Transaction Analysis: Diamondbacks Get Salty

BOSTON RED SOX Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Acquired OF-L Carlos Peguero from the Rangers in exchange for cash considerations; designated INF-R Jeff Bianchi for assignment. [5/28]

Remember the spring hype associated with Peguero? Turns out it wasn't all fluff. Sure, he was waived in May after hitting .186, but he made legitimate gains at the plate by walking 12 times in 84 plate appearances, as many walks as he had notched in his first 232 plate appearances. What's more is his plate-discipline stats reflected a more judicious approach:

The catch here is, again, that Peguero hit .186 due to an ungodly 43 percent strikeout rate, the product of a player with extreme swing-and-miss tendencies working deep counts. Those strikeouts aren't going away, and neither is his poor batting average. Presuming Peguero doesn't maintain his .310 on-base percentage or .414 slugging percentage, the question for teams is just how far those numbers can dip before he's unemployable.

The Red Sox's answer to that question is probably less lenient than most. Boston has myriad outfield options, and Peguero cannot be sent to the minors without being exposed to waivers. As a result, he is probably a few weeks from taking his cheap power to another team.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Recalled RHP Bo Schultz from Triple-A Buffalo; optioned RHP Scott Copeland to Triple-A Buffalo. [5/28]

You might know Schultz from his cameo with the 2014 Diamondbacks. That relationship ended last offseason, when the D'backs designated him for assignment following another wretched showing in the PCL. Alex Anthopoulos hit the claim button, as he is wont to do, and Schultz has rewarded his interest by pitching well in the IL (to the tune of a 1.69 ERA and nearly eight strikeouts per nine innings). Schultz is nearly 30 years old, so his chances for a meaningful big-league career are dwindling; nonetheless, his mid-90s fastball and wild story leave him two-thirds of the way to becoming an Internet favorite. Expect John Gibbons to use Schultz in middle relief.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Purchased the contract of C-S Jarrod Saltalamacchia from Triple-A Reno; placed C-R Tuffy Gosewisch on the 15-day disabled list (left knee); transferred C-R Oscar Hernandez to the 60-day disabled list (broken hamate bone). [5/29]

Saltalamacchia returns to the majors, weeks after being dumped by the Marlins. The ideal outcome for everyone involved remains for Saltalamacchia to rediscover his offensive prowess in a better hitting environment than the one offered in Miami. So far, not so good, as Saltalamacchia failed to produce during a stint in Reno. Still, the Diamondbacks have little reason to abandon all hope. Gosewich isn't coming back any time soon, if at all this season, and Jordan Pacheco is the only other healthy catcher on the 40-man roster. In other words, Saltalamacchia should receive ample opportunity for redemption.

MIAMI MARLINS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Claimed RHP Chad Smith off waivers from the Angels. [5/29]

The good news for Smith is he remains in demand. The bad news is the demand isn't so strong as to prevent him from being designated for assignment three times since February. Smith remains the same as ever. He's a well-built righty with a passable sinker-slider combination, uninspiring Triple-A numbers, and a chance to pitch in middle relief. The Marlins have recently toggled through relievers (settling for now on Andre Rienzo and Vin Mazzaro), so don't be surprised if Smith joins the big-league team in the coming weeks, nor if he's designated for assignment again before July.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Purchased the contract of RHP Tyler Wagner from Double-A Biloxi; placed OF-R Khris Davis on the 15-day disabled list (torn meniscus). [5/31]

Throwing the "nice scouting find" label on a former fourth-round pick from a well-known college seems misguided, but that's the case with Wagner. Used as a reliever during his time at the University of Utah, Wagner's transition to professional baseball included joining the rotation. The early returns were poor (he allowed 51 runs in 48 innings over his first 14 appearances), yet both parties stuck with the new arrangement to what we can now classify as positive ends.

Wagner throws strikes and exacts groundballs with a low-to-mid-90s sinker. His slider is another above-average pitch, albeit one incapable of serving as his main out-pitch. That lack of a bat-missing weapon is one of Wagner's chief negatives; another is the uncertainty that he'll succeed against left-handed hitters. His arm action is long and and his show-me changeup is unlikely to keep foes honest. Wagner's success will hinge on his ability to evade barrels. If he misses enough, he could be one of those boring, pitch-to-contact back-end types; if he doesn't, his relief experience will come in handy.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Recalled LF-L Cody Asche from Triple-A Lehigh Valley; designated OF-L Grady Sizemore for assignment. [5/29]

Asche has moved to the outfield since the last time he appeared in the majors, a transition necessitated by his defense and Maikel Franco's arrival. However Asche's glove plays on grass—and you can't blame him if he's still green—the burden is on his bat. While the offensive gap between the hot corner and left field has disappeared over the past few years, Asche wasn't hitting well for a third baseman to begin with. The best-case scenario here sees Asche hit a little better thanks to a reduced defensive workload. More likely is that he's a future spare outfielder without an outstanding quality to his name.

Sizemore was one of the worst performers in a bad lineup, finishing with a better OPS than only Cameron Rupp and Chase Utley, a defensive-minded catcher and a veteran second baseman who has shown life as of late. Sizemore will have to learn to enjoy bus rides if he wants to continue playing.