Toronto Blue Jays Feed: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Quick Hits: Appel, Padres, Jimenez, 2014 Draft

2013-06-17T23:01:58-05:00

Despite reports over the weekend that the Astros and first overall pick Mark Appel have already agreed to terms on a below-slot contract, GM Jeff Luhnow today told reporters (including MLB.com's Brian McTaggart and Chris Abshire) that nothing is official and he has yet to meet with Appel or advisor Scott Boras. "We're trying to move it as fast as we can," Luhnow said. "We wanted to give [Appel] the weekend to enjoy his commencement. We're optimistic we can move it pretty quickly." Luhnow said he hoped that Appel would be signed by as soon as this week.

Here's the latest from around the majors...

Virtually all of the players recently extended by the Padres have struggled, so Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune said the team might look for future extension candidates to prove themselves more fully before signing them to multiyear deals. Center also discusses several other Padres topics as part of the online chat with fans.
Dominican outfielder Eloy Jimenez, favored to receive the largest bonus of the coming international signing period, is profiled by Baseball America's Ben Badler. Jimenez, a 16-year-old with a 6'4", 200-pound frame, was reported to be a major target for the Cubs by Badler last month, and Chicago is still in "heavy pursuit" of the prospect. Two of the several scouts and international directors who comment in Badler's piece cite Jermaine Dye as a comparable for Jimenez.
With the 2013 amateur draft just barely in the books, ESPN.com's Christopher Crawford (Insider subscription required) looks ahead to the 2014 draft, which could be headlined by two NC State products.
FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi looks at ten players who have helped their trade value in recent weeks. Three of those players (Jesse Crain, Yovani Gallardo and Bud Norris) have recently had their trade stock examined as part of MLBTR's Trade Candidate series.
In the video link atop that previous post, Morosi cites the Blue Jays, Padres and Phillies as being "right on the fence" as to whether or not they'll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. If the three teams do decide to sell, plenty of arms will be available -- Morosi lists Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Eric Stults, Jason Marquis, Jonathan Papelbon and Cliff Lee as possible trade chips.
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said he has no intention of releasing embattled reliever Carlos Marmol, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports. Manager Dale Sveum said the same yesterday after Marmol allowed four ninth-inning runs in a 4-3 Cubs loss to the Mets. Marmol has a 6.08 ERA in 26 2/3 IP this season.

Quick Hits: Cubs, Zambrano, Amaro, McDonald

2013-06-16T22:18:00-05:00

Cubs manager Dale Sveum says his team has no intention of releasing struggling reliever Carlos Marmol and eating the rest of his $9.8MM salary, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports. "We've come to find out that he has trouble with the last three outs," says Sveum. "But somebody has to pitch the other innings, and he's done a pretty good job in that role." Marmol allowed four runs in the ninth as the Cubs lost to the Mets 4-3 on Sunday. Here are more notes from around the National League.

The Cubs' bullpen has struggled this season, but in the aftermath of this summer's trading season, the team's rotation could end up being just as weak, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Last season, the Cubs performed poorly down the stretch after the departures of two productive starters in Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm. This year, Wittenmyer says, Matt Garza and Scott Feldman could be those pitchers' 2013 equivalents.
Phillies starter Jonathan Pettibone struggled Saturday, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that Carlos Zambrano won't be replacing Pettibone right away, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com writes. "Not based on what I saw his last outing, not in my mind," says Amaro. "I’d like to see him pitch again [in the minors]. We’ll keep a close eye on his starts and how effective he is. But he’s not ready yet in my mind." Zambrano has an out clause July 1. He allowed two runs in five innings in his first outing for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday, striking out five and walking four. His fastball did not exceed 88 MPH.
Speaking of Amaro, Bob Brookover of the Inquirer argues that "the bad has outweighed the good" in Amaro's stint as GM, and that it's unclear whether Amaro is the right person for the job. Amaro's signing of Joe Blanton and trade for Hunter Pence rank among his worst moves, Brookover says.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington says James McDonald's future with the team could be in jeopardy, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Karen Price writes in a pair of tweets. "As the clock ticks we’ll have to make a determination as to where James best fits in this group, on this club, or does he fit," says Huntington. "That’s a question to be answered ultimately by James McDonald." McDonald, once viewed as a potential franchise building block after promising seasons in 2010 and 2011 and a great first half in 2012, has fallen out of favor after collapsing down the stretch last year and posting a 5.76 ERA with 20 walks in six 2013 starts. He has also struggled in his rehab starts since landing on the disabled list with shoulder discomfort.
If the Blue Jays had already acquired Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio from the Marlins, they wouldn't have signed Maicer Izturis, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star argues. Izturis signed a three-year, $10MM deal in November, and the Jays acquired Reyes and Bonifacio days later. Izturis has hit .222/.258/.308 this season.

Minor Moves: Slama, LaRoche, Bantz, Madrigal

2013-06-13T20:51:00-05:00

Today's minor moves:

The Twins have released right-handed reliever Anthony Slama to make 40-man room for recently-signed righty Cody Eppley, tweets Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Slama has not seen MLB action since 2011. He struggled to a 13.50 ERA in 13 1/3 innings with the Twins' Triple-A affiliate this season, including an unsightly 0.64 K/BB ratio.
The Blue Jays outrighted Andy LaRoche to their Triple-A affiliate after he cleared waivers, according to a press release. Toronto designated LaRoche for assignment two days ago to clear a roster spot for Chien-Ming Wang. The 29-year-old appeared in just one game for the Jays this season and went 0-for-4.
The Mariners announced that they have outrighted Brandon Bantz to Triple-A Tacoma. The catcher was DFA's earlier this week after playing in just one game for the varsity squad.
The Diamondbacks have sold right-handed reliever Warner Madrigal to Japan's Chunichi Dragons for an undisclosed sum, the team announced in a press release. The 29-year-old had been solid this year at Triple-A Reno, where he sported a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings of work and maintained a 10.2 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Draft Signings: Tarpley, Dixon, Bellinger, Smith

2013-06-13T20:26:00-05:00

Here are Thursday's notable signings from Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America) ...

The Orioles have agreed to terms with Scottsdale Community College lefty Stephen Tarpley, the team's third-round choice, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (via Twitter). Tarpley, who reportedly touches 95 with his fastball, was signed for just $500 under the recommended $525,500 bonus for the 98th overall choice.
Third-round draft choice Brandon Dixon has signed with the Dodgers for the slot recommendation of $566,500, tweets Callis. The University of Arizona third baseman could become a corner outfielder, according to Callis, and is noted for his power potential.
The Dodgers have signed fourth-round choice Cody Bellinger, a high-school first baseman, for $700k, tweets Callis. Los Angeles pried Bellinger away from the University of Oregon with the largest over-slot signing to date (by percentage), nearly doubling the recommended $409k bonus. Bellinger is being advised by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with their fourth round pick, left-handed high-schooler Evan Smith, according to Callis (on Twitter). Smith, who stands at 6'5", has reportedly touched 93 with his fastball. $96.1k
Cody Dickson, a "projectable" left-hander out of Sam Houston State, will sign with the Pirates for $375k, Callis says on Twitter. The fourth-round pick's bonus falls $54,200 under the slot recommendation.
The Reds have signed fourth-rounder Ben Lively for $350k, Callis tweets. The righty mixes four pitches, including a 90-93 MPH heater. His signing bonus comes in at a modest $17.9k under slot.
The Rockies inked fifth-rounder Blake Shouse for $353,900, his exact slot allocation, according to a Callis tweet. Per Callis, the two-way player sits in the low-to-mid 90's with his fastball and also features a hard curve.
Third round pick Patrick Murphy signed with the Blue Jays for $500K, Callis tweets. The Arizona high school right-hander missed the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In the past, he has displayed a 93 mph fastball and solid curveball. Murphy is advised by Jonathan Pridie of Sosnick Cobbe.
The Yankees signed third-rounder Michael O'Neill for $501K, according to Callis (via Twitter). The Michigan outfielder is quick and could wind up in center field.
Rangers fourth-round pick Isaiah Kiner-Falefa signed for $202K, per Callis (on Twitter). The Hawaiian high school shortstop is a solid defender with a contact-oriented approach. He signed for nearly $184K under slot.
Catcher/right-hander Tanner Murphy, a fourth-round pick of the Braves, agreed to a $250K bonus to forego his commitment to Southern Illinois, Callis tweets. Murphy has power in his bat and a strong throwing arm behind the dish, and he's also been clocked at 92 mph on the mound. He signed for a healthy $125K below slot.
The Angels have signed third-round pick Kenyan Middleton for a bonus of $450K, tweets Callis. Middleton is a two-sport athlete out of junior college in Oregon who touches 95 mph with his fastball and features a tight slider as well. He signed $91K under slot.
The Rays have signed fifth-round selection Johnny Field for a bonus of $250K, Callis reports (on Twitter). Field, an outfielder out of the University of Arizona, will convert to second base and provides most of his value with his bat. He signed for nearly $45K under slot.

Blue Jays Release Henry Blanco

2013-06-11T14:13:00-05:00

The Blue Jays announced that they have released catcher Henry Blanco. The 41-year-old was designated for assignment last week to make room for Andy LaRoche, who was DFA'd earlier today for Chien-Ming Wang's arrival.

Blanco appeared in 15 games for the Blue Jays this year and started as catcher in 13 of those contests. For his career, Blanco owns a .226/.291/.366 slash line across 16 years for the Dodgers, Rockies, Brewers, Braves, Twins, Cubs, Padres, Mets, D'Backs, and Blue Jays.

Blue Jays Designate Andy LaRoche For Assignment

2013-06-11T07:52:16-05:00

The Blue Jays have designated Andy LaRoche for assignment to clear a roster space for Chien-Ming Wang, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (on Twitter).

LaRoche, 29, appeared in just one game for the Jays this season and went 0-for-4. The infielder is a former top prospect who ranked on Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list each year from 2005-08, placing as high as No. 19. However, in parts of six Major League seasons (1,336 plate appearances), he's hit just .226/.304/.336 with 22 home runs. LaRoche, who has spent time with the Dodgers, Pirates, A's and Blue Jays, was originally a 39th-round selection by the Dodgers in the 2003 draft. He is the younger brother of Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche.

Minor Moves: Evan Crawford

2013-06-10T20:17:02-05:00

We'll track today's minor moves here:

Lefty Evan Crawford has cleared waivers, and the Blue Jays have outrighted him to Double-A New Hampshire, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets. Crawford, 26, has appeared in 14 games at New Hampshire this year, posting a 6.10 ERA with 6.97 K/9 and 3.92 BB/9.

Cafardo On Lowe, Blue Jays, Ross, Pirates, Norris

2013-06-09T22:44:57-05:00

A few notes from Nick Cafardo's latest column in the Boston Globe:

Free agent Derek Lowe seems to have retired, telling Cafardo that he asked agent Scott Boras not to look for opportunties for him. Lowe pitched in nine games for the Rangers this year before being released in late May.
The Blue Jays' situation is "a nightmare," Cafardo says, noting that some in the organization don't know whether GM Alex Anthopoulos will stick with the team he has. Toronto is 27-35 after bringing in R.A. Dickey, Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and others last offseason.
Catcher David Ross says the Rays, Yankees and Rangers pursued him, and the Pirates would have been interested in him if they hadn't signed Russell Martin instead. Ross signed a two-year, $6.2MM contract with the Red Sox in the offseason.
The Pirates, whose rotation depth has been damaged by injuries to Wandy Rodriguez, Jeanmar Gomez, James McDonald, Jeff Karstens, Kyle McPherson and Phil Irwin, "would now have to be interested in" Astros pitcher Bud Norris, Cafardo says. Cafardo also notes that talent evaluators wonder how Norris, a competitive player currently pitching for a last-place team, will do if placed on a competitive team.
It's unclear what the Tigers would do if they lost Jhonny Peralta to a suspension. Peralta has been connected to the Biogenesis scandal, and his production at shortstop would be tough to replace internally or in the trade market, Cafardo notes.
The Dodgers have already received calls about Andre Ethier's trade availability, Cafardo says.

Blue Jays Notes: Reyes, Lawrie, Wang, Arencibia

2013-06-09T16:45:00-05:00

Jose Reyes ran the bases yesterday and today practiced taking double-play relays. The big question posed to GM Alex Anthopoulos, when he met with reporters before the Blue Jays' three-game winning streak ended with a 6-4 loss to the Rangers, was the timing of Reyes' return. "Our medical staff had said about 10 days or so, maybe a little bit less, but he’s certainly getting close and it’s great to see," Anthopoulos said (as quoted by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca). "Then it will be a question of how many at-bats is he going to need and how do his legs feel playing seven innings, nine innings, and so on. We’re definitely going to be anxious to have him back." Based on that timeline, Davidi speculates Reyes, on the disabled list since April 13 with a left ankle sprain, could begin his rehab June 19 and rejoin the Jays for the start of a four-game series in Boston June 27. In other Blue Jay notes:

The injury news isn't as encouraging for Brett Lawrie, who is now wearing a protective boot to speed the healing of his high left ankle sprain. "I don't really have a timeline [for his return], because it just takes time to heal," said Anthopoulos (as quoted by MLB.com's Evan Peaslee). "Again, he's going to have to get back to running and all those kind of things. It's not as severe as Reyes, but it seems like it's certainly healing very slowly right now."
Anthopoulos is taking a game-by-game approach with right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who was signed Friday to a $500K contract, reports Davidi. "We hope he makes a lot of starts for us, but we don’t want to go in and promise x-number amount of starts," the GM said. "Hopefully, he does well and we catch lightning in a bottle with him. But he understands, his agent understands, that if things don’t work out, we have the right to turn the page."
Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star feels the offseason moves made by Anthopoulos will only be judged as a total failure if he starts a firesale at the Trade Deadline and continues in the off-season to quickly turn some of his off-season acquisitions into prospects because he would invariably receive less in return than what he surrendered.
Asked in a readers' mailbag about the possibility of trading slumping catcher J.P. Arencibia, Griffin writes this is one question the organization has to really think about moving forward, but there are no internal, minor-league options after trading away Travis d'Arnaud. If Arencibia (owner of a .220/.240/.436 line with 72 strikeouts and five walks in 225 plate appearances this year) were to be dealt, Griffin thinks it would only happen during the off-season when a quality replacement could be acquired.
Griffin still sees the Blue Jays as contenders in the AL East because, even though all five clubs could finish with winning records, it is unclear whether there is a 100-win team in the division and 90 wins could quite possibly be enough for the second Wild Card berth.

Blue Jays Designate Evan Crawford

2013-06-08T10:21:10-05:00

The Blue Jays have designated left-hander Evan Crawford for assignment, tweets Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. The move was made to create a 40-man roster spot for Dustin McGowan to return from the 60-day DL.

Crawford, a 26-year-old reliever, had not appeared with Toronto this season. His only big league action came in 2012, when he tossed eight innings and posted a 6.75 ERA. Crawford had struggled at High-A and Double-A this season, logging a 5.86 ERA in 27 2/3 innings and posting 4.2 BB/9 against 8.8 K/9.

Chien-Ming Wang To Sign With Blue Jays

2013-06-07T12:49:12-05:00

Chien-Ming Wang is set to sign with the Blue Jays, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Wang is expected to start for the Jays on Tuesday of next week.

Wang, 33, posted a 2.33 ERA with 3.9 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 in 58 innings for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate this season, allowing just two homers along the way. He also fired 12 scoreless frames in this year's World Baseball Classic.

Wang neglected to exercise multiple opt-out clauses in his contract prior to this date, stating that he would only ask for his release from the Yankees if a Major League opportunity presented itself elsewhere. The Taiwanese sinker artist is represented by Octagon and has a 4.26 ERA in 765 1/3 innings between the Yankees and Nationals.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Blue Jays Designate Henry Blanco For Assignment

2013-06-07T12:29:22-05:00

The Blue Jays announced that they have designated catcher Henry Blanco for assignment. In related moves, Toronto has recalled catcher Josh Thole and selected the contract of infielder Andy LaRoche from Triple-A Buffalo.

Blanco, 41, appeared in 15 games for the Blue Jays this year and started as catcher in 13 of those contests. For his career, Blanco owns a .226/.291/.366 slash line across 16 years for the Dodgers, Rockies, Brewers, Braves, Twins, Cubs, Padres, Mets, D'Backs, and Blue Jays. By promoting Thole, the Blue Jays gain an experienced knuckleball handler; Thole was R.A. Dickey's catcher with the Mets prior to this offseason's trade.

Draft Notes: Royals, Cubs, Bryant, Astros, Blue Jays

2013-06-06T17:59:00-05:00

In his final installment of his Top 100 Draft Flashback series, Matt Eddy of Baseball America assigned values to each of the top ten picks and gave tiered values to the entire first round. Eddy lumps the together the picks in groups of five and uses WAR to weigh each tier against one another. He also identifies the best players to be plucked out of each group, starting with Alex Rodriguez (1-5), Frank Thomas/Derek Jeter (6-10), and Manny Ramirez (11-15). Here's the latest draft news as we close in on the first pick at 6pm central..

Keith Law of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that the Astros will take Mark Appel No. 1.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) isn't sure if the Royals have a deal worked out with Phil Bickford but he's certain that some team does. The right-hander's adviser kept him from talking to club executives this week.
It was reported earlier today that the Royals have reached a deal to take Bickford with the No. 8 pick, but the club is adamant that they have no such agreement, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
There's some buzz around baseball that the Cubs are leaning towards taking Kris Bryant over a pitcher, tweets David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com.
Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Twitter link) spoke to one scouting director picking early in first round about how he thinks the top of the draft will play out. His guess is that the Astros will take Jonathan Gray, the Cubs will grab Mark Appel at No. 2, and the Rockies will draft Bryant with the third pick.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet broke down the Blue Jays' draft strategy and spoke with Matt Smoral about his draft experience last year. The left-hander, who saw his stock drop thanks to a stress fracture in his right foot, assumed he was UNC-bound as he didn't expect any club to meet his $2MM asking price. “Initially, I went, not into panic, but said, ‘Oh crap, I’m going to college,’” the No. 50 pick in last year's draft said. “[The new rules] definitely changed the game but the way I looked at was, I went in there with a number that me and my family and my agent got together, and I was good with going either way." Toronto found room in the budget for Smoral by essentially punting their picks from rounds 4-10, and Davidi surmises that they'll be open to getting creative this year if another opportunity falls into their lap.
Marc Carig of Newsday (via Twitter) hears that the Mets will draft the best player available at No. 11, rather than target need.

Draft Notes: Moran, Gray, Blue Jays, Mariners, Orioles

2013-06-04T18:19:00-05:00

Baseball is a generational game, and it should come as no surprise to hear that many of this year's prospects have relatives involved in the sport. Conor Glassey of Baseball America ran down some of the more prominent players who have fathers, uncles, brothers and cousins involved in baseball. Top prospect Colin Moran has major big league ties as his brother is Mariners pitching prospect Brian Moran and his uncles are former outfielder B.J. Surhoff and pitcher Rich Surhoff. Here's more draft linkage...

The Twins would take Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray if he was available when the club was on the board with the fourth overall pick, two sources tell Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com (Twitter link). It's no surprise the pitching-hungry Twins would take the highly-touted righty, though it would be a mild surprise to see Gray drop to the No. 4 pick, his recent positive test for Adderall notwithstanding.
Stanford right-hander Mark Appel tops Keith Law's ranking of the top 100 draft prospects. While Law thinks Appel is the best talent in this year's draft, he predicted the Astros would take Moran with the first overall pick in his most recent mock draft (an ESPN Insider subscription required for both pieces).
Blue Jays amateur scouting director Brian Parker talks to Sportnet's Shi Davidi about the upcoming draft and how the Jays won't have extra compensatory picks for the first time since 2008.
The most recent collective bargaining agreement hurt the amateur draft, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes, and Griffin believes the system would be improved by a worldwide talent pool draft and allowing picks to be traded.
Jim Callis of Baseball America spoke with Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith about the Blue Jays' possibilities in the draft. While there's no Bryce Harper-type player to be found in this year's class, Toronto can still snag a "really good player" at No. 10 overall, in Callis' estimation. Kohl Stewart is a guy that could intrigue the Blue Jays, but Callis expects the Twins to snag him at No. 4.
The Mariners see plenty of promise at the No. 12 pick, writes MLB.com's Greg Johns. "I keep reading and hearing this is a weak Draft and I always stay away from that," M's scouting director Tom McNamara said. "I think it's fine. Where we're picking, we're fine." Catcher Reese McGuire is regarded as a top 12 pick by most experts and is right in the Mariners' backyard, but McNamara is predictably tight-lipped about the club's potential interest in him.
Callis also checked in with Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com about what we might see the Orioles do. In two of his three mock drafts so far, Callis has the O's taking South Carolina high school catcher Nick Ciuffo and the BA scribe says that he has gotten some A.J. Pierzynski comps.

MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post

Quick Hits: Profar, Rodriguez, Kawasaki, Cubs

2013-06-02T22:38:33-05:00

The Rangers should seriously consider trading Jurickson Profar, Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. Galloway argues that, despite Davis' strong 2012 and brilliant start in 2013, he won't criticize Jon Daniels' 2011 trade of Chris Davis (and Tommy Hunter) for Koji Uehara, because the trade was intended to position Texas for a World Series run, and the Rangers did in fact make it to the World Series. If the Rangers can arrange a Profar trade that sets them up for another run at a title, Galloway argues that they should make the deal and live with the results. Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, however, tells ESPN's Jim Bowden that, while the Rangers will likely be active at this year's trade deadline, they plan to keep Profar, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler, rather than dealing one of them (both links via Twitter).

As a side note, Galloway calls the Davis/Uehara deal "the worst MLB trade of this decade," even though he refrains from criticizing Daniels for it. Uehara was excellent for the Rangers, particularly in 2012, but he's since moved on, and Davis is currently hitting .357/.440/.754 with 20 home runs for the Orioles. Here are more notes from around baseball.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman discusses Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM contract in an interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. Rodriguez and the Yankees are currently in the sixth year of the deal, and Rodriguez will make $86MM from 2014 through 2017. Rodriguez has not yet played in 2013. "Alex would even tell you he couldn't live up to [the contract]," Cashman says. "Hopefully he can return to being, at the very least, an above-average player at that position."
When Jose Reyes returns, the Blue Jays will have to decide what to do with Munenori Kawasaki, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes. Due to the Jays' contractual obligations to Maicer Izturis and the presence of Emilio Bonifacio and Mark DeRosa, there would appear to be no space for Kawasaki once Reyes returns. Griffin suggests that the trade market for Izturis could be better than that of Kawasaki, though the Jays might have to pay some of the approximately $9MM remaining on Izturis' contract.
Cubs manager Dale Sveum is hoping for an infusion of arms in this week's draft, Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune reports. "Obviously pitching is what you want to get in the organization as much as you possibly can," says Sveum. When the Cubs make the No. 2 overall selection, either Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray or Stanford's Mark Appel, or perhaps both, will still be on the board.
Twins GM Terry Ryan discusses the role of general managers in the draft in an interview with 1500ESPN's Phil Mackey. GMs generally get credit or blame for their draft picks, but other front office personnel may be more responsible for those picks. "My role would be to take the blame when we don't do well, but I also get the praise when we do well. That's not fair," says Ryan. For example, Ryan discusses his role in the selection of Ben Revere, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2007 Draft. "That's a pick that I got praise for I think at the time. I didn't have anything to do with Ben Revere. (Our scouts) did. They all had seen him a lot. I get the praise. 'Good pick, there you go Terry.' Hell, I never even saw (Revere)."
Quintin Berry, who was recently designated for assignment by the Tigers, could make it through waivers and wind up back with Triple-A Toledo, MLB.com's Jason Beck tweets. Given that Berry is 28 and has hit just .168/.278/.234 so far for Toledo this season, that seems to be a fairly likely scenario.
When the Blue Jays begin a series in San Francisco Tuesday night, Melky Cabrera will face Giants fans for the first time since being suspended last August for failing a PED test, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm reports. Cabrera vanished after receiving word of the suspension, not talking to the San Francisco media. He then signed a two-year, $16MM contract with the Jays in the offseason. Cabrera says he isn't concerned with how the fans will react to his return. "I don't worry about that, it's up to the fans. It's nothing I have control of," Cabrera explains. "I'm just going to play the game. If they decide to boo, that's fine. If they decide to cheer, that's fine with me, too. But, I'm not going to worry about that."

Cafardo On Lee, Papelbon, Sizemore, Rios

2013-06-02T09:00:02-05:00

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if George Brett is being groomed to be the Royals' next manager now that he has committed to being with the team every day as hitting coach. Dennis Gilbert, who represented Brett as an agent and who has fallen short in bids to purchase the Dodgers, Padres, and Rangers, would have installed Brett as manager had he landed one of those clubs. Brett could very well be Ned Yost’s eventual replacement if he boosts Kansas City's offense, but there’s also a lot of sentiment for Jim Fregosi, who has ties to GM Dayton Moore. Here's more from today's column..

Cafardo spoke to a couple dozen executives, scouts, and players over the past few days about who the top player on the trade block will be and the consensus was Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee. The Red Sox, Orioles, Indians, Angels, and Rangers would really like to have Lee and there are many more clubs who could be in the mix, including the Dodgers and the Yankees, who say they can’t swing it but have the means to do it. One American League exec indicated there would be 20 teams lined up for Lee. Lee might be the last guy Ruben Amaro Jr. wants to trade, but he'd yield the greatest return.
The Phillies have another interesting piece in Jonathan Papelbon and if they decide they are retooling, they probably don’t need a top closer. Several baseball people say the Tigers would be a tremendous fit for Papelbon since pairing him with that starting rotation would be rather formidable. He would also be an option for the Angels and Red Sox, but the Sox want to give Andrew Bailey every chance to do the job. The Indians would also be a possibility.
It shouldn’t be long before a long list of teams start to inquire about free agent Grady Sizemore. Sizemore has begun baseball activities after being sidelined by knee surgeries and so far he’s had no setbacks. Cafardo suggests the Mets could be a fit as they are in need of outfield help.
The White Sox, Blue Jays, and Twins might hold some of this year's top trade chips. “Alex Rios, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and you can add Justin Morneau, are definitely the major guys scouts are focusing on,” said one AL GM.
After Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury stole five bases Thursday night against the Phillies, it started to dawn on people — including some in the Philadelphia organization — that Ellsbury would be a nice piece in the Phillies’ lineup next season. However, he also hurt his groin during the game, and the injury question popped up.

Blue Jays Outright Ricky Romero

2013-06-01T11:29:00-05:00

The Blue Jays announced via press release that the team has outrighted struggling pitcher Ricky Romero off of the club's 40-man roster. The move was made to open a roster spot for righty Ramon Ortiz. Romero will continue to pitch in Triple-A, having already been optioned to the minors.

Notably, as Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star tweets, Romero had to pass through waivers before he could be outrighted. That means that every MLB club passed on the chance to take on Romero's contract. The former Opening Day starter is in the midst of what seemed to be a team-friendly five-year, $30.1MM extension (which included a 2016 club option at $13.1MM) that he inked in August of 2011.

Looking back one year after that deal was signed, both team and player seemed happy. Now, however, Romero's well-documented struggles make the remainder of the contract look like an unwelcome burden to the Jays. After an abysmal 2012 season and poor spring saw Romero begin the year in the low minors, he was called up for two ill-fated big league starts. The former staff ace allowed five walks, seven hits, and six earned runs over just 4 1/3 innings in those outings, and has continued to struggle since being demoted to Triple-A. With Romero no longer clogging up a roster spot, the team will have little incentive but to remain patient and allow him to try and work his way back to form.

Minor Moves: Ortiz, Robinson, Pirates, Green, Wimberly

2013-05-31T15:11:00-05:00

Here are your minor moves from around the league for Friday...

The Blue Jays have announced that Ramon Ortiz and Clint Robinson cleared waivers and were outrighted off the 40-man roster, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson Smith (on Twitter). Ortiz was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, while Robinson was outrighted to Double-A New Hampshire. Both were designated for assignment earlier this week.
Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets that the Pirates have acquired Triple-A right-hander Graham Godfrey from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. The 28-year-old Godfrey has amassed 46 Major League innings -- all with the Athletics -- and posted a 5.09 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
The Pirates have acquired Triple-A lefty Atahualpa Severino from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Severino, 28, has a 3.40 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 156 1/3 career innings at Triple-A. He received a brief taste of the Major Leagues with the Nationals back in 2011, totaling 4 2/3 innings of relief.
The Marlins have outrighted infielder Nick Green to Triple-A New Orleans, according to the PCL's Transactions page, meaning that he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment Wednesday.
The Braves released minor league outfielder Corey Wimberly, according to the International League Transaction log. The 29-year-old hit .234/.268/.351 in 25 games (83 plate appearances) for Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
The Indians announced (via Twitter) that they have signed right-hander Chris Jakubauskas and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old has a 5.58 ERA in 166 big league innings and last saw the Majors with the Orioles in 2011. Jakubauskas spent 2012 in the D-backs and Blue Jays organizations, and he appeared in eight Triple-A games for the Brewers this season. He has a 3.75 ERA in 175 career innings at Triple-A.

Prospect Rumor Roundup: Conversion Projects

2013-05-30T09:09:56-05:00

Hitters converting to pitchers, and vice versa, is nothing new in Major League Baseball. One of baseball's all-time best hitters -- Babe Ruth -- began his career as a successful pitcher before becoming a full-time hitter and eventually landing in the Hall of Fame mainly for his exploits at the plate. That said, Ruth -- who played between 1914 and 1935 -- is clearly an anomaly when it comes to his performance given how tough it is to succeed at one role, let alone two.

The conversion from hitter to pitcher is generally considered to be a little easier due to the smaller learning curve and fewer skills that need to be developed. Some of the recent examples of hitters-turned-pitchers include Sean Doolittle of the Athletics, Jason Motte of the Cardinals, and Kenley Jansen of the Dodgers.

There are a number of interesting conversion stories developing throughout the minor leagues as prospects desperately cling to their dreams of playing in The Show by redefining their roles.

Stetson Allie, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates

As alluded to above, switching from hitting to pitching is a very difficult thing to do and many nameless minor leaguers have washed out attempting to make the bold move. Some of the more recent successes include the likes of Rick Ankiel, Adam Loewen and Brian Bogusevic but that group of players has experienced moderate success at the plate at best. Pirates prospect Stetson Allie is looking to become more than just a role player, Quad-A slugger, or curious oddity.

Originally signed for $2.25MM due to his big-time fastball, the Ohio native made just 17 appearances on the mound before it became apparent his best hope for a big league career would come while standing in the batter's box. As a pitcher, Allie posted a 7.76 ERA while walking 37 batters in 26 2/3 innings of work.

The decision to turn Allie into a first baseman was not a desperate grasp at straws to try and recoup a hefty investment. Baseball America is one of the best in the business when it comes to covering the annual amateur draft, and Allie's pre-draft scouting report touched on the young player's prep hitting abilities (subscription required). "[Allie] had expressed a desire to hit, and he does have some of the best raw power in the draft... With his size, power and arm strength, he could be an early-round pick as a third baseman, but he now accepts that his future is on the mound."

He began his journey as a hitter in 2012 and had a modest first season as a hitter in the Gulf Coast League. Moved up to A-ball in 2013, the 22-year-old Allie got off to a hot start in his first two months of the season (.342 batting average and 13 home runs) although there are some red flags. He's age-appropriate for his league and there would be more enthusiasm for his numbers if he were a year or two younger. Additionally, a strikeout rate of 28 percent in Low-A ball is worrisome, although Allie will likely earn a mulligan due to his lack of experience. Improvements in his contact rate will have to be made if he hopes to succeed against better pitching and improved breaking balls at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. When asked about the Pittsburgh prospect's chances of reaching the Majors, ESPN's prospect expert Keith Law referred to him as a "longshot" on Twitter.

Allie is not the only prospect in the Pirates system attempting to reinvent himself. Jared Lakind, 21, was originally given a $400K contract to forgo a two-way career at the University of Arkansas because of his intriguing raw power. He never tapped into it in pro ball with just five home runs in three seasons. He also hit just .148 and .169 over the past two seasons.

Kyler Burke, LHP, Chicago Cubs

Toiling away in the near obscurity of the Florida State League (High-A) -- where crowds are announced in the hundreds rather than the 10s of thousands -- is another conversion project in Kyler Burke of the Cubs. The Padres originally selected the prospect 35th overall during the 2006 amateur draft out of a Tennessee high school. He spent more than five years as a hitter in the low minors and was traded to the Cubs in 2007 as part of a package for former big league catcher Michael Barrett. Burke's best season as a hitter came in 2009 at the A-ball level when he posted a .911 OPS.

Contact issues plagued the young prospect throughout his career and he made the decision to give pitching a try after he struck out 131 times in 135 High-A ball games in 2010. Still just 25, he's moved methodically through the system as a pitcher and he's currently in the Daytona Cubs' starting rotation. Burke has made two starts so far after opening the year rehabbing an injury in extended spring training and he's allowed five hits in 10 innings of work and features a 0.90 ERA.

The prospect recently told writer Jake Seiner of MiLB.com he was willing to do anything asked of him to realize his dream of playing in the big leagues. "I just want to get to the big leagues," he said. "I love starting and I love the routine of going out every fifth day and getting my work in between. If it works out as a reliever, that's fine, too. It really doesn't matter to me."

The Cubs will face a difficult decision with Burke this fall. If he's not added to the 40-man roster, he'll not only be available in the annual Rule 5 draft, but he'll also be a minor league free agent, allowing him an opportunity to search out the clearest path to a Major League opening.

Justin Jackson, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays

Like Burke, Justin Jackson was a highly-regarded prep hitting prospect out of North Carolina. The Toronto Blue Jays selected the former shortstop 45th overall during the 2007 amateur draft and handed him a $675K bonus. He spent six seasons as a hitter but never hit more than .249 in a season and played just 94 games above the A-ball level. Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com sat down with Jackson, 24, and spoke to him about the decision to switch roles -- which was borne out of a conversation between his agent and the Jays front office.

He opened 2013 in extended spring training in an effort to give him as much time as possible to polish his repertoire before making his pro debut as a pitcher. That moment finally came on May 4th when he worked 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League (A-ball). Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com spoke with Jackson shortly after his first appearance. Since then, Jackson has accumulated 11 1/3 innings in seven appearances and features a 1.59 ERA with eight strikeouts.

His control continues to be a work in progress with six walks issued but he flashes an intriguing repertoire that includes a low-90s fastball, slider and changeup. If he's not added to the Jays' 40-man roster after the conclusion of the 2013 season, Jackson will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in November and he'll also become a minor league free agent after six full seasons in the minors.

Jackson's former Lansing teammate Markus Brisker is also switching from hitter to pitcher, although he's still working out in extended spring training. The 22-year-old outfielder was originally a sixth round draft pick out of a Florida high school back in 2008. After hitting .306 in his debut, the athletic and strong-armed outfielder managed to hit above .200 just once in parts of four seasons in A-ball.

Prospect Tidbits: Like Allie, Micah Owings is trying to reinvent himself as a hitter after reaching the Majors as a pitcher and making 138 appearances (68 starts), mostly with the Diamondbacks. The born-again rookie currently has a respectable .770 OPS at the Triple-A level for the Nationals. He's slugged 15 extra base hits in 40 games but his 32 percent strikeout rate is a concern. Owings, 30, owns a career .813 OPS with nine homers in 205 big league at-bats -- despite a strikeout rate of 33 percent.....Royals outfield prospect Brett Eibner, 24, was selected in the second round of the 2010 amateur draft after a strong career at the University of Arkansas as a two-way player. After parts of three years, though, he has yet to hit higher than .213 in any one season and struck out 165 times in 120 games last year in High-A ball. During the 2010 pre-draft scouting report on Eibner, Baseball America stated (subscription required): "Eibner is the best two-way prospect in the 2010 draft. Teams are evenly split about whether he has more potential as a pitcher or an outfielder... Eibner's preference is to hit, but it remains to be seen if he'll get his wish." The publication noted that his fastball velocity ranged anywhere from 88-97 mph. If he continues to struggle with the bat, the outfielder could take to the mound in the near future.

Minor Moves: Wells, Reds, McPherson, Towles

2013-05-29T14:53:00-05:00

Here are your minor moves for Wednesday...

Salt Lake Bees radio broadcaster Steve Klauke reports (on Twitter) that the Angels have released veteran Kip Wells to make room on the roster for the recently outrighted Billy Buckner. Wells, 36, had a 10.36 ERA, 3.3 K/9 and 8.1 BB/9 in 24 1/3 innings at Triple-A.
Reds assistant director of media relations Jamie Ramsey reports that the team has purchased the contract of 21-year-old outfielder Sebastian Elizalde from the Mexican League. In 147 career games in that league, Elizalde is a .301/.353/.450 hitter. He will report to extended Spring Training (Twitter links).
Dallas McPherson has signed a contract with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (on Twitter). McPherson has a pair of 40-homer minor league campaigns under his belt and was once one of the best power prospects in baseball. He's hit just .241/.292/.446 as a Major Leaguer, however.
The Dodgers have signed catcher J.R. Towles to a minor league contract, tweets Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The former top prospect is now 29 years old and has a .265/.361/.423 batting line in 223 career games at Triple-A. At the Major League level, he's just a .187/.267/.315 hitter in 484 plate appearances -- all coming with the Astros. He last saw the bigs in 2011.
The Blue Jays have selected the contract of Triple-A Buffalo closer Neil Wagner, tweets MLBTR's Tim Dierkes. The Jays already had an open spot on their 40-man roster. The 29-year-old NDSU product has a 0.89 ERA with 32 strikeouts and eight walks in 20 1/3 frames at Buffalo this season.