Minor Moves: Astros, Gonzalez, Wade, Wheeler

We'll keep an eye on today's minor moves right here:

• Astros outfielder Fernando Martinez has been outrighted to Triple-A, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports (Twitter link).  Martinez was designated for assignment by the club earlier this week.
• Edgar Gonzalez has elected to become a free agent after clearing waivers, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reports (via Twitter).  Gonzalez was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays two days ago and he chose free agency rather than report to Triple-A Buffalo.  The right-hander posted a 7.88 ERA in eight innings pitched with Toronto this season.
• The Cubs released right-hander Cory Wade, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America.  Wade, who struggled in ten games for the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate, owns a 3.65 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 across four big league seasons.
• The Royals have released right-handed relief pitcher Dan Wheeler, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Wheeler, 35, had been pitching for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate, where he struggled to a 9.00 ERA over 15 innings with a substandard 2.200 WHIP. Last year, Wheeler made just twelve appearances for the Indians and was similarly ineffective, pitching to an 8.76 ERA. Between 2003-2011, Wheeler made no fewer than 35 big league appearances per season. His best seasons came with the Astros in 2005-06, when he logged over 70 innings a year and posted consecutive 2.21 and 2.52 ERA marks.

Astros Designate Rick Ankiel, Fernando Martinez For Assignment

The Astros announced that they have designated outfielders Rick Ankiel and Fernando Martinez for assignment via team press release. In related moves, Trevor Crowe and Jimmy Paredes have been called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, J.D. Martinez has been activated from the disabled list and Brandon Laird has been optioned to Triple-A.

Ankiel, 33, hit .194/.231/.484 with five homers in 65 plate appearances for the Astros. He will forever hold the distinction of being the first Astro to homer following their shift to the American League. Since reviving his career as an outfielder in 2007, the former Cardinals pitcher has batted .244/.306/.430 in 1948 plate appearances.

Martinez, still just 24 years of age, was long hailed as one of the crown jewels of the Mets' farm system. It was considered a coup for the Mets when they were able to acquire Johan Santana from the Twins without including him in the package, but his star has faded since that time. After being cut loose from the Mets' 40-man roster, the Astros claimed him on waivers in January 2012. Martinez has hit just .206/.269/.362 in 310 big league plate appearances, though he does hold a respectable .279/.337/.474 batting line in 1119 career plate appearances at Triple-A.

NL East Notes: Gio, Owings, Stanton, Young

Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez was one of several players whose names were found in the records of Biogenesis, a Miami clinic linked to PEDs, as revealed last month by the Miami New Times.  According to a new report from ESPN's Mike Fish and T.J. Quinn, however, none of the substances that Gonzalez allegedly purchased are banned by Major League Baseball.  Gonzalez has denied any personal involvement with Biogenesis, though his father is a client of the clinic. 

Here are some more items from around the NL East...

• Fish and Quinn cite Mets outfield prospect Cesar Puello as one of the new names listed as having received PEDs from Biogenesis.  Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera, Athletics left-hander Jordan Norberto, Padres right-hander Fautino De Los Santos and Astros outfielder Fernando Martinez were also named.
• After six seasons as a pitcher, Micah Owings is trying to make the Nationals' roster as a first baseman.  Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post chronicles Owings' decision to make the move, which included a talk with Rick Ankiel, another pitcher-turned-hitter.  Owings, who signed a minor league deal with the Nats earlier this month, has a .283/.310/.502 line in 219 career Major League plate appearances.  
• Giancarlo Stanton has been the subject of trade rumors for much of the offseason but CBS Sports' Jon Heyman hears from the Marlins that Stanton is "not going anywhere" (Twitter link).  We heard last month that Miami wasn't considering a Stanton deal and hadn't even internally discussed such a move.
• The Phillies' acquisition of Michael Young was the team's best offseason move, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer opines.  Brookover favored Young over free agent third base options like Kevin Youkilis and Mark Reynolds due to the ex-Ranger's durability and clubhouse leadership.

NL East Notes: Phillies, Harper, Martinez

Earlier today, we learned the Nationals signed outfielder/first baseman Xavier Nady to a minor league contract, adding insurance for Michael Morse and Adam LaRoche, who are both battling injuries. Here's more on the Nats and a couple other items of note ...

• Phillies manager Charlie Manuel implied that his team may look for infield help outside of camp now that Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Placido Polanco are all dealing with injuries, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. We heard earlier today that the Phils could be interested in someone like utility man Mike Aviles of the Red Sox, although Aviles is tentatively slated to be Boston's starting shortstop as of now.
• The Nationals optioned prized prospect Bryce Harper to minor league camp, the team announced. The Nats will go with an in-house option such as Roger Bernadina and/or Rick Ankiel in center field, a source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com, with Jayson Werth playing right field. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, for one, doesn't think Harper's demotion was related to his arbitration or free-agent clocks (via Twitter).
• Mets manager Terry Collins said Fernando Martinez, now with the Astros, was waived this offseason because the outfielder was unable to stay healthy, writes Paul Hagen of MLB.com. "I know his talent. I know he's got great talent. Unfortunately, he's been one of those guys who's had a tough time getting the amount of games that I think you have to have to get ready." Martinez, for his part, said he was surprised that the Mets chose to waive him, thinking instead that he thought at times that a trade was possible.

Astros Claim Fernando Martinez

1:35pm: The Astros claimed Martinez, tweets ESPNNewYork's Adam Rubin.  They had the first crack at Martinez in the waiver process, with MLB's worst record in 2011.

11:53am: Mets outfielder Fernando Martinez will be claimed shortly by an NL Central team, tweets ESPN's Enrique Rojas.  The team appears to be the Astros, based on this tweet from Rojas.

Baseball America named Martinez one of the top 100 prospects in the game before each of the 2007-10 seasons, and at age 23, he's worth a 40-man roster spot for new Houston GM Jeff Luhnow.  Injuries, selectivity, and plate coverage have limited Martinez thus far, wrote Baseball America a year ago.

NL East Notes: Martinez, Mets, Phillies

Former Phillies closer Ryan Madson is set to join the Reds, but that’s not the only news to emerge from the NL East tonight...

• One scout guaranteed to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark that at least five teams will claim Mets outfielder Fernando Martinez, who is now on waivers (Twitter link).
• The Mets are close to finalizing the sale of at least five $20MM shares in the team, according to Andy Martino, Bill Madden and Teri Thompson of the New York Daily News. MLB has approved the potential investors, so the Mets should raise more than $100MM within the month, the Daily News reports.
• Phillies assistant GM Scott Proefrock said on Comcast SportsNet that the team has had discussions with Cole Hamels and expects to sign him to a one-year deal, according to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. I discussed a possible extension for Hamels last month. The left-hander will be eligible for free agency following the 2012 season.

NL East Links: Lannan, Fielder, Martinez, Mets

On this date in 2003, the Mets signed Cliff Floyd as a free agent. He went on to hit .268/.354/.478 with 81 homers during his four years in Flushing. Here's the latest from the NL East...

• Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post makes a case for the Nationals to sign John Lannan to a modest multiyear contract extension. He speculates that a three-year deal worth approximately $20MM could work for both sides. Lannan is projected to make $4.8MM his second time through arbitration this winter.
• In a separate piece, Kilgore presents three theories about why it's taking Prince Fielder so long to sign. He says the Jayson Werth contract could be making the Nationals hesitant about Fielder, another Scott Boras slient.
• The Mets waived Fernando Martinez earlier today, and Adam Rubin of ESPN New York says (on Twitter) one reason he is likely to get claimed is because he has a minor league option remaining. Martinez will take up a spot on the 40-man roster, but any team can send him to the minors without a problem in 2012.
• Rubin also notes (on Twitter) that last summer's Francisco Rodriguez trade is similar to the Billy Wagner-Chris Carter trade in that it was a salary dump meant to look like something more. The Mets also waived Danny Herrera today, who they acquired from the Brewers for K-Rod.

NL West Links: Moorad, Padres, Martinez, Dodgers

Five years ago today, the Diamondbacks re-acquired Randy Johnson from the Yankees for Luis Vizcaino, Ross Ohlendorf, Steven Jackson, and Alberto Gonzalez. The Big Unit spent two more seasons in Arizona then one with the Giants before calling it a career. Here's the latest from the NL West...

• Jeff Moorad's long-awaited purchase of the Padres from John Moores is nearly complete, reports MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom. The sale is estimated at $530MM and is on the agenda for approval by the owners at this Thursday's quarterly meeting.
• Bob Nightengale of USA Today says (on Twitter) that it's a "virtual slam dunk" that the Padres sale will be approved on Thursday. Moorad needs 75% approval.
• Dan Hayes of The North County Times reports (on Twitter) that the Padres new television deal should be completed later this week, but it is unrelated to the change in ownership.
• Tim Sullivan of The San Diego Union-Tribune says it's refreshing to see the Padres make deals not predicated on payroll, referring specifically to the Carlos Quentin trade. “I’m committed to building a team that can win every year and that can sustain success,” said Moorad.
• The Mets waived Fernando Martinez earlier today, who they signed for $1.35MM back in 2005. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York notes (on Twitter) that the Padres offered him more money back then, but he chose New York because of Pedro Martinez.
• "I don't see it. Not at the moment," said Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to MLB.com's Ken Gurnick when asked about the possibility of adding a big bat, potentially even Prince Fielder. "Our payroll is what it is."

Martinez, Herrera On Waivers

Former top prospect Fernando Martinez and left-handed reliever Danny Herrera are on waivers, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets need to clear 40-man roster space for Scott Hairston and Ronny Cedeno.

Martinez, 23, has a .183/.250/.290 line in 145 plate appearances with the Mets since 2009. He spent most of the 2011 season at Triple-A, posting a .260/.329/.417 line with 19 extra base hits in 250 plate appearances. Baseball America named him one of the top 100 prospects in the game before each of the 2007-10 seasons.

Herrera, 27, joined the Mets in last summer's Francisco Rodriguez trade. The sidearmer pitched 9 2/3 innings in the Major Leagues in 2011 and spent most of the season at Triple-A. He posted a 2.20 ERA with 7.9 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 for the top affiliates of the Brewers and Mets. He can declare free agency if he clears waivers.

Fred Wilpon On Payroll, Reyes, Beltran, Minaya

Fred Wilpon's media blitz was actually a two-part plan.  Jeffrey Toobin's article in The New Yorker was the big story Monday morning, mainly because the Mets owner was so candid about his players and team.  As informative as that article was, SI's Tom Verducci has more from an interview conducted with Wilpon last week.

• The Mets are "bleeding cash," possibly $70MM this year according to Wilpon.
• Wilpon talked about investing $100MM properly, an indication that the 2012 payroll may drop about 30% to that level.  This isn't a surprise; I wrote on May 2nd that a $100MM payroll next year would still give GM Sandy Alderson around $20MM to play with before accounting for minimum salary players.  So while Wilpon confirmed that the Mets are not likely to reinvest the money coming off the payroll after the season, it would have been nice if someone asked him how they'd handle a potential $10MM+ saved if veterans are traded during the season.
• Verducci says the Mets "have studied the success of the Boston Red Sox in letting top veterans play out their contracts and taking the compensatory draft picks," and would only trade Jose Reyes if they receive a first-round type talent who is close to the Majors, similar to when the Athletics acquired Brett Wallace for Matt Holliday.  Does this mean the Mets won't consider trades built around top prospects who are not big league ready, such as the Giants' Zack Wheeler?
• On the Reyes topic, Wilpon said, "I know there's a great question about whether we can keep the shortstop, so we're preparing for that if that should happen."  He admitted that Carlos Beltran "will be elsewhere" and the Mets hope Fernando Martinez could fill his shoes.  Of Martinez, Wilpon said, "He's fragile, but he can hit."
• The Mets' new investor will be treated as a partner and will have some say, even though Fred Wilpon will remain the team's designated "control person" and Jeff Wilpon will remain the COO.
• On former GM Omar Minaya, Wilpon said, "It was painful to see what Omar did to himself. Why did he do that?"  I'm not sure what Wilpon is referring to specifically here.