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Tommy Layne

Yankees Sign Tommy Layne To Major League Deal

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The Yankees have announced that they’ve signed lefty Tommy Layne to a big-league contract. The signing will require a 25-man roster move, which has yet to be announced. Layne is represented by ACES.

The Red Sox designated Layne for assignment last week, then released him. The 31-year-old had a 3.77 ERA, 7.8 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings with Boston this year, and was similarly effective last year, but as MLBTR’s Steve Adams pointed out when Layne was designated, Layne has not been as good this year against same-handed batters, allowing lefties to post a .355 on-base percentage against him. Still, Layne is a somewhat proven lefty reliever who, at the very least, gets his share of ground balls — in parts of five career seasons with the Padres and Red Sox, Layne has a 3.21 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a strong 52.4% ground ball rate.

Layne will join a Yankees bullpen depleted by the losses of lefties Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller. Richard Bleier (a minor league veteran) and Chasen Shreve (who can be optioned) are the lefty relievers currently on the team’s 25-man roster.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/6/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Brewers have announced the release of right-hander Ariel Pena, who was the last remaining piece in the organization from its 2012 trade with the Angels that sent Zack Greinke to Los Angeles. Milwaukee also received infielder Jean Segura and righty Johnny Hellweg in that deal. Pena threw 29 innings with the Brewers and logged a 5.59 ERA, 8.38 K/9 and 4.97 BB/9. The 27-year-old has struggled mightily at the Triple-A level in 2016, having recorded an 8.36 ERA and 7.65 BB/9 in 37 2/3 frames.
  • The Braves announced last night that they would selected the contract of righty Roberto Hernandez, who will start tonight against the Cardinals. (They cleared a roster space earlier today when they shipped reliever Hunter Cervenka to the Marlins.) The pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona has pitched for two Triple-A teams this year, combining for a 4.60 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He hasn’t yet appeared in the big leagues in 2016, but he appeared in all of the previous ten seasons, pitching to a career 4.58 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 56.5% ground ball rate.
  • The Pirates are expected to select the contract of Curtis Partch, MLB.com’s Adam Berry notes (Twitter links). Partch will take the roster spot of fellow hard-throwing righty Arquimedes Caminero, who was traded to the Mariners today. It’s possible Partch’s stay in the big leagues could be short, however, since the team intends to move starter Jeff Locke to the bullpen and will require an extra starter later this week. Partch has a 2.05 ERA, 9.9 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 for Triple-A Indianapolis this season. He also made one appearance with the Pirates, allowing three runs without retiring a batter.
  • The Red Sox have requested release waivers on lefty Tommy Layne, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. Boston designated Layne for assignment this week to make room for Fernando Abad after Layne posted a 3.77 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 28 2/3 innings while struggling against lefties.

Red Sox Designate Tommy Layne, Michael Martinez

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The Red Sox have designated left-hander Tommy Layne and utilityman Michael Martinez for assignment in order to clear spots on the roster for newly acquired southpaw Fernando Abad and newly promoted outfield prospect Andrew Benintendi, as MLB.com’s Ian Browne and Tim Britton of the Providence Journal first noted (links to Twitter).

[Related: Updated Boston Red Sox Depth Chart]

Layne, 31, has a 3.77 ERA with 7.9 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 53.2 percent ground-ball rate in 28 2/3 innings out of the Boston bullpen this season. He posted fairly similar numbers in 2015, but the key difference between the two seasons is his performance against left-handed opponents. Last year, Layne was unhittable in such situations, limiting left-handed hitters to a comical .148/.248/.170 slash in 102 plate appearances. This year, though, lefties batted .259/.355/.333 against him, thus prompting the Sox to look outside the organization for an improvement, which they found by flipping hard-throwing relief prospect Pat Light to the Twins in exchange for Abad.

Martinez, meanwhile, scarcely saw playing time during his brief tenure with the Red Sox. He appeared in just four games and totaled seven plate appearances, going 1-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts. The 33-year-old is a career .198/.244/.271 hitter in parts of six big league seasons (542 plate appearances). He has experience all over the diamond, having spent time in the outfield and at second base, third base and, to a lesser extent, shortstop.

Red Sox Notes: Vazquez, Swihart, Bullpen

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Here’s the latest out of Boston as the club prepares for what should be a mostly predictable Spring Training:

  • Christian Vazquez is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, writes Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. He went under the knife last April and will have to prove he can regularly catch to make the roster. Pitchers generally take 14 to 15 months to recover from the surgery while position players can pursue an accelerated timeline. Not many catchers are available for comparison. Matt Wieters is a recent example. He went under the knife in mid-June 2014 and returned to regular action in early-June 2015. If Vazquez follows the same timeline, he could be ready just in time for the regular season.
  • If Vazquez is healthy, the Red Sox have a roster crunch behind the dish, per Speier. Veteran Ryan Hanigan and touted youngster Blake Swihart are also set to compete for playing time. Both Vazquez and Swihart have club options, but they’re also viewed as the future of the franchise. If they look sharp during the spring, Hanigan could be shopped on the trade market. More likely, Vazquez will be given extra time to recover from injury or develop his bat. The club could also opt to have Swihart work on his defense.
  • Speier also looks at how the team’s pitchers performed with each catcher. In small samples, Eduardo Rodriguez was best with Swihart. Rick Porcello had similar numbers with Swihart and Hanigan. Clay Buchholz was much better with Vazquez as was Joe Kelly. All in all, the analysis is interesting but thoroughly inconclusive.
  • The Red Sox know the plan for the late innings, write Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Junichi Tazawa, Carson Smith, and Koji Uehara will form the bridge to Craig Kimbrel. The other three bullpen jobs are open to competition. The favorite for the long relief role is Roenis Elias. He’s had modest success as a major league starter in Seattle. Knuckleballer Steven Wright is also in the picture, and he’s out of club options. The club reportedly liked Robbie Ross’ performance late last season, but he does have options. Bradford thinks Tommy Layne (out of options), is the favorite for a LOOGY role. The club is reportedly on the lookout for other lefty specialists too. Bradford also highlights a few dark horse candidates to track.

East Notes: Mets, Masterson, Red Sox

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Historically, the Yankees have failed to draft well, but they’re hoping things will be different this year now that they have their highest pick (No. 16) since 1993, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes.  Since 2009, MVPs Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen, Buster Posey, Ryan Braun, Justin Verlander, Joey Votto, Josh Hamilton, and Joe Mauer were all drafted before it was the Yankees’ turn to pick.  Meanwhile, Kershaw, Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer, R.A. Dickey, David Price, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, and Zack Greinke are the drafted players to have won the Cy Young in the last six years and of that group, all were taken before the Yankees’ top pick except for Kluber, who was a fourth-round pick in 2007.  Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

  • The consensus among Mets officials is that pitcher Steven Matz will be on the big league roster at some point before the All-Star break, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.  GM Sandy Alderson conceded that it’s “very possible” Matz already would be in a Mets uniform if it weren’t for a logjam in the rotation and he admitted that there’s “probably not” anything the Mets still have to see from him in the minors.  Meanwhile, the Mets continue to dangle Jon Niese and Dillon Gee, but interest has been limited, according to an club source.
  • Justin Masterson will make a third rehab start in the minors on Wednesday which will allow him to work his way back from shoulder tendinitis.  The start for Triple-A Pawtucket will also buy the Red Sox time to make a decision on his future, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes.  By rule, Boston can keep him on his rehab assignment for 30 days, which would lapse on June 29th.  Masterson was signed to a one-year, $9.5MM deal in December to be a starter, but he might only have a relief role waiting for him on the other side of his rehab.
  • Scouts have been eyeing Red Sox left-hander Tommy Layne, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. “With lefty relievers, get them while they’re effective. It can be fleeting. Look at [Craig] Breslow. He was a huge part of that 2013 bullpen and now he’s a mopup guy. Layne really comes right at you and battles you,” an AL scout told Cafardo.  If Boston doesn’t start winning soon, Cafardo writes that the left-hander will be a sought-after commodity.

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