If you are looking for a unique way to occupy your evening, be sure to follow (or re-read) the Dodgers' Twitter feed as unparalleled announcer Vin Scully chats about his incredible memories and observations on today's game. (A sample: Scully says he had to be on his feet watching for foul balls at old Briggs Stadium -- better known as Tiger Stadium -- because "the booth was so close to home you could hear the hitter grunt.") Also worth reading are the following links looking ahead to the coming trade deadline period:
Here's your daily rundown of minor transactions from around the league...
The Nationals have signed third-round pick Drew Ward to a deal worth $850K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). The Oklahoma high schooler was set to attend Oklahoma University, but the allure of joining the Nats' system coupled with the lucrative deal was apparently too much to resist.
The third baseman boasts serious power and a strong arm according to Baseball America, who has Ward ranked as the 87th best prospect in the draft. The prospect is a unique case as he graduated high school in three years and was granted special permission to enter the 2013 draft rather than 2014. Because he was pegged for '14, scouts didn't bear down on him last summer, making it difficult to evaluate him.
Ward got considerably more than the slot recommendation as the value of the No. 105 pick is $491K. The youngster is advised by The Legacy Agency.
The Nationals announced that they have traded Henry Rodriguez to the Cubs in exchange for fellow right-hander Ian Dickson. The Nats designated Rodriguez for assignment last week in order to make room on the roster for Anthony Rendon.
Rodriguez, 26, has a 4.23 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 across parts of five big league seasons with the A's and Nats. He pitched 18 innings in relief for Washington this season, posting a 4.00 ERA with eleven strikeouts and 16 walks. While he has yet to find sustained success in the big leagues, Rodriguez has impressed with a 100 mph fastball in recent outings.
Dickson, 22, was taken in the 35th round of the 2011 draft by the Cubs. The youngster has a 6.88 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in three starts and eight relief appearances for Chicago's Single-A affiliate this year.
It's been a busy time for the minds at Baseball America recently with the MLB Draft taking place last week, but BA's Ben Badler has a different focus in his most recent piece, profiling more of the top names available in this year's class of July 2 international prospects. Here's a look at some of the highlights, though Badler's actual piece offers far more depth and information, as well as scouting videos...
The Nationals announced (via Twitter) that they have signed veteran right-hander Mark Lowe to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse. The Nationals mark the third organization that Lowe, a client of Frye McCann Sports, has been a part of this calendar year.
Lowe was signed and released by both the Dodgers and Angels earlier this year. He saw big league action with the Angels -- his third Major League team -- but allowed 12 runs in 11 2/3 innings on 11 hits and 11 walks with only seven strikeouts.
Lowe used to sit at 95-96 mph with his fastball as a member of the Mariners and Rangers from 2009-11, but his once blazing heater averaged 92.9 mph this season. In 274 1/3 innings for the Mariners, Rangers and Angels, Lowe has a 4.17 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9.
The Nationals have released left-hander Zach Duke, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (on Twitter).
Duke, 30, was designated for assignment last week after posting an 8.71 ERA in 20 2/3 frames for the Nationals this season. He was an asset for the team in the final month of 2012, allowing just two runs in 13 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen in September. The former Rookie of the Year candidate has just a 4.84 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 990 2/3 innings since his tremendous 2005 debut campaign.
In the aftermath of a 20-inning loss to the Marlins, the Mets designated Rick Ankiel for assignment and recalled Kirk Nieuwenhuis. However, the team's biggest concern was the health of young ace Matt Harvey, who left the game with stiffness in his lower back. But as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports, Harvey is apparently fine and will make his next scheduled start on Friday. Here's more news from around MLB's East divisions:
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
The Rays are likely to promote Wil Myers in the next ten days, says ESPN's Jim Bowden (on Twitter). Myers has not yet appeared in the Majors. Myers, 22, is currently hitting .279/.354/.486 for Triple-A Durham. He is rated as the No. 4 prospect in baseball by Baseball America, Keith Law and Jonathan Mayo. The cutoff point for Super Two eligibility is not entirely clear, but we're now at a point in the season where it's unlikely Myers would be eligible for Super Two status if he were to earn a callup and stick. Regardless, the Rays would maintain his rights through 2019. Here are more notes from around the Majors.
The Angels took pitchers with their first seven picks in this weekend's draft, William Boor of MLB.com notes. Boor also points out that ESPN and Baseball America both recently ranked the Angels' system the worst in baseball, and that the reason the system has been so poor is because of the team's free agent signings. With the signings of Jeff Weaver, Gary Matthews Jr., Justin Speier, Torii Hunter, Scott Downs, Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson and Josh Hamilton, the Angels have been missing either a first-round or a second-round selection, or both, in six of the last eight drafts. That includes 2013, when they went without a first round pick due to the Hamilton signing. The Angels made their first pick of the draft, Kentucky high school lefty Hunter Green, with the No. 59 overall selection. Here are more notes from the draft.
The Nationals have agreed to terms with Jake Johansen, the last pick in the second round of the 2013 Draft (No. 68 overall). The Nats did not have a first-round pick due to their signing of Rafael Soriano, so Johansen was their first selection of the draft. The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore tweets that Johansen signed for "slot." The bonus pool value for the No. 68 overall pick is $820K.
Johansen, a college senior, was the Friday-night starter for Dallas Baptist. Keith Law ranked Johansen the No. 63 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America ranked him No. 182. MLB.com notes Johansen's four-pitch mix but says he's currently "more of a thrower," and his future might be in the bullpen.
The Nationals have claimed Tyler Robertson off of waivers from the Twins, the clubs have announced. Robertson was designated for assignment by Minnesota on Monday.
The left-hander is the son of Jay Robertson, who works within the Nats' front office as a special assistant to the GM. Robertson owns a 5.54 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 across 26 innings of work over the last two seasons for the Twins. The 25-year-old has also spent parts of three seasons at Triple-A where he posted a 3.64 ERA with 9.8 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9.
If Major League Baseball is really hoping to suspend the 20+ players involved in the Biogenesis scandal, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal thinks the league will need more evidence than just the word of clinic founder Tony Bosch. It will be too easy, Rosenthal argues, for the players' representatives to claim that Bosch lacks credibility and that he is only naming names to avoid possible criminal prosecution and getting himself sued by the league.
Here are some news items from around the sport...
TUESDAY: Romero's deal with the Indians will become official if he passes a physical, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (Twitter link). Romero will report to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.
MONDAY: Left-hander J.C. Romero has opted out of his minor league contract with the Nationals and is working to finalize a new minor league deal with the Indians, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Romero, who turns 37 tomorrow, had a 2.84 ERA with 16 strikeouts and four walks in 12 2/3 innings for Washington's Triple-A affiliate this season. According to Rosenthal, Romero would likely be ticketed for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Columbus. Amanda Comak of the Washington Times notes (on Twitter) that Romero is on the minor league disabled list.
In parts of 14 Major League seasons, Romero has a 4.16 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. He's held opposing lefties to a .220/.314/.298 in his career. Most of his 661 1/3 career innings were spent with the Twins, who selected the Puerto Rico native in the 21st round of the 1997 draft. Romero is the only player with a significant MLB career to come from that round, although outfielder Mike Colangelo saw some brief time in the big leagues as well.
The Nationals designated lefty Zach Duke for assignment, according to a team press release. In a series of moves, the Nats also designated reliever Henry Rodriguez, reinstated Jayson Werth from the DL, placed Danny Espinosa on the DL, recalled Anthony Rendon, and selected the contract of Ian Krol.
Duke, 30, posted an 8.71 ERA, 4.8 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9, and 54.4% groundball rate in 20 2/3 innings this year. He faced more right-handed hitters than left, but those in those 30 plate appearances from lefties they hit .448/.467/.552 against him. The Nats had re-signed Duke to a Major League deal worth $700K in December.
Duke was drafted in the 20th round by the Pirates in '01, and finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting when he came up and posted a 1.81 ERA in 14 starts in '05. He also snagged an All-Star nod in '09.
Krol was acquired from the A's in March to complete the three-way trade that sent Mike Morse to Seattle, John Jaso to Oakland, and A.J. Cole to the Nats. The 22-year-old lefty was dominant in Double-A this year, with a 0.69 ERA, 10.0 K/9, 2.4 BB/9, and one home run allowed in 26 innings.
Henry Rodriguez told James Wagner of the Washington Post (via Twitter) that he has been designated for assignment by the Nationals. The move is a part of a roster shuffle that will allow the Nats to promote Anthony Rendon and left-hander Ian Krol.
Rodriguez, 26, owns a 4.23 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 across parts of five big league seasons with the A's and Nats. He pitched 18 innings in relief for Washington this season, posting a 4.00 ERA with eleven strikeouts and 16 walks. Though he might not know where the ball is going, Rodriguez is the definition of a live arm, averaging around 100 miles per hour on his fastball in his last few outings.
Rodriguez was signed by the Athletics as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2003, and was traded to the Nationals in the December 2010 Josh Willingham deal.
With two months of baseball in the books, here's a look at the players who have vesting options for the 2014 season..
It's also worth noting that Pirates pitcher Francisco Liriano has a $8MM club option for 2014, but it can vest at any of three levels - $5MM, $6MM, or $8MM - based on the number of days he is not on the DL this year with a recurrence of his right arm injury. It's not known how many days the hurler must steer clear of right arm trouble in order to trigger each level of his option, however. The left-hander made his season debut on May 11th.
Here's a look at the latest on the Nationals and Orioles..
Here's tonight's look around baseball..
Nationals right-hander Jordan Zimmermann recently shot down rumors that his representatives at SFX and the Nats were exploring a multiyear extension, and the pitcher expanded on that statement by telling Adam Kilgore and James Wagner of the Washington Post that he doesn't expect contract negotiations to get going until the offseason.
“We talked a little bit in Spring Training,” Zimmermann said. “My agent and I said once the season starts, we’re going to wait until after the season. Hopefully, we’ll maybe spring something up at the end of the season or going into next season or something."
It was rumored last winter that the Nationals were interested in locking Zimmermann up in a long-term agreement but the two sides instead just settled on a one-year, $5.35MM contract for 2013. Zimmermann, a Super Two player, still has two remaining years of arbitration eligibility and is eligible for free agency after the 2015 season when he is 29 years old.
MLBTR's Steve Adams recently speculated that a Zimmermann extension could take the form of a five-year, $60MM-$65MM deal. That said, Adams noted that "Zimmermann's case is unprecedented to some extent," and the right-hander could earn more given the new collective bargaining agreement and the fact that the Nationals (like every team) has more money to spend due to TV contract money. These factors could bump the value of a five-year deal up to the $75MM-$80MM range, not to mention the fact that Zimmermann has raised his own value by pitching like a Cy Young candidate thus far in 2013.
If Zimmermann was confident enough to put off long-term contract talks for now, it seems as if he's also confident in his current and future performance to only accept an extension on his own terms.
“I’d be interested, see what they have to say. At the end of the day, it’s got to be the right deal for me," Zimmermann said. "I’m not just going to take a deal that’s team friendly. It’s got to be fair."