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D.J. Peterson

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/10/19

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We’ll kick the morning off with some of the game’s minor moves throughout the league…

  • Righty David Carpenter was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers, the Rangers announced. His return to the majors proved spirited but brief, as the 33-year-old was hit hard in his lone appearance. He had produced strong results at Triple-A, however, working to a 1.76 ERA with a 17:4 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings. Perhaps Carpenter will find his way back up to the bigs at some point.
  • The Cubs granted right-hander Matt Carasiti his release from their Triple-A club over the weekend, per Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register (Twitter links). He quickly latched on with the Mariners on a new minor league pact and has already appeared in his first game with Seattle’s top affiliate in Tacoma, where he allowed an earned run in 1 2/3 innings of work. In 27 innings of work with Chicago’s Iowa affiliate this season, Carasiti notched a 2.67 ERA with 7.7 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 54.1 percent ground-ball rate. The 27-year-old righty has a 2.85 ERA with 98 strikeouts against 36 walks in parts of three Triple-A campaigns (85 1/3 innings). He’s also had some success overseas, with a 3.98 ERA in 103 2/3 innings in his lone season pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, and he made a brief big league appearance with the Rockies in 2016. Carasiti allowed 16 runs in 15 2/3 innings with the Rox, though he’s pitched fairly well at every turn since that rough debut.
  • The White Sox released minor league corner infielder D.J. Peterson, according to the Triple-A International League’s transactions page. A former first-round pick (Mariners, 2013) and Top 100 prospect, Peterson has yet to make his Major League debut. After a productive year with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in 2018, he’s struggled to a dismal .189/.268/.370 slash through 143 plate appearances so far in 2019. The right-handed-hitting Peterson has ample experience at both infield corners but spent more time at third base than at first in his brief time with the White Sox. He’s a career .254/.310/.424 hitter in 1320 plate appearances across parts of five Triple-A seasons.

White Sox Sign Randall Delgado, Jacob Lindgren, D.J. Peterson

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The White Sox have signed a pair of pitchers – right-hander Randall Delgado and lefty Jacob Lindgren – as well as first baseman D.J. Peterson to minor league contracts, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports.

Among the trio, the most major league experience belongs to Delgado, who accumulated 542 2/3 innings and 271 appearances (53 starts) with the Braves and Diamondbacks from 2011-18. He pitched to a 4.10 ERA/4.19 FIP with 7.71 K/9 and 3.37 BB/9 along the way, and was particularly successful in Arizona during the 2015 and ’17 campaigns. However, the 28-year-old Delgado endured a rough 2018, during which he totaled just 11 1/3 innings and saw his velocity decline. An oblique injury helped slow Delgado, who lost his spot with the Diamondbacks when they released him in late July, only to re-sign him in mid-August.

Lindgren, 25, had been on the market since the Braves outrighted him in October, ending a two-year run with the franchise. Formerly a promising prospect with the Yankees, who chose him in Round 2 of the 2014 draft, Lindgren never threw a professional pitch with the Braves on account of significant arm problems. Lindgren underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2016 season, but the Braves nonetheless signed him to a major league deal entering 2017. But Lindgren underwent yet another TJ procedure prior to last season, which at least temporarily derailed his comeback efforts. When healthy, Lindgren has recorded a sterling 1.83 ERA with sky-high strikeout and walk rates (14.2 K/9, 5.3 BB/9) across 54 frames in the minors. He also reached the bigs in the Yankees in 2015, when he yielded four earned runs with eight strikeouts and four walks over seven innings.

Like Lindgren, Peterson was a well-regarded prospect somewhat recently. After going 12th overall to the Mariners in the 2012 draft, Peterson cracked BA’s top-100 prospects list over the next couple years. While Peterson had his moments in the Mariners’ system, they designated him in July 2017, leading his current club – the White Sox – to claim him off waivers. Peterson didn’t last long during his first stint with the Pale Hose, though, as the Reds grabbed him off waivers in September 2017. His time with the Reds concluded when they released him last month, even though he batted a decent .277/.322/.462 with 16 home runs in 453 plate appearances as a member of their Triple-A affiliate in 2018. Thus far, the 27-year-old Peterson is a .262/.315/.431 hitter in 1,177 PAs at the minors’ highest level.

Minor MLB Transactions: 12/18/18

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Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the game…

  • The Mets have signed right-hander Zach Lee to a minor league contract, as first reported by MetsMerized’s Michael Mayer (on Twitter). The once-vaunted pitching prospect was involved in one of the more lopsided swaps in recent memory, going from Los Angeles to Seattle in a straight-up deal for Chris Taylor. Lee, now 26, spent the 2018 season in the Rays’ system, where he split the year between Double-A and Triple-A and posted a 3.65 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9 in 145 2/3 innings. However, as has been the case throughout his career, he was terrific in Double-A (career 3.22 ERA in 282 1/3 innings) but clobbered in Triple-A (5.20 ERA in 550 2/3 innings).
  • Corner infielder D.J. Peterson has been granted his release by the Reds to pursue other opportunities, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. Peterson, the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft (by the Mariners), was once considered to be among the game’s elite prospects. Multiple outlets considered him to be among the game’s top 100 prospects in 2014-15, but his bat stalled in the upper minors. Peterson hit .249/.318/.418 in parts of three Triple-A seasons and posted a similarly pedestrian .262/.315/.431 slash in parts of four seasons in Triple-A. It’s not clear what’s lined up next for him, though as a corner bat with some pop, he could draw interest overseas.
  • The Pirates have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Steven Baron, per John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com. Baron, who just turned 28, has gone 1-for-16 in a minuscule sample of six big league games. He’s a career .252/.309/.331 hitter in parts of four Triple-A seasons, though, and has thrown out 43 percent of would-be base thieves in his minor league career. He’s also drawn consistently excellent marks for his pitch-framing abilities and above-average marks in terms of pitch blocking, per Baseball Prospectus.
  • The Brewers announced that they’ve signed right-hander Chris Dula to a minor league contract. The 26-year-old hasn’t pitched in affiliated ball since 2016, when he was with the Rangers, but has spent the past couple of seasons on the indy circuit and gained some notoriety for a fastball that reaches 102 mph. As one might expect, control issues are a significant factor with Dula, but the Brewers will take him on as a project, presumably in the lower to middle levels of their minor league system, in hopes of harnessing his premium velocity.

Reds Outright D.J. Peterson

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The Reds have outrighted corner infielder D.J. Peterson after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. Cincinnati had just claimed the former top prospect off waivers from the White Sox.

Clearly, the series of moves was designed to add Peterson without tying up a 40-man spot, which seems to have been successful. He will be Rule 5 eligible if another organization wants to take a look during camp, but Peterson will not be able to elect minor-league free agency at the end of the current season.

Chosen 12th overall in the 2013 draft, Peterson once rated as one of the game’s hundred or so best prospects. His stock has slipped, though, as it became evident he likely wouldn’t stick at third base and as his bat has failed to develop.

The Mariners ultimately gave up on Peterson after he slashed .264/.323/.414 at Triple-A to open the season. He hit even less upon landing with the White Sox, but became the latest stalled power hitter to land with the Reds organization on Sunday. It seems reasonable to expect that Peterson will at least have some shot at impressing his new employer in camp, assuming he’s still with the club come mid-February.

Reds Claim D.J. Peterson From White Sox

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The Reds have claimed infielder D.J. Peterson off waivers from the White Sox. Cincinnati transferred reliever Drew Storen to the 60-day disabled list in a corresponding move. The White Sox also outrighted catcher Alfredo Gonzalez to Double-A Birmingham, reducing their 40-man total to 38, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune tweets.

This is the second time this year a club has claimed Peterson. He previously went to the White Sox on Aug. 6 after the Mariners designated him for assignment at the end of July. For Seattle, moving on from the 25-year-old meant cutting ties with a 2013 first-round pick and a player who was once a highly regarded prospect. Peterson struggled this season with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate and did the same in his 97-plate appearance stint with the White Sox’s top farm team, giving him a .252/.315/.404 batting line in 518 PAs. The righty-swinger still hasn’t ascended to the majors, and he won’t report to the big league club upon his arrival to the Reds, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer (on Twitter).

The 25-year-old Gonzalez also hasn’t gotten past the minors since signing with the Astros as an international free agent in 2008. This year, his first in the Chicago organization, the Venezuelan hit .208/.306/.301 in 249 trips to the plate with Birmingham.

White Sox Claim D.J. Peterson

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The White Sox have claimed infielder D.J. Peterson off waivers from the Mariners, according to an announcement from Seattle. The Mariners designated Peterson for assignment on July 30.

The 25-year-old Peterson had been with the Mariners since they used the 12th overall pick on him in the 2013 draft. Peterson was a fixture on top 100 prospects lists in the early going, but since holding his own at the Single-A and Double-A levels from 2013-14, his bat has cooled. Peterson hasn’t been able to conquer Triple-A pitching, as he batted .260/.316/.418 in 627 plate appearances with the Mariners’ affiliate in Tacoma. He hit just .264/.323/.414 there this year, good for 12 percent worse than the Pacific Coast League average, according to wRC+.

Peterson has three options remaining, per Roster Resource, and could get a shot in the majors at some point with the rebuilding White Sox. For now, he’ll head to Triple-A Charlotte.

Mariners Designate D.J. Peterson For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that former top prospect D.J. Peterson has been designated for assignment. His roster spot goes to Leonys Martin, who is back with the Mariners after having his contract selected. The M’s also added Erasmo Ramirez to the active roster following the recent trade with the Rays, placed Mitch Haniger on the 10-day DL with a facial laceration and optioned Cody Martin to Triple-A Tacoma.

Peterson, 25, was selected by the Mariners with the 12th overall pick in the 2013 draft and was considered to be among the game’s top 100 prospects in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 offseasons. However, his glovework at third base was never considered to be especially strong — he’s split his time between both corner infield spots in recent years — and his bat has stalled at the Triple-A level. In parts of three seasons with Seattle’s affiliate in Tacoma, he’s posted a pedestrian .260/.316/.418 batting line. While those numbers aren’t terrible, they’re fairly light for a bat-first prospect that will turn 26 years old this winter.

Peterson does still have a pair of option years remaining beyond the 2017 season, so clubs that are light on upper-level bats could either claim him on waivers or work out a trade with always-active GM Jerry Dipoto prior to his placement on waivers.

Mariners Acquire James Pazos From Yankees, Designate Tom Wilhelmsen

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The Mariners announced that they’ve acquired left-hander James Pazos from the Yankees in exchange for minor league right-hander Zack Littell. Additionally, Seattle has designated veteran righty Tom Wilhelmsen for assignment and added lefty Paul Fry, corner infielder D.J. Peterson and right-hander Thyago Vieira to the 40-man roster.

Pazos, 25, has just 8 1/3 innings under his belt at the Major League level but has an impressive minor league track record. In 215 1/3 total innings in the minors, Pazos has a 2.30 ERA with 10.2 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9, and he’s worked to a minuscule 1.79 ERA with 78 punchouts in 60 1/3 innings at Triple-A. However, he’s also walked 34 batters in that time at Triple-A, indicating that his control could use some further refinement. Nonetheless, the Mariners are known to be looking for left-handed relief help, and Pazos will give GM Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais an option that could conceivably break camp with the team in 2017 and, at the very least, should be an option later in the season.

Wilhelmsen, 33 next month, was traded from Seattle to Texas in last winter’s Leonys Martin deal but was rocked with the Rangers (10.55 ERA in 21 1/3 innings) and ultimately released in June. He quickly re-signed with Seattle and enjoyed a 180-degree turnaround, pitching to a 3.60 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a 52.8 percent ground-ball rate in 25 innings to close out the season. However, the Mariners would’ve had to pay him a projected $3.8MM in his final trip through arbitration this winter.

Latest On Trade Talks Between Mariners, Rays

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FRIDAY: Taijuan Walker’s name is once again at the center of trade talks surrounding Price, reports Heyman. He adds that Tampa has also expressed interest in the likes of corner infield prospect D.J. Peterson and James Paxton, neither of which is particularly surprising; Peterson and Paxton are two of the top young players in Seattle’s system.

The two sides are discussing various iterations of deals for Price, Zobrist or both. Heyman adds that Seattle might be willing to include Brad Miller in a deal as well, given the emergence of Triple-A shortstop Chris Taylor. The M’s, however, have said they won’t deal Mike Zunino.

THURSDAY, 9:51pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Mariners’ talks with the Rays have been more focused on Zobrist than Price, and the two sides have been discussing Zobrist “for weeks.” Nick Franklin’s name has frequently come up in talks, he adds.

Heyman also reports that the Mariners have spoken to the Twins about Josh Willingham and the White Sox about Dayan Viciedo, and he notes that he, too, has heard Byrd’s name in learning of the Mariners’ trade talks. One big league source tells Heyman, however, that a deal for Byrd is now “less than likely” due to his no-trade clause.

He also adds that the Mariners’ ownership group is very big on bringing in players who want to be in Seattle. Offseason comments by Price’s agent about his client not wanting to sign a long-term deal in Seattle seem to indicate that Price doesn’t fit that description. However, the team’s status as a legitimate postseason contender may have changed Price’s thinking on that front.

2:10pm: Though no deal is imminent, the Mariners have been engaged in ongoing discussions with the Rays regarding lefty David Price and utilityman Ben Zobrist, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Meanwhile, talks have stalled with the Phillies regarding Marlon Byrd.

Needless to say, Price and Zobrist both represent potential impact to contenders. Either player could presumably add value to just about every roster in baseball. That holds particularly true for Seattle, which could not only pair Price with current ace Felix Hernandez but would be able to play Zobrist at shortstop, outfield, or even first base.

Of course, the return for either — and, especially, both — would figure to be substantial. (It is not clear from Morosi’s report whether the two would be joined in any potential deal, or indeed whether the sides have progressed that far.) Tampa is said to be interested in beating the return that the Cubs received for Jeff Samardzija, if it deals Price at all. Certainly, a hypothetical pairing of Price and Zobrist (both under control for next season) would require a bigger return on paper than was commanded by Samardzija and Jason Hammel.

Meanwhile, the news on Byrd makes sense in light of last night’s report from ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden, which indicated that Byrd would ask the Mariners to guarantee his $8MM option for 2016 in order to waive his no-trade clause. Seattle is one of just four teams on Byrd’s no-trade list.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Prospect Rumor Roundup: Early Draft Returns

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The 2013 amateur draft is now fully in the rearview mirror and a new wave of talent has filtered into the professional ranks. Some of the '13 draftees have been riding the buses for more than a month now, while others have only recently pulled on their spikes. Below is a look at first round picks who are off to impressive starts with their new organizations. Standard warnings about reading too much into small sample sizes apply.

Mark Appel, RHP, Astros (1st overall): The top selection in the 2013 draft has made four starts in the minors and has already earned a promotion, moving from the New York Penn League to the Midwest League. Despite a bit of a layoff between the college season and his first pro appearance, the Stanford alum has displayed good control with just one walk in 13 innings while striking out 13 batters. Curt Rallo, writing for MiLB.com, recently caught up with Appel and spoke to him about the adjustments he's making as a professional baseball player.  

Kohl Stewart, RHP, Twins (4th): The highest drafted prep product, 18-year-old Kohl has acclimatized well to his new life as a pro ball player. Stewart, a Texas native, features a 1.80 ERA with nine strikeouts in 10 innings of work over four appearances (two starts). 

Clint Frazier, OF, Indians (5th): The 18-year-old Frazier is stinging the ball through his first 18 pro games. He's hitting more than .300 with nine extra base hits. On the down side, he's whiffed 24 times, including nine strikeouts in his last four games. Clearly, he has some further adjustments to make if he hopes to see continued success on the diamond.

Hunter Dozier, SS, Royals (8th): The Royals' first pick received a lot of attention for being an overdraft so the club could later afford pitcher Sean Manaea, who slipped out of first round consideration due to injury concerns. Dozier, though, is making the decision to pick him eighth overall look inspired. He has an .856 OPS and 20 of his 37 hits have gone for extra bases during his time in the Pioneer League. Dozier has also walked more than he's struck out (19-16). His first professional baseball club, the Idaho Falls Chukars, recently published an audio Q&A with the first rounder.

D.J. Peterson, 3B, Mariners (12th): Peterson was promoted from the Northwest League to the Midwest League on Tuesday and he will leave behind some impressive numbers. The third baseman popped six home runs and posted a .915 OPS in 29 games. He also showed solid contact skills with a strikeout rate of just under 15%, which is impressive given his power output.

Reese McGuire, C, Pirates (14th): The Pirates had two first round selections in 2013 and McGuire has gotten off to a quicker start than his new teammate Austin Meadows. The young catcher is hitting more than .400 with a 1.012 OPS through his first 15 games. He's also impressing behind the plate by catching 50% of base runners attempting to steal. John Lembo of the Bradenton Herald spoke to both McGuire and Meadows about their thoughts of growing up in the Pirates organization.

J.P. Crawford, SS, Phillies (16th): Philadelphia has been snakebitten over the past few years when it comes to their first round draft picks, and the organization is clearly hoping for bigger and better things from Crawford. He's off to a good start in Rookie ball where he's compiled 25 hits and seven walks in 18 games, good for a .427 on-base percentage. By getting on base at such a good clip, it should allow him to pile up some steals thanks to his above-average speed.

Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox (18th): Anderson is the third shortstop on this list who's off to a quick start to his career. Playing in low-A ball, he's getting on base at a solid clip (.371 OBP) while nabbing 12 bases in 15 attempts through the first 32 games of his pro career. One red flag, though, is his strikeout rate of 25%, especially given that power is not a big part of his game right now; an improvement in his contact rate would likely help him improve his on-base percentage even further. Anderson could move quickly through the Sox system, which could help to explain why the club may be willing to part with incumbent shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Michael Teague of MiLB.com spoke to the young prospect shortly after he was named the top junior college athlete in the country for 2013.

Jonathon Crawford, RHP, Tigers (20th): Crawford has opened his pro career in the New York Penn League and he's expected to be one of the first college-groomed draft picks to reach the Major League level. Through six appearances, he's looking good with a 2.03 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings of work. He was downright unhittable in three of those appearances (totaling six innings). Lynn Henning of the Detroit News spoke to Crawford's manager in Connecticut about the recent draft pick's positive start to his career.

Billy McKinney, OF, Athletics (24th): After batting just .242 with a .558 OPS in June, McKinney has heated up in July and currently has a .367 average and .861 OPS. The left-handed-hitting Texas native has improved his game in part by making more contact and lowering his strikeout rate. He's also holding his own against southpaws, which is impressive to see from such a young hitter.

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