MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

NL East Notes: Wang, Nationals, Phillies, Mets

2012-05-16T20:13:48-05:00

Some intra-divisional action in the National League East tonight as the Braves and Marlins are underway in Miami. More out of the division..

Nationals hurler Chien-Ming Wang told reporters, including Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, that he'd be willing to move into the bullpen when he returns to the majors. However, Kilgore writes that the Nats are unlikely to ask him to do that. Washington currently has a surplus of starting pitching with Ross Detwiler in the fifth spot and John Lannan in Triple-A.
Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) writes that the Phillies should make trades to replenish their thin farm system. Acquisitions such as Cliff Lee and Hunter Pence have cost them youth but moving potential free agents Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino could change that if they decide against signing them. Bowden also opines that the Red Sox should explore the trade market.
Mets owner Fred Wilpon may be iffy on David Wright as a superstar, but he would like him as a son-in-law, tweets David Lennon of Newsday. "If I had another daughter, I’d love if she married a David Wright," said Wilpon.

NL West Notes: Padres, Bartlett, Hudson, Giants

2012-05-16T18:13:23-05:00

Items out of the National League West..

Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes isn't afraid to buy out a contract when he feels that it's in the team's best interests, writes Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Releasing Jason Bartlett and Orlando Hudson would cost roughly $10.5MM in guaranteed salary but it's signficantly less than what he paid to part ways with Russ Ortiz as GM of the Diamondbacks.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders if Tony Gwynn could be a part of the Padres' next ownership group. Acee writes that any group involving Mr. Padre would have an easy time winning over the team's fanbase.
Melky Cabrera told reporters, including Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, that he loves playing in San Francisco and could be open to mid-season contract extension talks. Yesterday, Mark Polishuk looked at what it might take for the Giants to lock up Cabrera.

Olney On Tigers, Cardinals, Oswalt

2012-05-16T16:05:00-05:00

MLB executives are looking ahead to the summer trade deadline and, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, there’s an expectation that certain teams will be particularly aggressive in trade talks this July. Here are the details...

Executives expect the Tigers, Dodgers and Cardinals to be among the most aggressive teams this summer. As one person pointed out, the Tigers figure to be aggressive after committing $214MM to Prince Fielder. Detroit could use pitching help or could consider trading for a second baseman or left fielder.
Rival GMs say the Cardinals will be active when a need emerges.
Some people with the Phillies expected Roy Oswalt to eventually find his way back to Philadelphia, Olney tweets. The Phillies placed Vance Worley on the disabled list today, which could create an opening for Oswalt. However, the Phillies haven’t determined whether to be buyers or sellers this summer.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

2012-05-16T15:00:05-05:00

Click here to read this week's chat transcript.

Minor Moves: Graham, Tejeda

2012-05-16T13:06:45-05:00

The latest minor moves from around MLB...

The Diamondbacks signed center fielder Tyler Graham Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. The Giants recently released Graham, who has a .297/.353/.376 batting line in four Triple-A seasons.
The Indians announced that they released right-hander Robinson Tejeda. Tejeda, 30, appeared in one Triple-A game for Cleveland after signing a minor league deal with the team this offseason. The 6'2" Tejada owns a 4.42 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in seven MLB seasons.

Outrighted: Wheeler, Magnuson

2012-05-16T13:05:00-05:00

The latest outright assignments from around MLB...

The Indians announced that they outrighted Dan Wheeler to Triple-A Columbus. The right-hander, who was designated for assignment over the weekend, must accept the minor league assignment.
The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted right-hander Trystan Magnuson off of the 40-man roster to the Dunedin Blue Jays (via Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi on Twitter). The Blue Jays sent the 26-year-old native of British Columbia to Oakland in the Rajai Davis trade then purchased him back from the A's last offseason. Magnuson has been pitching at Class A Dunedin, where he has a 4.05 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 so far in 2012.

2013 Contract Issues: Cincinnati Reds

2012-05-16T12:45:34-05:00

The Reds are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (2)

Scott Rolen - Rolen, now on the disabled list with a strained shoulder, could be replaced by Todd Frazier in 2012. Frazier is 11 years younger than Rolen and considerably more affordable.
Miguel Cairo - Cairo, 38, contributed at three positions and posted a .742 OPS in 102 games last year. He's off to a slow start in 2012, and will probably be looking at a minor league deal next offseason.

Contract Options (2)

Ryan Madson: $11MM mutual option with a $2.5MM buyout. As MLBTR's Dan Mennella recently explained, it's safe to expect the Reds to decline their side of this option. It'd be a lot of money for a player recovering from Tommy John surgery on a team with alternatives in the bullpen.
Ryan Ludwick: $5MM mutual option with a $500K buyout. Ludwick hasn't done much at the plate this year; it's hard to imagine the Reds exercising their side of the option.

Arbitration Eligible (10)

First time: Mat Latos, Drew Stubbs, Mike Leake, Chris Heisey, Logan Ondrusek, Alfredo Simon
Second time: Homer Bailey, Wilson Valdez, Paul Janish
Third time: Bill Bray

First-time eligible players Latos, Stubbs and Leake have their shortcomings, but they've got bulk performance on their side, and could each earn $2.5-4MM in 2013. Bailey will earn a raise from $2.43MM his second time through the arbitration process, giving the Reds at least four reasonably expensive players. Non-tender candidates such as Valdez will emerge, lessening the team's obligations.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Reds have steadily raised payroll from $73MM to $87MM in recent seasons. They have $74MM in pre-existing commitments for 2013 plus a large arbitration class, so it seems likely next year's payroll will rise as well.

Phillies, Rays Swap Rich Thompson For Kyle Hudson

2012-05-16T11:48:15-05:00

The Phillies have traded outfielder Rich Thompson to the Rays for outfielder Kyle Hudson, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). Both players have been playing in Triple-A this season.

Thompson, 33, has hit .307/.390/.398 in 101 plate appearances for Philadelphia's top minor league affiliate this season. He's a .276/.349/.383 career hitter in over 3,400 plate appearances at Triple-A, where he's spent the last five years with the Phillies' organization. Thompson has one big league plate appearances to his credit, coming with the Royals back in 2004.

Hudson, 25, has hit .291/.378/.318 in 133 Triple-A plate appearances this season. He had four singles in 29 plate appearances for the Orioles last year, resulting in a .143/.143/.143 batting line. The Rays originally acquired him from the Rangers at the end of Spring Training.

Heyman On Greinke, Red Sox, Wright

2012-05-16T11:00:00-05:00

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the latest from a handful of MLB owners...

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Heyman he wants to sign Zack Greinke to a long-term deal. "Sure, why not? We'd like to keep him,” Attanasio said. Greinke, a free agent this offseason, said he likes playing in Milwaukee. "Good owner. Good guys in management. Good guys in the clubhouse. Really good, really good,'' Greinke said. It’s likely Greinke will ask for a $100MM contract this offseason, and that would be a lot for the small-market Brewers to commit.
Red Sox owner Tom Werner told Heyman that manager Bobby Valentine is "absolutely" doing fine (Twitter link).
Mets owner Fred Wilpon told Heyman that he hopes to retain David Wright long-term (Twitter links). Wilpon says his third baseman is "a great kid and a great player."

Brewers Sign Claudio Vargas

2012-05-16T09:25:00-05:00

The Brewers have signed right-hander Claudio Vargas to a minor league deal, according to his agency, Metis Sports Management. The eight-year MLB veteran will report to Triple-A Nashville, where he'll start.

Vargas, 33, retired last summer then signed with the Vaqueros Laguna of the Mexican League in time for the 2012 season. He posted a 7.32 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 17 relief appearances for the Brewers in 2010, his most recent campaign in the Major Leagues. He has since pitched in the minor leagues for the Dodgers and Rockies.

2013 Contract Issues: Houston Astros

2012-05-16T08:17:39-05:00

The Astros are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (2)

Carlos Lee - Lee appears to want to stay in Houston and the Astros will need a designated hitter next year when they move to the American League West. If he's willing to re-sign for a tenth of his 2012 salary ($18MM) maybe the Astros will be interested.
Brandon Lyon - Lyon's hot start makes him a midseason trade candidate who could be gone before the offseason begins. Neither Lyon nor Lee should expect a qualifying offer from Houston next offseason.

Contract Options (2)

Brett Myers: $10MM club option with a $3MM buyout. Option vests with approximately 55 games finished. A $7MM net cost might be a luxury for a rebuilding team, even though Myers could probably help Houston in 2013. He's another midseason trade candidate to keep an eye on.
Chris Snyder: $4MM mutual option with a $500K buyout. Mutual options are rarely exercised by both sides. They sometimes exist to defer salary from one season to the next.

Arbitration Eligible (7)

First time: Wilton Lopez, Wesley Wright, Bud Norris, Chris Johnson
Second time: J.A. Happ, Jed Lowrie, Travis Buck

The Astros will face a relatively affordable class of arbitration eligible players. Happ ($2.35MM in '12), Lowrie ($1.15MM) and Buck ($580K) will obtain raises but will remain affordable. Lopez and Wright, two non-closing relievers, both figure to cost the Astros $1MM or so next year. I think Norris could earn $3.5-4MM via arbitration as a first-time eligible player if his strong season continues. There's a good chance the Astros' eligible players will return for a total of $15MM or less in 2013.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Astros are spending approximately $61MM on payroll in 2012, their first season under owner Jim Crane and GM Jeff Luhnow. They only have $17MM in commitments for 2013, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Expect Luhnow to have more payroll flexibility than he did last offseason when he transitions the team to the American League next winter.

Extension Candidate: Melky Cabrera

2012-05-15T23:34:47-05:00

Even though Melky Cabrera enjoyed a surprisingly productive 2011 campaign, it's safe to say that the outfielder has been a surprise this season as well, as few (outside of the Giants front office, that is) expected Cabrera to top himself.

Cabrera broke out with a .305/.339/.470 slash line with the Royals last year, a performance that moved the Giants to acquire him in exchange for a promising young left-hander in Jonathan Sanchez. It seemed like a risky deal at the time given that Cabrera had just one quality season under his belt, but while Sanchez has struggled in Kansas City, Cabrera has excelled in his return to the National League. Cabrera carried a .338/.386/.490 line into Tuesday's action and his hot bat has been a blessing for a San Francisco lineup that was struggling to score runs even before Pablo Sandoval's hand injury.

Giants GM Brian Sabean told Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle that the team was open to discussing a contract extension with Cabrera. The club usually prefers to not negotiate during the season but, with Cabrera scheduled to hit free agency after this season, the Giants could get a head start on locking up the outfielder before he reaches the open market. For his part, Cabrera has said he enjoys playing in San Francisco, so appears to be some interest on both sides to get a deal done.

Cabrera avoided arbitration for the third time by signing a $6MM contract with the Giants in January -- a nice step up from the $1.25MM free agent deal he signed with the Royals after being non-tendered by the Braves following the 2010 season. Cabrera is a unique case when it comes to comparables, as shown by a quick look at the MLBTR Extension Tracker. The ACES client turns 28 in August, will have over six years of service time once this season is complete and, of course, has just one above-average Major League season to his credit plus what he's done thus far in 2012.

Cabrera has a .376 BABIP, which is a sign that his numbers are soon due to come down to earth. It might be a wise move for the Giants to wait out the season to make sure Cabrera can keep hitting, as while waiting might cost the team a few extra dollars to re-sign him in the offseason, they'd have more peace of mind that they're making a solid investment.

If the Giants were to jump the gun and extend Cabrera now, something like a three-year/$24MM contract would be fair for both sides. If the Giants wait and Cabrera still has an .876 OPS by season's end, his price tag will rise to the $9-$10MM per season range on the open market. It seems expensive given Cabrera's spotty career history but, given how big bats are becoming hard to find in free agency, several teams will show interest in a corner outfielder in his prime years who managed big numbers in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park.

As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently pointed out in his look at the Giants' 2013 contract issues, the team has already committed $80MM to next year's payroll. The Giants are also looking to extend Tim Lincecum and may look into an extension for Buster Posey to cover their franchise catcher's arbitration years, so there might be relatively little money left over to extend Cabrera as well. This could be an added reason for the team to move now and sign Cabrera at more of a bargain price, but since this is also the team that has spent unwisely on several veterans (i.e. Miguel Tejada, Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Mark DeRosa), a bit of caution could be prudent.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Quick Hits: Hatcher, Wright, Giants, Duffy, Draft

2012-05-15T22:45:51-05:00

The Angels announced that Mickey Hatcher has been removed from his job as the team's hitting coach. Hatcher will be replaced by Jim Eppard, who had been the hitting coach at Triple-A Salt Lake City. This was Hatcher's 13th year as the Angels' hitting coach, and his firing is surely a response to the club's overall lack of offense this season, particularly from Albert Pujols. (Ironically, Pujols hit three singles in today's 4-0 win over the A's.) Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times thinks this move came from owner Arte Moreno and is another sign that GM Jerry Dipoto is in charge of the team, not Mike Scioscia (both Twitter links).

Here are some items from around the majors...

David Wright told Adam Rubin of ESPN New York that he hasn't been approached by the Mets about a contract extension and he hasn't thought about the possibility of in-season negotiations. We heard on Sunday that the Mets will likely offer Wright a multiyear contract, possibly sometime this summer.
Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan, both free agents after the season, told Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that they'd be open to midseason contract talks with the Giants but are both just focused on baseball for now.
Danny Duffy's Tommy John surgery is just the latest blow in what has been a hard-luck season for the Royals, writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star. The Royals will essentially lose a year of control over Duffy (who will accumulate service time while on the DL) and "the pressure on the Royals...to sign a frontline starting pitcher this winter just intensified," said Mellinger.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/14/3610785/royals-pain-continues-with-duffys.html#storylink=cpy
High school outfielder Byron Buxton holds the top spot in Baseball America's ranking of the top 100 prospects in the June amateur draft. The Astros hold the #1 overall selection.
ESPN's Buster Olney looks at ten starting pitchers who could be trade candidates this summer.
The early results of last offseason's trades are evaluated by MLB.com's Joey Nowak.
Marlins Park is proving to be very pitcher-friendly, but Marlins president David Samson told reporters (including Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post) that the team wasn't planning to move in the fences after the season.

NL Central Notes: Rizzo, Pirates, Appel, Cardinals

2012-05-15T20:38:05-05:00

The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-6 win over the Cubs this afternoon. Yadier Molina was the hero for St. Louis, delivering a walkoff RBI single to cinch the victory. Here's the latest from around the NL Central...

Theo Epstein was hesitant to make the trade that brought Anthony Rizzo to the Cubs since Epstein didn't want to give up Andrew Cashner, reports Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. It was Cubs GM Jed Hoyer who "aggressively pushed" for the deal. Levine covers a number of different Cubs (and White Sox) topics in this online chat with readers.
The Pirates aren't likely to make a trade to address their hitting problems, GM Neal Huntington told reporters (including Karen Price of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review). “There are very, very few trades of substance made in May and there are few trades of substance made in June, so our solutions are going to have to come internally unless we’re willing to be less than intelligent and dramatically overpay. That’s just the way it is," Huntington said. “We’re certainly looking externally, but the extra wild card has made it that much more of a challenge. There are fewer sellers out there, and we’re going to have to be creative.”
ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) has released his first 2012 mock draft and he projects the Astros to take Stanford right-hander Mark Appel with the first overall pick. "The general feeling is that they'll take the college arm over the higher-upside, higher-risk outfielder, Byron Buxton," Law writes, though he notes that Houston's decision could also be determined by which player is willing to sign for the lowest price beneath the $7.2MM slot figure for the first pick.
Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal's hot starts have fueled the Cardinals' big offensive numbers, writes Scott Miller for CBS Sports.

Rockies Notes: Coaches, Front Office, Rogers

2012-05-15T19:23:40-05:00

With the Rockies off to an underwhelming 13-21 start, there is no shortage of speculation about what the team could do to shake things up. Let's check the latest news out of Coors Field...

GM Dan O'Dowd tells Troy Renck of the Denver Post that he doesn't plan to make any changes to the Rockies' coaching staff. "It's been frustrating for everyone involved, for our fans, for the players, for everyone. But I don't sense that we are that point (where there would be changes). That's not how we do business," O'Dowd said. Renck points out that the Rockies "are historically patient with personnel decisions and almost never act during the season." While Colorado signed manager Jim Tracy to an indefinite contract extension last winter, Renck notes that the club wanted to keep Tracy as part of the overall management team, not necessarily as the on-field manager.
"If 2012 turns out to be a disaster, Rockies ownership must take a very hard look at the entire front office," writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post as part of a reader mailbag.
Troy Renck writes that Colorado is keeping Esmil Rogers on the Major League roster since the right-hander is out of options and the Rockies don't want to risk exposing Rogers to waivers. Rogers has a 9.18 ERA in 16 2/3 innings with the Rockies this season, while the more effective Carlos Torres was just optioned to Triple-A to make room for Jeremy Guthrie's return from the disabled list.

AL East Notes: Bergesen, Wakefield, Youkilis

2012-05-15T18:57:17-05:00

The injury bug continues to bite notable AL East players. The Yankees put closer David Robertson on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique, while Rays starter Jeff Niemann will miss the next 4-6 weeks after suffering a broken fibula during last night's game in Toronto. Rafael Soriano will take over as New York's new closer while the Rays will call up either Alex Cobb or Chris Archer to take Niemann's spot in the rotation.

Here's some other news from around the division...

The Orioles haven't put Brad Bergesen on waivers since they're still trying to trade the right-hander, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The O's designated Bergesen for assignment on Saturday.
"The fire to compete is still there," Tim Wakefield tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter link), but while retirement is "difficult," the knuckleballer said he's enjoying spending time with his family. The Red Sox honored Wakefield with a pregame ceremony before their 5-0 win over the Mariners this afternoon at Fenway Park.
David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News speculates about a Kevin Youkilis-for-Joe Blanton trade between the Red Sox and Phillies. I don't see the Red Sox making that deal, as I'm not sure Blanton could replicate his current good form in the AL East, nor is he necessarily even a clear upgrade over any of Boston's current rotation.

Latest On Orioles, Dontrelle Willis

2012-05-15T16:24:00-05:00

May 15th: The Orioles removed Willis from the restricted list and assigned him to Class A, the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate announced (Twitter link).

May 9th: Willis has agreed to drop his grievance, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports. The Orioles will allow him to start in the minor leagues once he builds up arm strength at extended Spring Training.

April 24th: Left-hander Dontrelle Willis will file a grievance against the Orioles following the club's decision to place him on the restricted list, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports. Willis recently left the Orioles' Triple-A team after a disagreement about his role in the organization.

Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette told CBSSports.com yesterday that Willis left Triple-A Norfolk without permission, but the pitcher's agent, Matt Sosnick, says Willis did obtain permission from the Orioles to leave. Willis can't sign with another club while on the restricted list, so Willis and Sosnick are frustrated.

"We're talking about a minor league player that Baltimore has relatively no financial investment in whatsoever," Sosnick told Crasnick. "It's the dumbest thing ever and a waste of everybody's time. Dan [Duquette] has had a thousand chances to ratchet this down a notch, and all he's done is ratchet it up."

Duquette told Jon Heyman yesterday that he hopes Willis will return and pitch effectively out of the bullpen. However, it sounds as though Willis would prefer to move on.

Rosenthal On Braves, Dempster, Rizzo, Astros

2012-05-15T15:38:33-05:00

One scout told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the work of the Braves’ hitting instructors and the performance of Kris Medlen has made the difference for the team so far in 2012. Atlanta GM Frank Wren agrees with that assessment, according to Rosenthal, who offers notes and rumors from around the league in his latest column:

The Cubs are more likely to trade Ryan Dempster if they sign Matt Garza to an extension. However, Dempster’s ten and five rights allow him to veto any trade, so he’ll have leverage if the Cubs look to make a move. It doesn’t seem likely that Dempster will sign a below-market extension to stay in Chicago, Rosenthal writes.
The Cubs don’t have immediate plans to call up Anthony Rizzo, who figures to stay in the minor leagues until an opening emerges.
Releasing Alfonso Soriano doesn’t appear to be an option; the outfielder has approximately $50MM remaining on his contract with the Cubs.
General managers criticize the collective bargaining agreement, Rosenthal reports. Some low-revenue teams dislike spending restrictions on the draft, since they feel the limitations will drive up the price of MLB talent.
Chien-Ming Wang, who is now rehabbing at Triple-A, could be valuable insurance for the Nationals, since they’ve decided to cap Stephen Strasburg’s innings.
Brett Myers’ 2013 option likely vests with approximately 55 games finished, Rosenthal suggests. The right-hander will obtain a $500K bonus if the Astros trade him.
One scout says Blue Jays catching prospect Travis D’Arnaud looks like Russell Martin did with the Dodgers.

Red Sox, Cubs Complete Marlon Byrd Trade

2012-05-15T14:41:31-05:00

The Red Sox and Cubs completed the trade that sent Marlon Byrd to Boston, Alex Speier of WEEI.com tweets. The Red Sox are sending left-hander Hunter Cervenka to the Cubs to complete the April 21st trade that sent Byrd and cash to Boston for Michael Bowden and a player to be named.

Cervenka, 22, started the 2012 season with Class A Greenville, where he has an 8.04 ERA with 13.8 K/9 and 6.9 BB/9 in 15 2/3 innings. The 2008 27th round selection has a 5.97 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 7.2 BB/9 in four professional seasons.

Athletics Claim Travis Blackley

2012-05-15T14:05:09-05:00

The Athletics announced that they claimed left-hander Travis Blackley off of waivers from the Giants. The A's moved Joey Devine to the 60-day disabled list to free up a 40-man roster spot in a corresponding move. The team will announce a corresponding 25-man roster move once Blackley reports to his new club.

Blackley, 29, allowed seven hits and five earned runs in five innings for the Giants before getting designated for assignment two days ago. He has a 3.98 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in ten minor league seasons.

This marks the third time this year the Athletics have claimed an Australian-born player, as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker shows. They claimed Rich Thompson from the Angels and Luke Hughes from the Twins back in April.

Catching Rumors: Shoppach, Nationals

2012-05-15T13:05:00-05:00

MLB catchers have combined for a .244/.316/.388 line this year and they're preventing 30% of stolen base attempts. Here are some catching rumors from around baseball...

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com suggests Kelly Shoppach of the Red Sox is likely popular in trade talks right now (Twitter link). The Angels and Nationals are among the clubs with possible interest in catching depth and Jarrod Saltalamacchia's emergence may make Shoppach expendable. The Red Sox could call Ryan Lavarnway up if necessary.
The Nationals don’t sound overly interested in trading for a catcher, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Sandy Leon and Wilson Ramos are on the disabled list, so the Nats are relying on Jesus Flores and Carlos Maldonado for now.

White Sox Designate Eric Stults For Assignment

2012-05-15T12:00:23-05:00

The White Sox announced that they designated left-hander Eric Stults for assignment. They reinstated right-hander Jesse Crain from the disabled list in a corresponding move.

Stults, 32, had appeared in two games for the White Sox, allowing two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this past offseason after spending most of the 2011 season as a reliever for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate. Stults also appeared in six games for last year's Rockies team.

Cubs Sign Mike MacDougal

2012-05-15T11:04:20-05:00

The Cubs have signed Mike MacDougal to a minor league deal, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The Dodgers released the right-hander after designating him for assignment earlier this month.

MacDougal, 35, struggled through seven appearances with the Dodgers this year, allowing nine hits, six walks and five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He had signed a one-year, $1MM deal in January after spending the 2011 season with the Dodgers. He posted a 2.05 ERA with 6.5 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 60.9% ground ball rate in 57 innings last year, when he ranked tenth among MLB pitchers in ground ball rate (minimum 50 innings).

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2012-05-15T10:50:34-05:00

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2013 Contract Issues: Milwaukee Brewers

2012-05-15T09:35:00-05:00

The Brewers are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (4)

Zack Greinke - It looks like Greinke will be one of the offseason's top free agents. Assuming he spends the entire season in Milwaukee without signing an extension, I expect the Brewers will make him a one-year qualifying offer this fall to be eligible for draft pick compensation. Greinke will presumably decline the offer in search of a multiyear deal.
Shaun Marcum - It'll be interesting to see if the Brewers make Marcum a qualifying offer when he files for free agency. Qualifying offers project to be worth $12.5MM or so this offseason, a considerable jump from Marcum's current $7.725MM salary.
Cesar Izturis - While Izturis could be back in 2013, he doesn't appear to have a place in the Brewers' long-term plans.
Francisco Rodriguez - Rodriguez, 30, is off to a relatively slow start for the Brewers. He won't obtain a qualifying offer from the team this offseason.

Contract Options (2)

Randy Wolf: $10MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout. The 35-year-old left-hander hasn't looked like a $10MM pitcher so far this year, but the Brewers may pick up the option if he pitches 200-plus innings with an ERA around 4.00, as he did in 2010-11.
Alex Gonzalez: $4MM vesting option become guaranteed with 525 plate appearances. Gonzalez will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL, so there's no chance this option will vest.

Arbitration Eligible (12)

First time: John Axford, Travis Ishikawa, Chris Narveson, Marco Estrada, Brooks Conrad
Second time: Nyjer Morgan, George Kottaras
Third time: Kameron Loe, Jose Veras, Manny Parra, Vinnie Chulk
Fourth time: Carlos Gomez

The Brewers will have a large class of arb eligible players this offseason. Axford's case might be the most interesting one facing Gord Ash, Teddy Werner and others in the Brewers front office. This class includes some non-tender candidates (Chulk, Ishikawa, Conrad, Veras and even Morgan), so there's a good chance the Brewers will have fewer than 12 cases to resolve next offseason.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Brewers have committed approximately $52MM to next year's payroll, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. The team's payroll has risen to $98MM under Mark Attanasio's ownership, so GM Doug Melvin will have some money to spend this offseason. He'll need it, with two of his top starters hitting free agency and uncertainty on the infield.

Giants Open To In-Season Contract Talks For Cabrera

2012-05-15T08:23:14-05:00

Melky Cabrera is on track to hit free agency following the 2012 season, but there’s a chance the Giants will keep him off of the open market altogether. GM Brian Sabean told Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle that Cabrera’s play and work ethic have impressed him so far this year. This means the Giants won’t necessarily postpone contract talks until the offseason.

"I think it's different with a transitional player, depending on who the agent is or the appetite of the player,” Sabean said. “So I wouldn't say that's an absolute."

Cabrera, an ACES client, will earn $6MM in 2012. The 27-year-old is hitting .338/.386/.490 in San Francisco, an indication that last year's breakout may be sustainable. So far in 2012 Cabrera has played left and right field, positions which suit his skillset, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III.

Cabrera’s hot start should give him enough leverage to demand a multiyear deal in talks with Sabean and the team's front office. The Giants could lose Cabrera and Angel Pagan to free agency this offseason, as I explained last week.

Quick Hits: Hamilton, Pettitte, Cardinals, Romero

2012-05-14T22:22:47-05:00

Bad news for the Royals tonight as they learned that left-hander Danny Duffy is likely out for the year with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. The 23-year-old is the second Royals hurler sidelined for the year following Joakim Soria's season-ending injury. Tonight's links..

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports handicapped the free agent market for Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Passan has Texas as the heavy favorite with the Dodgers in second.
Yankees starter Andy Pettitte will be guaranteed his full $2.5MM salary come Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
Rangers president Nolan Ryan told ESPN Radio Dallas that he believes that Hamilton and his family are happy living in the Arlington, Texas area.
The release of left-hander J.C. Romero will leave the Cardinals with just one southpaw in the bullpen, but manager Mike Matheny is confident that Marc Rzepczynski can handle the workload, writes B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest.
Four of the five highest-paid teams in baseball would not qualify for the playoffs, even with the expanded format, if the season ended today, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Nightengale also gave his list of the five worst contracts in the sport.

Minor Moves: Johnson, Mahay, Thurston, Bates, Garko

2012-05-14T21:45:00-05:00

Tonight's minor moves..

The Rockies signed former Cardinals left-hander Tyler Johnson to a minor league deal, according to the CBSSports.com transactions page. Johnson, who won a ring with the Cards in 2006, has been out of affiliated baseball since 2009.
The Reds released left-hander Ron Mahay, according to the International League transactions page. The 40-year-old signed a minor league deal with the club in January and appeared in 14 games for their Triple-A affiliate this season. The veteran last pitched in the majors for the Twins in 2010 and was signed and released by the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Cardinals in 2011.
The Twins have released infielder Joe Thurston and first baseman Aaron Bates, according to Dustin Morse of the Twins (via Twitter). Thurston, 32, hooked on with Minnesota in late April after being cut by the Phillies. Once considered a top asset in the Dodgers' farm system, Thurston has yet to see significant time in the majors outside of his 124 game 2009 campaign with the Cardinals.
The Rays signed former major-leaguer Ryan Garko to a minor league deal, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The first baseman spent time in Korea last year.
Orioles infielder Zelous Wheeler has cleared waivers and been assigned to Double-A Bowie. Wheeler was DFA'd by Baltimore on Friday.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Wang, Braves, Bourn

2012-05-14T21:37:44-05:00

A look at items out of the National League East..

The Nationals have a scout in Boston with an eye on the Red Sox's catchers, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The Nats will be without starting catcher Wilson Ramos for most, if not all, of the 2012 season.
Nationals pitcher Chien-Ming Wang is probably physically ready to return from his rehab stint but the club will wait the full 30 days before making a difficult decision regarding their rotation's logjam, writes Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider. The Nats could use their pitching surplus to improve elsewhere as they're set to have Wang and Ross Detwiler on the major league roster with John Lannan in Triple-A.
Michael Bourn is off to a red-hot start in his walk year, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Agent Scott Boras confirmed that he has had contract talks with the Braves and O'Brien opines that the centerfielder is unlikely to sign for less than $50MM.

Cardinals Release Amaury Cazana

2012-05-14T19:32:24-05:00

The Cardinals have released Amaury Cazana, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post Dispatch (via Twitter). The news was first reported by Brian Walton of The Cardinal Nation (via Twitter). In parts of six seasons at the Triple-A level, the corner outfielder owns a .338/.408/.528 slash line.

The Cuban was loaned out to the Triple-A Mexican league for the last two years but was with Triple-A Memphis this season, where he hit .238/.297/.327 in 30 games. Cazana, whose birth year has been reported to be somewhere between 1974 and 1978, developed a good deal of buzz amongst Cardinals fans over the years but never appeared in the majors.

Dodgers Designate Trent Oeltjen For Assignment

2012-05-14T18:54:02-05:00

The Dodgers have designated outfielder Trent Oeltjen for assignment, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). The club also promoted utility man Elian Herrera from Triple-A and placed Juan Uribe on the disabled list.

Oeltjen, 29, appeared in 61 games for the Dodgers in 2011. The Australian owns a slash line of .301/.360/.473 across parts of six Triple-A seasons with the Twins, D'Backs, Brewers, and Dodgers.

Angels Place Torii Hunter On Restricted List

2012-05-14T18:04:42-05:00

The Angels have placed outfielder Torii Hunter on the restricted list due to personal reasons and plan to select the contract of Ryan Langerhans from Triple-A Salt Lake, according to Tim Mead of the Angels (via Twitter). Hunter's Texas-based son was charged with a crime earlier today, according to a report from NBC Dallas Fort Worth.

Hunter, 37 in July, is in the final year of a five-year, $90MM pact. So far this year, the outfielder is hitting .256/.328/.413 with five homers in 33 games. Players on the restricted list do not count toward a team's 25-man or 40-man roster.

2013 Contract Issues: Pittsburgh Pirates

2012-05-14T16:21:23-05:00

The Pirates are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (5)

Erik Bedard - Bedard was starting to look like an appealing midseason trade candidate, but he left his most recent start with back spasms. There's no guarantee he'll finish this season in Pittsburgh, so it'd be premature to assume he'll play on next year's Pirates team.
Juan Cruz - Cruz owns a respectable 11K/6BB ratio and has allowed just one run in 14 innings. He'll be looking at a one-year deal this offseason and won't necessarily obtain a guaranteed roster spot, so the Pirates may try to re-sign him to a low-risk contract.
Jason Grilli - Grilli has 23 strikeouts and a 2.77 ERA after 13 innings. The Pirates may well want to retain him for another year as well.
Nate McLouth - McLouth has struggled in his return to Pittsburgh, but in theory he could be a solid extra outfielder.
Kevin Correia - The Pirates figure to be looking for starting pitching depth this offseason. Correia could be a fit, but it seems unlikely the Pirates would choose to make him a major commitment given that his fastball velocity and strikeout rate have dropped off so far in 2012. None of the players above figure to see qualifying offers from the Pirates when they hit free agency.

Contract Options (2)

Rod Barajas: $3.5MM club option with no buyout becomes a mutual option after a trade. Walk-off home runs aside, it's been a slow start at the plate for Barajas, who has a .472 OPS so far in 2012. It's still early enough for the veteran catcher to make that $3.5MM figure seem reasonable, however.
Pedro Alvarez: $700K club option. Exercising Alvarez's option figures to be a formality, especially if he continues to hit for power.

Arbitration Eligible (9)

First time: James McDonald, Neil Walker
Second time: Casey McGehee, Charlie Morton, Garrett Jones, Evan Meek, Chris Resop
Third time: Joel Hanrahan, Jeff Karstens

The Pirates are up against a relatively large and expensive projected arbitration class. McDonald and Walker are on track for salaries north of $2MM as first-time eligible players and the rest are on track for raises. However, this group could be thinned out in the coming months. McGehee and Jones could be on the non-tender bubble by December's deadline and Hanrahan is a trade candidate who might be playing elsewhere a few months from now. If the Pirates keep everyone this arbitration class could get expensive quickly, since every player but Meek and Resop will be in line for at least $2MM in 2013.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Pirates' payroll is up to $52MM this year, but it remains one of the lowest payrolls in MLB. They have committed $19.375MM to next year's team, so GM Neal Huntington should have payroll flexibility this coming offseason, assuming some arbitration eligible players don't return.

Trade Candidate: Jose Mijares

2012-05-14T15:27:23-05:00

There’s a market for left-handed relief pitching every summer, and the 13-20 Royals are once again expected to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline, so Jose Mijares could interest general managers around the league if his rebound season continues in the coming weeks.

The Twins non-tendered Mijares last offseason following a difficult 2011 campaign in which his average fastball velocity dropped and he walked as many batters as he struck out (30). The 27-year-old signed a one-year, $925K contract with the Royals in December and the results have been promising to this point. He has a 2.45 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 14 2/3 innings, an indication that last year’s struggles may be behind him.

Mijares has returned to his career norms so far in 2012 and his fastball has regained its zip (90.9 mph on average). Against left-handed hitters he has impressive career rates of 8.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. When lefty hitters face Mijares fewer fly balls become home runs and fewer batted balls become hits or line drives.

But he is a true ‘loogy’ in that his managers need to limit his exposure to right-handed hitters (they hit .271/.357/.434 against him). He’s best used as a specialist, and his managers know it. He has averaged less than one inning per appearance and faced nearly as many left-handers as right-handers in his five MLB seasons.

The Royals aren’t under pressure to move Mijares, who’s affordable and under team control through 2014. But GM Dayton Moore won’t necessarily need Mijares for the next three seasons, as Tim Collins can neutralize tough left-handed hitters and the Royals have other potentially useful left-handed relievers in the minors. If the Royals can obtain a reasonably interesting prospect for Mijares while his value remains high, his tenure in Kansas City may be brief.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Heyman On Myers, Lee, Wright, Rangers

2012-05-14T14:13:23-05:00

The latest notes and rumors from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com:

Astros people say they aren't thinking about trading their veteran players at this point, according to Heyman. One non-Astros executive likes Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers as midsummer trade candidates.
However, the executive said it won't be easy to move Carlos Lee and his $18MM salary. Lee can block trades to 14 teams and badly wants to stay in Houston. A possible trade to the Brewers fell through months ago, Heyman reports.
High-level Mets people such as COO Jeff Wilpon generally support David Wright, Heyman reports. The Mets won't trade Wright this summer and will try to lock him up before long, Heyman writes. It would take something "extraordinary'' for Wright to be traded this year, GM Sandy Alderson confirmed to Heyman. If the Mets were to trade Wright this summer, he would obtain the right to void a $16MM club option for 2013 and become a free agent this offseason. Mets people view Wright as a more reliable player than Jose Reyes, Heyman writes.
Heyman also points out that Josh Hamilton's performance is going to make re-signing him that much more complex for the Rangers.

2013 Contract Issues: St. Louis Cardinals

2012-05-14T13:00:14-05:00

The Cardinals are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (3)

Kyle Lohse - Lohse is limiting walks, hits and home runs so far this year, so the Cardinals could have interest in extending their relationship with the right-hander. If pitching prospects Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez don't seem ready for MLB hitters, Lohse could round out the St. Louis rotation for another year.
Lance Berkman - Berkman, 36, has appeared in just eight games this year due to an extended stint on the disabled list. If the switch-hitter replicates his 2011 production from here on it'll be hard for the Cardinals to let him go. If not, they can allocate his $12MM salary elsewhere.
Scott Linebrink - Linebrink, now on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, hasn't thrown a pitch for the Cardinals. The 35-year-old has been an effective reliever in recent years, but his stock has fallen in 2012.

Contract Options (1)

Jake Westbrook: $8.5MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout if the club declines. Westbrook has pitched well, though not quite as well as his 1.76 ERA suggests. The right-hander will have turned 35 by the time the season ends, so the Cardinals could decline their side of the option if they believe the net cost of $7.5MM is too much for a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Arbitration Eligible (5)

First time: David Freese, Mitchell Boggs, Marc Rzepczynski
Second time: Jason Motte
Third time: Kyle McClellan

The Cardinals face a relatively small class of arbitration eligible players this offseason. The group figures to cost $10-15MM to retain for 2013.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Cardinals have already committed approximately $84.5MM to next year's payroll. They've spent $110MM or so in each of the past two seasons, so they should be able to round out their rotation without raising payroll after accounting for arbitration eligible players and other upcoming raises.

Trade Candidate: Cole Hamels

2012-05-14T11:28:39-05:00

The Phillies aren't accustomed to losing more than they win, but if their early-season struggles continue and they're out of contention by the July 31st trade deadline, they could become sellers. Teams are already asking about Cole Hamels and the inquiries will become more frequent if the Phillies don't re-enter the NL East race within the next two months.

Hamels has been the 12th-most valuable pitcher in baseball since he first broke in to the Major Leagues in 2006, according to FanGraphs' version of the wins above replacement metric. He's off to another tremendous start, with a 2.28 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 1.7 BB/9 and a 41.3% ground ball rate through 47 1/3 innings in 2012. He'll be the best pitcher available if the Phillies decide they're serious about selling.

Yet two factors will limit Hamels' value for potentially interested teams. He’ll be a free agent in a few months and there's no indication he's willing to sign an extension at a discount, especially this close to the open market. Secondly, any team that acquires him can’t get a compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere. Under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement teams don't obtain future draft picks for losing players they acquired midseason. Interested teams would be looking at a two or three-month rental.

Recent midseason deals involving elite left-handed pitchers haven’t worked out particularly well for the teams obtaining prospects. Hamels’ teammate Cliff Lee was traded for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson in 2009 then dealt for Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Justin Smoak the following season. The Brewers acquired C.C. Sabathia for Matt LaPorta, Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson in 2008.

The Indians and Mariners haven’t obtained the elite performers they were hoping for, but Knapp, Carrasco, Smoak and LaPorta were considered top prospects when they were dealt. There’s no reason for the Phillies to expect less than an elite prospect plus secondary pieces for Hamels. They may even aim to obtain multiple top prospects for the left-hander. If no team meets their asking price, they can hold onto Hamels, tender him a one-year contract this offseason and obtain draft pick compensation assuming he declines the offer and signs elsewhere.

Though Hamels' contract expires after the season, he has the potential to become the primary attraction of this summer's trade market. The Blue Jays have reportedly checked in on him and it's easy to envision teams such as the Red Sox, Tigers and Dodgers expressing interest if Hamels does become available. Other clubs will surely lose starting pitchers to the disabled list in the coming ten weeks, so new interest will emerge.

Ruben Amaro Jr. has successfully navigated the midseason trade deadline as a buyer, trading for front-of-the-rotation starters Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt. The GM could face a new challenge this summer if the last-place Phillies don't improve on their 16-19 record. Amaro would have leverage, since Hamels would generate considerable interest and the Phillies could always keep him and obtain draft pick compensation in 2013 if interested teams propose one-sided trades.

Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

Cardinals Release J.C. Romero

2012-05-14T10:01:24-05:00

The Cardinals announced that they've released left-handed reliever J.C. Romero (Twitter link). The team activated right-hander Eduardo Sanchez in a related move. MDR Sports Management represents Romero, a veteran of 14 MLB seasons.

The Cardinals signed Romero to a one-year deal worth $750K plus incentives back in December. The 35-year-old appeared in 11 games this year, allowing 14 runs and nine earned runs in eight innings of work. He spent the 2011 season with the Phillies and Rockies, posting a 4.01 ERA with 6.9 K/9, 5.5 BB/9 and a 54.4% ground ball rate in 24 2/3 innings.

Non-Tenders Contributing With New Teams

2012-05-14T08:28:16-05:00

Most non-tenders don’t come back to haunt their former clubs, but they definitely have the potential to do so. Valuable players such as Alfredo Aceves, Russell Martin and Edwin Encarnacion have been non-tendered in recent years, to name a few.

Every winter teams non-tender players for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the clubs would rather risk losing the players to rival teams than go through the potentially expensive arbitration process. In other cases, teams don't have 40-man roster spots to spare or they view players as injury risks.

Teams non-tendered 29 players last offseason and a handful of them have added value for their current organizations. Here’s a look at some 2011 non-tenders who are contributing so far in 2012 (minimum 10 innings pitched or 25 plate appearances):

Jose Mijares, Royals (non-tendered by the Twins) - The 27-year-old has a 2.45 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 14 2/3 innings for the Royals. Mijares could become a midseason trade candidate, as teams are sure to be seeking left-handed relievers this summer.
Luke Scott, Rays (non-tendered by the Orioles) - You can't fault the Orioles for non-tendering Scott, who struggled through shoulder problems in 2011 and would have earned $6.4MM or more through arbitration. But the Rays are enjoying his power: seven homers and a .238/.296/.514 batting line.
Joe Saunders, Diamondbacks (non-tendered by the Diamondbacks) - The Diamondbacks non-tendered Saunders, then re-signed him to a one-year deal. He has rewarded them with a 3.43 ERA through 44 2/3 innings.
Mike Baxter, Mets (non-tendered by the Mets) - The Mets removed Baxter from the 40-man roster at the non-tender deadline before re-signing him to a minor league deal a few days later. He has a .990 OPS as a corner outfielder through his first 31 plate appearances of the season.
Jeff Keppinger, Rays (non-tendered by the Giants) - The versatile Keppinger has appeared at first, second and third base while posting a .291/.321/.405 batting line with his new team. Manager Joe Maddon finds playing time for Keppinger when the Rays are up against left-handed pitching.

Quick Hits: Balfour, A's, Twins, Plouffe, Cardinals

2012-05-13T22:30:20-05:00

Links as the weekend comes to a close..

A's reliever Grant Balfour is less than thrilled about losing his job as closer, writes Jeff Fletcher for MLB.com. Balfour has drawn considerable interest from teams around baseball this season and Ben Nicholson-Smith recently looked at what Balfour could net Oakland in a trade.
Twins utility man Trevor Plouffe has been struggling as of late and could wind up as a roster casualty if things do not pick up, writes Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com. Chris Parmelee is also struggling at the plate but has minor league options remaining, unlike Plouffe.
Alyson Footer of the Astros (via Twitter) felt that the Cardinals dodged a financial bullet when Albert Pujols signed with the Angels.