The Baltimore Orioles and relief pitcher Heath Bell have agreed to a minor league contract, the Orioles announced yesterday. If he reaches the Major Leagues, he will receive the minimum MLB salary of $500,000. The Tampa Bay Rays just released Bell five days prior to him reaching an agreement with the Orioles. They still owe him the remainder of his three-year, $27 million deal he signed back in 2012, regardless of whether he reaches the Major Leagues again this season or not. The 36-year-old received interest from a few teams, according to reports, before choosing the Orioles. From 2009 through 2011, Bell was the primer closer in the Majors. During that stretch, he ranked first in the MLB in saves with 132, a good 10 saves above the player in second, Brian Wilson. Only seven closers reached 100 saves during that stretch. Bell posted a 2.36 ERA, 2.54 FIP, and a 157 ERA+ during those dominant seasons. Since those three All Star years, Bell has been trying to return to form. He's 10-8 with a 4.91 ERA, 3.99 FIP, and an 80 ERA+ since 2011, just saving 34 games. One of Heath Bell's top issues is his strikeout rate. Bell struck out 9.6 batters per nine innings from 2009 to 2011, the best three year stretch of his career. He also was able to keep runners off of the bases, posting a very low 1.157 WHIP during that time. Since, both of those statistics have fallen off of the table, causing Bell to give up a lot of runs. His 1.507 WHIP is 0.350 higher, and his 8.8 strikeout per nine innings rate is 0.8 higher, allowing opposing teams to tee off of Bell. The Orioles could use all the bullpen help they can get. Their bullpen has posted the 16th-worst ERA in the Majors. Their bullpen ranks 26th in OPS against. If the Orioles can reinvent Bell into a decent reliever, this signing can prove to be very important down the stretch. But that is a big "if." Keep your tabs on Heath Bell as he hopes to rejuvenate his Major League career once again, this time with the Baltimore Orioles.
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Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Matt Moore has decided to undergo Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The left-hander was recently diagnosed with a partially torn UCL, and was deciding between surgery or the rest-and-rehab routes. Now he will miss the rest of this season.
Moore, 24, won 17 games and posted a 3.29 ERA in 27 starts for the Rays in 2013. The youngster has a 3.53 ERA and a 109 ERA+ in 347 career innings pitched. So far this season, Moore is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA and a 145 ERA+ in 10 innings pitched. He left his April 7 start with elbow discomfort, and will receive the procedure from Dr. James Andrews on April 22. The former number one overall prospect in 2012 (MLB.com) has impressed so far in the Major Leagues, but now becomes the 13th pitcher since the start of the 2014 Spring Training to have needed Tommy John surgery. That is a huge issue for young pitchers and the MLB overall. "I'll figure out a way, find a way to compete on the mound," Moore told Topkin. "I'm not fearful of that. A lot of guys that came before me with the surgery have kind of paved the way with the rehab process in terms of what to do and what not to do." From a team perspective, the Rays are really hurting from starting pitching depth, or lack thereof. Jeremy Hellickson had elbow surgery this offseason and will not be ready until June. Alex Cobb was placed on the DL with an oblique strain as well. And now, Moore will be missing the rest of 2014. The Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Chris Archer have agreed upon a six-year, $25.5 million contract extension today. The deal can reach up to eight-years and $43.75 million, with two option seasons. By retaining young players, especially young pitching, the Rays are able to contend for years to come. That is exactly how the Archer deal went down. With only 156 days of service time, Archer is looking for his first full season (about 25 or more starts) with the Rays. In 2013, the now 25 year old Archer finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. Last season, Archer went 9-7 with a 3.22 ERA and posted a 101 to 38 strikeout to walk ratio (2.66 K/BB) in 23 starts with the Rays (118 ERA+). "For any kid who's been told in life you can't do something in life, you can. I'm living proof of that," Archer said during the news conference to announce the deal. Archer went to the Rays in the trade that sent Matt Garza to the Chicago Cubs in December of 2011. He has now become a viable part of the team's future plans for not only the rotation, but for the team overall. This deal will keep Archer under contract through 2019, and under team control through 2021. Major League Baseball increased the penalties for Performance Enhancing Drugs on Friday. In the new rules, the suspensions for violating the policy become harsher. Here is the breakdown of the new rules:
Here's an excerpt from the MLB's official press release: Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said: "Major League Baseball is proud to announce some of the most significant improvements that we have made to our Program in recent years. Although we had the strongest Program in professional sports before these changes, I am committed to constantly finding ways to improve the Program in order to eradicate performance-enhancing drugs from the game and for MLB to serve as a model for other drug programs. I want to express my appreciation to the Players for being proactive and showing remarkable leadership in producing the new agreement. I commend them for both their foresight and their creativity throughout this process, and for strongly sharing our desire to improve what is already the toughest drug program in sports." The Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays completed a trade on Thursday. The Rays sent catcher Jose Lobaton, lefty Felipe Rivero, and outfielder Drew Vettleson to the Nationals in exchange for right-hander Nate Karns.
The Nationals acquire the backup catcher for Wilson Ramos in Lobaton that they have been coveting for the past few weeks. They also gain two notable minor-leaguers. In return, they give up Nate Karns, a pitcher with a ton of potential and a very good skill set. Many thought that with a good Spring Training, Karns could take the fifth rotation spot. Now, he'll be headed to Tampa, where he will be put into a similar situation. The 29-year-old Lobaton posted a 100 OPS+ in 311 plate appearances with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. He triple-slashed a .249/.320/.394 with 7 home runs and 32 RBI. In 76 starts at catcher, Lobaton was serviceable, posting a -8 fielding runs above average. The Nationals will be getting a good hitting catcher (which can be a rarity), who can make a good start once in awhile. Lobaton can call a good game as well; Rays pitchers posted a 3.73 ERA in his starts. Nate Karns, 26, is the Rays only player return. He, in 12 Major League innings in 2013, went 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA and a 1.917 WHIP with the Nationals. In 23 minor-league starts, Karns went 10-6 with a 3.26 ERA in 132 2/3 innings pitched. The Nationals will also be receiving Felipe Rivero and Drew Vettleson. Rivero, 22, has a career 3.45 ERA in 386 minor league innings in the Rays system. In 2013, he went 9-7 with a 3.40 ERA in 127 innings (25 games, 23 starts) at the Rays High Single-A affiliate. Vettleson, 22, is a former first round pick. He has a .760 OPS in 1,345 plate appearances. In 2013, Vettleson hit a triple slash of .274/.331/.388 in 516 plate appearances at the Rays High Single-A affiliate. |
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