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Steve Lombardozzi

A’s Sign Simon Castro, Steve Lombardozzi, Slade Heathcott To Minor League Deals

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The A’s have announced a series of non-roster invites to Major League Spring Training today (Twitter link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). Among the notable names are right-hander Simon Castro, who logged 37 innings with the A’s last season, as well as veteran utility infielder Steve Lombardozzi, former Cubs lefty Eric Jokisch and former top outfield prospect Slade Heathcott. Castro had previously elected minor league free agency but will return on a new minor league pact.

The 29-year-old Castro pitched to a 4.38 ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in his 37 frames with the A’s. Castro averaged nearly 94 mph on his fastball, but as an extreme fly-ball pitcher that saw 14 percent of flies against him turn into homers, he also averaged 1.7 long balls per nine innings pitched. The journeyman righty posted a career-best 14.9 K/9 in 38 Triple-A innings this season but averaged five walks per nine, as well. He’s set to turn 30 in April.

[Related: Updated Oakland Athletics depth chart]

Lombardozzi, 29, went hitless in eight plate appearances with the Marlins this past season and hasn’t recorded a hit in the Majors since 2014. But, he’s a career .279/.332/.337 hitter in parts of five Triple-A campaigns and posted numbers that were nearly identical to that career output with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate last season. Lombardozzi has played second base, third base, shortstop and the outfield corners in his career, so he can serve as a versatile depth option capable of stepping into multiple roles for the A’s should injuries arise.

The 28-year-old Jokisch posted a 1.88 ERA with a 10-to-4 K/BB ratio in 14 1/3 innings for the 2014 Cubs. That’s his only MLB experience to date, though, as he’s spent the 2015-17 seasons bouncing between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Jokisch has a career 4.01 ERA with 6.6 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 422 innings of Triple-A work — most of which has come as a starter. While he spent the bulk of the 2016 season working in relief, 22 of his 29 appearances this past season were starts. In 140 2/3 innings, he notched a 4.09 ERA.

Heathcott, now 27, was the 29th overall pick in the 2009 draft and rated as the game’s No. 63 overall prospect (No. 2 in the Yankees’ system) heading into the 2013 season, according to Baseball America. However, while he demonstrated impressive offensive potential in the lower minors, his bat has stalled in Double-A and Triple-A. Heathcott, who can handle all three outfield spots, hit a combined .267/.350/.435 in 478 plate appearances between the Giants’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2017.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/19/17

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

  • The Brewers announced before this afternoon’s game that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Paolo Espino from Triple-A Colorado Springs and optioned left Brent Suter to Triple-A. The 30-year-old Espino is making his Major League debut today against the Cubs after spending parts of 11 seasons in the minors. This year in a tough Colorado Springs environment, he’s pitched to a 2.54 ERA with a 40-to-5 K/BB ratio through 39 innings. Espino has a career 3.54 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in 465 2/3 Triple-A innings.

Earlier Moves

  • The Marlins have announced that infielder Steve Lombardozzi cleared waivers and was sent outright to their Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans. The veteran could have rejected the outright assignment in favor of free agency but accepted and will continue on in New Orleans in hopes of earning another big league look. The  28-year-old Lombardozzi appeared in just two games with the Marlins and went hitless in eight at-bats. He’s a career .260/.292/.333 hitter in parts of six Major League seasons (this year included).
  • MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports that the Brewers are wrapping up a deal with 17-year-old international free agent Ernesto Martinez Jr. (Twitter links). A first baseman/outfielder out of Cuba, Martinez will receive a fairly sizable $925K bonus when the deal is complete. Sanchez notes that Martinez Jr. is a left-handed hitter and thrower that is also capable of pitching. As MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy points out (also via Twitter), that bonus will be almost entirely covered by the $885K slot that the Brewers received when trading right-hander Damien Magnifico to the Orioles.

Marlins Claim Christian Colon, Designate Steve Lombardozzi

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The Marlins have claimed infielder Christian Colon off waivers from the Royals, per a club announcement. Miami designated fellow infielder Steve Lombardozzi to create roster space.

[Related: Updated Miami Marlins depth chart]

Colon, who just turned 28, had played a limited role thus far for Kansas City in 2017 and was designated for assignment recently. He carried a .263/.323/.329 batting line over 348 plate appearances in his four seasons with the Royals. While that fell far shy of expectations when Colon was taken with the fourth overall pick of the 2010 draft, he did end up playing a notable role in the organization’s 2014-15 postseason runs.

The Marlins have scrambled to find infield help over the past several weeks amidst a wave of injuries. Colon will now take the place of Lombardozzi, who was hitless in eight plate appearances. He has appeared in just 34 MLB games since the start of the 2014 season, but had been a regular contributor for the Nationals before that. Lombardozzi opened the current season at Triple-A New Orleans, where he slashed .250/.289/.317 over 129 plate appearances. He seems likely to clear outright waivers and return to New Orleans, though due the fact that he’s been outrighted earlier in his career, he’d also have the ability to reject that assignment and elect free agency

Marlins Place Adeiny Hechavarria On DL, Designate Joe Gunkel For Assignment

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The Marlins announced that they’ve placed shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria on the 10-day disabled list due to a left oblique strain. In his place, they’ve selected the contract of Stephen Lombardozzi from Triple-A New Orleans. Right-hander Joe Gunkel has been designated for assignment in order to clear a roster spot for Lombardozzi.

It’s been a rough week for the Marlins’ infield, as they’ve now lost both of the starters on the left side of the infield and their primary utility option to the DL. A hamstring strain sent Martin Prado to the 10-day DL on Monday, while a fractured thumb will cost Miguel Rojas several months of the season.

With Hechavarria, Prado and Rojas all sidelined, it seems that the Marlins will utilize Derek Dietrich at third base, J.T. Riddle at shortstop and Lombardozzi in a utility role. Though Hechavarria doesn’t offer much with the bat, his stellar glovework at shortstop will be missed during his absence. Miami hasn’t provided any type of timeline for Hechavarria to return to action, but oblique injuries can often keep players out of action for a month or more.

[Related: Updated Miami Marlins Depth Chart]

For Lombardozzi, this will mark his first big league action since a brief 12-game stretch with the 2015 Pirates. The former Nationals farmhand was once regarded as one of the better prospects in Washington’s minor league ranks, though he’s never cemented himself as a regular bench option in the Majors. A second-generation big leaguer — his father, also named Steve, spent parts of six seasons in the Majors — Lombardozzi is a career .263/.294/.336 hitter in 840 plate appearances. He can play second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield corners.

Gunkel has bounced around the league quite a bit in the past month or so, going from the Orioles to the Dodgers to the Marlins in a series of minor transactions. Miami will hope that he’s able to clear waivers, but given that Gunkel is an upper-level starter with minor league options remaining, he could certainly be appealing to a team in need of rotation depth.

The 25-year-old Gunkel has not yet made his Major League debut but has a solid minor league track record. He’s posted a 2.99 ERA in 150 1/3 career innings at the Double-A level and a 4.07 ERA in the exact same number of Triple-A innings. While he doesn’t miss many bats (6.0 K/9 in Triple-A), Gunkel has excellent control (1.1 BB/9) and keeps the ball on the ground at a roughly 40 percent clip.

Minor MLB Transactions: 2/28/17

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Here are the day’s minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy:

  • The Marlins added infielder Steve Lombardozzi on a minors deal. He’ll serve as infield depth but doesn’t figure to have much of a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster. Lombardozzi, 28, last appeared in the majors in 2015. He split last year between the independent leagues and the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate.
  • Another former MLB infielder, 27-year-old Nick Noonan, is headed to the Brewers on a minors pact. He has a fair bit less major league time than does Lombardozzi, but was able to reach the bigs last year with the Padres. Noonan spent most of the season at Triple-A, slashing .301/.338/.427 over 374 plate appearances.
  • The Padres have inked righty Justin De Fratus to a minor-league arrangement. He’s looking to make it back to the majors after spending a portion of 2016 in the upper minors in the Nationals organization. De Fratus, 29, worked to a 5.23 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 over 20 2/3 innings.
  • Righty Caleb Cotham has agreed to a minor-leaguedeal with the Mariners. He scuffled to a 7.15 ERA in 34 MLB innings over the past two seasons, but has shown more in the past in the upper minors. In 2015, he worked to a 2.21 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over 57 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A.
  • The Orioles have struck a minors deal with former farmhand Chris Jones. Now 28, Jones spent the 2016 season with the Angels organization, working to an unsightly 6.92 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. He had performed better with the O’s, though he has yet to earn his way to the game’s highest level.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/6/16

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Here are the day’s most notable moves from around the game, all coming courtesy of Baseball America’s Matt Eddy, unless otherwise noted…

  • The Nationals brought back infielder Steve Lombardozzi on a minors deal, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson reports. Lombardozzi, 27, saw minimal playing time in each of the last two years at the major league level after playing a significant role in D.C. during his 2011-13 stint. After failing to find a suitable opportunity over the winter, Lombardozzi joined the independent league Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to start 2016. He was off to a .367/.401/.428 start with eight steals before the Nats came calling.
  • Righty Nick Tepesch has joined the Dodgers on a minor league deal and will take the ball tonight at Triple-A, as Oklahoma City Dodgers broadcaster Alex Freeman tweets. Interestingly, he’s squaring off against his recent teammates at the Rangers’ top affiliate. The 27-year-old recorded over 200 frames for the Rangers over 2013-14, posting a 4.66 ERA with 5.4 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9, but missed all of 2015 and eventually underwent thoracic outlet surgery. After returning for 11 starts at the Triple-A level this year, where he tallied a 4.11 ERA, Tepesch opted out of his minor league deal with Texas.
  • Outfielder Jake Goebbert has been outrighted to Triple-A Durham by the Rays after being designated for assignment. The 28-year-old entered the season as an accomplished Triple-A hitter, but he’s struggled mightily with Durham this season, hitting just .183/.288/.275. Even with his career numbers at Triple-A weighed down by his 2016 performance, Goebbert is a lifetime .271/.375/.444 hitter at that level. The Pirates saw enough in him to give him a big league deal this winter, but he didn’t make it through Spring Training and was ultimately claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay after being designated for assignment. He’ll look to get back to his productive ways now that he’s been removed from the 40-man roster and hope to factor into Tampa Bay’s big league plans later in the year.
  • The White Sox outrighted outfielder Daniel Fields off their 40-man roster over the weekend, and the 25-year-old was released shortly thereafter (presumably upon refusing the assignment, as was his right having been previously outrighted). Fields is a career .281/.359/.423 hitter in in 672 plate appearances at the Double-A level, but he’s struggled to a .223/.312/.345 line in 957 PAs at the Triple-A level. The former sixth-round pick (2009) had spent his entire career in the Tigers organization prior to this season.
  • The White Sox also picked up veteran catcher Brett Hayes in a trade that sent cash considerations to the Diamondbacks. The 32-year-old Hayes tallied 32 plate appearances with Cleveland last season and has appeared in parts of each of the past seven Major League seasons, splitting his time between the Marlins, Royals and Indians. He’s a career .205/.250/.359 hitter at the big league level and a .239/.279/.387 hitter in nearly 1200 PAs at the Triple-A level.
  • The Cardinals have signed right-hander Daniel Bard to a minor league deal after he was released by the division-rival Pirates. St. Louis will become the latest organization to attempt to revitalize Bard’s once dominant right arm in the hope that he can resurface as a quality bullpen piece. Bard, a former first-round pick, was a strong setup piece for the Red Sox from 2009-11 (specifically in 2010) but struggled terribly in 2012 and had a cataclysmic decline in the years to follow, as he lost the ability to throw the ball over the plate entirely. His last stint in affiliated ball came with the Rangers’ Class-A affiliate in 2014 when he faced just 18 men and walked nine of them in addition to hitting another seven.
  • Right-hander Felipe Paulino, who was granted his release from the Indians in order to pursue a deal in Japan late last month, has signed a deal with the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, his agents at Octagon tweeted last week. The 32-year-old Paulino, a veteran of six Major League seasons, was pitching quite well for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate, having logged a 2.77 ERA in 10 relief appearances. He’s worked as a starter for the vast majority of his career and has displayed an ability to miss bats at the big league level but has nonetheless struggled to a 5.22 ERA in 403 2/3 big league frames. This will be Paulino’s first stint in NPB, but as we often see, players that have struggled to thrive in the Majors can still make an excellent living pitching in Asia.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/18/16

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

  • The Phillies announced on Monday that they’ve optioned outfielder Cedric Hunter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and selected the contract of veteran outfielder David Lough. The 30-year-old Lough will be added to a Phillies outfield mix that also features Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel, Odubel Herrera, Peter Bourjos and Darin Ruf (though Ruf has seen just nine innings in left field). Lough hit .280/.308/.320 in his brief time at Triple-A this year and is a lifetime .255/.295/.377 hitter in 741 big league plate appearances. He struggles against lefties but has shown solid ability versus right-handed pitching in his career and also draws praise for his outfield defense.
  •  The Blue Jays have released veteran catcher Humberto Quintero from their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, per a club announcement. The 36-year-old Quintero was enjoying a productive start to the season, having gone 4-for-15 with three doubles for the Bisons. His last extended stint in the Majors came in 2013 when he hit .237/.275/.366 in 140 plate appearances between the Mariners and Phillies. Quintero is a career .234/.267/.327 in 1423 Major League plate appearances.
  • Infielder Steve Lombardozzi has signed a contract with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League, the team announced. The 27-year-old Lombardozzi, who went to high school in Maryland, has spent parts of the past five seasons in the Major Leagues, splitting that time between the Nationals, Orioles and Pirates. A second-generation big leaguer, Lombardozzi is a career .263/.294/.336 hitter in 840 MLB PAs and has played second base, shortstop, third base and left field at the Major League level. He’ll look to use the Atlantic League as a launching point back into affiliated ball, as so many players before him have done.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/31/16

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Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around Major League Baseball:

  • The Orioles have released lefty reliever Hideki Okajima, per Michael Mayer of Metsmerized Online (via Twitter). Okajima, who signed a minor league deal with the O’s last month, hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2013. He spent the past two seasons in Japan and is best known in the bigs for his work in Boston’s bullpen from 2007-11.
  • The White Sox have released three minor leaguers – outfielder Scott Hairston, utility man Steve Lombardozzi and righty Maikel Cleto – Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter). Hairston, the most accomplished of the trio, signed with the White Sox in November after sitting out the 2015 season. The 11-year MLB veteran owns a lifetime slash of .242/.296/.442, though he has fared significantly better against left-handed pitchers (.268/.315/.489). Lombardozzi last played extensively in the majors in 2013, when he was worth -0.6 fWAR in 118 games with Washington. Control problems have beset the career of Cleto, who has put up a 6.60 ERA with an 11.6 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 45 big league innings. He spent last season with the White Sox’s Triple-A affiliate, Charlotte, and recorded a stingy 3.00 ERA in 51 innings to go along with a 10.76 K/9 and 4.24 BB/9.
  • The Angels signed outfielder Shane Robinson to a minor league deal, according to their Twitter account. Cleveland released Robinson earlier this week after he exercised his opt-out clause. Robinson has batted .237/.302/.313 in 649 career plate appearances over parts of six seasons. The 31-year-old has performed better defensively throughout his career, having received plus marks in defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating.
  • The Twins have released outfielder Joe Benson, according to Mayer (on Twitter). Benson, whom the Twins signed to a minor league contract during the winter, hit just .125/.263/.188 in 19 spring plate appearances. Most of Benson’s career has been spent in the Twins organization since they chose him in the second round of the 2006 draft. His only big league action came in 2011, when he slashed .239/.270/.352 in 21 games with Minnesota.

Minor MLB Transactions: 11/4/15

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Some minor signings and outrights from around the game…

  • The Athletics announced yesterday that catcher Carson Blair has been outrighted to Triple-A Nashville. Blair, who turned 26 after the season ended, made his big league debut with Oakland in 2015 and collected four hits in 31 at-bats over the course of 11 contests. The former Red Sox farmhand has a brilliant track record at the Double-A level but reached Triple-A for the first time this year and struggled there in addition to in the Majors. Blair is eligible for minor league free agency.
  • The Padres have outrighted first baseman Cody Decker off the club’s 40-man roster, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (on Twitter). The 28-year-old went 0-for-11 in his Major League debut this past season but has a solid track record of hitting for power at the Triple-A level, as evidenced by his lifetime .257/.336/.501 batting line at the minor leagues’ top level.
  • Baseball America’ Matt Eddy reported this week (via Twitter) that veteran catcher Brett Hayes has signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks, while utility man Steve Lombardozzi has latched on with the White Sox on a minors pact as well. The 31-year-old Hayes displayed good pop with the Indians in a limited sample this past season and is a lifetime .205/.250/.359 hitter in 464 big league plate appearances. Lombardozzi, 27, has spent most of his career with the Nationals and owns a .263/.294/.336 triple-slash in the Majors. Most of his time has come at second base, but he’s also played a fair bit of left field and has limited experience at third base in the Majors as well.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/29/15

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We’ve got some catching up to do on the minor moves front after a busy couple of days:

  • Reds outfielder/first baseman Chris Dominguez has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. Dominguez has seen short big league stints in each of the past two seasons, but the 28-year-old has played mostly in the upper minors. He owns a .216/.264/.368 slash over 221 plate appearances on the year at Louisville.
  • The Pirates outrighted infielder Steve Lombardozzi to Triple-A after recently designating him for assignment, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter). Following two seasons as a significant utility piece for the Nationals, Lombardozzi has received only 85 big league plate appearances over the 2014-15 campaigns. He owns a .303/.362/.352 slash in his 291 turns at bat for Triple-A Indianapolis.
  • After he, too, cleared waivers, Pirates third baseman Brent Morel elected free agency, per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has spent at least some time in the big leagues in every season since 2010, putting up a .601 OPS in 712 plate appearances. In 326 times coming to bat at Triple-A this year, he owns a .266/.322/.441 batting line.
  • As expected, Astros outfielder Alex Presley has accepted an outright assignment with the organization, Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle reports on Twitter. He previously agreed to an outright assignment in order to preserve his $1MM arbitration salary, and chose to do the same once again.
  • The Mariners acquired righty J.C. Ramirez from the Diamondbacks, Seattle announced. Ramirez, 26, made it up to the big leagues for the second time this year, throwing 15 1/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball from the Arizona pen. He’ll return to his first professional team, which shipped him to the Phillies in the 2009 Cliff Lee trade.
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