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Veteran outfielder Drew Stubbs is reportedly heading back to the Texas Rangers after the sides reached an agreement on a major league deal Saturday.

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram passed along word of the signing. The team sent pitcher Alex Claudio to Triple-A and transferred injured outfielder Josh Hamilton to the 60-day disabled list to complete the transaction. Jared Sandler of the Rangers Radio Network confirmed the moves.   

Stubbs has bounced around the league since the Cincinnati Reds traded him to the Cleveland Indians in late 2012. He’s also made stops with the Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves. Sandwiched between those stints was a stay with the Rangers.

The 31-year-old Texas native was a September call-up at the end of the 2015 campaign. He struggled, with just two hits in 21 at-bats (.095 average) and no homers across 27 games.

Stubbs signed with the Braves late in spring training this year after using an out clause in his Texas contract and made the team’s Opening Day roster. His lackluster production at the plate continued, however, with a .237 average and one homer in 20 games. He did steal four bases in four tries, though.

Atlanta designated him for assignment earlier in the week as the struggling squad decided to shake up its roster. The Rangers didn’t waste much time bringing him back.

Wilson provided insight from general manager Jon Daniels about the deal:

Ultimately, while Stubbs isn’t a reliable everyday starter, he’s capable of playing all three outfield spots and brings some speed to the table. He’ll likely spend most of his time coming off the bench in the late innings, at least at the outset.

Things could change over the next month, though. Center fielder Delino DeShields hasn’t done much so far (.301 OBP and three steals), while Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton are on the road to recovery. It will force the Rangers to make some decisions as those other options get healthy.

Stubbs needs to make a quick impact in whatever role he’s given to show he’s worth a roster spot once the Rangers have a full complement of outfielders available.

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The Texas Rangers picked veteran MLB outfielder Drew Stubbs up this August after he was released by the Colorado Rockies. Few could have expected Texas to keep Stubbs around once his contract expired, but the Rangers have indeed signed the free agent to a minor league contract, per MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Stubbs will receive $1.5 million if he makes Texas’ major league roster.

Stubbs had a rather strong 2014 campaign in Colorado, posting a career-best slash line of .289/.339/.482. However, he has struggled mightily to back that up and has been relegated to the bench of late as a result.

It got so bad with the Rockies that Stubbs was designated for assignment by the team and eventually released. He then started his stint with the Rangers in the minors before being promoted in September, when he proceeded to bat .095 in 27 games.

For someone who’s such a threat to steal bases when he does reach safely, Stubbs has had poor plate discipline throughout his career. Absent any significant power to justify the high strikeout rate, Stubbs has his work cut out for him to integrate with Texas as more than a situational role player.

Although Stubbs is an asset in the outfield thanks to his unique speed, the 31-year-old is becoming an increasing liability at the dish, batting just .195 in 2015.

The Rangers appear to be retaining Stubbs as an occasional defensive specialist with the hope his prolonged hitting slump won’t persist this year and beyond.

If Stubbs can’t take better cuts in the batter’s box, he may well be out of baseball before long.

This isn’t a long-term commitment by Texas to bring Stubbs back and hardly costs the club anything. It’s a potential low-risk, high-reward acquisition should Stubbs return to his 2014 form.

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According to Yahoo! Sports, the Cleveland Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks finally finished a three-team deal, but it wasn’t with the Rangers and didn’t involve Justin Upton or Asdrubal Cabrera. 

Instead, the two teamed up with the Cincinnati Reds in a deal centered around around Shin-Soo Choo.

In all, there are nine players moving. Each team’s haul follows with the sending team in parentheses: 

Reds: Shin-Soo Choo (Indians), Jason Donald (Indians)

Indians: Trevor Bauer (Diamondbacks), Drew Stubbs (Reds), Bryan Shaw (Diamondbacks), Matt Albers (Diamondbacks)

Diamondbacks: Didi Gregorius (Reds), Tony Sipp (Indians), Lars Anderson (Indians)

There are two really interesting parts to this. The first is Choo with the Reds. Cincinnati is now without a true center fielder, but the offensive help is probably more than enough to make up for it. Reds leadoff hitters had an abysmal .208/.254/.327 triple slash last year.

Choo, entering his age-30 season, had a slash line of .283/.373/.441 last season and has had a line as good as .300/.401/.484 in the past (as recently as 2010, too). This is a huge upgrade for them. Even though Choo is a free agent after this year, it’s more than made up for by the fact that the Reds didn’t even surrender the best prospect in the deal.

The Indians, I would say, also won. Granted, they don’t get the certainty of Choo for 2012, but he was leaving next year, while Bauer gives them the better opportunity to win going forward. The starter just finished his age-21 season, and while his first four starts weren’t ideal, there’s a lot of hope for the future.

The 2011 No. 3 pick threw 130.1 innings in AA and AAA last year and picked up 157 strikeouts while allowing a 2.42 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP. Keith Law listed him as the No. 21 best prospect before 2012 and has been projected as an ace. He may be ready to start this season and provides Cleveland with a lot of upside.

The Diamondbacks are the only team that confuses me. Yes, they had a pitching surplus. But most teams were still very high on Bauer’s potential. For someone who was rated so highly, this is a weak looking return.

Gregorius is a strong-fielding shortstop who can’t hit; his minor league career has seen him have a slash line of .271/.323/.376. Yes, he’s only 22, but minor league OBPs below .330 are not anything to get excited about.

Sipp is a 29-year old reliever who hasn’t shown himself to be extraordinarily dominant. Anderson is a former well regarded prospect who’s now 25 and only has 56 plate appearances in the majors. In AAA last year, he had a line of .250/.353/.396, which wouldn’t be bad if he played up the middle.

Instead, he’s a first baseman. Maybe he can put it all together, but he won’t be getting a shot in Arizona with Paul Goldschmidt there now. None of those players looks good enough to justify giving up a prospect like Trevor Bauer. 

As for the other four other players other than Choo that are headed to the two Ohio teams, most are closer to spare parts. Matt Albers is a 29-year-old reliever with a career 94 ERA+. Shaw is a 25-year-old reliever with fewer than 90 innings in the majors. He’s carried a 129 ERA+ so far, and he looks most likely to be a decent middle reliever if nothing else. Donald is a below-average hitting utility man. 

Stubbs is the only other player with any sort of serious value, and that’s more of a possibility than a certainty.

His batting average on balls in play was a career low last year (.290), and if it bounces back up to his career .323 mark, he’ll provide league average offense and a solid glove in center field, making him slightly above starter level. He’s 28, so he’s still fairly young, but he’s probably more of a useful part than an all-star.

So, the long and short of it: The Reds made a smart all-in move to compete next year. The Indians got a great prospect to maximize their possible future winning, and the Diamondbacks got involved for reasons that are not clear to me.

This article is also featured at Hot Corner Harbor.

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The Cleveland Indians did some house cleaning on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The team acquired Cincinnati Reds outfielder Drew Stubbs and various new pieces in a nine-player deal that sent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo and infielder Jason Donald to the Reds, and reliever Tony Sipp to Arizona, according to an AP report (via ESPN).

The Tribe got various other valuable assets back in this deal, including starting pitcher Trevor Bauer and right-handed relief pitchers Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.

Bauer was the third-overall pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2011 MLB first-year player draft.

But what about the outfielder who will presumably replace Choo, or bump someone over to right field?

Where does he fit?

Choo was the Tribe’s everyday right fielder, but Stubbs has been a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder for his entire four-year MLB career. Center fielder Michael Brantley has experience in left field and could shift over to make room for Stubbs at his most comfortable position.

Though Choo’s departure still leaves a gap in right field, the Tribe may seek to address that concern later in the offseason. 

Stubbs’ role, given his speed and superior fielding ability, will likely remain the same regardless of any deals that are made.

He’s also an especially welcome right-handed bat in a lineup that has a plethora of lefties.

How will he perform?

Stubbs’ .213 average and 14 HR may not be inspiring, but the center fielder is definitely a solid pickup defensively. Most concerning is the number of strikeouts the 28-year-old has accumulated during his short career. He led the National League with 205 Ks in 2011 and followed that up with 166 more in 2012.

Stubbs’ performance has fluctuated each season since his debut in 2009. His career numbers shake out to a .241/.312/.386/.698 slash line. He’s also stolen 30 bases twice and 40 bases once (2011).

His biggest problem, as mentioned, is not being able to make consistent contact with the ball.

Still, Stubbs was a key piece for the turnaround in Cincinnati and should be able to spark some life into Cleveland with his speed and hard hitting.

The change of scenery might help him get back on track, and the Tribe should be excited about that possibility.

Follow @BigHoagowski

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If the rumors hold any truth to them, the Cincinnati Reds seem to be on the verge of acquiring Shin-Soo Choo from the Cleveland Indians. Such an acquisition would finally fill the major void that has been the leadoff spot in Cincinnati’s lineup.

Danny Knobler of CBS Sports sent out this tweet earlier today referencing an article that he wrote regarding the trade details:

Reds deep in talks on deal to acquire Shin-soo Choo from Indians for Stubbs and Gregorius. cbsprt.co/UfMpzf

— DKnobler (@DKnobler) December 11, 2012

The proposition includes Cincinnati sending outfielder Drew Stubbs and shortstop prospect Didi Gregorius to Cleveland in exchange for Choo and a to-be-determined player. Gregorius seems to be a key player in the trade as Knobler references possible trade talks between Cleveland and Arizona that would include the Indians sending a shortstop to the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitching.

The Twitter universe has been blowing up around the Reds community with regards to the article. Cincinnati Enquirer and Reds beat writer, John Fay, had this to say about Choo‘s production compared to Reds leadoff hitters:

Lead man scored 83 times (43 percent). Choo reaches 297 and scores 42 percent of the time, that’s 128 runs from leadoff vs. 83. #reds

— John Fay (@johnfayman) December 11, 2012

Talk about an offensive cure. Choo has the ability to bring a dynamic spark to the leadoff role. That’s a plus-45 in the run production category. 

Cincinnati Reds and 700 WLW radio personality, Lance McAlister, couldn’t wait to get his Sports Talk show rolling following the news of a possible deal:

yes, I’m warming up in the bullpen and will take your calls on Stubbs/Choo with Sports Talk 7:05. #Reds

— Lance McAlister (@LanceMcAlister) December 11, 2012

 

With all of the excitement of a possible trade, let’s take a look at what Choo would bring to the Reds. His .283 BA and .373 OBP in 2012 would replace the .213 BA and .277 OBP that Stubbs was able to produce. Choo also cracked 43 doubles and 16 home runs. He is no slouch on the base paths either, swiping 21 bases in 28 attempts.

The stats seem to speak for themselves. The Reds would be achieving what Walt Jocketty and crew had set out to achieve as soon as the offseason began—find a way to get runners on base in front of Joey Votto.

Be sure to chime in with your thoughts and opinions below.

Follow @JRamCincy

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Umpire Lance Barrett worked his first MLB regular season game in 2010, joining the likes of fellow umps Vic Carapazza, Cory Blaser, John Tumpane, Alan Porter, Mark Ripperger, Manny Gonzalez and David Rackley as the so-called Class of 2010, now into their second season of big league games.

Like all AAA call-up umpires, Barrett is trying to set himself apart so he can get a full-time job at the MLB level.

Sometimes, proving yourself to the MLB brass involves making a big-time call in a potentially confusing situation. Last season, the Class of 2009’s Dan Bellino won over many Umpire Ejection Fantasy Leaguers as well as MLB Supervisors with an ejection following a confident and correct obstruction call in Washington. Bellino was hired by MLB prior to the 2011 season.

Barrett’s Bellino moment may have come in Pittsburgh tonight. In the top of the fifth inning of the Reds–Pirates game, with one out, runners on first and second, and the possibility of an infield fly fresh in all of our minds, Reds batter Drew Stubbs lined a Jeff Locke fastball to Pirates shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

While Cedeno fielded the ball on a short-hop, baserunner R2 (and pitcher by trade) Edinson Volquez, mistakingly believing the ball had been caught, stepped back onto second base as Cedeno threw to second baseman Neil Walker. Walker caught the ball and stepped on the second base bag, resulting in an out call from Barrett.

Walker subsequently tagged Volquez, who was standing on second base. This resulted in a safe call from Barrett.

Fairly straightforward: R1 Brandon Phillips was forced out on the tag of second base, which took the force off of R2 Volquez, who now legally and safely occupied second base. Batter Stubbs safely arrived at first base. One out, two on.

Not so fast… Phillips, as confused as anyone, and perhaps adding to the confusion himself, began running frantically between first and second base, drawing a throw from Walker. The bewildered Pirates infield quickly trapped the already-retired R1 Phillips in a rundown between first and second before unnecessarily tagging out Phillips for a second time.

Either way, Barrett once again gave the out call so there would be no confusion this time. Unfortunately, there was confusion – lots of it, for everyone except perhaps Barrett, crew chief Mike Winters, and umpires Mike Everitt and Chris Guccione… or maybe for them as well.

For you see, the umpires determined that Phillips was out, as expected. Batter Drew Stubbs would be placed on first base, also as expected. But Volquez, who had taken off for third base in the pandemonium which ensued while Phillips was in a rundown between first and second, was sent back to second base.

To understand why Barrett, Winters and the other umpires ruled the way they did requires an analysis of MLB Rules 7.09(e) and 9.01(c).

Rule 7.09(e) states, in part, it is interference when “any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner.” Rule 7.09(e) Comment additionally states, “If the batter or a runner continues to advance after he has been put out, he shall not by that act alone be considered as confusing, hindering or impeding the fielders.”

Rule 9.01(c), as all umpires know, is the so-called elastic clause, which gives an umpire the “authority to rule on any point not specifically covered in these rules.”

Putting the two together allows for an explanation of why the umpires ruled the way they did. Phillips’ post-put out actions were not enough on their own to be considered interference. This is clearly specified in Rule 7.09(e) Comment. However, the Phillips rundown clearly did confuse the fielders and allow Volquez to advance toward third base.

In the end, Winters correctly invoked Rule 9.01(c) to deliver a fair and just judgment: Phillips was out, Stubbs was safe at first, and Volquez would also be ruled safe, but fairly returned to second base.

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At the time of this writing the Reds are nine games out of first place, pending what the Milwaukee Brewers do later. They have just lost the series to the upstart Chicago Cubs and try (I hope) to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon.

When your ace blows up you know it is not your day. That is what happened today to Johnny Cueto. After looking like one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, he was shelled for seven hits and five earned runs in less than four innings.

The Cubs who are on a seven-game win streak looked anything but doormats for the rest of the NL Central Division. Carlos Zambrano, (9-6) picked up the win and belted a home run in the 11-4 trouncing of the defending Divisional Champions.

The only bright spot I saw in the game was the continued hot heating of Yonder Alonso who hit his first MLB dinger today, becoming the 17th Reds player to hit their inaugural home run in Wrigley Field.

As for Alonso, if anybody was ever made to be a designated hitter it is he. He absolutely looked pitiful in left field today, but the entire team looked like a comedy of errors. Todd Frazier, Edgar Renteria and Alonso all made errors in what certainly looked like a team just finishing out the year.

All-Star second baseman Brandon Phillips left the game in the fourth inning after spraining his right ankle in a collision with outfielder Drew Stubbs.

The S.O.S. Stubbs continued to disappoint striking out twice, and looking nothing like the defensive player he is.

The game smelled like September, with so many different players at positions they are not normally seen. Miguel Cairo had to spell Phillips, Frazier played third, and Alonso was in left field.

It is hard to imagine how this team could possibly bounce back and become a factor in the division. Even if they became white hot, they would have to depend upon the Brew Crew to grow tired of winning in order to climb the latter.

They have just lost a series to both teams lower in the standings than themselves. That will not get the job done. It would be hard to imagine that Dusty Baker and GM, Walt Jocketty aren’t having some back office meetings.

There is so much wrong that it becomes difficult to see where the malignancy actually started. Guys are having problems pitching, guys can’t hit and strikeout in crucial situations, and now the injury bug is starting to creep in.

With so much wrong on a team widely seen as very talented, the trigger could be pulled at the top, with Baker looking for a new gig or sliding back into the booth at ESPN. I haven’t heard any winds but the timing would be right.

You may feel free to continue in hopeful bliss, but this writer has seen enough to call it a year. I think it is time for a fire sale. The Reds should start playing people they expect to start in 2012, seeing what deals can be made with dead weight players like Coco Cordero and Edinson Volquez.

They should throw Aroldis Chapman into the deep end of the pool. If he swims, praise the Lord. If he doesn’t then he becomes fodder for the trade mill. Either let him start games now or mold him into a closer. Middle relief is where pitchers go to die.

There is always next year, but hey let us at least see what we have on the farm. Is something wrong that Billy Hamilton can’t be promoted? He is playing a tad over high school ball in Dayton. Low Single A, come on, if he is an untouchable start implementing him into the system.

It is time for all of us to cinch up the old apple sacks and face reality. It’s over.

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With a bad team, arranging the batting lineup is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the titanic, but on a contending team like the Reds, I believe there are a few adjustments that could be made that will help the team as a whole.

Without further ado, with numbers to back up my thoughts, I present what would look like a good everyday starting lineup for the Cincinnati Reds.

Begin Slideshow

Everyone knows the Reds have a vault of young talent. Everybody knows about Joey Votto, Drew Stubbs, Jay Bruce and Aroldis Chapman. Most have heard about Chris Heisey , Mike Leake, Travis Wood, Devin Mesoraco, Juan Francisco, Yonder Alonso, Todd Frazier and Chris Valaika.

Here comes a serious question: Have you ever heard of center fielder Dave Sappelt? I had not before this spring training.

He is currently leading the Reds in home runs, RBI, hits and total bases. Among players with more than three at-bats, he also leads in batting average and slugging percentage.

I realize this is just the first couple of weeks of spring training, but I am getting excited about the young man. I was watching FoxSports Ohio the other day and saw his long home run against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Am I saying he is going to beat out Stubbs for his job? No. He will not even beat out Jonny Gomes for the left field post. It is predestined that he will be a starting outfielder for the Louisville Bats on opening day.

I must say, he certainly is exciting to watch.

In 15 ABs, he has scored four runs and tallied eight hits, two HRs and four RBI with a BA and OBP of .533 and a .933 SLG. It is a microscopic sampling, but it is clearly a man taking advantage of his opportunity.

If he were miraculously to make the squad, he would probably be the sixth outfielder on the depth chart, probably behind Bruce, Stubbs, Gomes, Fred Lewis and Heisey.

It is amazing to see all of the talent that the Reds organization has grown on the farm. They have a super abundance of young talent meshed with veterans like Scott Rolen, Miguel Cairo, Gomes, Ramon Hernandez, Lewis, Bronson Arroyo, Coco Cordero, Brandon Phillips and the newest arrival, Edgar Renteria.

Notice is hereby served to the rest of the National League’s Central Division: The Reds are back with a mission—to REPEAT.

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Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed.

These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Most fantasy gurus will tell you Drew Stubbs is a popular sleeper-pick for 2011. Unfortunately for them, they’re a year late, as I predicted Stubbs’ emergence before the start of last season.

The former Texas Longhorn made me look like a genius last year, displaying a rare power/speed combo (22 HRs, 30 steals) that went unmatched.

Stubbs was the eighth overall pick in the 2006 draft and in 2009, Baseball America claimed he “has excellent bat speed, above-average raw power, and plus-plus speed.”

Hello! Based on this, Stubbs’ 2010 campaign totals shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Looking forward to 2011, I’m expecting improvements across the board for the 26 year old outfielder. In fact, Stubbs has an outside chance at becoming the first 30/40 player since Jimmy Rollins hit 30 HRs and stole 41 bases in 2007.

While Stubbs may possess one of the most elite power/speed combos in baseball, his strikeout and contacts rates are a concern, and he’ll likely never hit for a high average. A clip in the .270 range, however, would justify a top-50 selection on draft day (current ADP on Mock Draft Central is 172).

While there’s no telling how Dusty Baker will position his lineup, Stubbs makes the most sense in the leadoff spot. He’s not a typical high on-base guy, but his stolen base efficiency has improved in recent years from 61 percent (23-of-38) in 2007 to 83 percent (30-of-36) last year.

If Stubbs’ 2010 second half splits (44 runs, 11 HRs, 34 RBI, 13 steals, .281/.355/.502 in 221 at-bats) are any indication, the Reds’ center fielder could be in for a monster season.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Nos. 1-10: Is Pujols Still The Top Pick?
• Nos. 11-20: Where Do Votto, A-Rod and Halladay Fit In?
• Nos. 21-30: Hernandez, Lincecum or Wainwright?
• Nos. 31-40: Heyward, Upton or McCutchen?
• No. 41: Clayton Kershaw
• No. 41: Alex Rios
• No. 42: Brian McCann

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays, Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact
• Adrian Beltre Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Guerrero to Baltimore: Why He’s Better Off in Camden Yards than Rangers Ballpark
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options

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