Jewish Baseball News

By Scott Barancik, editor

As baseball fans celebrate Opening Day, Jewish Baseball News is taking a look back at the 21 Jews who participated in MLB Spring Training this year.

Fifteen position players and six pitchers saw playing time, some as full-fledged team members, others as non-roster invitees, and several via short-term stints. Their stats are shown at the bottom; players who made their franchise’s Opening Day roster are shown in bold.

Following are some of the Spring’s top stories.

• It will take a lot more for him to earn back some fans’ trust and affection, but Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun — fresh from a 65-game suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs — dazzled, hitting .417 with nine RBIs and eight extra-base hits in 36 at-bats.
• Ike Davis and Josh Satin both made the Mets’ Opening Day roster and will share First Base duties with Lucas Duda. But Davis — who squeaked by with a .241 average in Spring Training — is among the candidates to be sent down later this week to make room for Jon Niese.
• Nate Freiman‘s 11 RBIs ranked eighth on the A’s, but it wasn’t enough to make the team’s Opening Day roster. Meanwhile, teammate Sam Fuld wowed his way onto the roster with four triples, 7 RBIs and a .348 on-base percentage.
• With Boston’s Craig Breslow starting the season on the disabled list, Scott Feldman is the only Jewish pitcher to make an Opening Day roster. He also was the only Jewish starter during spring Training. As a group, Jewish pitchers went 1-and-5.
• After missing much of the past three seasons with surgeries and injuries, former Boston Red Sox OF Ryan Kalish earned a spot on the Cubs’ Opening Day roster. Kalish hit .304 with 3 RBIs, stole 6 of 7 bases, and reached base 38.5% of the time.
• Texas prospect Aaron Poreda earned some respect in his first MLB Spring Training since 2011. Poreda claimed one save in two chances, held opposing hitters to a .265 average, and walked just one batter over 8.1 innings.
• Ian Kinsler, traded by Texas during the off-season for Detroit’s Cecil Fielder, outperformed “Big Daddy” with 3 HRs, 9 extra-based hits, 9 RBIs, a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases, a .300 average, and a .382 on-base percentage. Fielder matched Kinsler’s power (3 HRs, 9 extra-base hits, 10 RBIs) but hit .246 while striking out 16 times and drawing only two walks.
• Ben Guez, a 27-year-old outfielder who spent part of the last four seasons with Detroit’s Triple-A club but has yet to be called up, made a brief but exciting splash in three Spring Training games. Against Toronto on 3/18/2014, Guez reached base all six times, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and three walks. His career MLB Spring Training average is a robust .529, along with a .692 on-base percentage.

 MLB Spring Training hitting, 2014

Notes: Zach Borenstein walked in his only plate appearance

MLB Spring Training pitching, 2014

Notes: Aaron Poreda earned one save in two chances; Josh Zeid earned a save in his sole opportunity. Boston’s Craig Breslow did not play, due to injury

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• Sam Fuld makes Oakland A’s Opening Day roster! However, SF Chronicle says he may be squeezed out next week to make room for Craig Grentry (3/29/2014)  * * *
• Reason #374 you should follow Cody Decker‘s Twitter feed: folk wisdom. “People take athletes too seriously….. I hit a ball with a piece of wood for a living….. How is that role model material?….” (3/29/2014) * * *
• In his first MLB appearance this Spring, Rays’ prospect Maxx Tissenbaum hit a pinch-hit single against the franchise’s Double-A team (3/29/2014) * * *
• Houston Astros prospect Eric Berger has been traded to the Oakland A’s. In Triple-A play last season, the 27-year-old went 6-and-3 with one save and a 3.06 ERA (3/29/2014) * * *
• Ryan Kalish has made the Cubs’ Opening Day roster, but the news is not so good for Toronto’s Kevin Pillar and Boston’s Ryan Lavarnway. See our article (3/29/2014) * * *
• Dodgers’ prospect Joc Pederson hit his third HR of the Spring on Friday (see video), an 8th-inning solo shot that tied the game en route to a 5-4 win (3/29/2014) * * *
• Sam Fuld‘s two-out, bases-loaded triple Friday was his fourth three-bagger this Spring, second-most in the A.L. (3/29/2014) * * *
• Ryan Braun homered, doubled and drove in 3 runs Friday. With one game left this Spring, the Brewer is hitting .412 with 3 HRs, 5 doubles, 9 RBIs, a .500 on-base percentage, and a 1.324 OPS (3/29/2014) * * *

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Ryan Kalish has earned a spot on the Chicago Cubs’ opening-day roster.

Kalish, who turned 26 on Friday, was named the Boston Red Sox rookie of the year in 2010. A series of injuries and surgeries have largely kept him off the diamond since then. But Kalish has worked hard to recover, and in December the Cubs offered him a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

In 16 games so far, Kalish is hitting .256 with a double, two RBIs, a team-leading six stolen bases in seven attempts, and a .347 on-base percentage. Good enough to make the club’s 25-man roster.

“He plays baseball like a football player, with tremendous energy and speed,” ESPNChicago blogger Jesse Rogers wrote Thursday.

The news was not so good this week for Boston’s Ryan Lavarnway and Toronto’s Kevin Pillar, each of whom has MLB experience.

Lavarnway, a 26-year-old catcher, played well in limited action this Spring, hitting .289 with two HRS, five RBIs, and a .357 on-base percentage. But the Red Sox, talent-rich at the catcher position, are said to be shopping him around. In 2013, the third-year player hit .299 with one HR and 14 RBIs in 82 at-bats.

An August call-up in 2013, Pillar struggled this Spring, hitting .152 with four RBIs in 33 at-bats. More concerning, the 25-year-old struck out eight times while drawing zero walks.

Earlier this week, Jewish Baseball News reported that Oakland’s Nate Freiman, Houston’s Josh Zeid, and the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson all were sent to the minors in advance of Opening Day.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

As Major League teams pare down their Spring Training rosters in preparation for the regular season, several Jewish players are headed to the minors for re-tooling.

Among the latest to be cut: Oakland A’s first baseman Nate Freiman, and Houston Astros reliever Josh Zeid, both of whom played for Team Israel in the 2012 World Baseball Classic qualifiers.

Freiman, 27, made his MLB debut last year and spent the entire season in Oakland, hitting .274 with 4 HRs and 24 RBIs in 80 games. This Spring, the 6-foot-8-inch slugger has hit just .238, but his 11 RBIs ranked just one RBI behind the team’s leaders. The A’s want Freiman to work on his hitting against right-handers; while platooned at 1B last year, he hit .304 with an .805 OPS against southpaws, but hit just .167 with a .406 OPS against righties.

“I’m sure we will see the 6-foot-8 first baseman again this season,” wrote San Francisco Chronicle reporter Susan Slusser. “The A’s know what he can do, and he’s popular with his teammates and the coaching staff, a hard worker who is quirky and kind.”

Like Freiman, the 27-year-old Zeid made his MLB debut last year. The 6-foot-4-inch righty went 0-and-1 with one save and a 3.90 ERA in 25 relief appearances, and he struck out 24 batters in 27.2 innings pitched. This Spring, he went 0-and-0 with one save and a 4.15 ERA, and struck out 12 batters over just 8.2 innings. News of Zeid’s likely temporary demotion came on his 27th birthday, unfortunately (3/24/2014).

Dodgers top prospect Joc Pederson, who tore up Double-A hitting last season, also was sent down to the minors. An outfielder with equal parts power and speed, the 21-year-old Pederson is expected to make his Major League debut sometime this season despite a stocked A’s outfield that includes Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier.

Jewish Baseball News correspondent Zev Ben Avigdor contributed to this report.

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Ben Guez congratulates teammate Ian Kinsler after scoring on his 5th-inning home run (Carlos Osorio, AP)

By Scott Barancik, editor

Detroit’s love affair with the late Hank Greenberg may never be matched. But for a day at least, the Tigers again were powered by Jews.

Playing under newly-minted manager Brad Ausmus, Detroit crushed the Blue Jays 18-4 thanks partly to contributions from two Jewish players.

Three-time All-Star Ian Kinsler led the way, going 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, a double, and two walks. Obtained from Texas during the off-season, Kinsler is hitting .333 with 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, a .442 on-base percentage, and an impressive 1.136 OPS.

The big surprise Tuesday was the contribution of outfielder Ben Guez, a last-minute call-up from the Tigers’ minor-league camp who filled- in for injured starter Rajaj Davis. The 27-year-old Guez , who hasn’t played a day of regular-season ball in the Majors, reached base all six times he came to the plate, finishing the day 3-for-3 with 2 doubles, 3 walks, 1 RBI, and 3 runs scored.

Guez was on base when Kinsler homered in the 5th inning.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

A traveling exhibit featuring Jewish baseball history, quirky memorabilia, and the chance to imitate Sandy Koufax on a real pitching mound will make its international debut this week in Philadelphia.

Chasing Dreams, which opens Thursday at the National Museum of American Jewish History (3/13/2014), is more than a collection of objects. Displays crafted by scholars like Major League Baseball official historian John Thorn and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ira Berkow use the story of Jews and baseball to show how the sport helped immigrants of all stripes join mainstream America. An optional companion book drives that message still deeper.

Thorn may be his own best example. Born to Holocaust survivors in a displaced persons camp in Germany, he became fascinated with baseball after moving to his adopted home of New York.

But for Jewish baseball fans, the collection itself is worth the price of admission. Borrowed from traditional sources like the MLB as well as individuals reached through Tumblr, objects include everything from Yiddish newspaper articles and Jackie Robinson’s warm-up jacket to Oakland A’s first baseman Nate Freiman’s bar mitzvah certificate, which he produced in 2012 to earn a roster spot on Israel’s World Baseball Classic team.

Chasing Dreams will remain in Philadelphia through October 26, 2014, and will be complemented by a series of lectures and discussions featuring individuals such as former ESPN Magazine executive editor Steve Wulf, author and rotisserie-league inventor Dan Okrent, and historian Thorn. For ticket information, click here.

Afterward, the exhibition will go on tour. Jewish Baseball News will post a tour schedule when it becomes available.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Hollywood couldn’t have scripted Ryan Braun‘s return from disgrace any better.

In his first at-bat since completing a 65-game suspension, the presumably drug-free Milwaukee Brewer smashed an 0-1 pitch off Oakland A’s pitcher Tommy Milone over the left-field wall (see video). “It’s still the first day of spring training,” Braun told USA Today. “Better to hit the ball hard then to strike out.”

Naturally, hecklers and jokesters were in attendance. One wore an A’s hat emblazoned with the phrase “MVP-E-D,” a conflation of Braun’s 2011 MVP award and his use performance-enhancing drugs.

In a switch aimed at making room for second-year outfielder Khris Davis, left fielder Braun played right field for the first time in his MLB career, a span that includes 944 regular-season games.

The Brewers faced off against the Oakland A’s, whose lineup featured 1B Nate Freiman (0-for-2) and Sam Fuld (0-for-2).

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Spring Training has only just begun, but there’s plenty going on in the baseball world.

• Tyler Kolodny didn’t give up on sports when the Baltimore Orioles released him after six seasons in the minors. He just picked a new one. Although the 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pound Kolodny had never played football at any level, he arranged a tryout last year at Pierce College, earned a starting spot at tight end, and ended up being named all-conference after scoring 5 touchdowns on 392 yards receiving. Now the 26-year-old is joining the University of Memphis team as a sophomore. “Tyler is an athletic savant,” Pierce offensive coordinator Jason Sabolic told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. “If he decides he’s gonna go be a downhill skier, he’ll be the best downhill skier and he’ll practice until he makes the Olympics.”

• Former minor-league pitcher Jason Knapp is making a comeback. A one-time Top 100 prospect who’s been out of baseball since 2010 due to a pair of shoulder surgeries, the 23-year-old flame-thrower has signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers. The 6-foot-5-inch Knapp struck out an average of 12 batters per 9 innings over his three minor-league seasons up through Single-A.

• Ohio State recruit Brad Goldberg has only one minor-league season under his belt, but some people believe he could make the Majors as early as 2014. The 6-foot-4-inch Goldberg — who turned 24 on Friday — posted a 1.54 ERA last season, with 49 strikeouts over 35 innings of relief, and will begin this season as a minor-league starter. “Just a hard-nosed, mature kid, with a really good, aggressive approach to everything he did,” Chicago White Sox assistant scouting director Nick Hostetler recently told MLB.com. “I loved the power arm, the big strong body and the competitiveness.”

• Ryan Lavarnway is learning how to play first base (see articles one, two). The 26-year-old has played nothing but catcher and DH since the Boston Red Sox drafted him in 2008, but according to MLB Trade rumors, “Boston is so deep at catcher at both the Triple-A and Major League levels, Lavarnway‘s only chance at continued playing time may be as a Triple-A first baseman.” The club reportedly hopes a change of pace will reignite his bat, which has suffered from a power outage.

• Despite going 9-5 with the San Diego Padres last season, Jason Marquis remains a free agent. The key reason is uncertainty: Marquis underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last July and will need much of the 2014 season to recover. At 35, whether he will be able to return to form is an open question.

• Former Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh has opened the Jason Hirsh Pitching Academy in Denver, CO. In addition to coaching and training young hurlers, the 32-year-old still likes to play competitively. Hirsh started one game last year with the independent Amarillo Sox, and the independent Denver Browns claim to have signed the 6-foot-8-inch righthander for the 2014 season.

• The Milwaukee Brewers are moving Ryan Braun from his traditional spot in left field to right field to make room for second-year player Khris Davis, who hit a remarkable 11 HRs and 10 doubles in just 137 at-bats last season. The 30-year-old Braun hasn’t played since his suspension, in July.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Jewish Major Leaguers founder Martin Abramowitz swore he was done creating Jewish baseball cards. Having produced a fifth set in 2010, the dean of Jewish baseball was hanging up his cap.

But pressure from fans (and a financial commitment from Jewish Baseball News) convinced the Newton, Mass., resident and his nonprofit board of directors to produce one final set. The result: a 50-card array that includes all Jewish players in the Major Leagues from 2010-13, several up-and-coming minor leaguers, artifacts from a forthcoming baseball exhibition at the National Museum of Jewish American History, “In Memoriam” cards for recently-passed players, Jewish baseball trivia, Jewish managers, Jewish pitcher-catcher combos, career leaders, all-time roster, a tribute to Team Israel from the 2012 World Baseball Classic qualifiers, and a Jewish link to the Negro Leagues.

The all-new 2014 update set will be available March 15, and you can pre-order it now. Attractively packaged for home or office display, it’s a great gift for Afikomen presents, birthdays, Father’s Day, anniversaries, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, or “just for the fun of it” for someone you love — including yourself.

All proceeds will go to the nonprofit Jewish Major Leaguers. For details on how to order, please see the box on the right. And say “Hi” to Martin for us!
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By Scott Barancik, editor

Sam Fuld is leaving one “Moneyball” team for another.

A free agent after three seasons with the Chicago Cubs and another three with the Tampa Bay Rays, Fuld has signed a minor-league contract with the Oakland A’s, where competition for a final outfield roster spot on the Major League club is said to be less stiff.

The 32-year-old defensive specialist said Oakland — the inspiration for Michael Lewis’s best-selling book and Hollywood adaptation — was a natural fit for him.

“It’s no secret that Oakland is essentially a carbon copy of the Rays in many ways on the West Coast, so it’s not surprising that they showed interest in me,” Fuld told the Tampa Bay Times.

The defensive specialist saw his batting average plunge 56 points to .199 in 2013 as he managed only five extra-base hits in 176 at-bats. In 2011, Fuld’s breakout year with the Rays, he hit .240 with 26 extra-base hits in 308 at-bats.

Fuld’s new contract leaves him two chances to opt-out during the season. He says he would not rule out returning to Tampa Bay.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Jews make up an estimated 1.7 percent of all Americans and an even smaller percentage of professional baseball players. But ESPN Insider’s 2014 ranking of the Top 100 Minor Leaguers features three Jews, a 3 percent rate. And Baseball America’s 2014 list of the Top 10 prospects per franchise  includes four Jews.

Joc Pederson appears 41st on ESPN’s list and #1 on Baseball America’s list of the top Los Angeles Dodgers prospects. A 21-year-old center fielder, Pederson earned L.A.’s Minor League Player of the Year award in 2012 and afterward played for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic qualifier. In 2013 he hit .278 with 22 HRs, 58 RBIs, 31 stolen bases and a .381 OBP for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate. Baseball America predicts he’ll reach the Majors sometime in 2014, possibly by Opening Day.

Max Fried ranks 48th on ESPN’s list and #3 on Baseball America’s list of the top San Diego Padres prospects. A 6-foot-4-inch lefty who studied video of Sandy Koufax as an adolescent and was drafted straight out of high school, the 20-year-old Fried earned a $3-million signing bonus from the Padres in 2012. In 2013 he went 6-7 with a 3.49 ERA for the team’s Single-A club. Baseball America says he’ll “zoom through the minors if he throws more strikes.”

Rob Kaminsky caps off ESPN’s list at the 100th spot, and he ranks 9th on Baseball America’s list of the top St. Louis Cardinals prospects. Drafted out of high school last year by the St. Louis Cardinals, the 19-year-old pitcher went 0-3 in rookie ball but finished with a respectable 3.68 ERA while striking out an average of 11.5 batters per nine innings. Baseball America says Kaminsky has the best curveball in the Cards’ system, and he’s expected to open 2014 in Single-A.

Zach Borenstein didn’t make ESPN’s cut, but he ranks 9th on Baseball America’s list of the top Los Angeles Angels prospects. A 23-year-old outfielder, Borenstein hit .337 in 2013 with 28 HRs, 95 RBIs, and a 1.034 OPS for the franchise’s A-Advanced team, and he came close to winning the league’s Triple Crown. That he made the list at all is somewhat miraculous, given that he was left off the Angels’ Top 20 list at the end of the 2013 season, but a change in authors led to a different outlook. Baseball America says Borenstein could spend a good part of 2014 at Triple-A.

Thanks to Kaplan’s Korner for the tip on ESPN Insider’s new rankings.

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(MiLB.com)

By Scott Barancik, editor

San Diego Padres prospect Maxx Tissenbaum was one of five players sent to the Tampa Bay Rays today as part of a 7-player trade headlined by Rays pitcher Alex Torres and Padres infielder Logan Forsythe.

A 22-year-old infielder who was chosen in the 11th round of the 2012 amateur draft and hit .277 with the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Single A) in 2013,  Tissenbaum was described today by the Tampa Bay Times as a “young, scrappy player with a good eye.”

Just how good an eye? The Toronto native struck out a team-low once in every 11.5 at-bats in 2013, was the only Tincap to walk more times (43) than he fanned (36), and ranked second on the club in on-base percentage (.365). He also led the team with 28 doubles and ranked third with 49 RBIs.

What position the Rays expect Tissenbaum to play is the big question. A career infielder who split 2013 between second base (92 games), shortstop (22 games) and DH (2 games), the Stony Brook College alum was sent to the Padres’ instructional complex in the Dominican Republic during the offseason for a crash course in playing catcher. Among those he worked with were Triple-A manager Pat Murphy and retired MLB catcher (and fellow Jew) Brad Ausmus, who later was named manager of the Detroit Tigers. “I tried to be as much of a sponge as I could, soaking up all the lessons that their years of experience could offer me,” Tissenbaum wrote in a recent blog post. “I actually enjoyed learning to catch way more than I thought I would.”

The only other Jewish player in the Rays’ system is P Lenny Linsky, who went 7-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 2013 for the Charlotte Stone Crabs (A-Advanced). Sam Fuld, who played for the Rays from 2011-13, is a free agent.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Free agent Kevin Youkilis has covered a lot of ground the past two seasons, playing for A.L. teams in Boston, Chicago, and New York.

This time, he’s moving a little farther afield: Japan. The three-time All-Star, 34, has signed a one-year, $4-million deal to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the defending Japanese champion.

“He’s looking at this as a terrific life experience for his family,” agent Joe Bick said. Youkilis‘ wife and two children, ages 7 and 1, will spend the season with him.

Youkilis — who played just 28 games for the New York Yankees in an injury-plagued 2013 season — will be at least the fifth Jewish major leaguer to play in Japan. He is preceded by Micah Franklin, Gabe Kapler, Richie Scheinblum and Josh Whitesell.

MLBTradeRumors.com reported that Youkilis had “received interest from eight or nine Major League clubs” but had been in talks with the Golden Eagles for several weeks.

Rakuten ace Masahiro Tanaka, who recorded an astounding 24-0 record in 2013, has been the subject of fevered speculation recently in the States. A number of Major League clubs have expressed interest in signing him, but the Golden Eagles have yet to decide whether to allow it.

“Rakuten” is an Internet shopping company. The baseball team is located in Sendai, in the Tohoku region of Japan. The Golden Eagles’ stadium was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami there in 2011.

Like Youkilis, Tampa Bay Rays free agent Sam Fuld reportedly has received interest from Japanese teams about the 2014 season.

Kapler, who overlapped with Youkilis in Boston from 2004-06 and spent part of the 2005 season playing for the Yomiuri Giants, tweeted Friday that he “had a good talk with Youkilis re Japan. He’s excited about something completely new in his life. Amazing cultural opportunity for Yoooouuk!”

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Danny Valencia, a much-traveled third baseman who enjoyed a strong comeback with the Baltimore Orioles last season, has been traded again.

The O’s are sending Valencia, 29, to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for OF David Lough, who finished 8th in voting for the 2013 A.L. Rookie of the Year award.

According to MLB.com reporter Dick Kaegel, the Royals see Valencia as a logical back-up for third baseman Mike Moustakas against left-handed pitching. Valencia hit .371 last year against lefties, compared with Moustakas’ .196. Valencia also could see time at first base, where he has no Major League experience.

On his Twitter feed Wednesday, Valencia thanked his Orioles teammates and fans and said he was “looking forward to meeting my teammates in K.C. and starting a new chapter with the Royals organization.”

The University of Miami alum is used to starting over. Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 19th round of the 2006 amateur draft, Valencia made his MLB debut in 2010 and finished third in voting for A.L. Rookie of the Year, good enough to become the Twins’ starting third baseman in 2011. But a sub-.200 performance at the plate earned him an early trip to the minors in 2012 and a late-season trade to the Red Sox, who sold him to Baltimore during the off-season.

Reinvented as a designated hitter, Valencia broke out in 2013, hitting .304 with 8 HRs, 14 doubles, and 23 RBIs in 52 MLB games. He continued to play third base in the minors, where he hit .286 with 14 HRs and 51 RBIs in 65 games.

Jewish Baseball News thanks Zev Ben Avigdor for the tip on Valencia.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Boston Red Sox outfielder Ryan Kalish has signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Behind the deal was a man who knows the 25-year-old well: former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, who drafted Kalish out of high school in 2006 and joined the Cubs as president of baseball operations in October 2011.

Considered Boston’s outfielder of the future after a promising rookie season in 2010, Kalish missed all of the 2011 and 2013 seasons and much of 2012 with shoulder and neck injuries that required surgery. He became a free agent earlier this month.

After graduating from Red Bank Catholic High School in New Jersey, Kalish passed up a scholarship offer to play football and baseball at the University of Virginia when the Red Sox selected him in the ninth round of the 2006 amateur draft, CSNChicago reported.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Twenty-three minor-league players were selected in the Triple-A phase of today’s (12/12/2013) Rule 5 draft, and three of them are Jewish.

• The San Diego Padres acquired St. Louis Cardinals prospect Jake Lemmerman. A 24-year-old shortstop out of Duke University, Lemmerman has hit .273 over his 4-year career with the Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers franchises. He has never played above the Double-A level.
• The Toronto Blue Jays selected Texas Rangers prospect Richard Bleier. A 6th-round draft pick of the Rangers in 2008, the 26-year-old reliever recorded a best-ever 3.32 ERA in 2013 for the franchise’s Double-A and Triple-A teams. Bleier has a career record of 33-44 with a 4.46 ERA, 3 shutouts, 4 complete games, and 5 saves.
• The Chicago Cubs picked up Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Charlie Cutler. A .303 lifetime hitter who has never played at the Triple-A level, the 27-year-old catcher has tossed out 72 of the 229 runners who have tried to steal on him, or 24 percent. This is the second time Cutler has been selected in a Rule 5 draft; the Pirates acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011.

Lemmerman, Bleier and Cutler all played on Team Israel during the 2012 qualifiers for the World Baseball Classic. No Jewish players were selected in the Major League or Double-A portions of today’s Rule 5 draft.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Free agent Scott Feldman has signed a 3-year, $30-million deal with the Houston Astros.

The Major Leagues’ youngest (average age: 26) and worst (111 losses) team last season, Houston was looking for a veteran presence. It found that in Scott Feldman, a 30-year-old righthander who made his MLB debut in 2005 and holds a career record of 51-56 with a 4.62 ERA.

Feldman is no stranger to Texas. The 6-foot-7-inch Hawaii native spent his first eight MLB seasons there before signing a free-agent deal with the Cubs after the 2012 season. He started 15 games for Chicago in 2013 before a mid-season trade to Baltimore, where he started an additional 15 games. All told, 2013 was one of Feldman’s best and busiest seasons. He finished the year with a 12-12 record and career bests in ERA (3.86) and strikeouts (132).

If 2013 Astros rookie Josh Zeid returns to the bullpen in 2014, as expected, it will be the first time in over a decade that two Jews have pitched on the same team. Scott Schoeneweis and Al Levine played for the world-champion Anaheim Angels in 2002.

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Sam Fuld

By Scott Barancik, editor

For Sam Fuld, the Tampa Bay Rays have been the “perfect organization,” a team that appreciated his aggressiveness on the basepaths and competence in the outfield. Had the Chicago Cubs not traded him in 2011, he might never have had enough playing time to achieve legendary status for his diving catches, and to inspire a fan giveaway like the Rays’ “Super Sam” Fuld cape.

But the 32-year-old’s tenure with the Rays likely ended yesterday when the team opted not to tender him an offer. The decision leaves Fuld a free agent for the first time in his six-year MLB career.

“I knew it was a possibility,” Fuld said Monday. “By no means did I think it was a sure thing that I’d be tendered. I was prepared for it at some level. Given the season I had last year, it’s not all together surprising.” Fuld hit just .199 in 119 games last season.

Neither Fuld nor the Rays ruled out the possibility of reaching a deal before the season begins, but the Stanford alum said there was only a “1-in-30 chance.”

“For the first time in my life, I have some say in who I play for,” he added.

Like Fuld, outfielder Ryan Kalish became a free agent Monday after the Boston Red Sox declined to tender an offer. The 25-year-old Kalish has undergone back and shoulder surgery in recent years and was out all of 2013.

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By Scott Barancik, editor

Ah, the off-season. That time of year when baseball fans and writers have little else to do but speculate about which players will move, and where. Ian Kinsler made a splash recently when the Texas Rangers traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers for slugger Prince Fielder. Who’s next?

We at Jewish Baseball News profess no inside information or special insight on the topic. Following is a brief update on the latest rumors.

• Scott Feldman, a 30-year-old starter who split 2013 between the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles, is a free agent. At least one reputable website, mlbtraderumors.com, thinks the O’s will resign him. Feldman went a combined 12-12 last season with two completes games, a shutout, and a 3.86 ERA .
• Kevin Youkilis, a 34-year-old infielder who played just 28 games for the New York Yankees last season due to injury, is a free agent. Where he’ll end up is unknown. Youkilis‘ agent told the New York Daily News that he’s “100 percent healthy” after recovering from back surgery. MLB.com’s Ian Browne says it’s unlikely he’ll return to Boston, where Youk spent the first nine years of his MLB career.
• Jason Marquis, a 35-year-old starter who underwent Tommy John elbow surgery this season and will begin 2014 on the disabled list, is a free agent. Given uncertainty over his health, it’s possible Marquis will be offered a minor-league contract rather than a major-league one.
• Sam Fuld, a 32-year-old outfielder with the Tampa Bay Rays, is arbitration eligible. On December 2, Fuld will find out whether the Tampa Bay Rays are going to tender a contract or set him loose as a free agent.

• Kevin Pillar, a 24-year-old who just completed his rookie season with the Toronto Blue Jays, is not a free agent. But as Pillar departed recently to play in the Dominican Winter League, at least one observer wondered whether the Jays might be showcasing him for a possible trade.

• Ike Davis, a 26-year-old first baseman with the New York Mets, is not a free agent. But general manager Sandy Alderson says either Davis or fellow first baseman Lucas Duda is likely to be dealt before Spring Training begins. Davis, for his part, says he wants to stay in New York.

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Ian Kinsler and Prince Fielder in a 2010 ad

By Scott Barancik, editor

File this one under the category “Life imitates art.”

It came as news to most of us this week that the Texas Rangers were trading Ian Kinsler for Detroit Tigers slugger Prince Fielder. Few could have predicted the swap.

But looking back, ESPN seems prescient.

In an odd coincidence, a 2010 ad for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball featured Kinsler and Fielder casually sitting on a couch and musing about  possible trades involving themselves and San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum.

See the ad for yourself by clicking here.

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