Recent Minor League Free Agent Signings
Catching up on minor league deals as pitchers and catchers report to spring training
Good morning! It’s been a busy week as spring training camps from around the league open up to pitchers and catchers. There are plenty of free agents still available, including those being inked to non-guaranteed deals. Today we’ll catch you up on all the recent minor league signings from around the league. As always, we’re using the MLB Transactions page as our guide to officially inked deals. You can read the previous round-up here.
2/8/24
The A’s signed left-handed pitcher Francisco Pérez to a minor league pact. In the high minors, Pérez regularly struck out close to 30 percent of the batters he faced but also walked a little over 13 percent of the batters he faced. In the majors, that walk rate remained stable, but his strikeout rate plummeted to 17.3 percent. The 26-year-old split time between Triple-A and the majors for Oakland last season and likely figures to serve in a similar capacity in 2024.
The White Sox signed 26-year-old utility man Lucius Fox to a minor league deal. He’s struggled to hit much outside his AFL stint in 2018 and 2021, not posting an OPS above .700 in a full season. His carrying tools as a prospect were his glove and speed, stealing 130 bases in 438 games. In a rebuilding year for the White Sox, the switch-hitter has a shot at outperforming prospects and other depth options like Braden Shewmake or Danny Mendick.
The Diamondbacks signed catcher Lyle Lin and right-handed pitcher Dylan File. For Lin, it’s a homecoming of sorts, as he was drafted in the 14th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Dbacks. He left the organization after the 2022 season when he made it to Triple-A for the first time, getting only one plate appearance in which he was hit by a pitch. Last season, he played for Toronto’s High-A team, hitting .214 / .333 / .286 over 99 plate appearances. File made two starts in the KBO last season, striking out two batters and walking five of the 45 he faced.
The Angels signed right-handed pitcher Hans Crouse. Crouse, a former top-100 prospect, was one of the pieces sent to the Phillies along with Kyle Gibson from the Rangers in exchange for starting pitcher Spencer Howard. The 25-year-old worked exclusively as a reliever in 2023 and had a 6.14 ERA in 22 innings in the minors. His strikeout rate stayed as high as ever, but the walk rate jumped to 20 percent.
2/9/24
The Angels signed catchers Chad Wallach and Francisco Mejía, outfielder Jason Martin, and right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer. Wallach, 32, was with the Angels last season as a backup catcher. He has been just above average as a receiver over his career by FRM. He and Mejía will both be waiting in Triple-A in case the Angels decide to move on from Matt Thaiss as the backup. Mejía, a former consensus top-50 prospect, was sent to the Rays in the Blake Snell deal. He carries solid bat-to-ball skills but paired that with the highest chase rate of anyone with as many plate appearances last year.
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