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Michael Bowden

Three Former Major Leaguers Sign In KBO

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Former Major Leaguers Michael Bowden and Hector Gomez have signed with teams in the Korea Baseball Organization, according to a report from Yonhap News’ Jee-ho Yoo. Additionally, Naver Sports’ Ji-hyun Kim reports that former Braves right-hander Sugar Ray Marimon has signed with the KT Wiz of the KBO.

Bowden, 29 hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2013 with the Cubs. He has a lifetime 4.51 ERA in 133 2/3 innings in the Major Leagues but enjoyed a very strong season split between the Triple-A affiliates for the Twins and Orioles, logging a combined 2.63 ERA with 7.2 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 in 123 innings of work. The Twins had interest in retaining the former Top 100 prospect, tweets 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson, but instead he’ll head to the Doosan Bears for a guaranteed $650K, per an announcement from the Bears. Bowden is a client of Turner Gary Sports.

Gomez, 27, will also receive a one-year, $650K deal to play in the KBO, joining the SK Wyverns, per another team announcement. Gomez picked up 134 plate appearances for the Brewers this season but batted .181/.212/.323 in that time with a homer and 11 doubles. Gomez played second base, third base, shortstop and left field with Milwaukee this season and is a career .298/.341/.512 hitter at the Triple-A level.

The 27-year-old Marimon made his Major League debut with the Braves this season, pitching to a 7.36 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. The Colombian right-hander has experienced far greater success in Triple-A, where he owns a 3.44 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 164 2/3 innings. Per the Naver report above, he’ll receive $600K guaranteed with the Wiz, who were an expansion team in 2015. Marimon is represented by Chris Fanta of Pro Talent Sports Group.

KBO clubs can roster three foreign players, one of whom must be a position player, per league rules. The Wiz were granted four foreign players for the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to their status as an expansion club. Yoo notes that the Wyverns retained American left-hander Chris Seddon ($500K) and right-hander Merrill Kelly ($750K) to round out their international allotment but did not re-sign outfielder Andrew Brown despite a nice first season in 2015. Seddon struggled to a 4.99 ERA in 74 innings with the Wyverns this season but has previously excelled there, logging a 2.98 mark in 187 1/3 innings in 2013. Kelly posted a 4.13 ERA in 181 innings for the Wyverns in 2015 — the first KBO season for the former Rays farmhand. Brown hit .261/.360/.496 with 28 homers in 539 plate appearances with the Wyverns — numbers that are slightly down from his lifetime production at Triple-A.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/25/15

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The Twins have signed pitcher Michael Bowden to a minor league deal, tweets Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. Bowden had previously triggered an opt out from his deal with the Orioles. Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN hears that Bowden can opt out of his new deal on August 22 (via Twitter). Once a prominent Red Sox prospect, Bowden has a 4.51 ERA, 6.73 K/9, and 3.64 BB/9 in 133 major league innings. With the Orioles Triple-A affiliate, he pitched to a shiny 1.91 ERA in 75 innings. However, his 6.21 K/9 and 2.39 BB/9 weren’t particularly exciting.
  • The Rockies have signed pitcher Rudy Owens to a minor league deal, according to the league transactions page. Owens was a prominent component of the trade that sent Wandy Rodriguez from Houston to Pittsburgh in 2012. The 27-year-old appeared briefly with the Astros last season. He pitched at three levels for the Dodgers earlier this season. He was once viewed as a possible back-of-the-rotation starter, but he now seems to lack the necessary velocity and pitch peripherals to consistently succeed in the majors.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/16/15

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Former Red Sox top prospect Michael Bowden has opted out of his contract with the Orioles, reports David Hall of the Virginian Pilot (via Twitter). As Hall notes, the 28-year-old Bowden was leading the Triple-A International League with a 1.91 ERA. In 75 1/3 innings (nine starts 15 relief appearances), Bowden averaged 6.2 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9. The former supplemental round pick ranked among the game’s Top 100 prospects from 2007-09, per Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Bowden and his representatives with Turner Gary Sports will now have the option to seek a new club — perhaps one that will consider him for a big league roster spot — for the season’s second half.

Here are today’s other minor transactions from around the league…

  • The Mets have re-signed infielder Zach Lutz to a minor league pact and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin. Lutz, 29, was drafted by the Mets in the fifth round back in 2007 and remained with the organization until last season, when he departed to play with Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles. He hit exceptionally well in a small sample of work overseas, homering five times in 15 games and slashing .314/.379/.667 overall. His 2015 season began with Korea’s Doosan Bears, but he’ll return to Triple-A with the Mets, where he is a lifetime .295/.387/.484 hitter in 1296 plate appearances.
  • Rubin also reports that outfielder Alex Castellanos, who had been playing with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, is headed to Japan, though he doesn’t specify which team Castellanos will be joining. The 28-year-old Castellanos bounced around quite a bit in the 2013 offseason, as he was traded once and claimed off waivers two more times, making for a total of four organizations in a span of roughly six months. Castellanos has a strong minor league track record and demolished Triple-A pitching while playing in the hitter-friendly environment of Las Vegas in the PCL; he slashed .314/.381/.614 with 16 homers in 312 plate appearances there.

Orioles Acquire Michael Bowden

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The Orioles acquired right-hander Michael Bowden from the Reds in exchange for cash considerations, MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski reports (Twitter link).  Bowden himself announced that he was joining the O’s yesterday on his Twitter feed.

Bowden, 28, will provide the Orioles with Triple-A bullpen depth.  He signed a minor league deal with the Reds over the winter, returning to North American baseball after spending the 2014 season pitching in Japan.  Drafted 47th overall by Boston in the 2005 draft, Bowden ranked 83rd on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list prior to the 2009 season.  The righty has a 4.51 ERA, 1.85 K/BB rate and 6.7 K/9 over 133 2/3 Major League innings with the Red Sox and Cubs from 2008-13.

Minor Moves: Mijares, Bowden, Runzler

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Here’s a roundup of some recent minor league transactions from around baseball, with the newest moves at the top of the post.  All moves are from Matt Eddy of Baseball America, unless credited otherwise.

  • The Reds have signed southpaw Jose Mijares and right-hander Michael Bowden to minor league deals.  Mijares posted strong numbers (3.23 ERA, 8.0 K/9, 2.22 K/BB rate) over 259 relief innings with the Twins, Royals and Giants from 2008-13 but didn’t pitch in 2014 after he opted out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox last March.  Bowden was drafted 47th overall by the Red Sox in the 2005 draft and was considered a top prospect during his stint in Boston’s minor league system.  He couldn’t manage that same success in the majors, posting a 4.51 ERA over 133 2/3 innings with the Red Sox and Cubs from 2008-13.  Bowden pitched in Japan in 2014.
  • The Diamondbacks signed left-hander Dan Runzler to a minor league contract.  Runzler posted a 3.86 ERA, 9.7 K/9 and 5.5 BB/9 over 72 1/3 IP with San Francisco from 2009-12 and was released by the Giants’ Triple-A team last July so he could pitch in Japan with the Orix Buffaloes.
  • The Marlins inked outfielder Vinny Rottino to a minor league deal.  Rottino, 34, is returning to North American baseball for the first time since 2012 after playing in Korea and Japan over the last two seasons.  This is Rottino’s second stint in Miami, as he played for the Marlins, Mets, Indians and Brewers while collecting 110 career Major League plate appearances.
  • The Rangers signed infielder Tommy Field to a minor league contract.  Field received 81 plate appearances with the Rockies and Angels from 2011-13 and he spent last season at the Triple-A level in the Angels and Pirates organizations.
  • The Royals outrighted outfielder Moises Sierra and right-hander Casey Coleman to Triple-A, the team announced via Twitter.  The two players were both designated for assignment last week to create roster spots for the recently-signed Kendrys Morales and Yohan Pino, respectively.
  • The Blue Jays announced the signing of left-hander Andrew Albers to a minor league deal that includes a Spring Training invite.  Albers posted a 5.89 ERA over 28 starts for Hanwha of the (very hitter-friendly) Korean Baseball Organization in 2014.  His Major League experience consists of a 4.05 ERA, 3.8 K/9 and 3.57 K/BB rate over 60 innings with the Twins in 2013.

Minor Moves: Runzler, Bowden, Gillespie, Tanaka

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • After being designated for assignment by the Giants on Tuesday, lefty Dan Runzler has been outrighted to Triple-A, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). Having failed to regain his 2009-10 form, when he was effective out of the San Francisco pen, Runzler will become a minor league free agent after the season.
  • The Cubs announced that Michael Bowden and Cole Gillespie have both cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa after being designated for assignment earlier in the week. The 26-year-old Bowden pitched to a 4.30 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings for the Cubs this season. Gillespie, 29, batted .240/.328/.280 for Chicago in 59 plate appearances after hitting .277/.361/.455 in 269 plate appearances for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in Fresno.
  • The Giants have released second baseman/left fielder Kensuke Tanaka, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (on Twitter). The Giants designated Tanaka for assignment on Tuesday along with Runzler in order to clear 40-man roster spots for right-hander Heath Hembree and catcher Johnny Monell. Tanaka, 32, saw limited time with the Giants this season but excelled in 400 plate appearances at Triple-A Fresno, batting .329/.400/.397 with three homers and 22 steals (though they came in 32 attempts). Tanaka played 55 games at second base and 30 in left field, and he is a career .286/.356/.384 hitter in 4,278 plate appearances in Japan (all of which came with the Nippon Ham Fighters).
  • Following these moves, seven players are in DFA limbo, as can be seen in MLBTR's DFA Tracker: Alex Liddi, Hector Ambriz, Edinson Rincon, Hideki Okajima, Juan Diaz, Tim Fedroff and Justin Freeman.

Cubs Designate Michael Bowden For Assignment

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The Cubs announced that they have designated Michael Bowden for assignment.  In a related move, fellow right-hander Chang-Yong Lim has been promoted to the big league roster.

Bowden, 27 on Monday, has a 4.30 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 34 relief outings this season.  In parts of six big league seasons, the 6'3" hurler owns a 4.51 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.  This marks the second time that Bowden has been DFA'd by the Cubs this season – he was also removed from the 40-man back in May.

With so many players in DFA limbo, there's no better time to get familiar with our new DFA Tracker.

Minor Moves: Lambin, Andino, Putnam, Bowden

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Today's minor moves…

  • The Royals signed third baseman Chase Lambin to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports (Twitter link).  Lambin, 33, had been playing for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, the latest stop in a 12-year minor league career that has seen him play in the Mets', Marlins', Nationals' and Twins' farm systems, plus a year in Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines.  Lambin is still looking for his first cup of coffee in the majors after posting a .270/.343/.437 line over 4475 minor league PA.
  • Mariners infielder Robert Andino has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter).  Andrino was designated for assignment (in rather complicated fashion) by the M's last week.  The Orioles considered making an offer for Andino, Connolly reports, but the club decided against bringing back their former utilityman.
  • The Cubs have selected the contract of right-hander Zach Putnam and added him to the 40-man roster, the team announced.  Kyuji Fujikawa was moved to the 60-day DL and Alex Burnett was sent to Triple-A in a pair of corresponding moves.  Putnam has a 3.26 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 in 19 1/3 relief innings in Triple-A this year and a 4.82 ERA in 9 1/3 career Major League innings with the Indians and Rockies.
  • Reliever Michael Bowden cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A by the Cubs, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page.  He accepted the assignment, notes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  Having been outrighted before, Bowden had the right to elect free agency, but then his contract would have been terminated.  The 26-year-old posted a 3.78 ERA, 3.8 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 35.3% groundball rate with no home runs allowed in 16 2/3 relief innings for the Cubs before being designated for assignment on Tuesday of last week to open a roster spot for Matt Garza.  The Red Sox drafted Bowden 47th overall in 2005 as part of the compensation for the loss of free agent Derek Lowe.  He was chosen five picks after Clay Buchholz, who was part of the compensation for the team's loss of Pedro Martinez.
  • Eight players currently reside in DFA limbo: Ben Francisco and David Huff of the Yankees, Francisco Martinez of the Mariners, Edinson Rincon of the Padres, Ramon Ortiz and Clint Robinson of the Blue Jays, Nick Green of the Marlins, and Mark Lowe of the Angels.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Cubs Designate Michael Bowden For Assignment

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TUESDAY: As expected, Bowden has been designated for assignment, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.

SUNDAY: The Cubs will designate Michael Bowden for assignment, Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald reports (on Twitter). The move clears space on the Cubs' active roster for Matt Garza, who had been out with a strained lat. Garza's return will bump Carlos Villanueva to the Cubs' bullpen, which is why the Cubs need to jettison a reliever.

Bowden, 26, has pitched in 14 games out of the Cubs' bullpen in 2013, with a 3.78 ERA, 3.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. In parts of six seasons with the Cubs and Red Sox, he has a 4.47 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.

Michael Bourn Rumors: Wednesday

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Michael Bourn is "by far the best defensive center fielder in the game," agent Scott Boras told reporters today, and you know Boras never exaggerates about his clients.  The latest:

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. is past the tire-kicking stage on Bourn, tweets Yahoo's Jeff Passan, and is trying to gauge price.  Boras needs the Phillies more than they need Bourn, in my opinion, because the Phils still have plenty of ways to stock their outfield.
  • Boras told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times he met with the Mariners already, and plans to continue talks in the days and weeks to come.
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