Results tagged ‘ Brandon McCarthy ’
A’s Major & Minor League Off-Season Transactions – Dec. 18 Update: A’s Find A Hiro To Play SS
Hiro: Better than Godzilla?
Well, the biggest story to break for A’s fans in the weeks before the holidays was the news that A’s free agent shortstop Stephen Drew had agreed to a $9.5 million/1-year deal with the Red Sox, followed quickly by the news that Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima had agreed to a $6.5 million/2-year deal (plus incentives and a $5.5 million 1-year option) with the A’s. The 30-year-old right-handed hitter has a career .310/.381/.474 slash line plus 104 home runs and 97 stolen bases over the last 6 seasons in Japan. His signing seems to settle the A’s starting shortstop question and makes arbitration-eligible Adam Rosales the likely backup at the position.
A’s free agent pitcher Brandon McCarthy also decided to leave the team for a $15.5 million/2-year deal with Arizona. It doesn’t look like the A’s are planning on signing a major league pitcher to replace McCarthy, but will instead count on a full season of availability from major-league ready RHP Dan Straily to make up for McCarthy’s loss.
On the minor league front, since our last update, the A’s traded RHP Graham Godfrey to the Red Sox as the player to be named in the deal to acquire RHP Sandy Rosario, who was later designated for assignment by the A’s and re-claimed by the Red Sox who then designated him for assignment again. So the A’s basically gave Godfrey to the Red Sox for the privilege of having Rosario on the roster for a few days. Minor league outfielder Jermaine Mitchell, who cleared waivers and elected free agency, ended up signing a minor league deal with the Phillies.
The most significant minor league addition the A’s made since our last update was the acquisition of 27-year-old minor league free agent catcher/first baseman Steven Hill, who’s played in 10 major league games for the Cardinals and spent most of last season at Triple-A Memphis, where he had a .266/.326/.488 slash line. The right-handed hitter figures to share the catching duties at Sacramento in 2013 with fellow minor league free agent signee Luke Montz.
You’ll find all new transactions since our last update noted below with italics and an asterisk. Any players who’ve recently been taking up space on the 40-man roster are listed below under Major League transactions, while all other players are listed under Minor League transactions. For all the minor league players, I’ve listed their primary positions as well as the level they spent the most time at in 2012. Just click on any player’s name to see their Baseball-Reference stats page…
MAJOR LEAGUE CHANGES
-Jonny Gomes OF / +Chris Young OF
-Pennington/Drew SS / +Hiroyuki Nakajima SS *
-Brandon Hicks IF / +Andy Parrino IF
-Brandon McCarthy RHP / +NONE *
-Jim Miller RHP / +Chris Resop RHP
-Tyson Ross RHP / +Andrew Werner LHP
Hiroyuki Nakajima
+ MAJOR LEAGUE ADDITIONS
Chris Young OF (traded from AZ)
Hiroyuki Nakajima SS (signed from Japan) *
Andy Parrino IF (traded from SD)
Chris Resop RHP (traded from PITT)
Andrew Werner LHP (traded from SD)
- MAJOR LEAGUE SUBTRACTIONS
Jonny Gomes OF (FA signed with BOS)
Stephen Drew SS (FA signed with BOS) *
Cliff Pennington SS (traded to AZ)
Brandon Hicks IF (traded to NYM)
Brandon McCarthy RHP (FA signed with AZ) *
Jim Miller RHP (claimed by NYY)
Tyson Ross RHP (traded to SD)
Steven Hill
+ MINOR LEAGUE ADDITIONS
Scott Moore 3B-1B AAA (minor league FA)
Luke Montz C-1B AAA (minor league FA)
Steven Hill C-1B AAA (minor league Rule 5 draftee) *
Tom Mendonca 3B AA (minor league rule 5 draftee) *
Darwin Perez SS-2B AA (minor league FA)
D’Arby Myers OF AA (minor league FA) *
Garrett Olson LHP AAA (minor league FA)
Justin Thomas LHP AAA (minor league FA)
Mike Ekstrom RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Kyler Newby RHP AA (minor league FA)
Yeiper Castillo RHP A (minor league FA) *
Jermaine Mitchell
- MINOR LEAGUE SUBTRACTIONS
Kila Ka’aihue 1B AAA (minor league FA signed with AZ)
Jermaine Mitchell OF AAA (minor league FA signed with PHI) *
Blake Lalli C AAA (minor league FA signed with MIL)
Jason Jaramillo C AAA (minor league FA)
Wes Timmons IF AAA (minor league FA)
Matt Rizzotti 1B AA (minor league FA)
Leonardo Gil 3B AA (minor league FA)
A.J. Kirby-Jones 1B A (traded to SD)
Yordy Cabrera SS A (traded to MIA)
Michael Gilmartin SS-2B A (minor league Rule 5 draftee by CIN) *
Eliezer Mesa OF A (minor league Rule 5 draftee by DET) *
Graham Godfrey RHP AAA (traded to BOS) *
Rich Thompson RHP AAA (minor league FA signed with TOR) *
Jeremy Accardo RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Merkin Valdez RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Justin Souza RHP AAA (minor league FA)
Fabio Castro LHP AA (minor league FA)
Beau Jones LHP AA (minor league FA)
Matt McSwain RHP AA (minor league FA)
Jonathan Ortiz RHP AA (minor league FA)
Jose Guzman RHP AA (minor league FA)
Zach Thornton RHP A (traded to PITT)
Adam Rosales
RETURNING FREE AGENTS/ARB ELIGIBLES/OPTIONS
Daric Barton 1B (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Adam Rosales IF (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Pat Neshek RHP (Arb Eligible Re-Signed)
Bartolo Colon RHP (Free Agent Re-Signed)
Grant Balfour RHP (Option Renewed)
RETURNING ARB ELIGIBLES
Seth Smith OF (Arb Eligible)
Brandon Moss 1B (Arb Eligible)
George Kottaras C (Arb Eligible)
Jerry Blevins LHP (Arb Eligible)
Chris Resop RHP (Arb Eligible)
UNSIGNED MLB FREE AGENTS
Brandon Inge 3B (MLB Free Agent)
Dallas Braden LHP (MLB Free Agent)
Joey Devine RHP (MLB Free Agent)
COMING & GOING
Sandy Rosario RHP (traded from BOS – designated for assignment)
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Friday, September 7th: Bees Swatted out of Playoffs while River Cats Drop Game 3 Despite Taylor’s 2 HRs
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats outfielder Michael Taylor (3 for 4 / 2 Home Runs / 2 RBIs / 3 Runs)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (TRIPLE-A)
PCL Playoffs Round 1 – Game #3
Sacramento River Cats 7
Reno Aces 11
(LP – Rich Thompson)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Michael Taylor
(3 for 4 / 2 Home Runs / 2 RBIs / 3 Runs)
Worth Noting: Sacramento lost Game #3 of their best-of-five playoff series in a heartbreaker on Friday night. The River Cats grabbed the lead in the 2nd inning, lost the lead in the 4th, tied the game in the top of the 6th, fell behind again in the bottom of the 6th, tied the game again in the top of the 8th, and finally lost the lead for good in the bottom of the 8th. Starter Travis Banwart was pressed into service when scheduled starter Dan Straily was recalled by the A’s to fill injured starter Brandon McCarthy’s spot in the big league rotation. Unfortunately, Banwart had a tough time of it, allowing 6 runs on 7 hits in 3 1/3 innings of work. Outfielder Jermaine Mitchell homered in the top of the 3rd inning to put Sacramento up 2-0. By the time the 4th inning was through though, the River Cats were down 6-2. But thanks to back-to-back home runs from designated hitter Kila Ka’aihue and Michael Taylor and a triple from first baseman Daric Barton and an RBI single from catcher Jason Jaramillo, the Cats came back to tie the game in the top of the 6th. Right-hander James Simmons then surrendered a run in the bottom of the 6th to hand the lead back to Reno. Michael Taylor then hit his 2nd home run of the game in the top of the 8th to tie the game again. Right-hander Rich Thompson came on for the River Cats in the bottom of the 8th and, after getting 2 outs, then gave up 4 runs to Reno to secure their victory in Game #3. The River Cats now need to win the final two games in Reno on Saturday and Sunday to win the series.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (CLASS-A)
Midwest League Playoffs Round 1 – Game #3
Burlington Bees 0
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3
(LP – Drew Granier)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Drew Granier
(6 IP / 2 ER / 6 K)
Worth Noting: The Bees’ bats didn’t put up much of a fight in dropping the final game of their first-round best-of-three Midwest League playoff series on Friday night. Burlington managed just 4 hits on the night and failed to score for the second time in the 3-game series. Starter Drew Granier made a noble effort, allowing just 2 earned runs on back-to-back solo shots in the 4th inning, and 1 unearned run after a 2-out error by shortstop Addison Russell allowed another run to score in the 5th. In 6 innings of work, Granier allowed just 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 6 in his final appearance of the season.
Saturday’s Game:
Sacramento @ Reno – 7:05pm PT (PCL Playoffs Round 1 – Game #4)
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Saturday, August 4th: Murphy Pitches Ports to Victory while McCarthy Impresses in Rehab Stint for Cats
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Stockton RHP Sean Murphy (6 IP / 0 ER / 9 K / Win)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (TRIPLE-A)
Memphis Redbirds 2
Sacramento River Cats 3
(WP – Thompson 3-2 / 3.51)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Brandon McCarthy
(6 IP / 0 ER / 9 K)
Worth Noting: Starter Brandon McCarthy turned in a strong performance in his second rehab outing with the River Cats, striking out 9 in 6 scoreless innings of work. With the game tied in the bottom of the 10th inning, catcher Anthony Recker singled in third baseman Josh Donaldson to deliver the walk-off RBI and secure the win for Sacramento.
TEXAS LEAGUE (DOUBLE-A)
Corpus Christi Hooks 17
Midland RockHounds 6
(LP – Daley 8-10 / 5.30)
Farmhand Of The Game:
First Baseman Anthony Aliotti
(4 for 4 / 2 Doubles / 2 RBIs)
Worth Noting: First baseman Anthony Aliotti collected 4 hits, including 2 doubles, and drove in a pair of runs for the RockHounds. The game was tied 6-6 heading into the 9th inning, when Midland’s bullpen surrendered 11 runs to hand the victory to Corpus Christi. Starter Fabio Castro allowed 6 runs over 5 innings of work.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (HIGH-A)
Stockton Ports 11
Visalia Rawhide 2
(WP – Murphy 6-5 / 4.45)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Sean Murphy
(6 IP / 0 ER / 9 K / Win)
Worth Noting: Starter Sean Murphy delivered an impressive outing for Stockton on Saturday, striking out 9 while walking just 1 over 6 scoreless innings to earn his 6th win. Second baseman Ryan Pineda homered and drove in 3 runs, while shortstop Michael Gilmartin drove in 3 runs and scored twice for the Ports.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (CLASS-A)
Quad Cities River Bandits 4
Burlington Bees 7
(WP – Frankoff 4-7 / 5.08)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Seth Frankoff
(3 IP / 0 ER / 2 K / Win)
Worth Noting: Starter Tanner Peters had a rocky outing, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits over 5 innings of work, while right-hander Seth Frankoff struck out 2 in 3 perfect innings of relief to earn his 4th win. First baseman Max Muncy had 2 hits, including a double, drove in 2 runs and scored the go-ahead run when third baseman Wade Kirkland singled to drive him home in the bottom of the 8th inning for the Bees.
NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE (CLASS-A SHORT-SEASON)
Batavia Muckdogs 3
Vermont Lake Monsters 7
(WP – Vail 1-2 / 4.66)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Tyler Vail
(6 IP / 1 ER / 7 K / Win)
Worth Noting: Starter Tyler Vail had his best outing for Vermont so far this season, allowing just 1 run while walking none and striking out 7 over 6 innings to earn his 1st win of the year. Outfielder John Wooten had 3 hits, including a home run, and drove in a pair of runs, while shortstop Addison Russell collected 4 hits, including a triple, and drove in a run in the win.
ARIZONA LEAGUE (ROOKIE SHORT-SEASON)
AZL Athletics 5
AZL D-backs 3
(WP – Johnson 4-1 / 3.71)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Tyler Johnson
(3 IP / 0 ER / 1 K / Win)
Worth Noting: Starter Kayon Bahramzadeh allowed 3 runs in just 4 innings of work, while right-hander Tyler Johnson tossed 3 scoreless innings in relief to earn his 4th win. Outfielder B.J. Boyd hit his 1st home run, and third baseman Renato Nunez drove in 2 runs in the win.
Sunday’s Games:
Nashville @ Sacramento – 6:05pm PT
Corpus Christi @ Midland – 6:00pm CT
Stockton @ Visalia – 6:00pm PT
Quad Cities @ Burlington – 2:00pm CT
Batavia @ Vermont – 6:05pm ET
AZL Mariners @ AZL Athletics – 7:00pm PT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
What Did We Learn From FanFest?
Brandon McCarthy: The A's new leading man
There were lots of interesting quotes to come out of this weekend’s FanFest. And based on what was said by A’s management, coaches and players, here’s what I think we can surmise…
* Brandon McCarthy will be the A’s opening day starter.
* Bartolo Colon will follow McCarthy in the A’s rotation.
* Dallas Braden will be back in the rotation by the time the A’s will first need a 5th starter on April 17th.
* The final two spots in the A’s rotation will be up for grabs between Graham Godfrey, Tyson Ross, Tom Milone, Brad Peacock and Jarrod Parker.
* Brett Anderson won’t be back before August.
* The A’s bullpen situation is as murky as ever.
* The A’s consider the most competitive openings on the offensive roster to be the fifth outfielder and designated hitter spots.
* The backup catcher and utility infielder positions are the only other truly competitive spots on the offensive roster.
* Michael Taylor and Colin Cowgill will compete for the fifth outfielder spot, with Cowgill the probable favorite.
* The A’s view Daric Barton, if healthy, as the default choice at first base.
Manny Ramirez: Praying for one more chance
* Chris Carter, Brandon Allen and Kila Ka’aihue will be the primary competitors for the designated hitter spot.
* The A’s are open to giving Manny Ramirez a test drive in the designated hitter spot once he serves his 50-day suspension.
* Three of the following five pitchers will join Travis Banwart and Carlos Hernandez in the Sacramento Rivercats’ starting rotation in April – Graham Godfrey, Tyson Ross, Tom Milone, Brad Peacock, Jarrod Parker.
* Two of the following three players are likely to join Michael Taylor in the heart of the Rivercats’ lineup in April – Chris Carter, Brandon Allen, Kila Ka’aihue.
* If the A’s do get the go-ahead to move to San Jose, they probably wouldn’t be able to have a new stadium ready to go there before 2016.
What an A's game might look like in 2016. Wait, where's Mt. Davis?
A’s Deal Moscoso & Outman to Rockies for Outfielder Seth Smith: The Door’s Wide Open for A’s Young Pitching Prospects
Instead of the Rocky Mountains, Seth Smith will now be casting his eyes on scenic Mt. Davis (Photo by Elaine Thompson/AP)
A day after reports emerged that the A’s had agreed to sign free agent pitcher Bartolo Colon, we learned that the team has completed a deal to send pitchers Guillermo Moscoso and Josh Outman to the Colorado Rockies in return for outfielder Seth Smith.
With a career OPS of .833, Smith immediately becomes the best hitter on an A’s team severely lacking in punch. His 2011 OBP of .348 and SLG of .483 outpaced all A’s regulars in both categories last season. And the 29-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder can be expected to play left-field and hit in the 3-4 slot in the 2012 A’s lineup.
Smith’s career home/away splits have been noted by many, but in 2011, he had an .848 OPS at Coors Field compared to an .814 OPS on the road. The main difference in Smith’s performance at home and on the road over his career has primarily been in his home run hitting proficiency, hitting 1 home run every 20 at bats at Coors Field compared to 1 home run every 34 at bats everywhere else – and it’d certainly be no surprise to see Smith’s overall home run production decline playing half his games at the pitcher-friendly Coliseum compared to the hitter-friendly Coors Field. He’s also been a better first half player over his career, hitting 26 points higher in the first half.
By far the most significant split though comes in Smith’s performance against right-handed and left-handed pitching. He has a career OPS a whopping 293 points higher against right-handers than against left-handers. Here again, the biggest difference can be found in his power potential, hitting 1 home run every 23 at bats against right-handed pitchers compared to 1 home run every 53 at bats against left-handed pitchers.
Jonny Gomes: Roundin' third...could he be headed for home? (Photo by Evan Habeeb/US Presswire)
Whatever else the A’s brass may say publicly on the subject, it’d be safe to assume that Smith might be watching a lot of left-handed starters from the safety of the A’s dugout in 2012. And multiple sources have already been reporting that the A’s are still in the market for a right-handed hitting free agent outfielder – someone like Cody Ross or Petaluma’s own Jonny Gomes – presumably to serve as a possible platoon partner for Smith as well as a fourth outfielder and a potential designated hitter. As far as the rest of the outfield picture goes, Coco Crisp is expected to man center with new acquisition Josh Reddick roaming the field in right.
The greater impact of this deal though may be on the A’s pitching plans. After it was announced that the A’s had reached a deal with Colon, the assumption was that the A’s were planning to take their time with their talented young pitching prospects. But with the news of this deal, it now looks like the A’s are ready to swing the major league doors open wide to their eager horde of young pitchers.
With Moscoso and Outman now out of the picture, and Brett Anderson and Dallas Braden not expected to be ready to start the season, the only A’s starters with more than 100 innings of major league experience under their belts are Brandon McCarthy and Bartolo Colon (who has a lot more under his belt than that!). Behind that duo are five pitchers who, combined, have less than 150 innings of major league experience: Tyson Ross with 75 1/3, Graham Godfrey with 25, Tom Milone with 26, Brad Peacock with 12, and Jarrod Parker with 5 2/3.
Ross, the most experienced of the bunch, has struggled mightily while trying to return from his latest injury, posting an ERA of 7.61 at Triple-A Sacramento and an ERA of 5.94 in the Arizona Fall League. With that in mind, the best bet might be to give Godfrey, Milone and Peacock the first shots at cracking the rotation. That would give Ross a little more time to piece things back together and Parker, the youngest and probably most talented of the batch, a little more time to develop at Sacramento. The Rivercats’ could then open the season with a starting rotation featuring Tyson Ross, Jarrod Parker, Travis Banwart, Carlos Hernandez and Edgar Gonzalez.
Whatever happens, it looks to be a very interesting spring in the desert this year. Bob Melvin won’t even know the players without a scorecard!
A’s Rotation Roundup: Colon In, Who’s Out?
Bartolo Colon: Just squint your eyes and the pinstripes will go away (Photo by Robert Sabo/NY Daily News)
Well, the A’s have finally stolen one away from the Yankees! The team has reportedly come to terms with veteran starting pitcher Bartolo Colon on a one-year deal worth $2 million, pending a physical. The 38-year-old Colon got off to a great start for the Yanks in 2011, turning in a 3.20 ERA in the first half. He finished the year with a 4.00 ERA and demonstrated great control throughout the season, walking only 40 batters in 164 1/3 innings. Colon also has a career ERA of 2.14 in the spacious Coliseum.
The portly Dominican Republican will surely provide a veteran presence on an inexperienced A’s staff that, for the most part, has barely started shaving. The old graybeard of the A’s starters, Brandon McCarthy at 28, is a full ten years younger than Colon.
The former AL Cy Young winner also comes relatively cheap, at a reported salary below the major league average. And with the A’s not likely to be in contention for anything in 2012 other than the league’s lowest attendance trophy, once the July trading deadline rolls around, the experienced veteran is likely to be flipped to a desperate contender for another hot young prospect to toss onto the A’s rebuild bonfire.
Even more importantly though, Colon’s addition will allow the A’s to let their recently acquired prized pitching prospects to take a little time to develop at Triple-A and will further delay their arbitration/free agency clocks. These young pitchers will surely be the core of any future A’s contending teams, and there’s absolutely no reason to rush them before the team is ready to contend just to fill up roster spots.
That said, I’d like to see the A’s start the season without any of their new young pitching acquisitions in the major league rotation. I’d prefer to see Jarrod Parker, Brad Peacock and Tom Milone all getting their Triple-A innings in at Sacramento for the first half of the season, until either they force their way onto the big league roster or trades or injuries open up slots for them in the summer.
If the season were to begin today, assuming Dallas Braden wasn’t ready to go, I’d like to see a major league rotation consisting of Brandon McCarthy, Guillermo Moscoso, Bartolo Colon, Josh Outman and Graham Godfrey – with Braden squeezing out Godfrey as soon as he was ready. That would likely leave a rotation at Sacramento consisting of Tom Milone, Brad Peacock, Jarrod Parker, Tyson Ross and Travis Banwart.
I think most observers expect to see McCarthy, Moscoso,Colon and Outman given the first shot to start the season in the A’s rotation. But who would you like to see open the season as the A’s fifth starter if, as we expect, Braden isn’t ready to go? You can check out all the contenders’ minor league stats at the links below…
Graham Godfrey
Tom Milone
Brad Peacock
Jarrod Parker
Tyson Ross
