Here are thetwo latest news bits from Jon Morosi of FOX Sports:
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The Detroit Tigers have announced the signing right-hander Neftali Feliz, according to Chris Iott of MLive.com. Feliz will join the team today.
The 27-year-old Feliz elected his release from the Rangers after being designated for assignment and clearing waivers. It makes sense that Feliz was picked up quickly, as the pitcher has a good pedigree, throws into the mid- and upper-90s with his fastball, and has spent time in the closer's role already. With the Rangers this season, Feliz was 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA (4.14 FIP) in 18 appearances, saving six games in nine chances. He logged 19 2/3 innings and pitched to a 16 to nine strikeout-to-walk ratio. The former Rookie of the Year award winner has had control issues throughout his career, causing him to be inconsistent. The Tigers bullpen will not need Feliz to close with Joakim Soria doing a solid job in that role. As a unit, however, the Tigers' bullpen has the sixth-highest ERA in baseball and the highest xFIP. If Detroit can find a way to fix some of Feliz's control issues, this addition of him mid-season could be a steal for them and could go a long way in improving their bullpen. --Devan Fink
With July 2--otherwise known as "international signing day"-- quickly approaching, prospects all around the world are perfecting their craft in hopes that they will get a minor league contract from a Major League club.
Cover Those Bases has learned of the agreements of 17 Venezuelan international prospects, per a source with knowledge of the situation.
Other Interesting Notes
--Devan Fink
With the June Draft less than a month away, it's time to start talking about who are sleepers in this draft. These are players who may not be picked in the first or second rounds, but could end up being stars nonetheless.
Joliet Catholic Academy (Joliet, IL) catcher Nick Dalesandro could be one of these players. Dalesandro is committed to Purdue and is expected to be selected in the Top 10 rounds of this draft, with a possibility of him going in the Top 5. The St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels, and Pittsburgh Pirates are among the teams who have scouted Dalesandro, according to a source close to the situation. Dalesandro is one of the best dual-threats in the nation, both pitching and catching. Other clubs have scouted Dalesandro as a pitcher, though catching appears to be his best position. Defensively, Dalesandro may be one of the best catchers in the country. He has pop times of 1.80, which is considered to be extremely low. His defense is highly touted by PrepBaseballReport.com: Defensively...rocket for arm, impresses with easy carry to second base, extremely accurate, threw out runner from knees at third base with right-handed hitter in box (third strike and third out on the pitch)...Elite-level catch and throw prospect...Elite national prospect.
The evaluator at Prep Baseball Report compared Dalesandro's defense to that of Padres' catcher Austin Hedges.
What makes Dalesandro a possibility to be a real steal in this draft is his bat, which was a main question coming into the season. On March 20, when the evaluator at Prep Baseball Report scouted Dalesandro, he hit seven batting practice balls for homers, while showing improved plate discipline and better timing. Dalesandro's bat may be the most underrated part of his game and could make him a top prospect quickly. Dalesandro has also pitched and some evaluators believe that is where he will end up. He ranges from 90-91 mph on the hill and has hit 92 in the past. He has good breaking pitches and could project to be a Major League pitcher in the future. The combination of all these aspects of Dalesandro's game make him a draft prospect to keep an eye on as he continues to rise up the draft boards. --Devan Fink The New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Detroit Tigers completed a three-team trade earlier today, according to multiple reports. The Diamondbacks have since announced the deal. The Yankees received shortstop Didi Gregorius from the Diamondbacks. From the Tigers, the Diamondbacks acquired left-handed starter Robbie Ray and middle infield prospect Domingo Leyba. Detroit acquired right-hander Shane Greene from the Yankees. Apparently, the Yankees offered the Diamondbacks Shane Greene for Didi Gregorius straight-up, according to a report, but the deal was rejected, so the Yankees brought the Tigers into the trade. The trade had just materialized over the past two days. Gregorius will presumably fit right into the shortstop position that Derek Jeter left at the end of this season. He was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent in 2007 out of the Netherlands and first appeared in professional baseball in 2008 at age 18. Gregorius was traded to Arizona in a three-team deal that sent Shin-Soo Choo from the Indians to the Reds. Over the past two seasons, with the Diamondbacks, the 24-year-old Gregorius has been a real solid, young shortstop. He has 724 plate appearances over these past two years, hitting .243/.313/.366 with 13 homers and 57 runs batted in. He was worth no defensive runs saved in 2014. The Diamondbacks are getting two good prospects from the Tigers in return for Gregorius. Robbie Ray, a 23-year-old left-hander. Ray posted a 1-4 record with an 8.16 ERA in 28.2 innings with the Tigers last year. He posted a 4.22 ERA with Triple-A Toledo in 100.1 innings. Ray was acquired from the Nationals as apart of the Doug Fister deal and was rated by MLB.com as baseball's 97th-best prospect before this year. Ray is not the only return for the Diamondbacks. They also get 18-year-old middle infield prospect Domingo Leyba from the Tigers, who posted a .323/.360/.423 line with two homers and 24 runs batted in between Single-A Short Season Connecticut and Single-A West Michigan. Shane Greene, a 26-year-old righty, heads to the Tigers from the Yankees. Green went 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 78.2 innings pitched with New York this season. He had never been a top prospect, but his 3.73 FIP suggests that his 3.78 ERA wasn't because of luck. Greene could be the wild-card in this deal for Detroit. The Yankees get their replacement shortstop for Jeter. Didi Gregorius heads from the Diamondbacks to New York in a three-team trade. --Devan Fink |
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