Ryan Kalish – MLB Trade Rumors https://www.mlbtraderumors.com Sun, 22 Apr 2018 12:57:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 Minor MLB Transactions: 4/21/18 https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/04/minor-mlb-transactions-42118.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/04/minor-mlb-transactions-42118.html#comments Sat, 21 Apr 2018 23:58:49 +0000 https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=120510 The latest minor moves from around baseball:

  • Outfielder Ryan Kalish has retired, Peter Gammons tweets. Kalish, who played the final game of his career on Friday with New Britain of the independent Atlantic League, is stepping away because of knee issues, per Gammons. Now 30, Kalish was once a promising prospect with the Red Sox, who grabbed him in the ninth round of the 2006 draft. Injuries were problematic throughout Kalish’s career, though, which helps to explain why he only amassed 422 major league plate appearances with the BoSox and Cubs between 2010-16. Kalish was a .245/.297/.349 hitter with four homers and 16 stolen bases in the majors.
  • The Indians have acquired utility player Jon Berti from the Blue Jays for cash considerations, according to announcements from both teams. Berti will join Triple-A Columbus with Cleveland, which will be his second organization since Toronto chose him in the 18th round of the 2011 draft. The 28-year-old Berti ascended to Triple-A in 2015 and has since hit .212/.282/.314 in 433 PAs at the minors’ highest level.
  • The Rays outrighted outfielder Brandon Snyder to Triple-A Durham after he cleared waivers, the team announced. Snyder, whom the Rays designated Friday, could decline the assignment because he has been outrighted in the past. He totaled six PAs with the Rays before they cut him from their 40-man roster, giving him 211 since he debuted with Baltimore in 2011. Snyder has batted .240/.276/.455 with nine long balls in the bigs.
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Minor MLB Transactions: 5/15/16 https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/minor-mlb-transactions-51516.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/minor-mlb-transactions-51516.html#comments Sun, 15 May 2016 22:47:40 +0000 https://mlb.traderumors.com/?p=65204 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.
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Cubs Designate Ryan Kalish For Assignment https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/cubs-designate-ryan-kalish-for-assignment-2.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/cubs-designate-ryan-kalish-for-assignment-2.html#comments Sat, 14 May 2016 15:08:53 +0000 https://mlb.traderumors.com/?p=65149 The Cubs have designated lefty-hitting outfielder Ryan Kalish for assignment, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The move clears space on the team’s active roster for catcher Miguel Montero, who’s returning from a back injury.

The 28-year-old Kalish made ten plate appearances for the Cubs this season. His last significant big-league experience came in 2014, also with the Cubs, when he batted .248/.295/.347 in 130 plate appearances. He did not play in 2015 after a minor-league pact with the Blue Jays fell apart. Kalish was once a top prospect in the Red Sox organization, but a series of injuries presented obstacles in his path to big-league success. He’s now played in parts of four big-league seasons, but has never appeared in two consecutive ones, also sitting out most of 2011 and all of 2013.

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Minor MLB Transactions: 5/3/16 https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/minor-mlb-transactions-5316.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/minor-mlb-transactions-5316.html#comments Tue, 03 May 2016 22:08:55 +0000 https://mlb.traderumors.com/?p=64853 We’ll track the day’s minor moves right here:

  • The Cubs announced that they’ve placed outfielder Matt Szczur on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and selected the contract of outfielder Ryan Kalish to take his place on the active roster. In order to clear a spot for Kalish on the 40-man roster, the club has transferred infielder Christian Villanueva to the 60-day disabled list. Kalish, 28, was long a top-rated Red Sox prospect and is, as such, quite familiar to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer. Excellent production in the minors has earned Kalish his first taste of the Majors since 2014 (also with the Cubs). In 20 games (70 plate appearances) at the Triple-A level thus far, Kalish is batting a ridiculous .368/.471/.509 with four doubles, a pair of triples, three steals and more walks drawn (10) than strikeouts (nine).
  • The Mariners announced that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Steve Johnson from Triple-A Tacoma and placed right-hander Tony Zych on the 15-day DL with rotator cuff tendinitis. Johnson, 28, has a fair amount of big league experience — all coming with the Orioles between the 2012-15 seasons. In 59 1/3 innings at the big league level, he’s worked to a 4.25 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9. However, he’s posted a 20-to-2 K/BB ratio in 16 innings with Tacoma this season, so the Mariners will undoubtedly hope that they’ve helped iron out his longstanding control problems. Zych, meanwhile, had a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings this season and had punched out 19 batters against eight free passes (one intentional).

Earlier Moves

  • The Reds have purchased the contract of catcher Rafael Lopez from the Bridgeport Bluefish, the indy league club announced. He’ll head to Triple-A Louisville, providing another depth option for an organization that is filling in for injured MLB starter Devin Mesoraco. Lopez, 28, has only appeared briefly at the major league level. He spent last season at Triple-A in the Cubs and Angels systems, slashing .266/.339/.335 over 246 plate appearances.
  • Righty Matt Buschmann has been outrighted to Triple-A by the Diamondbacks, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports on Twitter. The 32-year-old was designated recently as Arizona continues to cycle through relief pitchers to keep its pen fresh. He surrendered only one earned run in his first 4 1/3  big league frames, but will for head back to Triple-A once again to wait for another shot. Buschmann had been working as a starter in the minors, as he has for much of his minor league career, but it remains to be seen what role he’ll take upon his return to Reno.
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Minor MLB Transactions: 3/7/16 https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/03/cubs-sign-ryan-kalish.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/03/cubs-sign-ryan-kalish.html#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2016 20:34:05 +0000 https://mlb.traderumors.com/?p=63077 Here are today’s minor moves from around the league, each courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy unless otherwise cited…

  • The Tigers have signed former Astros right-hander Lucas Harrell to a minor league contract, Eddy reports. Harrell reportedly threw for Detroit earlier in Spring Training, prior to the club’s deal with Bobby Parnell. While the Parnell deal was, at the time, believed to be the final move on the pitching side of the coin for the Tigers in Spring Training, Harrell will now be coming on board after all. Harrell, 30, spent the 2015 season pitching in Korea and logged a marginal 4.93 ERA in 171 2/3 innings with the LG Twins, though it should be noted that the KBO is a notoriously hitter-friendly league. Harrell’s 171 2/3 innings showed the durability that he’s displayed for much of his pro career. His best season came with Astros in 2012, when he tallied a 3.76 ERA in 193 2/3 innings (32 starts) out of the Houston rotation.
  • Also inking a minor league deal last week was right-hander Josh Roenicke, who inked such a pact with the Angels. The 32-year-old Roenicke (nephew of former Brewers manager and current Halos coach Ron Roenicke) last appeared in the Majors with the 2013 Twins, recording a 4.35 ERA across 62 innings of work. Though he was once a notable prospect in the Reds’ system, Roenicke never blossomed into a regular contributor in the rotation or bullpen at any of his big league stops. He’s spent the past two seasons with the Triple-A affiliates for the Rockies, Nationals and Brewers, recording a collective ERA north of 6.00.
  • The Cubs have signed outfielder Ryan Kalish to a minor league pact. Formerly a top prospect with the Red Sox, Kalish is quite familiar to Cubs executives Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod. The 27-year-old didn’t play in 2015 after a minor league deal with the Blue Jays reportedly fell through. Kalish saw his most recent professional action with the Cubs in 2014, when he logged 157 plate appearances with the big league club. He’s a lifetime .245/.293/.350 hitter in the Majors and a .257/.325/.405 hitter at the Triple-A level. He’ll serve as organizational depth with the Cubs, presumably, as the team already has a very crowded outfield picture at the big league level.
  • Shortstop Justin Sellers and first baseman Josh Satin have both signed with the Padres on minor league deals. The 30-year-old Sellers spent a bit of time with the Pirates and White Sox organizations last year but didn’t produce much in the minors. Sellers didn’t appear in the bigs last year, but he logged Major League time each year from 2011-14, hitting .198/.280/.294 across 287 plate appearances. Satin, meanwhile, spent parts of those same 2011-14 seasons with the Mets, batting .243/.346/.351. He spent last season with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, where he batted .247/.347/.357. Satin has typically been considerably more productive against left-handed pitching, making him a useful platoon option for the Padres’ system.
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Blue Jays Notes: Kalish, Axford, Options, Ichiro https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/01/blue-jays-notes-kalish-axford-options-ichiro.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/01/blue-jays-notes-kalish-axford-options-ichiro.html#respond Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:00:39 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=45848 The Blue Jays’ reported minor league contract with outfielder Ryan Kalish has fallen through, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Kalish will once again be a free agent and is free to sign with any club. Davidi adds that it’s unclear why the deal came unglued, but Kalish was likely headed to Triple-A to serve as depth anyhow, so the move won’t have much of an impact on the big league roster.

A couple more Blue Jays notes as the weekend approaches…

  • The market for John Axford is picking up, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, and the Blue Jays are one of four clubs believed to be pursuing the former Brewers closer. Axford, 32 in April, is an Ontario native, though it’s unclear if that gives Toronto any sort of edge in their pursuit. The mustachioed flamethrower began last season with the Indians but struggled with his control and eventually gave way to the talented Cody Allen. The Pirates claimed Axford in August, and he showed improved control in an 11-inning sample there. All told, he pitched to a 3.95 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 5.9 BB/9 and a 53.6 percent ground-ball rate in 54 2/3 innings between the two clubs. Toronto has been eyeing relief help for quite some time, though they’re believed to be working with a limited budget at this stage of the offseason.
  • MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm looks at the Blue Jays players that are out of minor league options and assesses which are at the greatest risk heading into Spring Training. Danny Valencia and Justin Smoak have nothing to worry about, he writes, and righty Todd Redmond should be back as a long man out of the bullpen. However, left-hander Scott Barnes has two lefties to compete with in Aaron Loup and Brett Cecil, while Steve Tolleson is behind Valencia, Maicer Izturis and Ryan Goins on the depth chart. That pair, along with righty Liam Hendriks, Chisholm believes, could end up exposed to waivers. One of the more interesting names is Kyle Drabek, as the former top prospect’s only chance at making the club looks to be as a reliever.
  • Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith runs down some of the recent rumors pertaining to the Blue Jays and wonders if the club’s interest in Ichiro Suzuki may have been overstated. As Nicholson-Smith notes, the Blue Jays make calls on a vast array of free agents, but they typically do their best to keep it under wraps when they’re on the verge of making a move. Also, with only about $5-7MM left to spend and limited playing time in the outfield behind Michael Saunders, Dalton Pompey and Jose Bautista, he feels there are multiple reasons to doubt that Toronto is the best fit for Ichiro. Even if he were to take a pay cut, adding Ichiro and a relief arm under the remaining budget could be difficult.
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Blue Jays Sign Ryan Kalish https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/12/blue-jays-sign-ryan-kalish.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/12/blue-jays-sign-ryan-kalish.html#respond Wed, 17 Dec 2014 21:27:07 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=45198 The Blue Jays have announced a minor league deal with outfielder Ryan Kalish. The 26-year-old gets an invitation to big league camp this spring.

Kalish spent most of last year with the Cubs after making the roster out of camp, putting up a .248/.295/.347 line in 130 plate appearances at the major league level. He carried a .726 OPS in 319 Triple-A plate appearances on the year. While neither of those batting lines looks to be a huge endorsement for Kalish’s future prospects, it is important to bear in mind that Kalish was working back from serious shoulder and back surgeries and did prove that he could return to a high level of play.

The Jays will presumably consider Kalish in a reserve outfield role, perhaps expecting that he will ultimately serve as minor league depth.

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Minor Moves: Urbina, Korecky, Whelan, Fuenmayor https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/minor-moves-korecky-whelan-fuenmayor-hessman.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/11/minor-moves-korecky-whelan-fuenmayor-hessman.html#comments Sun, 02 Nov 2014 01:35:18 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=43091 Here are today’s minor moves from around the league, via Baseball America’s Matt Eddy on Twitter.

  • The Mets have released Juan Urbina, reports Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (via Twitter). In five years with the Mets, the 21-year-old left-handed pitcher failed to pass Low-A ball. While he generally posted strong strikeout rates in limited work, he walked nearly the same number of hitters. The once-prospect signed for $1.2MM in 2009 and is the son of former big leaguer Ugueth Urbina.
  • The Phillies have signed outfielders Brian Bogusevic and Darin Mastroianni to minor league deals. Bogusevic last appeared in the big leagues in 2013 and spent last season hitting .260/.349/.411 in 311 plate appearances for Triple-A New Orleans in the Marlins system. Mastroianni appeared briefly for the Twins and Blue Jays in 2014 but spent most of the season with Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .267/.349/.369 in 393 plate appearances.
  • The Blue Jays have re-signed righty Bobby Korecky. The 35-year-old had a strong season in the Buffalo bullpen, posting a 1.97 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 64 innings.
  • The Athletics have signed righty Kevin Whelan, who briefly appeared with the Tigers in 2014 and a 2.70 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 43 1/3 innings with Triple-A Toledo.
  • The Royals have signed 24-year-old corner infielder Balbino Fuenmayor, who hit .347/.383/.610 in 413 plate appearances with Quebec in the Canadian-American Association, earning BA’s Indy League Player Of The Year award. The Blue Jays released Fuenmayor in 2013.
  • Cubs outfielder Ryan Kalish, White Sox outfielder Michael Taylor and Phillies shortstop Andres Blanco have all elected free agency. All three players were recently outrighted.
  • The Tigers have re-signed third baseman Mike Hessman. The 36-year-old Hessman has gotten few chances in the big leagues, but he’s still a feared slugger in the International League, where he hit 28 home runs and batted .248/.330/.500 in 2014. The veteran has 417 career minor league home runs, including 307 at the Triple-A level.
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Outrighted: Kalish, Valaika, Vitters, Meek https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/10/orioles-outright-evan-meek-2.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/10/orioles-outright-evan-meek-2.html#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2014 20:15:23 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=42937 Here are the day’s outright assignments:

  • The Cubs have made a series of roster trims, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Outfielder Ryan Kalish and infielders Chris Valaika and Josh Vitters have each been outrighted, according to Gonzales. Righty James McDonald has elected free agency as well.
  • The Orioles have outrighted righty Evan Meek to Triple-A, the club announced. Meek will have the right to elect free agency, as he has previously been outrighted (including once earlier this year). Meek, 31, threw to a 5.79 ERA over 23 1/3 innings at the MLB level, all in relief. He struck out 6.2 and walked 4.2 batters per nine over that stretch. Meek has had better stretches in the majors, however, and even made an All-Star appearance with the Pirates back in 2010. Over 41 2/3 Triple-A frames this year, Meek worked to a 1.94 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against just 0.9 BB/9.
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Cubs Notes: Castro, Baez, Bryant, Kalish https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/09/cubs-notes-castro-baez-bryant-kalish.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/09/cubs-notes-castro-baez-bryant-kalish.html#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2014 23:08:12 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=41458 Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro is likely done for the season, GM Jed Hoyer told reporters today (including MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat). Castro suffered a high ankle sprain in yesterday’s game, and while the Cubs aren’t going to officially shut him down, Hoyer says they’re treating the injury as though it’s season-ending. Castro, on the other hand, is of the mind that he can recover sooner than the team’s four-week projected recovery time and rejoin the roster before season’s end. The Cubs’ plan is to play Javier Baez at shortstop for the remainder of the season, Hoyer said (via Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com). If Castro’s season is over, it will go down as a strong rebound from a surprisingly disappointing 2013 season. Castro hit .292/.339/.438 and tied his career-high in homers (14) despite totaling 135 fewer plate appearances than the 704 he averaged over the past three seasons. It will also give the highly touted Baez an extended look at his natural position. Both Baez and Castro have seen their names bandied about in trade speculation, so Baez’s shortstop audition could be worth monitoring.

Here’s more on the Cubs…

  • Many Cubs fans are disappointed not to get a look at Kris Bryant in September, and Bryant’s agent, Scott Boras, voiced his disappointment to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times as well. “[I]f this is a performance-driven industry as it should be, Bryant deserves the callup, based on performance,” said Boras. What’s best for the player, what’s best for the team in 2015? The goal here is trying to make the team the best it can be in 2015. And what can you do to ready him for that?” Boras argues that a month of MLB experience would prepare Bryant for 2015, and club officials from other teams agreed when speaking to Wittenmyer. One official pointed back to Mike Trout’s promotion in 2011, noting that even though he struggled, he broke out in a monstrous fashion the following season. Of course, there are also prospects who experience great success in September callups only to struggle the following season, and prospects who thrive from day one when being promoted early in a season.
  • The Cubs announced that Ryan Kalish’s contract has been selected and he will join the team as a September callup in the wake of the decision that the injured Ryan Sweeney’s season is now over. Sweeney has been placed on the 60-day DL, thereby opening a roster spot for Kalish. Kalish was outrighted earlier this season and could suffer the same fate after September, though the Sweeney injury has at least opened a door for him to impress the organization.
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Minor Moves: Falu, Mills, Abreu, Kalish, Herrmann https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/08/minor-moves-shawn-hill-andy-marte.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/08/minor-moves-shawn-hill-andy-marte.html#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2014 01:46:03 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=40744 Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Brewers have outrighted infielder Irving Falu, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. They claimed him last month from the Padres, who had previously claimed him from Milwaukee, so that the Brewers finally got him through to the minors must represent a small victory. The 31-year-old has hit .289/.342/.333 in 230 plate appearances for Triple-A Nashville this season.
  • The Blue Jays have announced that they’ve selected the contract of lefty Brad Mills and optioned infielder Ryan Goins to Triple-A Buffalo. The Jays outrighted Mills in late July. He’s posted a 1.81 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 at Triple-A this season.
  • The Mets have released outfielder Bobby Abreu, according to MiLB.com. The 40-year-old was designated for assignment last week after hitting .238/.331/.336 in 142 plate appearances in his first big-league action since 2012.
  • The Cubs have outrighted outfielder Ryan Kalish to Triple-A Iowa, per the team’s transactions page. The 26-year-old was designated for assignment Friday after posting a slash of .242/.303/.330 in 100 plate appearances.
  • The Indians have released right-hander Frank Herrmann from their Triple-A affiliate, tweets MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. The 30-year-old, the longest-tenured player in the Cleveland organization, has struggled in 28 relief outings for Columbus to the tune of a 6.37 ERA, 9.1 K/9, and 5.8 BB/9 in 29 2/3 innings. Herrmann hasn’t pitched in a MLB contest since 2012 when he recorded a 2.33 ERA, 6.5 K/9, and 1.9 BB/9 over 19 1/3 innings (15 games) for the Indians.
  • The White Sox have released right-hander Shawn Hill from Triple-A Charlotte, according to the International League transactions page. The veteran 33-year-old pitched to a 4.81 ERA with 4.2 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 58 innings for the Knights after being acquired in a minor trade with the Blue Jays back in June. Hill last saw the bigs in 2012 with Toronto, and he has a lifetime 4.69 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 242 Major League innings.
  • Jason Pridie has accepted his outright assignment by the Rockies to Triple-A, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. The 30-year-old outfielder, who was designated for assignment Wednesday, had the option to become a free agent since he had been outrighted previously, but chose to remain at Colorado Springs where he has hit .275/.341/.426 in 378 plate appearances.
  • Cotillo also tweets Andy Marte has accepted his outright assignment with the Diamondbacks rather than electing free agency. Marte, who batted .332/.385/.513 at Triple-A this season, will return to Reno in pursuit of the Pacific Coast League batting title, Cotillo adds. Marte was DFA’ed last week and sent outright to Reno last night, but, like Pridie, had been outrighted in the past and had the option to elect free agency.
  • With the Dodgers and Phillies designating Colt Hynes and Sean O’Sullivan, respectively, for assignment today, a total of six players are now in DFA limbo. As can be seen in MLBTR’s DFA Tracker, in addition to Hynes and O’Sullivan, the following players have yet to have their DFA situation resolved: Chris Young (Mets), Ernesto Frieri (Pirates), Nate Schierholtz (Cubs) and Chone Figgins (Dodgers).

Edward Creech and Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.

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Cubs Designate Ryan Kalish For Assignment https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/08/cubs-designate-ryan-kalish-for-assignment.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/08/cubs-designate-ryan-kalish-for-assignment.html#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2014 18:28:45 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=40696 The Cubs have designated outfielder Ryan Kalish for assignment in order to clear roster space for the newly acquired Jacob Turner, reports MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat (Twitter link).

The 26-year-old Kalish was once considered among baseball’s top 100 prospects by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, but he’s never been able to capitalize on the tools that resulted in that hype, due in large part to a series of neck and shoulder surgeries. In an even 100 plate appearances with the Cubs this season, he batted .242/.303/.330 — numbers that aren’t much of an improvement over his career .243/.296/.346 batting line.

Kalish, a former ninth-round pick, has a .245/.319/.391 triple-slash in his career at the Triple-A level. He’s capable of playing all three outfield positions, though he spent more time in left than center with Chicago this season, and defensive metrics haven’t been kind to his glove at the Major League level.

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Cubs Notes: Epstein, Barney, Samardzija https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/06/cubs-notes-epstein-barney-samardzija.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/06/cubs-notes-epstein-barney-samardzija.html#respond Mon, 30 Jun 2014 14:31:00 +0000 http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/?p=39277 The Cubs begin a series at Fenway Park tonight, getting back in action following a rare Sunday off-day.  The club played a doubleheader on Saturday in order to keep Sunday free for Chicago’s Pride Parade, which could’ve created a traffic jam in the Wrigleyville area had the Cubs been playing as originally scheduled.  MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat takes a look at the history of Sunday baseball, and passes along the historical note that the Cubs were off on a Sunday for the first time since 1932.

Here’s the latest from the north side of Chicago…

  • Theo Epstein denied rumors that he will leave the Cubs after his contract expires following the 2016 season, he tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.  While some speculate that Epstein has been upset at the lack of Major League resources he’s been given by the Cubs, he “insists he will be here as long as the Cubs want him,” Sullivan writes.
  • Two scouts aren’t impressed by Darwin Barney’s bat, telling Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that while Barney is a good fielder, “if he can’t hit in the National League, what makes anyone think he can hit in the American League?”  Barney has only slashed .198/.243/.284 in 174 PA this season and could be non-tendered if he can’t improve at the plate.  Gonzales feels Barney’s time with the Cubs is probably nearing an end, though it could come via a trade if he can hit enough to get a look from another team.
  • Also from Gonzales’ reader mailbag piece, he expects the Cubs “to wait as long as possible” for the best offer before trading Jeff Samardzija or Jason Hammel.  He thinks Samardzija might even not be moved until the offseason if necessary, though this would lessen this trade value as a new team would only have him under contract for the 2015 season.
  • The Cubs haven’t gotten much production out of their veteran outfielders, and Gonzales expects maybe one (at most) of Nate Schierholtz, Justin Ruggiano, Ryan Sweeney, Chris Coghlan or Ryan Kalish to be back next season and Chicago will look for more veteran upgrades.  Since Sweeney is owed $2MM for 2015 and the others are all on one-year or minor league contracts, I’d suspect Sweeney is the favorite to return, though $2MM isn’t so large an amount that the Cubs couldn’t eat it if necessary.
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Added To The 40-Man Roster: Thursday https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/03/added-to-the-40-man-roster-thursday-1.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/03/added-to-the-40-man-roster-thursday-1.html#respond Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:05:00 +0000 http://localhost/mlbtraderumors/2014/03/added-to-the-40-man-roster-thursday-1.html Between now and Opening Day, several minor league signees will win jobs with their clubs and earn 40-man roster spots. Here are today's additions:

  • As expected, the Mets have added lefty John Lannan to the 40-man roster, Newsday's Marc Carig tweets. The longtime starter is expected to work out of the pen for the first time in his career after serving exclusively as a starter for 148 games between 2007-13.
  • Jason Bartlett will make the Twins as a reserve infielder and center field option, tweets Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The 34-year-old had previously agreed to bump back his opt-out date. Though he has played exactly one MLB game at a position other than shortstop (a single 2004 appearance at second), Bartlett will apparently see some time in the outfield. He finds himself in position to break camp after taking just 98 professional plate appearances over the last two seasons.
  • 25-year-old outfielder Ryan Kalish will make the Cubs Opening Day roster and be added to its 40-man, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. It was reported yesterday that the same was true of utilityman Emilio Bonifacio, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Chicago has two open roster slots, so no corresponding move would appear to be necessary. As Rogers notes, third baseman Mike Olt will also be on the active roster to start the year.
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Minor Moves: Asencio, Bocock, Ely, Martinez, Blanco https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/minor-moves-kalish-baker-machado.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/12/minor-moves-kalish-baker-machado.html#comments Sat, 14 Dec 2013 22:30:00 +0000 http://localhost/mlbtraderumors/2013/12/minor-moves-kalish-baker-machado.html Here are today's minor moves and outright assignments from around the league…

  • Jairo Asencio has signed with the KIA Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization, MyKBO.net tweets. The Orioles acquired the 30-year-old righty from the Brewers all the way back in March, using him for just 2 1/3 innings this year. Asencio has a career 5.34 ERA in 43 big league appearances, but has been much better at Triple-A, where he's pitched to a 2.56 ERA across 165 games.
  • The Royals announced that they have signed infielder Brian Bocock and outfielder Johermyn Chavez to minor-league contracts. The 28-year-old Bocock has 38 big league games on his resume and last appeared in the majors in 2010 with the Phillies. He has a career .226/.297/.309 minor-league line. Chavez, 24, has never appeared in the big leagues. He's hit .261/.340/.438 in nearly 3,000 minor-league plate appearances. The Bocock deal was originally reported by Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish on Twitter.
  • The Red Sox have signed pitcher John Ely and re-signed Miguel Celestino to minor-league deals, WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports. Ely, 27, missed most of 2013 due to Tommy John surgery but had a strong year in Triple-A in 2012, posting a 3.20 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 168 2/3 innings for Albuquerque. Celestino, 24, posted a 6.12 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 for Double-A Portland in 2013.
  • The Pirates have signed utilityman Michael Martinez to a minor-league deal, MLB Daily Dish's Chris Cotillo tweets. Martinez, 31, hit .300/.352/.407 for the Phillies' Triple-A Lehigh Valley affiliate in 2013. He also picked up 40 plate appearances at the big-league level.
  • The Diamondbacks announced that they've signed veteran catcher Henry Blanco to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite. Earlier today, Arizona was reportedly close to signing Blanco, who hit .142/.228/.246 with the Blue Jays and Mariners in 2013. Blanco, 42, played with the Diamondbacks in 2011 and 2012.
  • The Cubs announced that they have signed outfielder Ryan Kalish to a minor league deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Kalish, 25, was originally drafted by the Red Sox when Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer were with Boston.
  • The Cubs have also signed catcher John Baker to a minor-league deal with a non-roster invite, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The light-hitting Baker played briefly with the Padres in 2013, and also appeared in Tucscon (Padres) and Albuquerque (Dodgers) in Triple-A.
  • The Tigers outrighted infielder Dixon Machado to Triple-A Toledo, according to an MILB.com release. Machado hit .215/.264/.295 with Class A+ Lakeland in 2013. The Tigers designated him for assignment last week.

Charlie Wilmoth and Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

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