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IN THIS ISSUE

American League

National League

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
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Recalled INF-R Tyler Saladino from Triple-A Charlotte; optioned RHP Scott Carroll to Triple-A Charlotte. [7/10]

In the era of bloated pitching staffs, the All-Star break offers a nice change of pace: Teams can demote their back-end starters and enjoy the company of an extra position player without futzing with their rotation. Here, the White Sox took a different approach by demoting their long reliever. Either way, it adds up to the welcome sight of an 11-man pitching staff.

The beneficiary of Rick Hahn's opportunism is Saladino, a soon-to-be 26-year-old who could well remain on the 25-man roster when the season resumes. While he's not starter material, he does offer a solid approach, the occasional extra-base hit, and enough athleticism to profile as an infield sub. Aiding Saladino's case for retention are the shaky performances of Emilio Bonifacio and Gordon Beckham; the latter hasn't done much since a hot April. Alternatively, if the White Sox want to keep the veterans and Saladino on the roster, then they could demote Carlos Sanchez. – R.J. Anderson

DETROIT TIGERS
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Signed RHP Neftali Feliz. [7/11]

Sure, why not? The Tigers need relief help and Feliz comes cheap, plus he's an ex-Rangers closer, which at times seems like a prerequisite to pitch in Detroit's bullpen. The risk is that Feliz and his easy mid-90s heat continue to prove ineffective, or that he gets hurt again. The upside, though, is more than a short-term upgrade. Rather, because Feliz is under team control through next season, he could prove useful to Detroit's middle-term plans. The odds of him remaining with Detroit through 2016 are slim, but it's worth a shot given the biggest cost is a roster spot. – R.J. Anderson

NEW YORK YANKEES
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Selected the contract of 2B-R Rob Refsnyder from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; optioned 2B-L Cole Figueroa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre; transferred CF-L Mason Williams from the 15- to the 60-day DL [7/11]

The Yankees gave Stephen Drew every chance to be their 2015 second baseman, but they’ve has apparently decided they can no longer tolerate his .257 on-base percentage and called up Refsnyder to play second base, likely for the foreseeable future.

Refsnyder has hit at every level, and while you shouldn’t expect him to average .290–.300 like he has on the farm, he does have a chance to hit for a reasonable average in the majors. His hand-eye coordination is outstanding, he rarely swings at pitches outside of the strike zone, and his ability to pick up secondary offerings out of the hand allows him to spray the ball all over the field. You shouldn’t expect big power totals, but he has enough strength to bop eight to 12 homers a year. He’s only an average runner, but he reads pitchers’ movements well, as seen in his 53 steals in 70 attempts the last four seasons.

The question with Refsnyder has always been just how good of a defender he can be in the middle infield, and scouts I’ve spoken with are torn as to whether he’ll have to move to the outfield. His arm-strength is adequate, but his lack of range makes him more detriment than asset on defense.

Refsnyder’s ceiling is a top-of-the-lineup hitter with a .350 on-base percentage; lefty-killer off the bench is a realistic floor. – Christopher Crawford

SEATTLE MARINERS
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Recalled DH/1B-R Jesus Montero, LHP Vidal Nuno, and RHP Danny Farquhar from Triple-A Tacoma; optioned RHP Mayckol Guaipe to Triple-A Tacoma; optioned LHP J.A. Happ to Advanced-A Bakersfield; placed LHP Charlie Furbush on the 15-day disabled list (biceps tendinitis). [7/9]

After gaining a reputation the past few years as a lazy, indifferent player, Montero surprised everyone this spring by showing up in better shape. He's since enjoyed a productive first half in Triple-A, hitting .332/.370/.529 while playing first base most days. Yet Montero's conditioning, impressive performance, and relative youth (he's only 25) didn't seem to move the Mariners; no player in the PCL with a higher average than Montero had more than 300 plate appearances; he had more than 350 at the time of his recall.

To an extent, you can understand the Mariners' reluctance to promote Montero. Fitting another limited defender on a roster that already houses Nelson Cruz, Logan Morrison, and Mark Trumbo means all but disregarding run prevention and flexibility. What's more is you can talk yourself out of Montero being a potentially useful player by focusing on his flaws—his super-aggressive approach, his bottom-of-the-scale speed, his swing mechanics, his friendly offensive environment in Tacoma, and so on—which are all fair concerns.

At the same time, you can understand the calls for Montero, which are usually followed by the question, What do the Mariners have to lose? Yes, Montero is hard to fit on the roster—such is the cost of carrying six players whose main defensive home is in the outfield—and yes, he might stink. Still, Seattle entered Saturday in fourth place in their division and with the 23rd-best offense in MLB (according to True Average), thanks in part to the struggles of Morrison and Trumbo. If the Mariners are serious about improving their attack, why not give Montero an audition? Besides, he's on the 40-man roster; if he's not in contention for a big-league look, then why waste a spot to keep him around? – R.J. Anderson

MIAMI MARLINS
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Signed 3B-R Casey McGehee; placed 1B-R Jeff Baker on the 15-day disabled list (intercostal strain). [7/10]

McGehee returns to Miami, host of his last career reset, hopeful for another. He was traded to San Francisco during the offseason, where he was supposed to replace Pablo Sandoval. Turns out McGehee might've taken the job description literally, as he became more of a high-volume swinger than usual. (Though, to be fair, he still remained passive compared to the Panda.) In comparison, the Marlins have small plans in store for McGehee, who figures to platoon with Derek Dietrich at the hot corner until Martin Prado is hearty and hale. At that point, McGehee will likely slide to the bench and replace the dinged Baker as Dan Jennings' top right-handed pinch-hit option. It ain't the crazy life, but one plate appearance and a spot in Miami each night beats four and a bus ride in Triple-A. – R.J. Anderson

LOS ANGELES DODGERS
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Selected the contract of RHP Chin-hui Tsao from Triple-A Oklahoma; recalled RHP Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma; optioned LHP Ian Thomas and RHP Yimi Garcia to Triple-A Oklahoma; designated LHP Eric Surkamp for assignment. [7/8]
Claimed RHP Preston Guilmet off waivers from the Rays; optioned him to Triple-A Oklahoma; designated LHP Chris Reed for assignment. [7/10]

Guilmet's tour of the analytics-inclined teams continues, as he's spent time with the Indians (his original team), the Orioles, the Blue Jays, the Pirates, and the Rays. Blame it on his stellar minor-league stats, his solid projections (PECOTA pegs him for a 3.28 ERA), or his upper-80s fastball with tons o' ride, the latter an attribute Andrew Friedman valued during his days in St. Petersburg. Guilmet's upright, slingy mechanics and high release point also help his cause by providing him with some deception. The hope is that he lands on the good side of the fence that separates up-and-down arms from middle relievers. The early returns suggest otherwise, but he's worth a look-see as depth.

Speaking of rise, know who used to have some on his fastball? Yup, Tsao. On Friday, he pitched from a big-league mound for the first time since 2007, and for the first since being banned from another league due to game-fixing allegations. (It's worth noting MLB found insufficient evidence of wrongdoing during its own investigation.) The short-striding Ravin, meanwhile, is proof that not all the Dodgers' relievers are riseballers—no, no, some throw upper-90s sinkers.

Considered an overdraft at the time, Reed is a former first-round pick whose transition this season back to the bullpen hasn't gone so well. He's always had a lagging changeup and location concerns, with the latter plaguing him more than usual, to the tune of a 6.8 walk rate in Double-A. Perhaps some team looks at Reed's pedigree and fastball-slider combination and takes a chance. Probably not. – R.J. Anderson

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jnossal
7/13
Your Tigers have Feliz.
BrewersTT
7/13
Until he is scratched because of injury.
sbnirish77
7/14
Did I miss the transaction analysis of Marcel Ozuna being sent to the minors?