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Will Middlebrooks To Retire

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Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has decided to hang up his spikes, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Though he’s still just thirty years of age, Middlebrooks had yet to make it back after suffering a fibula fracture last spring during camp with the Phillies.

Originally taken in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, Middlebrooks emerged as an exciting prospect who showed immense promise in his debut campaign with the Red Sox in 2012. He swatted fifteen long balls and slashed .288/.325/.509 in his first 286 plate appearances in the bigs, making for a silver lining to an otherwise miserable campaign in Boston.

Unfortunately, Middlebrooks came back to earth in the ensuing campaign and never regained his footing. Over the following five campaigns, he compiled a meager .210/.256/.356 batting line with 28 home runs in 948 plate appearances.

Middlebrooks ultimately saw time with four MLB organizations. The Red Sox dealt him to the Padres in the 2014-15 offseason, and Middlebrooks joined the Brewers and Rangers in the following two seasons on successive minor-league deals. Though he saw at least some action at the game’s highest level in 2016 and 2017, opportunities were few and far between. That said, Middlebrooks posted strong numbers at the Triple-A level in each of those campaigns, turning in consecutive .816 and .857 OPS efforts.

East Notes: Red Sox, Phillies, Mets

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A “medical matter” has prevented the Red Sox from finalizing the five-year, $110MM agreement they reached with free agent J.D. Martinez on Monday. Former big leaguer J.D. Drew can relate, having agreed to a five-year, $70MM deal with the BoSox in 2007 that took seven weeks to become official because they had concerns with his right shoulder. Drew – who, like Martinez, had agent Scott Boras as representation – looked back on the experience with Rob Bradford of WEEI. “My first words were, ’There’s nothing wrong with my shoulder.’ I was like you can put whatever you want in there,” Drew recalled. “But [Boras] said, ’I have to protect you.’ From that point on I gave him complete freedom to do whatever he needed to do.” Eleven years later, Drew remains a believer in Boras’ tactics, and he expects the agent’s expertise to benefit Martinez. “I guarantee Scott and J.D. are on a page where they know what’s happening, he’s completely assured by Scott that they know what they have to do,” he said. “He’s going to fight, he’s going to fight, he’s going to fight and get the best he can and make sure it’s fine with him.”

More from Boston and a couple other East Coast cities:

  • Phillies third baseman Will Middlebrooks suffered a fractured left fibula and a potential ankle injury during the team’s game Saturday, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. It’s obviously an awful development for Middlebrooks, who joined the Phillies on a minors deal in January in hopes of earning a major league roster spot. Although Middlebrooks is likely to need surgery, he’s optimistic he’ll be able to play this season. Still, the 29-year-old admitted Sunday that he’s somewhat concerned about his future in baseball. “The game is getting younger every day,” Middlebrooks noted. “I’ll be 30 this year. Unfortunately, that’s not prime anymore. You look in this clubhouse and everybody is 23, 24 years old. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind. But the small window of time I’ve spent here with this staff and training staff, I think I’ll be just fine. If it takes two months, if it takes four or five months, I don’t know how long it’s going to take yet. I’m not counting myself out. I plan on playing this year.”
  • The Red Sox expect to begin the year without either left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez or righty Steven Wright, manager Alex Cora told reporters, including Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com, on Sunday (Twitter link). Rodriguez is working back from the right knee surgery he underwent in October, and Wright had a season-ending procedure on his left knee last May. With those two on the shelf, the Red Sox will choose among Hector Velazquez, Roenis Elias and the out-of-options Brian Johnson to serve as their season-opening fifth starter.
  • As of December, the league office was investigating Wright in the wake of a domestic incident that occurred early in the winter. However, MLB officials still haven’t interviewed Wright, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com tweets.
  • Mets first baseman Dominic Smith suffered a strained quad and will undergo an MRI on Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. Smith isn’t worried, though, as he said Sunday “there’s no real concern” that it’s a major problem (Twitter link via DiComo). Meanwhile, outfielder Jay Bruce downplayed the plantar fasciitis in his left foot, calling it a “non-issue” (via David Lennon of Newsday, on Twitter).

Phillies Sign Will Middlebrooks To Minor League Deal

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4:06pm: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Middlebrooks’ deal with Philadelphia contains a $1.2MM base salary if he makes the big league roster. The contract also has opt-out language to afford Middlebrooks the right to pursue opportunities in Asia should they arise.

3:58pm: The Phillies announced 10 minor league signees today, including one for former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks. (SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo had previously tweeted that a match between the two sides was likely.)

Philadelphia also announced its previously reported minor league agreements with righties Pedro Beato and Steve Geltz, infielder Pedro Florimon and catcher Eric Fryer. Others joining (or re-joining) the Phils organization include catcher/infielder/outfielder Matt McBride, infielders Heiker Meneses and Mitch Walding, catcher Logan Moore and outfielder Danny Ortiz. All 10 players received invites to Major League Spring Training.

Middlebrooks and McBride are the only two newly revealed signees to bring MLB experience to the table. It’s now been five years since Middlebrooks looked to be a rising star in the Red Sox organization after hitting .288/.325/.509 with 15 homers in 286 plate appearances as a rookie. Since that time, the now-29-year-old Middlebrooks’ star has faded; he’s batted just .210/.256/.356 in 948 plate appearances split between the Red Sox, Padres, Brewers and Rangers. Last year, Middlebrooks hit .211/.231/.368 in 39 PAs with the Rangers.

McBride, 32, played in 92 games with the Rockies and A’s from 2012-16, batting a combined .201/.228/.299 in 202 PAs along the way. He does carry a lifetime .299/.343/.506 batting line in parts of eight Triple-A seasons — during which time he’s logged more than 1000 innings as a catcher, first baseman, left fielder and right fielder.

Rangers Outright Gosselin, Espino, Middlebrooks, Hoying

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The Rangers announced on Tuesday that infielders Phil Gosselin and Will Middlebrooks, right-hander Paolo Espino and outfielder Jared Hoying have cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Round Rock. Both Gosselin and Middlebrooks have rejected the assignment in favor of free agency, per the team. The Rangers’ 40-man roster is now at 36 players, though two of those vacancies are presumably ticketed for right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez and infielder Hanser Alberto, each of whom is on the 60-day disabled list.

Texas claimed Gosselin, 29, off waivers from the Pirates back in August, though he only appeared in 12 games and logged eight plate appearances. Gosselin struggled between both organizations this season, but he did hit .288/.340/.411 in 358 plate appearances at the MLB level from 2015-16.

Middlebrooks, meanwhile, took 39 plate appearances over the course of 22 games and hit just .211/.321/.368. He did post a .258/.327/.529 batting line and club 23 homers over the life of 342 PAs with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate. It’s been quite some time since the now-29-year-old Middlebrooks looked like a possible rising star, but he’s displayed quality power numbers in the minors in each of the past two seasons and should land another minors pact this winter.

The 30-year-old Espino made his MLB debut this season with the Brewers but logged a 6.00 ERA and a 20-to-10 K/BB ratio in 24 innings. A veteran of 11 minor league seasons, Espino has a 3.76 ERA with 8.0 K/9 against 1.9 BB/9 across 505 1/3 career innings in Triple-A.

As for Hoying, the 28-year-old has been up and down with Texas over the past two years, hitting a combined .220/.262/.288 in 126 plate appearances. He’s a career .254/.308/.465 hitter in parts of five Triple-A seasons.

Rangers Designate Marinez, Rodriguez, Alvarez; Activate Jake Diekman

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The Rangers have announced a series of moves today as the month of September begins. Texas designated righty Jhan Marinez and lefty Joely Rodriguez to open two 40-man roster spots. Texas has also designated lefty Dario Alvarez, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets.

Those three hurlers are a few of the many that have cycled through the Texas pen this year, as the organization has scrambled to make up for injured and/or ineffective pitching. Marinez has produced mostly solid results in time with three organizations this year, though clearly teams view him as a fill-in asset. Rodriguez has allowed exactly 19 earned runs in 27 frames at both the MLB and Triple-A levels this year. And Alvarez actually managed to carry a 2.76 ERA over 16 1/3 MLB innings this year, but he was averaging 7.7 B/9 to go with 9.4 K/9.

Leading the team’s September call-up list is lefty Jake Diekman, whose absence to date was one of the drivers of the bullpen churn. Diekman had missed the entire season after undergoing surgery just before camp to address inflammatory bowel disease. (You can and should read more about his journey here.) The Rangers can control the southpaw for one more season via arbitration; in all likelihood, he won’t command much of a raise on his current $2.55MM salary since he doesn’t have much time to accrue innings.

Recently acquired righty Paolo Espino, infielder Will Middlebrooks, and catcher A.J. Jimenez have also been tabbed to join the MLB club.

Cafardo On Hellickson, Amaro, Quintana, Middlebrooks

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Here are a few highlights from the latest column by Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

  • The Phillies are willing to listen to trade offers for righty Jeremy Hellickson. That’s hardly a surprise, since Hellickson is a short-term asset pitching for a 13-19 team that’s trying to rebuild, but it was also recently reported that the Phillies could also consider extending Hellickson, who accepted their qualifying offer last winter. Hellickson has posted a 3.49 ERA, 4.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 38 2/3 innings thus far in his second season in Philadelphia.
  • Speaking of the Phillies, former GM Ruben Amaro Jr. has won praise from current team execs for his series of trades before being dismissed following the 2015 season. Those trades include an impressive haul for Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman that included Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson, Jorge Alfaro, and Nick Williams; the trade of Jonathan Papelbon to the Nationals, which brought back Nick Pivetta, a starter who made his big-league debut this year; the trade of Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers, which brought back Zach Eflin, who’s pitched well for the Phillies this season; and the deal of Marlon Byrd to the Reds, which returned Ben Lively, who’s emerging as a good depth rotation option. Amaro is currently the Red Sox’ first base coach.
  • Former White Sox teammate Chris Sale thinks oft-rumored trade target Jose Quintana should be able to thrive anywhere, Cafardo writes. “He’s not a guy who lets outside factors bother him,” says Sale. “I think his middle name was ‘No-Decision,’ and how he handled himself through those times where he went out there seven innings, gave up two runs, and had nothing to show for it, never altered his attitude or his work ethic. And seeing that was impressive.”
  • Rangers third baseman Will Middlebrooks hopes to return in mid- to late June after breaking his hand in April. It’s been awhile since the 28-year-old Middlebrooks made much of an impact in the Majors, but after signing a minor-league deal with the Rangers last winter, he was off to a hot start at Triple-A Round Rock, batting .313/.377/.625 in his first 53 plate appearances there.

Rangers Sign Will Middlebrooks To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers have signed corner infielder Will Middlebrooks to a minor league deal, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News notes. Middlebrooks has spent most of his professional career playing third base, and the Rangers already have a top third baseman in Adrian Beltre. Grant notes, though, that Middlebrooks could provide the Rangers with an insurance policy at first base for 2017 — Mitch Moreland is set to depart via free agency, and the team currently lacks a clear starter at first, with Jurickson Profar, Ryan Rua and Joey Gallo among the available options.

The 28-year-old Middlebrooks played sparingly in the big leagues in 2016, collecting just 31 plate appearances with the Brewers and hitting .282/.308/.508 in 264 plate appearances for Triple-A Colorado Springs. Before that, he’d collected at least 200 plate appearances in four straight years in the big leagues with the Red Sox and then the Padres, hitting a combined .231/.274/.399 and struggling to get on base after a productive rookie season. Signing with the Rangers represents something of a homecoming for Middlebrooks, who hails from Greenville, 45 minutes east of Dallas.

NL Central Notes: Riggins, Mozeliak, Cubs, Middlebrooks

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Here’s the latest from around the NL Central…

  • The Reds have dismissed pitching coach Mark Riggins, as per a club announcement.  Bullpen coach Mack Jenkins will take over the job, with Triple-A pitching coach Ted Power moving up to replace Jenkins in the pen.  Cincinnati is at or near the bottom of every notable pitching category this season, and their pitching as a whole has been worth a cumulative -3.9 fWAR.  This was Riggins’ first season as the Reds’ pitching coach after four years as the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator, and he hardly came into a comfortable situation — not only were the rebuilding Reds going with a young rotation, but injuries hit nearly every member of the staff.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak isn’t yet sure what his team will target at the deadline, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes.  “I haven’t been knee deep in the reliever market,” Mozeliak said, though that could stand out as the most clear area of need for St. Louis.  Langosch notes that the Cards could address their bullpen from within by using Triple-A starters Alex Reyes and Mike Mayers as relievers to break them into the big leagues.
  • The bullpen is the only “real problem” facing the Cubs, ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers opines.  The rotation and lineup have had some recent issues, though those can be excused by injuries or perhaps simply some expected regression after the Cubs’ blazing-hot start to the season.  The relief corps, on the other hand, needs some depth, as “even a casual observer can see that manager Joe Maddon only has faith in a few guys, because only a few guys are worthy of it.”  Chicago is known to be scouting for bullpen upgrades, particularly the Yankees’ big relief trio of Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.
  • Will Middlebrooks’ minor league deal with the Brewers included an assignment clause for July 1, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes.  Milwaukee was required to offer the third baseman to the other 29 teams if Middlebrooks wasn’t on the big league roster by July 1, and given how the Brewers purchased his contract yesterday, McCalvy figures at least one team had interest in Middlebrooks’ services.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/3/16

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Here are Sunday’s minor transactions from around baseball:

  • The Brewers selected the contract of third baseman Will Middlebrooks from Triple-A Colorado Springs, the club announced.  To create roster space, Milwaukee also optioned outfielder Keon Broxton to Triple-A while Chris Capuano was moved to the 60-day DL.  Middlebrooks signed a minor league deal with the Brew Crew last winter after being non-tendered by the Padres.  The former highly-touted prospect made a strong debut as a rookie with the Red Sox in 2012 but has hit just .213/.258/.363 in 878 PA with Boston and San Diego over the last three seasons.  Middlebrooks has a solid .816 OPS at Triple-A this season, though Colorado Springs and the PCL as a whole are very hitter-friendly environments.
  • The Braves selected the contract of outfielder/third baseman Ronnier Mustelier, the club announced.  This will be Mustelier’s first taste of the big leagues in a 13-year pro career that began with seven seasons in Cuba’s Serie Nacional.  Since defecting from Cuba, Mustelier has played in the Yankees’ minor league system and in the Mexican League.  Over 1382 career plate appearances in the New York and Atlanta farm systems, Mustelier has a .303/.356/.440 slash line and 26 homers.
  • The Marlins selected the contract of outfielder Yefri Perez.  The 25-year-old Perez has been in the Marlins’ system since 2009, slashing .256/.310/.312 over 2209 PA.  It’s worth noting that both the Braves and Marlins didn’t need to make corresponding moves, as the teams were allowed an extra 26th man on the roster for tonight’s special game played in front of the troops at Fort Bragg.
  • The Orioles selected the contract of southpaw Ariel Miranda prior to today’s game, and the Cuban lefty made his Major League debut in a relief outing.  Miranda, 27, is a seven-year veteran of the Serie Nacional who signed a minor league deal with the O’s in May 2015.  He made a rather quick rise through Baltimore’s system, posting a 3.84 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.86 K/BB rate 147 2/3 innings.  In corresponding moves, Tyler Wilson was optioned to Triple-A and Brian Duensing was moved to the 60-day DL.
  • The Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo has released right-hander Roberto Hernandez, per a club announcement. Hernandez entered the season having logged major league action in 10 straight campaigns, though that streak looks to be in jeopardy. In his latest big league stint, the 35-year-old posted a 4.36 ERA with 4.5 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 84 2/3 innings as a member of the Astros last season. With a 4.42 ERA, 6.06 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 in 71 1/3 innings, the unspectacular numbers Hernandez put up in Buffalo are fairly similar to his Houston statistics.

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/30/16

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As we near the end of Spring Training, it’s a big day — if you can call it that — for minor moves. Here’s the latest from around the league.

  • The Royals have released outfielder Travis Snider, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. They had signed Snider to a minor-league deal after he hit .232/.313/.350 with the Orioles and Pirates last year. He had been looking to compete for a bench job.
  • The Royals have also re-signed righty sidearmer Peter Moylan to a minor-league deal, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star tweets. The 37-year-old came back to pitch for the Braves last season after having Tommy John surgery, and the Royals signed him to a minor-league deal only to release him earlier this week to avoid paying him a retention bonus.
  • Third baseman Will Middlebrooks could have refused to let the Brewers send him to the minors, but he’s accepted an assignment to Triple-A Colorado Springs, Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel tweets. Middlebrooks hit .212/.241/.361 in 255 plate appearances last season for San Diego and did not win a job with the Brewers out of Spring Training.
  • The Marlins have re-signed utilityman Don Kelly to a minor-league deal, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. The Marlins had released Kelly yesterday, likely to avoid paying him a $100K retention bonus as an Article XX(B) free agent. The longtime Tigers bench piece played sparingly in the Marlins organization in 2015.
  • The Marlins also released first baseman Tommy Medica today, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith tweets. Medica played in 102 games with the Padres in 2014, but did not play in the big leagues last year, instead batting .259/.314/.364 in 363 plate appearances for San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.
  • The Tigers have re-signed veteran infielder Casey McGehee to a minor-league deal, tweets MLB.com’s Jason Beck. They had released him this week. As with Kelly and Moylan, McGehee would have been owed a retention bonus. McGehee struggled with San Francisco and Miami in 2015, batting .198/.264/.274 in 258 plate appearances.
  • White Sox righty Kameron Loe has received an 80-game suspension for PEDs, Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes (Twitter links). Officially, Loe tested positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone metabolite and methasterone. He says on his Twitter account that he was caught taking an unapproved product he bought at a nutrition store. Loe was also suspended 50 games last year, although that was for a “drug of abuse,” not for PED use. He pitched in the independent Atlantic League in 2015 before signing a minor-league deal with Chicago.
  • The Rays have released first-baseman-turned-knuckleballer Dan Johnson, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The 36-year-old Johnson, who briefly played for the Cardinals last year, had been trying for a sort of second career as a pitcher after years spent as a slugger on the fringes of the big leagues.
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