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Dom Nunez

Guardians Sign Anthony Banda, Dom Nuñez To Minor League Deals

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The Guardians announced today that left-hander Anthony Banda and catcher Dom Nuñez have been signed to minor league deals with non-roster invites to Spring Training. Both players are repped by the ALIGND Sports Agency.

Banda, 30, is coming off a rough season. He signed a minor league deal with the Nationals and made their Opening Day squad but was designated for assignment and outrighted off the roster a month later. He tossed just seven innings over 10 appearances, allowing five earned runs. He went on to throw 65 1/3 innings at Triple-A with a 7.58 ERA.

That was obviously not an ideal season, but he’s looked better in the past. From 2017 to 2022, he suited up for the Diamondbacks, Rays, Mets, Pirates, Blue Jays and Yankees, making 80 major league appearances over those six years. His 5.64 ERA in that time isn’t terribly impressive but a .358 batting average on balls in play and 67.9% strand rate may have pushed some extra runs across the board. His 20.1% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate were both close to average in that stretch, leading to a 4.25 FIP and 4.35 SIERA that are each more than a full run better than the ERA.

The Guards currently project to have Sam Hentges as the only southpaw in their big league bullpen, with Tim Herrin on the 40-man roster as optionable depth. If Banda could put the last year behind him, he could perhaps earn his way into that mix, though he’s out of options and wouldn’t be able to be sent back down without first being exposed to waivers.

Nuñez, 29, didn’t make it to the majors last year. He spent 2023 in Triple-A, signing minor league pacts with the Cubs and then Pirates. Between the two organizations, he struck out in 27.1% of his plate appearances but also drew walks at a 15.3% clip, leading to a .187/.326/.311 batting line.

Prior to last year, he was able to appear in 111 major league games for the Rockies from 2019 to 2022. The work at the plate was similar to his 2023 results, as he slashed .180/.280/.373 while striking out at a 34% rate but also walking 12.4% of the time. Behind the plate, he’s generally considered a strong pitch framer, getting positive marks in that department from FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and Statcast.

The Guardians are set to open the year with Bo Naylor and Austin Hedges as their catching tandem. David Fry is on the roster but he can play other positions and also has options. Nuñez will give the club a bit of veteran depth in a non-roster capacity and could be called upon if someone above him on the depth chart suffers an injury.

Pirates, Dom Nunez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Pirates have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with catcher Dom Nunez, per their transaction log at MLB.com. The ALIGND Sports client will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Nunez, 28, was released by the Cubs over the weekend but quickly found a new home with the Pirates organization. The former Rockies backstop hit .216/.367/.366 in 147 plate appearances with the Cubs’ top affiliate in Des Moines, drawing a walk in a whopping 17.4% of his plate appearances but also striking out at an untenable 27.5% clip.

A sixth-round pick back in 2013, Nunez has a career .229/.346/.433 batting line in parts of three Triple-A seasons but has managed only a .180/.280/.373 output in 347 Major League plate appearances. He’s belted a dozen homers, 16 doubles and three triples in that time, showing above-average power, but Nunez’s 34% strikeout rate as a big leaguer has been too large an obstacle to overcome thus far.

Nunez’s career 29% caught-stealing rate (minors and majors combined) is better than average, although like many catchers, he’s seen a dip following rule changes that have emboldened baserunners. He’s sitting at 23% in Triple-A this year. He regularly graded as a plus framer earlier in his minor league career, per Baseball Prospectus, although his marks have dipped closer to average this season. Statcast credits him as slightly above-average in terms of both framing and blocking throughout the 826 innings he’s caught at the MLB level.

The Pirates traded catcher Austin Hedges to the Rangers prior to the deadline, paving the way for top prospects Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis to get more playing time behind the plate. (Davis has played almost exclusively in right field in the Majors.) That trade and the pair of promotions thinned out Pittsburgh’s depth in the upper minors, so it’s not all that surprising to see the Bucs scoop up an experienced catcher to provide some depth. Between Rodriguez, Davis and Jason Delay, the Pirates have three catching options on the current big league roster. That jams up Nunez’s path to the big leagues, but he should get playing time in Indianapolis alongside 2018 fifth-rounder Grant Koch — and he’ll be an option if the Bucs wind up needing to tap into their catching depth for any reason.

Cubs Sign Dom Nuñez To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs have signed catcher Dom Nuñez to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. MLBTR has confirmed the pact and that the backstop will receive an invite to major league Spring Training.

Nuñez, who turns 28 this month, has spent the vast majority of his career with the Rockies. They selected him in the sixth round of the 2013 draft and he worked his way up to the majors to make his debut in 2019. Nuñez is generally considered a solid defender but hasn’t provided too much at the plate. He’s played in 111 MLB games over the past four years, striking out in 34% of his plate appearances but walking at a solid 12.4% clip. His career batting line currently sits at .180/.280/.373.

The only portion of his career that wasn’t spent with the Rockies was very brief. The Giants claimed him off waivers November 9 of 2022, only to designate him for assignment and non-tender him one week later. He elected free agency and will now jump to the Cubs’ organization.

The Cubs currently have three catchers on their 40-man roster, with Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes slated to the share the catching role on the big league roster. Prospect Miguel Amaya is also on the roster but he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021. He returned to action last year but was limited to just 40 minor league games and has yet to reach Triple-A. Nuñez will give the club an experienced depth option to be called upon if an injury creates a need at the big league level.

National League Non-Tenders: 11/18/22

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The deadline to tender contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7:00pm Central. Here’s a rundown of the players on National League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed. All players non-tendered go directly to free agency

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all arb-eligible players last month.

Later Updates

  • The Reds have non-tendered righty Daniel Duarte and minor league outfielder Allan Cerda, taking both off the 40-man roster. Neither had been eligible for arbitration, but Cincinnati will send both into free agency without having to place either on waivers. Duarte made three relief appearances this year, his first as a big leaguer. Cerda, 23 next month, has yet to reach the majors. He hit .198/.350/.401 in 257 plate appearances in Double-A. Cincinnati also announced that six players designated for assignment earlier this week — Aristides Aquino, Jared Solomon, Kyle Dowdy, Derek Law, Art Warren and Jeff Hoffman — were all let go. Both Duarte and Cerda have already agreed to re-sign with Cincinnati on minor league deals, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (Twitter link).

Earlier Moves

  • The Braves freed a pair of 40-man roster spots by non-tendering minor league pitchers Brooks Wilson and Alan Rangel. Rangel spent most of this past season in Double-A, while Wilson didn’t pitch in 2022. Atlanta also announced that three players non-tendered earlier this week — Guillermo Heredia, Jackson Stephens and Silvino Bracho — have been let go.
  • The Giants have non-tendered relievers Mauricio Llovera and Alex Young and infielder Donovan Walton, clearing three spots on the 40-man roster. Walton was acquired from the Mariners midseason and hit .158/.179/.303 in 24 games with San Francisco. Young made 24 appearances after his contract was purchased from the Guardians. Llovera pitched 17 times after signing a minor league deal last offseason. Additionally San Francisco non-tendered seven players who’d been designated for assignment earlier this week: Drew Strotman, Meibrys Viloria, Colton Welker, Jarlin Garcia, Dom Nunez, Sam Delaplane and Jason Vosler.
  • The Pirates non-tendered lefty Manny Banuelos and catcher Tyler Heineman. Both had been designated for assignment earlier this week.
  • The Diamondbacks non-tendered righty Reyes Moronta, the team announced. The reliever posted a 4.50 ERA in 17 outings with the Snakes after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers.
  • The Padres announced they’ve cut loose catcher Jorge Alfaro and righty Efrain Contreras. Alfaro had been projected at a $3.6MM salary this season, a hefty amount after a .246/.285/.383 season. Contreras hasn’t pitched in the majors; he had a tough year in High-A and loses his 40-man spot spot as a result.
  • The Cubs have non-tendered center fielder Rafael Ortega, as well as minor league pitchers Brailyn Marquez and Alexander Vizcaino. Ortega has seen a decent amount of action the last two years and had a respectable .241/.331/.358 line through 371 plate appearances this past season. Nevertheless, the Cubs opted against a salary in the $1.7MM range for next year. Marquez has been a top pitching prospect but has battled injury issues for the past few years. Vizcaino was part of the Anthony Rizzo trade with the Yankees but didn’t pitch in the minors this year.
  • The Nationals non-tendered righty Tommy Romero. He’d been designated for assignment earlier this week. Washington confirmed the previously-reported decisions to part with Luke Voit and Erick Fedde.
  • The Brewers cut loose right-handers Trevor Gott, Jandel Gustave and Luis Perdomo. All three were part of Milwaukee’s middle innings mix, with Gustave’s 45 appearances the most among that group. Gott had a 4.15 ERA over 45 2/3 innings after signing a free agent deal last offseason.
  • The Rockies non-tendered infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson, the club announced. The 28-year-old had been projected for a $2.1MM salary. A speedster with the ability to play anywhere up the middle, Hampson just hasn’t hit at the big league level. He’s coming off a .211/.287/.307 showing through 226 plate appearances.
  • The Mets announced they’ve non-tendered Sean Reid-Foley and confirmed they’re letting go of Dominic Smith, who’s non-tender was previously reported. This year, Reid-Foley made seven MLB appearances, tossing 10 innings of relief.
  • The Dodgers have non-tendered infielder Edwin Rios and utilityman Luke Williams, per a club announcement. Los Angeles also confirmed the previously reported non-tender of former MVP Cody Bellinger. Rios has shown some offensive promise in the past and owns a .212/.299/.492 line through 112 big league games. He missed a good chunk of this past season with a hamstring strain. Williams was claimed off waivers from the Marlins recently; the Dodgers could look to bring him back on a minor league deal.

Giants Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Giants announced a huge batch of roster moves prior to today’s Rule 5 protection deadline. One of them was the previously reported acquisition of infielder Brett Wisely from the Rays. He was selected to the club’s 40-man roster along with righties Tristan Beck, Jose Cruz and Keaton Winn, infielder Marco Luciano and outfielder Luis Matos. In corresponding moves, seven players were designated for assignment: righties Sam Delaplane and Drew Strotman, lefty Jarlin Garcia, catchers Dom Nunez and Meibrys Viloria, as well as infielders Jason Vosler and Colton Welker.

Beck, a 26-year-old righty, was drafted out of Stanford in the fourth round in 2018 by the Braves and was sent to San Francisco in the Mark Melancon deal at the following year’s trade deadline.  He made only 12 appearances in 2021 due to a herniated disc in his back.  Coupled with the lost 2020 season, he had a large period with minimal minor league work.  Beck spent most of the season starting at the Triple-A level, posting decent peripherals.  However, a .333 batting average on balls in play contributed to an unsightly 5.64 ERA for the Flying Squirrels.  If Beck can get off to a solid start back at Triple-A to begin the 2023 campaign, he stands a good chance of seeing time at the Major League level.

Cruz, 22, spent the season in Low A-ball, whiffing an impressive 42.6% of batters faced out of the San Jose Giants’ bullpen.  Last week, he was named a California League All-Star.  Baseball America named him the best reliever in his league, and also considered his changeup the best in the circuit.  Cruz closed out his season with 16 1/3 scoreless innings, and seems ready to take on High-A with the Eugene Emeralds next year.

Winn, a 24-year-old righty starter, pitched at three levels this year as he ascended from Low-A to Double A.  A former fifth round pick of the Giants in 2018, Winn had Tommy John surgery prior to the 2021 season.  It was a strong comeback season, and Winn reportedly picked up velocity post-TJ.  He was able to miss a lot of bats in A-ball and could find his way to the big leagues at some point in ’23.

Luciano, 21, continues to rate as the Giants’ top prospect despite missing two months this year due to a back injury.  He was rated as the 17th best prospect in baseball by Baseball America heading into the season, and around his injury managed a 121 wRC+ this year in High-A.  Luciano is not necessarily expected to stay at shortstop, but may wind up at third base and should be carried by his impressive power.  Luciano is making up for lost time playing in the Dominican Winter League and should open 2023 at Double-A.

Matos, a 20-year-old center fielder, rates as the Giants third prospect according to MLB.com.  Signed in the same international class as Luciano, Matos is a well-rounded player who excelled in Low-A last year, leading to a rating of 73rd in the game by Baseball America heading into the season.  However, Matos limped to a 73 wRC+ in High-A in 2022, so he picked up some extra at-bats in the Arizona Fall League.

As for the club’s seven DFAs, Delaplane is a 27-year-old righty reliever who was drafted by the Mariners in the 23rd round in 2017.  The Mariners booted him off their 40-man roster in May 2021 after he required Tommy John surgery.  At that point he was dealt to the Giants for cash considerations.  Delaplane dealt with a setback in his recovery this summer, and finds his way off the 40-man once again.  Back in 2019, Delaplane capped off his season by dominating Double-A hitters for 37 innings, posting a 36.6 K-BB%.

Strotman, a 26-year-old righty reliever, was a fourth round pick by the Rays back in 2017.  He went to the Twins in the 2021 trade deadline deal for Nelson Cruz.  Strotman was claimed off waivers by the Rangers in September of this year, and then by the Giants five days ago.  As MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote at that time, Strotman has struggled with walks and was no lock to survive the winter on the Giants’ 40-man.

The Giants claimed Viloria, a 25-year-old catcher, last Thursday from the Rangers along with Strotman.  As Adams wrote at the time, Viloria hasn’t hit much in parts of four big league seasons but he’s done better at Triple-A and is “touted as a plus defensive backstop, boasting a 34% caught-stealing rate between the big leagues and the minors, and drawing plus reviews for his framing.”

Nunez, 27, was drafted out of high school by the Rockies in the sixth round back in 2013.  Nunez got a decent chunk of playing time in 2021, but managed just a 68 wRC+.  Spending his entire season at Triple-A this year, he didn’t fare any better offensively.  The Giants picked him up via a waiver claim six days ago and are apparently aiming to pass him and Viloria through waivers and keep them around as catching depth.  They’re now back to just Joey Bart and Austin Wynns as catchers on the 40-man, so an addition is likely this winter.

Garcia, 30 in January, joined the Giants via a February 2020 waiver claim from the Marlins.  Since then he’s worked 152 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen with a fine 2.84 ERA, although his 15.5 K-BB% doesn’t catch the eye.  While Garcia generally exhibits solid control and was a fairly notable part of the club’s 2021 bullpen, he was entrusted with lower-leverage work out of this year’s pen.  With over five years of big league service, Garcia projected for a $2.4MM salary through arbitration.  Since Garcia was apparently unlikely to last through Friday’s non-tender deadline with the Giants, they decided to open up the 40-man spot today to give a spot to a prospect.

Welker, a 25-year-old corner infielder, was drafted in the fourth round by the Rockies back in 2016.  After giving him a brief big league taste last year, the Rockies let Welker go to the Giants in a July waiver claim this year.  Welker, who was suspended for 80 games in 2021 for PED use, was limited to ten games this year due to season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum.  After carrying him on their 40-man for part of that recovery process, the Giants have sacrificed his spot due to the Rule 5 deadline.

Vosler, a third baseman, was drafted in the 16th round by the Cubs back in 2014.  He was sent to the Padres for Rowan Wick in November 2018.  Two years ago he became a minor league free agent and the Giants inked him to a Major League deal.  Now 29, Vosler was productive at Triple-A in 2019 and ’21 but managed just an 82 wRC+ this year.  He bounced up and down with the Giants this year and did all he could, posting a fine 126 wRC+ in 111 scattered plate appearances that included a home run off Pablo Lopez in June.

After Evan Longoria, the Giants split third base time fairly evenly among Vosler, Wilmer Flores, and David Villar this year at over 200 innings apiece.  Flores and Villar remain with the Giants, who preferred Longoria’s $5MM buyout to his $13MM club option.  According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale back in October, the Giants are one of three clubs Longoria would consider in ’23, which will apparently be his final season.

Giants Claim Dom Nunez, Select Isan Diaz

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The Giants announced they’ve claimed catcher Dom Nuñez off waivers from the Rockies. San Francisco also selected infielder Isan Díaz onto their 40-man roster. The Giants announced that infielders Ford Proctor and Taylor Jones, outfielders Bryce Johnson and Austin Dean, and right-hander Zack Littell all went unclaimed on waivers.

Nuñez changes organizations for the first time in his career. The left-handed hitting backstop entered pro ball as a sixth-round draftee of Colorado back in 2013. Nuñez made his MLB debut in 2019 and has appeared in three of the last four seasons, mostly as a depth player. He has appeared in 111 big league games, tallying 347 plate appearances of .180/.280/.373 hitting. Nuñez has walked in an excellent 12.4% of his plate appearances but struck out at an untenable 34% rate in the majors.

The 27-year-old has one minor league option year remaining. If he holds his spot on the Giants 40-man roster all winter, they can freely bounce him between San Francisco and Triple-A Sacramento next season. An Elk Grove native, Nuñez has a .240/.336/.400 line in parts of eight minor league seasons. He joins Joey Bart and Austin Wynns as catchers on the 40-man roster.

Díaz is a former top prospect who went to the Marlins in the Christian Yelich trade. He hit only .185/.275/.287 over 500 trips to the plate from 2019-21. Miami outrighted the switch-hitting second baseman off the 40-man roster in March, and he cleared waivers at the time. The Giants acquired him for cash not long after and assigned him to Sacramento for the 2022 campaign.

The 26-year-old connected on 23 longballs in 83 Triple-A games this year. He posted an excellent .275/.377/.574 line with a 13% walk rate to put himself back on the radar. San Francisco didn’t call up Díaz at any point during the season, but they’ll devote him a 40-man roster spot for now to keep him from hitting minor league free agency. He still has a minor league option remaining, so he can bounce between San Francisco and Sacramento if he holds the 40-man spot over the winter.

San Francisco acquired Proctor from the Rays in August. He made his big league debut late in the season, appearing in seven games. Jones came over from the Astros on waivers in September, while Dean was claimed last offseason. Johnson is a former sixth-rounder who made his MLB debut in September, getting into 11 games.

Littell has the most experience of the group of outrighted players. The right-hander has pitched in parts of five big league seasons with the Twins and Giants. Littell was a high-leverage arm in 2021, pitching to a 2.92 ERA across 61 2/3 frames. He only managed a 5.08 ERA through 44 1/3 innings this year. Rather than tender him an arbitration contract in the $900K range, San Francisco ran him through waivers.

Proctor and Johnson will remain in the organization and try to play their way onto the 40-man roster. Littell, Dean and Jones will have the ability to qualify for minor league free agency.

Rockies Designate Chris Iannetta, Select Dom Nunez

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5:08pm: The Rockies have designated Iannetta and selected Nunez, per a team announcement.

8:07am: The Rockies are preparing to make a change behind the dish, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Veteran catcher Chris Iannetta will be removed from the MLB roster — by what immediate mechanism isn’t yet clear — in favor of youngster Dom Nunez, whose contract will be selected.

The 36-year-old Iannetta has struggled with the bat since returning to the Rockies after six seasons away. He’s slashing .222/.311/.417 in 164 plate appearances this year, which translates to a meager 69 wRC+, and his strikeout rate has shot up to a career-worst 32.9%. Iannetta is also grading poorly in the pitch-framing department, an area where he has at times excelled.

It seems rather unlikely that a contender will see fit to claim Iannetta, who is owed the remainder of his $4MM salary along with a $750K buyout on a 2020 club option. (That option includes a vesting provision that is well out of reach and therefore not a factor.) That said, the veteran backstop is sure to draw interest from clubs in need of depth. It’s conceivable he could sign right onto a big-league roster if there’s a club that prefers him to its existing reserve catcher. Otherwise, he’ll likely be looking at minor-league deals.

Iannetta had already yielded the bulk of the action behind the dish to Tony Wolters, who’ll presumably continue to function as a regular. Now, the reserve job will go to Nunez, a former sixth-rounder. Nunez has found another offensive gear this season at Triple-A. Through 257 plate appearances, the 24-year-old is slashing .244/.362/.559 with a career-high 17 home runs. Even in the offensively charged PCL, that’s good for a 114 wRC+.

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