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Blue Jays Designate A.J. Jimenez, Announce Joe Smith Signing

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The Blue Jays have announced that catcher A.J. Jimenez was designated for assignment. His roster spot was needed for the previously reported signing of righty Joe Smith, whose deal was also announced.

Jimenez, 26, has taken an odd career route to date. He has remained in the Toronto organization for all of his nine professional seasons, but hasn’t yet cracked the majors. Most recently, he was added back to the 40-man in November — only now to be removed yet again.

Last year, Jimenez returned for his fourth run at the Triple-A level. He ended up with a .241/.290/.377 batting line over 248 plate appearances, representing rather typical levels of offensive production for him in the upper minors.

Reds Sign Desmond Jennings

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FEBRUARY 9: Cincinnati has announced the signing of Jennings. He would earn $1.5MM in the majors, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter), with another $1MM available through incentives based upon how many games he appears in, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 2: The Reds are nearing a deal with veteran outfielder Desmond Jennings, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (via Twitter). It’ll be a minor league pact, tweets Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Jennings, 30, has been limited by leg injuries for the past two seasons. If he can stay healthy through camp, though, he ought to battle with players such as Arismendy Alcantara and Patrick Kivlehan for a bench role.

The right-handed-hitting veteran could make for a useful reserve or platoon piece to pair with center fielder Billy Hamilton (a switch-hitter) and odds-on right field favorite Scott Schebler (who hits from the left side). Though he was overtaken in center in Tampa Bay, Jennings has plenty of experience there. And metrics have graded him as an excellent defender in the corners.

Perhaps the biggest question with Jennings is whether he can restore his lost luster at the plate. Once a steadily average-or-better offensive producer with a nice blend of pop and speed, Jennings has failed to post an OPS over .700 in any of the past three campaigns.

Blue Jays Designate Chad Girodo For Assignment

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The Blue Jays announced that they’ve designated left-hander Chad Girodo for assignment in order to create roster space for fellow southpaw J.P. Howell, whose one-year, $3MM deal has now been announced by the team.

Girodo just turned 26 three days ago and is coming off a season in which he made his Major League debut with the Jays. In 10 1/3 big league innings, the former ninth-rounder allowed five runs (4.35 ERA) on 11 hits and two walks with five strikeouts. His work in Triple-A Buffalo resulted in a 3.79 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 57.2 percent ground-ball rate. Including both his Major League and Minor League work, Girodo yielded a .263/.289/.419 batting line to left-handed hitters and a much more alarming .347/.417/.584 slash to right-handed opponents.

Blue Jays Sign J.P. Howell

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FEB. 9: The Blue Jays announced the signing of Howell to a one-year deal and confirmed that he’ll earn $3MM in 2017.

JAN. 31, 5:25pm: FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that Howell’s deal with the Blue Jays will guarantee him $3MM.

4:40pm: The Blue Jays have reached a one-year deal with left-handed reliever J.P. Howell, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney (via Twitter). The Legacy Agency client’s contract is pending a physical, Olney notes.

[Related: Updated Toronto Blue Jays Depth Chart]

J.P. Howell | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Howell, 34 in April, has spent the past four seasons as a member of the Dodgers’ bullpen, working to a collective 2.49 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a hefty 58.5 percent ground-ball rate across 205 2/3 innings of relief. In that four-year stretch, left-handed opponents have been stymied by Howell, batting a collective .210/.283/.274 in 423 plate appearances. While Howell carries some degree of a platoon split, right-handers have batted a relatively unimpressive .246/.329/.351 against him over the life of that same four-year term.

Howell is coming his worst ERA (4.09) since 2011, but the rest of his stats were fairly consistent with his 2015 marks. The veteran southpaw averaged 7.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in last season’s 50 2/3 innings, and his 59.1 percent ground-ball rate was again one of the best in all of Major League Baseball (15th among pitchers with at least 50 innings thrown, per Fangraphs). Among Howell’s other most appealing traits is durability. While he did undergo surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder back in 2010. Howell hasn’t landed on the Major League disabled list since the 2011 season.

One somewhat concerning element of Howell’s 2016 campaign was the .302/.343/.417 batting line that he surrendered against left-handed opponents. However, that figure seems largely attributable to a .375 BABIP against lefty hitters. He still managed to strikeout out 21.4 percent of the lefties he faced in 2016, and while that number represents a slight dip from the 23.2 percent mark he tallied in 2015, Howell’s control against lefties was improved last season (3.9 percent walk rate versus 7.3 percent in 2015). Howell also saw his fastball velocity dip to an average of 85.3 mph in 2016, which could also have caused some clubs to shy away.

For the Blue Jays, left-handed relief has been a glaring area of need all offseason. Toronto watched bullpen mainstay Brett Cecil hit free agency and sign a still-surprising four-year, $30.5MM deal with the Cardinals, leaving Aaron Loup as the most experienced left-hander in manager John Gibbons’ bullpen. While much of the chatter surrounding the market for lefty relievers has centered around Jerry Blevins and Boone Logan in recent weeks, Howell more quietly remained available as an alternative with a lengthy track record of quality innings.

As it stands, he figures to join Loup as a second lefty in support of closer Roberto Osuna, veteran setup man Jason Grilli and sophomore righty Joe Biagini in Toronto. The remaining spots in the Toronto bullpen could go a number of ways, as the Blue Jays will have Bo Schultz, Ryan Tepera, Dominic Leone, Danny Barnes, Glenn Sparkman, Mike Bolsinger and Matt Dermody all in the mix for jobs. It also seems highly plausible that Toronto president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins could continue to pursue relief help and look to add one of the many right-handers remaining on the market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pirates Acquire Pat Light, Designate Lisalverto Bonilla For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they’ve acquired hard-throwing right-hander Pat Light from the Twins in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated fellow right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla for assignment. Minnesota had designated Light for assignment last weekend when they claimed infielder Ehire Adrianza off waivers. It seems as if the Twins will be receiving cash, as opposed to a player, as Minnesota’s announcement made no mention of a possible PTBNL.

Light, 26 next month, long rated as one of the more promising farmhands in the Red Sox organization, but Boston parted ways with him to acquire southpaw Fernando Abad prior to last year’s non-waiver trade deadline. Light made his big league debut last season but allowed 22 runs in 16 1/3 innings with 16 strikeouts against 16 walks.

Control has been an issue for Light in the past two minor league seasons, as he has walked 56 batters in 100 2/3 innings in that time. He did, however, average nearly 95 mph on his fastball during his brief 2016 call-ups, and he also logged a 54.4 percent ground-ball rate. Both factors likely piqued the interest of the Pirates, who place a heavy emphasis on ground-ball tendencies.

Bonilla, 26, hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2014. The former Phillies/Rangers prospect underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 but worked his way back to health with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2016. In 111 innings split between the Double-A and Triple-A affiliates of the Dodgers, Bonilla logged a 3.97 earned run average with a 118-to-40 K/BB ratio. His short stint in the Majors back in 2014 resulted in a 3.05 ERA and a 17-to-12 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings. The Bucs had signed Bonilla to a Major League deal earlier this offseason.

Mets Designate Ty Kelly For Assignment

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The Mets announced that they’ve designated infielder Ty Kelly for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Jerry Blevins, whose one-year deal to return to the Mets is now official.

The 28-year-old Kelly made his Major League debut with New York last season, hitting .241/.352/.345 in 71 trips to the plate. Originally drafted by the Orioles in the 13th round of the 2009 draft, Kelly has spent the bulk of his minor league career playing second base and third base, though he does have more than 1000 innings of experience in left field as well. The switch-hitter has a lifetime .275/.382/.383 batting line in 397 games and 1586 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.

Mets Re-Sign Jerry Blevins

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FEB. 9: The Mets have announced the signing. FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Blevins will earn $5.5MM in 2017 and has a $7MM club option for the 2018 season that comes with a $1MM buyout.

FEB. 4: Blevins will make $6.5MM in 2017 and could earn $12.5MM over the next two seasons if the Mets exercise his 2018 club option, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. He’ll also get $100K in incentives in each year (Twitter links).

FEB. 3, 8:10pm: The deal includes an option, per James Wagner of the New York Times (via Twitter).

7:52pm: The Mets have agreed to a deal to bring back free-agent lefty Jerry Blevins, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He’ll be guaranteed around $6MM in the deal, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (via Twitter).

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With the move, New York further adds to a relief corps that already saw new additions earlier today. The organization also brought back righty Fernando Salas and brought in southpaw Tom Gorzelanny on a minor-league pact for depth.

[RELATED: Updated Mets Depth Chart]

Blevins, though, was arguably a particular priority for New York. He’ll step in front of Josh Edgin and Sean Gilmartin in the pecking order among southpaws. Gorzelanny joins other depth options, including Josh Smoker and Adam Wilk.

Ultimately, it’s an appealing price tag for the Mets, who brought back Blevins last year for $4MM after an injury-shortened 2015 season. The results were excellent for both team and player, as Blevins turned in what was arguably his best full season as a big leaguer.

Over 42 innings last year — compiled across a personal-high 73 appearances — Blevins worked to a strong 2.79 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 to go with a 45.8% groundball rate. Long a weapon against opposing lefties, Blevins has increased his effectiveness against righties since coming to New York, perhaps aided by the increased deployment of his cut fastball. He also throws a sinker, a slider, and (much less frequently) a change.

With Blevins signed, the bulk of the left-handed relief market has now settled out. It’s interesting to see how things landed. Blevins, Boone Logan, and J.P. Howell all settled for single-season pacts, while Brett Cecil, Mike Dunn, and even Marc Rzepczynski landed bigger guarantees in multi-year arrangements.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Byung Ho Park Clears Waivers, Outrighted To Triple-A

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First baseman/designated hitter Byung Ho Park has cleared waivers and been outrighted off the Twins’ 40-man roster, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The team has since announced the move. Park will be in camp with the Twins as a non-roster invitee in Spring Training.

Park was somewhat surprisingly designated for assignment last week in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Matt Belisle, who signed as a free agent. However, the guaranteed $9.25MM remaining on Park’s contract allowed him to pass through waivers unclaimed, and he’ll now remain with the Twins and vie for a job in camp or early this season after getting in some work with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester.

The 30-year-old Park was a superstar in the Korea Baseball Organization prior to being posted by the Nexen Heroes, and the Twins secured exclusive negotiation rights with him in December 2015 by submitting a blind bid of $12.85MM. Minnesota and Park’s representatives at Octagon worked out a four-year, $12MM contract that came with a fifth-year club option, and Park was penciled in as Minnesota’s primary DH heading into the 2016 campaign.

Park rallied after a slow first week and was hitting .257/.339/.578 with nine homers through his first 124 plate appearances. Strikeouts were a problem for Park from the get-go, however, and his production fell off the table before a June demotion to Triple-A. With Rochester, Park was eventually sidelined by a wrist injury that ultimately required surgical repair. The slugger wouldn’t blame his struggles in the Majors on the injury, though it’s certainly possible that Park’s ailing wrist/hand contributed to his .191/.275/.409 slash in the Majors.

Minor League Deal Between Braves, Jordan Walden Voided

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The Braves have voided their minor league contract with right-hander Jordan Walden, reports MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (on Twitter). The 29-year-old’s rehab from a shoulder injury has not progressed as expected, according to Bowman. David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the two sides mutually agreed to void the deal.

Walden didn’t pitch in 2016 due to the shoulder troubles. He tossed just 10 1/3 innings with the Cardinals in 2015 after being traded to St. Louis from Atlanta alongside Jason Heyward in exchange for Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. Prior to his shoulder woes, Walden was a useful late-inning arm with the Angels and Braves, pitching to an even 3.00 ERA in 222 innings with 10.8 K/9, 3.9 BB/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate.

Depending on the state of his shoulder, Walden could always latch on elsewhere on a minor league contract. But his exact health remains an unknown at this time, and it seems unlikely that the Braves would have voided his contract were there a chance that he’d be ready for Opening Day in 2017.

Walden, of course, wasn’t being counted upon to contribute meaningful innings with the Braves, though a rebound would’ve given the team a nice reward on a low cost of acquisition. The Braves’ bullpen will again be anchored by Jim Johnson, Arodys Vizcaino and Mauricio Cabrera in 2017, with right-handers Jose Ramirez, Josh Collmenter, Armando Rivero and Dan Winkler also vying for spots in manager Brian Snitker’s relief corps.

David Phelps Wins Arbitration Hearing Against Marlins

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Right-hander David Phelps has won his arbitration hearing against the Marlins, reports Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link). As shown in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker, Phelps had filed for a $4.6MM salary against the Marlins’ submission of $4.3MM. Phelps, a client of Arland Sports, will earn the greater of those two sums in 2017.

The 30-year-old Phelps had a breakout season with the Marlins in 2016, emerging as a lights-out setup man for much of the season and making five starts late in the year as well. All told, the former Yankee tossed 86 2/3 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 11.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate. He also racked up 25 holds, which figures to have aided his arbitration case.

Phelps is capable of both starting and relieving, though the Marlins are said to prefer him in a bullpen role this coming season. He’ll team with A.J. Ramos, Kyle Barraclough, Brad Ziegler and Junichi Tazawa at the back of what looks to be a formidable Marlins relief corps.

With Phelps’ salary now settled, the Marlins have resolved all six of their offseason arbitration cases.

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