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R.J. Alvarez

Rangers Outright R.J. Alvarez

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The Rangers announced this afternoon that right-hander R.J. Alvarez has been assigned outright to the minor leagues. Texas just claimed Alvarez off waivers from the Cubs over the weekend, though it now looks as though Alvarez was claimed with the intent of the Rangers trying to sneak him through outright waivers themselves. Texas succeeded and will therefore be able to retain Alvarez for the time being without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him.

The 25-year-old Alvarez was once a well-regarded prospect within the Angels’ farm system and has been included in a pair of high-profile trades — going from the Halos to the Padres in the Huston Street deal and going from San Diego to Oakland in the Derek Norris swap. The Cubs picked him up off waivers earlier this season, but he struggled considerably with Chicago’s Double-A affiliate in Tennessee.

In 27 innings split between Triple-A, Double-A and Class-A Advanced this season, Alvarez has a 7.00 ERA, and while the 35 strikeouts he’s racked up in that time are impressive, they also come with a dozen walks, a pair of hit batters and six wild pitches. Those troubles are reflective of the control issues that have plagued Alvarez throughout his minor league career, as he’s averaged 5.8 walks per nine innings pitched since being selected in the third round of the 2012 draft (by the Angels). Alvarez’s brief time in the Majors hasn’t gone any better, as he’s posted a 7.39 ERA in 28 big league innings, again showing a penchant for missing bats (32 strikeouts) but a susceptibility to bases on balls (18 walks).

Rangers Claim R.J. Alvarez From Cubs

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The Rangers have announced that they’ve claimed right-handed reliever R.J. Alvarez off waivers from the Cubs. They’ve optioned him to the Class A+ High Desert Mavericks. To clear space on their 40-man roster, they’ve moved righty Lucas Harrell (groin strain) from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. The Cubs designated Alvarez for assignment earlier this week.

The 25-year-old Alvarez has spent the entire season in the minors, posting a 7.00 ERA, but with 11.7 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9, in 27 innings split between three levels in the Cubs and Athletics organizations. He spent the early part of the season recovering from arthroscopic elbow surgery.

Alvarez has also struggled in parts of two seasons in the Majors, posting a 7.39 ERA, 10.3 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 28 total innings. It’s easy to see why he keeps generating interest after previously going from the Angels to the Padres in the Huston Street deal and from the Padres to the Athletics in the Derek Norris trade, however. Alvarez possesses mid-90s velocity, and he has an outstanding 12.6 K/9 in five career minor league seasons. He also has minimal service time, so the Rangers can keep him in their organization for the next several years if they choose.

Cubs Designate R.J. Alvarez For Assignment

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The Cubs announced a series of roster moves on Tuesday afternoon, including the activation of Hector Rondon from the disabled list and the recalls of veteran infielder Munenori Kawasaki, right-hander Spencer Patton and prospect Albert Almora from Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also selected the contract of catcher Tim Federowicz from Iowa and designated right-hander R.J. Alvarez for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

[Related: Updated Chicago Cubs Depth Chart]

Rondon returns to the Cubs’ bullpen after spending about three weeks on the disabled list and brings an impact arm back to the team’s setup corps, helping to soften the blow of Pedro Strop’s extended absence. In 43 2/3 innings this season, Rondon has pitched to a 2.47 ERA with a stellar 51-to-6 K/BB ratio. He lost the closer’s gig when the Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman and will return to the setup role in which he was largely excellent. Rondon served up four runs in 6 2/3 innings following Chapman’s acquisition, but all four of those runs came in one dismal outing. Aside from that hiccup, he made six scoreless appearances.

Almora has long been one of the Cubs’ top prospects and got his feet wet in the Majors earlier this season when he batted .265/.291/.422 across 86 plate appearances. Patton, meanwhile, has tallied 17 1/3 innings of 4.67 ERA ball out of the Chicago ’pen this season and has an excellent track record at Triple-A (2.51 ERA in 125 1/3 innings). And Kawasaki, of course, is something of a cult hero due to his gregarious personality and over-the-top exuberance in interviews. He spent a bit of the time with the Cubs earlier this season and has quite a bit of MLB experience with the Mariners and Blue Jays. He’s a .234/.315/.285 hitter in 715 big league plate appearances dating back to 2012.

Federowicz will return to the Cubs after being outrighted earlier this summer. He’s a career .194/.245/.297 hitter in 298 plate appearances between the Cubs and Dodgers and will add some catching depth, though the Cubs already have Willson Contreras, David Ross and Miguel Montero on the active roster.

Alvarez, 25, came to the Cubs via waivers earlier this year. He’s been involved in a pair of high-profile trades, going from the Angels to the Padres in package for Huston Street and also going from the Padres to the A’s alongside Jesse Hahn in exchange for Derek Norris. However, he hasn’t capitalized on the upside that made him a well-regarded arm in the Angels’ and Padres’ systems, compiling a 7.39 ERA in 28 big league innings from 2014-15 and struggling to a 7.00 ERA in 27 innings across three minor league stops in 2016.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/12/16

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Here are today’s minor transactions from around baseball:

  • The Cubs have announced the signing of free agent infielder Josh Silver to a minor league pact. The 26-year-old has been playing for River City of the independent Frontier League since last season and has hit .320/.392/.442 with six homers in 306 PAs.
  • The Diamondbacks have signed free agent third baseman Travis Denker to a minor league deal, per a club announcement. Denker last spent time with a major league organization in 2012, when he appeared in 64 games with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate. His only big league action came in 2008 as a member of the Giants, with whom he hit .243/.333/.486 in 42 plate appearances. Denker has bounced around multiple independent leagues and the Mexican League in recent years.
  • The Cubs have claimed right-handed reliever R.J. Alvarez off waivers from the Athletics and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Alvarez has impressively struck out 32 hitters in 28 career major league innings, but the 2012 third-round pick has offset that by walking 18 and registering a 7.39 ERA. The 25-year-old is currently working his way back from March surgery on his right elbow.
  • The Marlins have signed free agent righty Travis Ballew to a minor league contract, the team announced. The reliever spent 2012-15 with the Astros organization after going in the 23rd round of the draft, though Houston never promoted him to the big leagues. Ballew, 25, opened this season pitching for Fargo-Moorhead of the independent American Association. In 221 career minor league innings, Ballew has posted a 4.03 ERA, 9.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/8/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Athletics have formally selected the contract of left-hander Eric Surkamp, who will take the hill tonight against the Mariners in Seattle tonight. In corresponding moves, the team announced that first baseman/outfielder Andrew Lambo has been optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander R.J. Alvarez has been transferred to the 60-day disabled list (thus creating a 40-man roster spot). It was reported earlier this week that Surkamp, who enjoyed a strong Spring Training, would get the nod over Jesse Hahn today, but the corresponding 40-man move was not yet known.The 28-year-old Surkamp logged a 3.60 ERA with a 19-to-7 K/BB ratio in 20 spring innings and has a similarly solid track record at Triple-A, where he’s compiled a 3.61 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 across 264 innings. However, Surkamp hasn’t carried that success with him to the Majors, as evidenced by a lifetime 6.47 ERA in 57 innings between the Giants, White Sox and Dodgers.
  • The Reds announced today that they have selected the contract of first baseman Brandon Allen, who will join the big league club and replace right-hander Robert Stephenson, who was optioned to Triple-A following his MLB debut. (Stephenson was reportedly likely to make just one start in his brief callup.) Allen is a well-traveled minor league veteran and formerly well-regarded prospect that last appeared in the Majors with the 2012 Rays. The 30-year-old has excelled at the Triple-A level throughout his career, batting .276/.371/.502 in 624 games. However, he’s never experienced much success in the Majors, where his batting line is a substantially inferior .203/.290/.375 in 389 plate appearances. Allen has walked at nearly an 11 percent clip in the Majors, but he’s also punched out in more than a third of his plate appearances as well. Cincinnati does not need to make a corresponding move, as the club had an open spot on its 40-man roster.

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