Blue Jays Claim Cesar Valdez; Designate Mat Latos

[P2F]

The Blue Jays have claimed Cesar Valdez off waivers from the Athletics, the clubs announced. He’ll open his tenure at Triple-A Buffalo on optional assignment. Toronto has designated righty Mat Latos to clear a 40-man spot.

Valdez, 32, made it back to the big leagues with the A’s after a long layoff. While he was hit hard in 9 1/3 frames — his first since way back in 2010 — the veteran evidently showed enough to catch Toronto’s eye. Valdez did make an interesting showing last year at Triple-A with the Astros, spinning 180 innings of 3.25 ERA ball with 7.0 K/9 against just 1.0 BB/9.

He’ll take over the 40-man spot that had been held by Latos, who was also occupying a spot in the MLB rotation. With Neil Ramirez heading onto the active roster after he, too, was claimed, there was a need to open space there as well.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/05/blue-jays-designate-mat-latos-claim-cesar-valdez.html

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=9013&position=P

[BTS]

I don't know anything about Valdez, but Latos is gone, so this is cause for celebration.

[Gary]

I wonder what lead to the Latos DFA? I've heard he's a real hot head, maybe he stormed out on the team.

[Pendleton]

I wonder what lead to the Latos DFA? I've heard he's a real hot head, maybe he stormed out on the team.

 

Have you seen him pitch?

[BTS]

I wonder what lead to the Latos DFA? I've heard he's a real hot head, maybe he stormed out on the team.

 

Surely it is this and had nothing to do with him not being MLB-caliber pitcher.

[TBJ12]

I wonder what lead to the Latos DFA? I've heard he's a real hot head, maybe he stormed out on the team.

 

I'm guessing it's because he's not a good pitcher.

[Gary]

Surely it is this and had nothing to do with him not being MLB-caliber pitcher.

 

Pretty sure Shartkins knew what they were getting before they signed him. My guess is there was a blow up.

[Gary]

Have you seen him pitch?

 

Yes. Pretty sure Shartkins did as well before they signed him.

[BTS]

Pretty sure Shartkins knew what they were getting before they signed him. My guess is there was a blow up.

 

Did you just start watching baseball this year?

[Orgfiller]

Did you just start watching baseball this year?

 

Hi, you're responding to a known troll. Please stop.

[Orgfiller]

I have no idea who Valdez is, he's likely just someone's replacement in AAA - will Latos make it back there? MLB teams seem to keep trying him out at the highest level despite his continued garbage pitching for unknown reasons (vetrin presents most likely). Hopefully he'll never see the light of day with the MLB club, and if he does it better be as a 2-inning mop up when we're out of relievers and back to the minors type of thing.

[BTS]

I have no idea who Valdez is, he's likely just someone's replacement in AAA - will Latos make it back there? MLB teams seem to keep trying him out at the highest level despite his continued garbage pitching for unknown reasons (vetrin presents most likely). Hopefully he'll never see the light of day with the MLB club, and if he does it better be as a 2-inning mop up when we're out of relievers and back to the minors type of thing.

 

I'd bet that Latos ends up back in AAA. The intent all along was obviously to have him round out the AAA rotation from off the 40-man. The needed him in an emergency, he was predictably bad, and they probably want him to once again help out in AAA from off the 40-man.

[Gary]

Did you just start watching baseball this year?

 

No. My point is Latos sucked prior to this year and Shartkins signed him anyways. They knew what they were getting. That tells me that one poor outing alone wouldn't result in them DFAing him. There's likely more to the story...

[BTS]

No. My point is Latos sucked prior to this year and Shartkins signed him anyways. They knew what they were getting. That tells me that one poor outing alone wouldn't result in them DFAing him. There's likely more to the story...

 

It's like this: they signed him for AAA. He doesn't have to be on the 40-man for that. They needed an emergency starter, so they added him to the MLB roster while looking for options better than Latos. They found options better than Latos, and now want him to once again do what he was signed to do: pitch in AAA while not on the 40-man.

[TholesWeirdEye]

No. My point is Latos sucked prior to this year and Shartkins signed him anyways. They knew what they were getting. That tells me that one poor outing alone wouldn't result in them DFAing him. There's likely more to the story...

 

He's a hot head arsehole apparently.

[Pendleton]

No. My point is Latos sucked prior to this year and Shartkins signed him anyways. They knew what they were getting. That tells me that one poor outing alone wouldn't result in them DFAing him. There's likely more to the story...

 

He signed a minor league deal to be a s***** depth pitcher, and turned out to be even shittier than they thought, so it was time to take a hike.

 

It was not one bad outing, he had one decent start with a horseshoe up his ass and was otherwise awful. On to the next one.

[Gary]

He's a hot head arsehole apparently.

 

Yep I've heard the same thing.

[KingKat]

Latos did leave the team to deal with a family issue. There might be something going on with him but it's ultimately a moot point. He sucked and deserved the DFA for his performance.