Hoffman, Bauers heading back to Minors

Reassignment Week in Spring Training hit the "R" portion of the schedule Thursday with the Rockies and Rays moving Top-100 prospects back to the Minors.
The Rockies optioned No. 44 overall prospect Jeff Hoffman to Triple-A Albuquerque while the Rays reassigned No. 76 prospect Jake Bauers to Minor League camp.

Of the two, Hoffman had been considered more likely to crack his club's Opening Day roster. The 24-year-old right-hander made eight appearances (six starts) for Colorado last season, during which he posted a 4.88 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. He entered the spring as one of many candidates to takeone of the two open spots in the Rockies' rotation but allowed four runs (three earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings over three Cactus League starts. He struck out four and walked two over that span.
Hoffman will return to the Pacific Coast League, where he sported a 4.02 ERA with 124 strikeouts in 118 2/3 innings last season. No. 4 Rockies prospect German Márquez, No. 6 Kyle Freeland and No. 9 Antonio Senzatela still remain starting options in Major League camp.
By comparison, Bauers was always thought to be headed back to the Minors to start 2017, but his Grapefruit League play might have given the Rays pause. The 21-year-old outfielder/first baseman leads Tampa Bay hitters with four homers and 13 RBIs, two of which he collected Thursday in a Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. Bauers also went 13-for-35 (.371) while walking more times (seven) than he struck out (four) in 17 spring contests. 

Though no formal announcement was made, the left-handed slugger is likely ticketed for Triple-A Durham, having hit .274/.370/.420 with 14 homers and 10 steals in 135 games with Double-A Montgomery last season.
Bauers was one of eight Rays players sent back to Minor League camp, including fifth-ranked Casey Gillaspie. Bauers and Gillaspie could compete for playing time at first base in Durham, though the former's experience in right field should mean there are plenty of at-bats to go around.
Later in the afternoon, the Cubs sent fifth-ranked prospectJeimer Candelario and No. 22 Alec Mills to Minor League camp. Candelario, the No. 96 overall prospect, sported a .235/.278/.373 line in 22 Cactus League games after batting .283/.376/.464 in 132 games between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa last season. Mills, picked up by Chicago in a trade with the Royals for prospect Donnie Dewees in February, posted a 6.00 ERA with three walks and four strikeouts over six innings in three Cactus League appearances. Righty Jake Buchanan also will head to Iowa, while righties Williams Pérez and Dylan Floro and lefty David Rollins were reassigned to Minors camp.
The Mariners optioned No. 10 prospectDaniel Vogelbach to Triple-A Tacoma. Acquired from the Cubs at last year's deadline for lefty reliever Mike Montgomery, the 24-year-old first baseman hit .228 with one homer and 19 strikeouts in 22 Cactus League games. He finished with a .240/.404/.422 line in 44 games with the Rainiers after the trade last season.
And the Marlins sent their top position player prospect, Brian Anderson, to Double-A Jacksonville. The 23-year-old third baseman stands as the club's No. 3 prospect after hitting .265 with 11 homers and 65 RBIs in 135 games between Class A Advanced Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville in 2016. Anderson concluded his Grapefruit League stint with a .385 average in 22 games. Miami also optioned outfielders Destin Hood, Moisés Sierra and Isaac Galloway, infielder Matt Juengel and righty Severino González to Triple-A New Orleans.
The Pirates optioned top catching prospectElias Díaz and No. 26 prospect Max Moroff to Triple-A Indianapolis and reassigned No. 25 Edgar Santanato the Minors. Diaz, the club's 11th-ranked prospect, batted .273 with a homer and two RBIs in 12 Grapefruit League contests, while Moroff finished with a .115 average over 18 games. Santana compiled a 3.86 ERA with one walk and 10 strikeouts over seven innings out of the bullpen in six Grapefruit League appearances. In addition, Pittsburgh sent down righties Brandon Cumpton and Jason Stoffel, lefty Dan Runzler, infielders Eric Wood and Joey Terdoslavich, and outfielder Eury Pérez.