Around the League: April 10-17 - philliesfan136's Dynasty

philliesfan136's Dynasty Blog

Around the League: April 10-17

Posted on July 6, 2011 at 09:39 PM.

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Phillies GM Nick Puleo said that no moves by his management were imminent, but that if needed,they could make a move if they see "a guy who could help(the team)out."

They got their man in Chris Snyder, who was initially thought to to back up Carlos Ruiz, but due to Ruiz's offensive struggles, Snyder was acquired to start behind the plate and provide more power at the bottom of the order. It's a bit of a shocking move to Phillies fans, who know what Carlos is capable of offensively, but Snyder's contract expires this offseason, and Ruiz presumably will be the starter again if Snyder leaves (if not before).
The most surprising part is that Puleo jumped so quickly to grab Snyder and push Ruiz out of the lineup.

All in all, after comparing the two catchers, the Phillies aren't losing too much defensively, as Snyder is a pretty good defender. On the offensive side, meanwhile, Snyder was batting .350 (7 for 20) with 3 RBIs, 3 runs scored, and 3 walks through 6 games with Pittsburgh. Ruiz has struggled lately, going 9 for 43 (.209 AVG.) and 3 RBIs through 12 games, but has always prided himself in defense and it's showed. Snyder's 4.60 million contract expires after this season, and he is expected to be retained as, at the worst, a backup to Carlos and a pinch-hitter when the team needs the longball or extra bases.

The Pirates received C Brian Schneider and a low-level pitching prospect in return for Snyder.
Schneider had batted 4 for 14 (.286) with a pair of doubles and RBIs in 4 games with the Phillies. Pittsburgh has a bit of a logjam now at catcher, with Ryan Doumit starting and also rookie Mike McKenry in the mix as a backup along with Schneider.
In the minors, the team has Wyatt Toregas, who spent some time in the majors with the Indians, as well as a duo of 28-year-olds in Jason Jaramillo and Dusty Brown. If you go further, the team has Eric Fryer and Tony Sanchez waiting in the wings, with Fryer playing at the AA and AAA level, and Sanchez toiling in A and AA.
Schneider is earning 1.20 million this season, and his contract expires this offseason. Ryan Doumit, who can also play first and some outfield, gives some versatility in case the Pirates choose to retain him, as his 4.80 million comes off the books after this year. He has been serviceable in his time as a Pirate, and if they do choose to bring back the 30-year-old, it would probably be as a stop gap until A)One of the catchers with major league experience brings something to the table on the batting side or B)One of their younger catchers proves to be major-league ready.

The situation leaves the Phillies with an interesting choice between Ruiz and Snyder that should be monitored throughout the season. The Pirates get another option at catcher or another potential stop gap for the team's younger catchers.

The Phillies made a few other minor moves besides this one, the first signing P Shawn Hill to a minor-league contract and sent him to AAA Lehigh Valley. The 6'2" right-hander pitched 20 and 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays in 4 games last year, going 1-2 with a 2.61 ERA and also striking out 14. He pitched in Spring Training with the Marlins and was released after not making the big league club. He's slated to immediately join the Ironpigs' rotation due to the ineffectiveness of some of the team's starters, including Ryan Feierabend (2 GS: 9.2 IP,0-2, 5.59 ERA,1.75 K/BB), who signed on to a minor league deal and was invited to Spring Training by the Phils' earlier in the year. Feierabend will now operate in long relief with experience as a starter and reliever in the minors over his career.
Hill could be a spot starter or long reliever for the Phillies, depending on how he does at AAA and how the Phillies' rotation shakes out.

In another move, John Mayberry Jr. was optioned to AAA to make room for the return of Raul Ibanez. Ibanez had been out since early-March with a torn groin muscle, and he still has a chance of getting re-injured, so they will ease him back into the lineup. For now, Ben Francisco will continue playing left field in place of Ibanez until he is back to full health.
Mayberry Jr. collected 5 hits in 13 at-bats and an RBI off the bench. He'll return to everyday playing time in the minors until the Phillies need an outfielder.

A few veterans got a chance to start fresh in the last slew of transactions:

The White Sox signed OF Milton Bradley and sent him to AAA Charlotte.
Bradley last played for the Mariners, in 2010, where he batted a measly .205 (50 for 244) with 9 doubles, 9 homers, 29 RBIs, and a triple in 73 games. The 11-year veteran was thought to be the starting left fielder for the team this season, but was beaten out by rookie Carlos Peguero and was later released. Bradley joins a pool of experienced outfielders in Charlotte: fellow 33-year-old Juan Pierre as well as 27-year-olds Brent Lillibridge and Alejandro de Aza.

The Dodgers signed C Chad Moeller and sent him to AAA Alberquerque.
Moeller spent most of the 2010 season with the Yankees, playing for the major league team as well as their AAA affiliate, the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. He managed 3 hits, all doubles, in 14 at-bats with New York. Moeller is set to turn 37 this offseason, and is probably just on the Dodgers for depth. He's on the down side of his career and is expected to retire after the season.

The Yankees signed IF/OF Oscar Salazar.
Salazar made his major league debut in 2002 with the Tigers, at the age of 24, before losing the 2003 season to shoulder surgery. He went on to spend 2004 with the AAA Buffalo Bisons, the Indians' AAA affiliate at that time. After that season, Salazar played in the Mexican League and would join the Orioles organization in 2007 before finally getting back to the majors in 2008. He was traded to the Padres and spent 2008-2011 with the team before being released in 2011 Spring Training. He played a bit with the New Orleans Zephyrs, the Marlins' AAA affiliate, before being released again.
It's a bit ironic that the soon-to-be 33-year-old journeyman, who's changed teams multiple times, joins a team that has experienced the most success of all major sports in the Yankees.
Salazar offers the ability to play more than one position but lacks in defense. For now, he'll fill a bench role for the Yankees.

The Red Sox signed OF Jose Guillen and sent him to AAA Pawtucket.
Guillen played in 2010 with the Royals and Giants, and was part of the Giants run towards the playoffs. He hit 5 doubles, 3 home runs, and collected 15 runs batted in over 128 at-bats down the stretch for San Francisco.Unfortunately for Guillen, he suffered a neck injury and was left off the team's playoff roster.
He turns 35 this May, and probably is on his last legs, but could climb back up to the bigs for a team that needs extra bases in a pinch.

That's all in a semi-busy week of transactions in Major League Baseball. The next update of baseball's happenings will be from the 18th to the 24th of April.

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