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Angels Designate Javy Guerra For Assignment; Place Joe Smith On DL

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The Angels have designated righty Javy Guerra for assignment, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets. It’s the second trip through DFA limbo for Guerra this year; previously, he cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment. Guerra’s roster spot will go to lefty David Huff, who is starting tonight. Also coming up for the Halos is righty Mike Morin, who takes over with set-up man Joe Smith hitting the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain. Smith tried to pitch through the pain in his hamstring for three weeks, the L.A. Times’ Pedro Moura tweets, but he’s ultimately succumbed to a stint on the disabled list. His hope will to be ready for activation in the minimum allotment of 12 days (his stint is retroactive to Saturday).

Guerra, 30, has appeared in seven games for the Halos this season, totaling 6 1/3 innings and surrendering four runs on five hits and seven walks (one intentional) in that time. His last effective stint at the big league level came in 2014, when he pitched to a 2.91 ERA in 46 1/3 innings for the White Sox, and it’s also worth noting that he was a solid bullpen piece for the Dodgers back in 2011-12, even serving as the team’s closer for much of 2011. In 156 2/3 innings at the Major League level, Guerra has a 2.99 ERA, though his strikeout rate (7.4 K/9) is below average for a reliever, and he’s often battled through sub-par control as well (career 4.3 BB/9).

Guerra has already cleared waivers once this season, so one would think there’s a good chance that he can do so again. However, he’ll again have the option to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, which could come into play if Guerra believes there’s another club that presents him a better opportunity to return to the Majors.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/7/2016

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We’ll keep tabs on the day’s minor moves here:

  • White Sox righty Phillippe Aumont has retired, according to an announcement from the club’s Triple-A affiliate. The 27-year-old, once a heralded prospect with the Phillies and Mariners — and a significant piece of the 2009 Cliff Lee trade — had surrendered 15 earned runs in 11 innings on the year, with 14 strikeouts but also 11 walks on his ledger. Aumont last appeared in the majors nearly one year ago, but it doesn’t appear as if he’ll continue trying to make his way back. Over 43 2/3 major league frames, he compiled a 6.80 ERA with 8.7 K/9 against 7.0 BB/9.
  • The Angels will select the contract of lefty David Huff to start tonight’s game, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. As MLBTR reported, Huff signed on with the Halos in mid-May after opting out of his contract with the Royals. After carrying a sterling 29:2 K/BB ratio while working from the pen with the Royals’ organization, the 31-year-old has allowed 7 earned runs over 11 2/3 innings from the Triple-A Salt Lake rotation. He has continued to show an elevated strikeout rate as against his prior track record, however. It remains to be seen whether Huff can earn a longer shot at the major league level, whether from the rotation or as a multi-inning-capable reliever.

Angels Sign David Huff, Outright Javy Guerra

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The Angels have signed southpaw David Huff to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. In other pitching news, the club outrighted righty Javy Guerra after he cleared waivers, Halos media relations rep Adam Chodzko announced via Twitter.

Huff, 31, is expected to work as a starter at Triple-A. He’ll present Los Angeles with a swingman option moving forward as the team continues to build out its pitching depth amidst significant uncertainty in its staff.

After signing on with the Royals before the season, Huff opened with a strong showing at Triple-A Omaha and ultimately opted out of his deal with Kansas City. Over 23 2/3 innings of relief in a dozen outings, Huff racked up 29 strikeouts against just two walks, though he did surrender 29 hits while recording a 4.18 ERA. He has appeared in each of the last seven major league seasons, working to a 5.08 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 388 frames.

Guerra is a one-inning reliever who’ll also continue to provide the organization with an arm on call. He has seen limited MLB action in each of the last two seasons after previously playing important roles with the Dodgers and White Sox. Prior to his brief call-up this year, he carried a 2.19 ERA in 12 1/3 Triple-A innings, with his 10.2 K/9 accompanied by a less-than-promising 7.3 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/15/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around baseball…

  • Cubs outfielder Ryan Kalish has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (Twitter link).  Kalish was designated for assignment yesterday.  The 28-year-old appeared in seven games for Chicago this season, upping his career total to 153 games with the Cubs and Red Sox since 2010.
  • The Pirates will promote infield prospect Alen Hanson to the majors on Monday, according to his agency, LA Sports Management (Twitter link). Hansen, who has appeared on various top-100 prospect lists in recent years, owns a .284/.342/.442 batting line in 2821 career minor league plate appearances.  In 126 PAs with Triple-A Indianapolis this season, the 23-year-old has slashed .288/.309/.398 with two home runs and seven steals. He swiped 35 bags with Indy in 2015.  Hanson’s first taste of the majors is unlikely to last long, as his call-up will come thanks to outfielder Starling Marte’s forthcoming placement on the paternity list.
  • Left-hander David Huff has exercised the May 15 opt-out clause in the minor league contract he signed with the Royals during the offseason and is now a free agent, MLBTR has learned.  Huff threw 23 2/3 innings for the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate and posted phenomenal nine-inning strikeout and walk rates of 11.03 and 0.76, respectively, along with a 4.18 ERA.  The 31-year-old has put up a 5.08 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 as a starter and reliever in parts of seven major league seasons.
  • Left-hander Brian Duensing has asked to be released from his own minor league deal with the Royals, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports (Twitter link).  Duensing’s contract also contained a May 15 opt-out date.  This is the second time that Duensing has opted out of a minor league deal with the Royals in the last two months, as the two sides came to terms on a new contract after Duensing opted out of his previous deal near the end of Spring Training.  The 33-year-old has a 3.10 ERA, 3.80 K/BB rate and 8.4 K/9 over 20 1/3 relief innings for Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate this season.
  • The Yankees selected the contracts of right-handers Chad Green and Conor Mullee prior to Saturday’s game.  In corresponding moves, Greg Bird, Mason Williams and Bryan Mitchell were all moved from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL and top catching prospect Gary Sanchez was optioned back to Triple-A after appearing in just one game for New York.  Green and Mullee are both getting their first taste of the big leagues.  Green has a 3.29 ERA, 8.4 K/9 and 3.53 K/BB rate over 336 1/3 minor league innings, starting 59 of his 69 career games.  He will start the Yankees’ game on Monday against the Diamondbacks.  Mullee, a career reliever, has a 2.13 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 3.46 K/BB rate over 143 1/3 pro innings since being picked in the 24th round of the 2010 draft.

Minor MLB Transactions: 1/9/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Royals have agreed to terms with lefty David Huff on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, MLBTR has learned. Huff will receive $1.1MM plus a possible $300K in performance bonuses if he’s in the Majors, and his deal contains opt-outs on May 15 and June 15. Huff appeared briefly with the Dodgers last season, but spent most of the year at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he posted a 2.20 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 over 57 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old has a 5.08 ERA, 5.4 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in parts of seven big-league seasons, which he’s split between starting and relieving.
  • The Padres have selected the contract of lefty Ryan Buchter, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. The Friars had previously signed Buchter to a minor league deal, but now, before he had even pitched an inning for them, they’ve placed him on their 40-man roster. Buchter had an excellent (if somewhat control-challenged) season at Triple-A in 2015, posting a 1.78 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 50 2/3 innings of relief for two teams, and he has good velocity and is very tough on lefties. Getting him on a minor league deal looked like a small coup for the Padres, and it’s possible they’re adding him to their 40-man roster in order to avoid losing him, maybe to an opt-out clause or an offer from overseas.
  • The Pirates have released righty Casey Sadler, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. Sadler underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2015 season and was subsequently outrighted. The 25-year-old made one strong start with the Bucs in 2015 and spent the rest of the year at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he posted a 4.56 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 before getting hurt.
  • The Brewers have announced that they’ve signed lefty Pat Misch to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite. The 34-year-old Misch appeared in parts of six big-league seasons with the Giants and Mets, but he hasn’t been in the Majors since 2011. He’s had a strange journey since having Tommy John surgery in August 2013, as BA’s John Manuel writes — beginning last winter, he pitched in the Puerto Rican Winter League, then pitched 72 innings in a swingman role with Triple-A New Orleans in the Marlins system (posting a 3.25 ERA, 5.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9), then 64 2/3 with Lamigo in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. That stint finished with a Game 7 no-hitter to end the Taiwan Series.
  • The Yankees have signed infielders Donovan Solano and Jonathan Diaz to minor league deals with Spring Training invites, Eddy tweets. Solano, formerly the Marlins’ semi-regular second baseman, did not hit well in 2015 and bounced back and forth between Miami and New Orleans. He has a career .257/.307/.328 batting line in parts of four big-league seasons. The 30-year-old Diaz has played briefly with the Red Sox and Blue Jays; he spent most of 2015 with the Jays’ Triple-A Buffalo affiliate, where he played shortstop, second base and center field and batted .223/.328/.284.
  • The Braves have agreed to terms with righty Rob Wooten, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets. The 30-year-old appeared in the Brewers bullpen in the 2013 through 2015 seasons, posting a combined 5.03 ERA, 7.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 and throwing in the high 80s. He spent most of 2015, in a tough pitching environment at Triple-A Colorado Springs, with a 4.67 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 over 52 innings.
  • The Reds have signed infielder Carlos Triunfel to a minor league deal, tweets Eddy. The former top Mariners prospect, now 25, batted .264/.287/.398 in 329 plate appearances with Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants organization in 2015, splitting his time between shortstop, second and third. He has appeared briefly in the big leagues with the Mariners and Dodgers.

Dodgers Designate David Huff For Assignment

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Following the fist game of today’s double-header against the Rockies, the Dodgers announced that they have designated left-hander David Huff for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Additionally, catcher Austin Barnes has been optioned to Triple-A, and lefty Daniel Coulombe has been recalled in his place.

The 30-year-old Huff rejoined the Dodgers yesterday after making a spot start in April and being designated for assignment at that point as well. (Huff cleared waivers and remained in the Dodgers organization after being outrighted.) Huff worked a scoreless inning with a strikeout in today’s twin bill, but overall he’s yielded six runs on 11 hits and a walk with four strikeouts in six innings this year.

Huff has a good deal of Major League experience under his belt, as today’s frame was the 388th he’s pitched over the past seven seasons. Originally drafted 39th overall by the Indians in 2006, Huff debuted with Cleveland and pitched in parts of five seasons there (2009-13). Since that time, he’s appeared with the Yankees, Giants and Dodgers. Huff is no stranger to the DFA limbo in which he currently finds himself; this is the seventh time he’s been designated for assignment in his career.

The 27-year-old Ravin’s journey to the Majors has been a long one. A fifth-round pick of the Reds back in 2006, Ravin quickly found himself ranked 13th among Cincinnati farmhands by Baseball America. However, he struggled a great deal in the 2007 season and didn’t appear on another iteration of that top prospect list until 2012, when he ranked 31st. The Brewers claimed him off waivers in September 2013 but outrighted him a few months later. He signed with the Dodgers shortly after and has spent the 2014-15 seasons with their Triple-A affiliate. Ravin has touched triple digits with his fastball in the past and had a 2.25 ERA with a 30-to-8 K/BB ratio in 20 Triple-A innings this year.

Minor Moves: Huff, De La Cruz, Bautista, Meyer

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

  • The Dodgers have announced that they’ve outrighted lefty David Huff, who has accepted an assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers designated Huff for assignment on Wednesday after he made one four-inning start for them. The 30-year-old has a 5.06 ERA, 5.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in parts of seven seasons with the Indians, Yankees and Giants in addition to the Dodgers.
  • The Yankees have outrighted righty Joel De La Cruz, then sent him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 25-year-old posted a 4.44 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 121 2/3 innings in the high minors last season. The Yankees selected his contract last week, but he did not appear in a game before they optioned him back to the minors.
  • The Red Sox have signed righty Denny Bautista to a minor-league deal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. The 32-year-old Bautista last appeared in the big leagues with the Giants in 2010 and previously pitched for the Orioles, Royals, Rockies, Tigers and Pirates. He pitched in Mexico in 2014 (struggling with his control, also a problem in his big-league days) and in Korea from 2011-2013.
  • The Padres have signed former Astros third-round pick Jonathan Meyer, Eddy tweets. Meyer had been an infielder in the Astros’ system, but the Padres will use him as a catcher. The 24-year-old hit .215/.274/.280 at Double-A and Triple-A last year before Houston released him.
  • The Nationals are having infielder Emmanuel Burriss join the team, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. It’s not clear how the Nats will make room for Burriss on their 25-man roster, although Yunel Escobar suffered a groin strain against the Phillies on Friday. (MLB.com’s Bill Ladson tweets that Burriss is not listed on the Nats’ lineup card today, and Wagner notes that Burriss could simply be with the team as insurance in case the Nats need to make a move.) Burriss, a D.C. native, was hitting .286/.359/.486 in 39 plate appearances with Triple-A Syracuse. The Nats re-signed him to a minor-league deal last November. The 30-year-old appeared in parts of five seasons with the Giants from 2008-2012, hitting .243/.304/.269 in 801 plate appearances.

Dodgers Claim Ryan Dennick, Designate David Huff

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The Dodgers have claimed lefty Ryan Dennick off waivers from the Reds, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. Los Angeles has designated David Huff to clear roster space for the move.

Dennick, 28, has only minimal experience at the big league level. He struggled through the 4 2/3 innings he saw last season, allowing six earned runs, including two long balls, and walking four batters while only retiring three by way of strikeout. But Dennick was solid last year at Triple-A. Over 50 frames, he put up a 2.34 ERA while striking out 7.2 and walking 3.2 batters per nine.

Huff, meanwhile, is a 30-year-old southpaw who received a spot start for Los Angeles last night. He lasted four innings, allowing four earned on seven hits and a walk while striking out a pair of Mariners hitters. Huff was actually quite effective last year after signing with the Yankees in the middle of the season, tossing 39 innings of 1.85 ERA ball for New York out of the pen.

Dodgers Sign David Huff, Ryan Buchter

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Per a team announcement, which listed the non-roster invitees to big league camp this spring, the Dodgers have agreed to minor league pacts with lefties David Huff and Ryan Buchter. It is also apparent from the announcement that shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena has cleared waivers and been outrighted, as he too received a spring invite.

Huff, 30, tossed 59 innings last year with the Giants and Yankees. He was hit hard in San Francisco, but held opposing clubs to 1.85 earned runs per nine over his 39 frames in New York. Then again, Huff’s FIP was in the same range in each stop, suggesting that he was much the same pitcher. Over parts of six MLB campaigns, Huff has thrown 382 innings of 4.77 ERA ball with 5.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9, though he has been more effective since transitioning primarily to relief.

Buchter, meanwhile, has made just one (scoreless) MLB appearance, which came last year with the Braves. He has been effective at the Triple-A level, working to a 3.45 ERA over 133 total innings. Though his 11.6 K/9 strikeout rate at the final stop in the minors is impressive, it is accompanied by a troubling 7.3 BB/9.

2014-15 American League Non-Tenders

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Major League clubs have until 11pm CT tonight to tender contracts to players for the 2015 season. We’ll run down the list of American League non-tenders here, and update it as reports come in. Remember that you can track all of the action using MLBTR’s Non-Tender tracker, and we offer a full list of non-tender candidates (in the estimation of MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes). Also important for reference is the set of arbitration salary projections from MLBTR and contributor Matt Swartz. Click here for an explanation of the process, and be sure to check out this piece featuring some interesting observations from Tim regarding non-tender considerations.

  • Slade Heathcott, Jose Campos, and David Huff have all been non-tendered by the Yankees, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports on Twitter.
  • The Twins have tendered contracts to all arb-eligible players, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter link).
  • Third baseman Carlos Rivero is the only non-tender for the Mariners, the club announced. Rivero was not yet arbitration eligible.
  • The Astros have tendered contracts to all arb-eligible players, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports on Twitter.
  • The Royals have non-tendered lefty Francisley Bueno, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports on Twitter. He was not yet eligible for arbitration.
  • As expected, the Tigers have offered arbitration to all eligible players, Anthony Fench of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
  • The Athletics have declined to offer arbitration to Kyle Blanks and Andrew Brown, the team announced. Both had previously been designated for assignment. Oakland will retain control over the remainder of its eligible players, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • As with several other clubs, the Rays will proceed without any non-tenders, the club announced (per a tweet from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).
  • Likewise, the Orioles have tendered contracts to each of their eleven arb-eligible players, the team announced.
  • The Indians have tendered contracts to all five eligible players, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (via Twitter). Cleveland had a fairly straightforward group. Indeed, Dierkes did not list any players as reasonable NT candidates.
  • Scott Snodgress and Scott Carroll have been non-tendered by the White Sox, Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com tweets. Both players were pre-arbitration eligible, meaning that Chicago could have renewed them at the MLB minimum.
  • The Red Sox have non-tendered third baseman Juan Francisco but will otherwise tender contracts to all eligible players, the club announced (h/t to Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com, via Twitter). Francisco had already been designated for assignment, making this one of the day’s least surprising moves.
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