him at the deadline for whatever return they could get. His minimal salary would’ve made him an affordable addition even as a bench bat with a contending club. His general lack of production this season understandably dried up any real interest on the trade market.

The Orioles will now place Franco on either outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. He’s unlikely to be claimed, as doing so would mean picking up the remainder of his salary, which recently jumped from $800K to $1MM when he recorded his 400th plate appearance of the season. Once he clears waivers, he can become a free agent and sign with any club for the prorated portion of the league minimum from that point through season’s end.

Jones, 24, was acquired in the offseason trade that sent righty Alex Cobb and cash to the Angels. The former second-round pick was once considered one of the best prospects in the Halos’ system and one of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball, but his stock had dipped in recent seasons.

After a hot start to the 2021 campaign, Jones has seen his bat tail off considerably in Norfolk. He posted a .311/.435/.516 line through his first 30 games with the Tides but has batted just .201/.257/.370 in 42 games since that time. Jones posted a .349 average on balls in play during the 30-game stretch to open the year and saw that mark fall to .242 over his next 42 games, but a climbing strikeout rate has also been a primary reason for his downturn in performance. Jones walked 22 times (16.8 percent) against 20 strikeouts (15.3 percent) over those first 30 games, but in his past 42 contests he’s fanned at a 29.2 percent rate against a greatly diminished 6.5 percent walk rate.

Recent slump notwithstanding, Jones ranks in the middle tier of the Orioles’ top prospects and will use the remainder of the 2021 campaign as an addition for a larger role next season. The Orioles’ infield is largely unsettled beyond first baseman Trey Mancini, so there should be plenty of opportunity for younger players to stake a claim to some more playing time. Jones does have some experience in center and in left as well. However, the O’s have used him primarily as a second baseman in 2021 and have a much more settled group on the outfield grass than the infield dirt.

Dodgers Designate Conner Greene For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced they’ve designated Conner Greene for assignment. The move clears space on the 40-man roster for Shane Greene, whose previously-reported agreement with the club has been made official. Evan Phillips has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain to open room on the active roster.

Los Angeles just added Conner Greene off waivers from the Orioles two weeks ago. They could now stand to lose him after just a pair of big league outings, as the 26-year-old will find himself on the waiver wire again over the coming days. He’s made his first five MLB appearances between Baltimore and L.A. this season, tossing 5 2/3 innings of six-run ball but striking out seven while issuing only a single walk. Greene struggled over a much larger body of work with the O’s top affiliate in Norfolk, where he posted a 7.39 ERA with worse than average strikeout and walk rates (20.4% and 12.4%, respectively).

Obviously, Greene hasn’t gotten the results he’s desired so far in 2021. But he’s averaged just under 96 MPH on his fastball during his big league action and generated strong swinging strike rates at both the major league and minor league levels. He’s also a former well-regarded prospect who ranked among the Blue Jays’ most promising farmhands during his earlier days in the Toronto system. Greene still has a minor league option remaining, so any team that claims him could keep him in the high minors through the end of the season.

Dodgers Make Two Waiver Claims; Kershaw, Duffy Transferred To 60-Day IL

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The Dodgers announced Monday that they’ve claimed catcher Anthony Bemboom off waivers from the Angels and right-hander Conner Greene off waivers from the Orioles. In order to open space on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles transferred left-handers Danny Duffy and Clayton Kershaw to the 60-day injured list. The “60-day” minimum on those IL stints for Duffy and Kershaw begin with their initial placement on the IL — July 20 for Duffy and July 7 for Kershaw. Duffy would be eligible to return on Sept. 18 and Kershaw on Sept. 5.

Bemboom, 31, has batted .213/.302/.347 in 88 plate appearances with the Angels over the past two seasons. He’s also logged some very brief big league time with the Rays. While Bemboom hasn’t hit much in the Majors through a small sample’s worth of career games, he’s a .256/.349/.410 hitter in parts of five Triple-A seasons. He also boasts an excellent 35 percent caught-stealing rate behind the dish and has been credited with solid framing marks at Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs and Statcast.

The Angels designated Bemboom for assignment over the weekend when claiming fellow catcher Chad Wallach off waivers from the Marlins. Bemboom will now head to the Dodgers and provide some experienced depth for a club that just traded away top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner blockbuster.

Greene, 26, made his Major League debut with the Orioles this season but was hit hard in 3 2/3 innings. The former Blue Jays, Royals and Cardinals minor leaguer surrendered six runs on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts in his short time with the O’s and has had a similarly rough go of it in Triple-A this year (7.09 ERA in 20 2/3 frames).

That said, Greene averaged nearly 96 mph with his heater with the Orioles and posted strong swinging-strike and opponents’ chase rates. Greene was a prospect of note for several years, drawing 70 grades on his heater and 55s and 60s on his changeup (on the 20-80 scale). He’s had control problems throughout his minor league tenure (11.2 percent walk rate), but the Dodgers are ostensibly intrigued by his raw stuff and may have their own ideas about how to maximize his potential. Greene can be optioned for the rest of the season but will be out of minor league options in 2022.

The news of Kershaw moving to the 60-day IL shouldn’t be a huge surprise after manager Dave Roberts recently said he expected his left-hander to be out until September. Duffy’s move to the 60-day IL, however, is a bit more surprising. Royals general manager Dayton Moore said not long before trading Duffy to the Dodgers that he expected the southpaw to return sometime in mid-August. The Dodgers were of course able to perform their own assessment of Duffy’s medicals and were aware of the risk of a lengthier absence, but they were still probably hoping to get Duffy back on the mound sooner than this. If the remainder of his rehab from a flexor strain goes well, Duffy can still be an option for the season’s final few weeks and a bullpen candidate in the postseason.

Padres Claim Shaun Anderson Off Waivers From Orioles

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The Padres claimed right-hander Shaun Anderson off waivers from the Orioles today, both teams announced. The Padres optioned the right-hander to Triple-A El Paso.

Anderson’s time with the Orioles was brief, as he made just seven appearances totalling 10 innings after being claimed off waivers from the Twins. Anderson surrendered 10 earned runs on 17 hits and five walks while striking out seven. He’ll provide depth for the Padres, whose pitching staff has struggled to stay healthy this season.

As for the Orioles, they made a number of their own roster moves today, reinstating Ryan Hartman from the injured list, recalling Isaac Mattson, and designating Conner Greene for assignment. Greene, 26, made just three appearances for the O’s, yielding six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/5/20

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The latest minor transactions from around the sport:

  • The Orioles signed right-hander Conner Greene to a minor-league contract earlier this week, per MLB.com’s transactions page (and confirmed by Greene on Twitter). A 2013 draftee out of a California high school by the Blue Jays, Greene became a prospect of some note after his velocity spiked early in his pro career. He was traded to the Cardinals after the 2017 season and has spent the past two years in the Royals’ system. The 25-year-old struggled badly in the high minors in recent years but was still throwing in the mid-to-high 90’s in 2019, as FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen noted in April. Greene has extensive starting experience in the minors and could be an option for either the rotation or bullpen mix if he shows well in spring training.

Royals Release Jorge Bonifacio

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Nov. 27: Bonifacio has cleared waivers and is now a free agent. Additionally, the team announced that catcher Nick Dini and right-handers Conner Greene and Arnaldo Hernandez, who were designated for assignment at the same time as Bonifacio, have cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Omaha.

Nov. 25: The Royals announced that they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on outfielder Jorge Bonifacio. He was designated for assignment last week.

Bonifacio, 26, was the team’s primary right fielder in 2017 and gave fans some cause for optimism, hitting .255/.320/.432 with 17 homers, 15 doubles and a triple in that rookie campaign. He’s since been tagged with an 80-game PED suspension, however, and has generally struggled to produce at the plate. Over his past 291 plate appearances in the Majors, Bonifacio hit .234/.317/.371.

Were he a proficient defender in the outfield, perhaps the Royals would’ve been more inclined to keep Bonifacio in the fold. However, he’s limited to the corners and has posted -6 Defensive Runs Saved and -7 Outs Above Average in his big league career to this point. He’s also out of minor league options, meaning he’d need to break camp with the team in Spring Training or else be designated for assignment then. The Royals opted not to wait to make that move, thus giving themselves more 40-man roster flexibility this winter.

If Bonifacio goes unclaimed, he’ll become a free agent in 48 hours.

Royals Designate Jorge Bonifacio, Three Others For Assignment

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The Royals announced that they’ve designated outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, catcher Nick Dini and right-handers Conner Greene and Arnaldo Hernandez for assignment in advance of tonight’s deadline to set 40-man rosters prior to December’s Rule 5 Draft. Those four roster spots will go to left-hander Foster Griffin, right-hander Carlos Hernandez, shortstop Jeison Guzman and outfielder Nick Heath, each of whom has had his contract formally selected, per the team. Kansas City’s 40-man roster is full.

Bonifacio, 26, was the team’s primary right fielder in 2017 and gave fans some cause for optimism, hitting .255/.320/.432 with 17 homers, 15 doubles and a triple in that rookie campaign. He’s since been tagged with an 80-game PED suspension, however, and has generally struggled to produce at the plate. Over his past 291 plate appearances in the Majors, Bonifacio hit .234/.317/.371. For a defensively limited corner outfielder who is out of minor league options, that lack of output was no longer sufficient enough to keep his place on the roster.

Greene, also 26, was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals late last November — nearly a year ago to the day. The once-well-regarded prospect struggled to a 5.13 ERA in 112 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, though, averaging 4.3 walks per nine innings pitched along the way. His control issues expanded beyond walks, as he plunked nine batters and threw a whopping 21 wild pitches.

Dini made his MLB debut at the age of 26 this past season but hit just .196/.270/.357 in 64 plate appearances with Kansas City. He’s a lifetime .288/.347/.437 in five minor league seasons who hit .296/.370/.565 in last year’s supercharged Triple-A environment.

Arnaldo Hernandez, 23, tossed 23 sharp innings in Double-A but was hammered for a 6.39 ERA with a dismal 65-41 K/BB ratio and 24 homers allowed in just 105 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Griffin, 24, was a first-round pick in 2014 and has gone unselected in prior Rule 5 Drafts. He didn’t post particularly appealing Triple-A numbers in ’19 (5.23 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 4.4 BB/9) but notch a 49.2 percent grounder rate. He’s also impressed in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, tossing 23 1/3 innings of 2.31 ERA ball with a hearty 31-to-6 K/BB ratio.

Hernandez, 22, posted a 3.50 ERA with a 43-to-9 K/BB ratio in 35 innings with the Royals’ Class-A affiliate. Guzman didn’t hit much in A-ball and isn’t considered among the organization’s top prospects, but the Royals are bullish enough to protect him from being selected. Heath didn’t have much power, but he’s a prototypical Royals player, as evidenced by his 60 steals between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019.

Royals Claim Conner Greene, Designate Burch Smith For Assignment

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The Royals announced that they’ve claimed right-hander Conner Greene off waivers from the Cardinals. He’d been designated for assignment last week. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster, Kansas City designated righty Burch Smith for assignment.

Greene, 23, was acquired alongside Dominic Leone in last offseason’s Randal Grichuk trade. The former seventh-round pick’s longstanding control issues didn’t improve in his lone season with the Cards, as Greene walked 63 batters in 88 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He hasn’t had much success in the minors since the 2016 season, but the Royals will hope that another change of scenery brings about more favorable results in 2019.

The 28-year-old Smith was one of two Rule 5 picks carried on the roster by the Royals for the entire 2018 season, but his results paled in comparison to those of fellow Rule 5-er Brad Keller. In 78 innings, Smith limped to a 6.92 ERA, and while he averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, he also averaged 4.6 walks per nine innings pitched. Smith’s ability to miss bats has long been intriguing, but his career has been slowed by control issues and injury troubles — most notably Tommy John surgery.

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