Odds and Ends: Botts, Red Sox, McLouth

Roundup of links! According to Jamey Newberg, Jason Botts has cleared waivers. He probably won't get another chance with the Rangers though. Gordon Edes notes that the Red Sox have five picks in the first three rounds of the June draft. Even though they don't start until the 30th pick, the Sox have had much success in recent years. No extension talks have begun with Nate McLouth, but Dejan Kovacevic does expect it to happen. I updated the fantasy baseball closers depth chart over at RotoAuthority. SI.com's Jon Heyman says Freddy Garcia is "progressing nicely" in rehab and will throw...

Pirates Hope To Retain Meek

Dejan Kovacevic fills us in on the Pirates' attempts to retain 25 year-old reliever Evan Meek. Meek was a Rule 5 pick who the Bucs just couldn't hide in their big league pen all year. Meek was designated for assignment yesterday but the Pirates are trying to make a deal with the Rays rather than return him. Baseball America says that Meek "uses a low-90s fastball that has good sink and run to pick up strikeouts and groundballs." As you might guess, control has been an issue.

Odds & Ends: Kennedy, Rays, Bonds, Wagner

And now for something completely different, Odds and Ends: ESPN reports that the Yankees optioned Ian Kennedy to Triple-A. To take his place, they recalled Darrell Rasner who in 5 Triple-A games is 4-0 with 0.87 ERA and 27 K in 31 IP. Kennedy relies on control and control he has had not. He has the highest percentage of working into hitters counts of anyone in the bigs. The Rays are the first team ever to hold the first pick in back-to-back years, and unlike last year when they selected David Price without thinking twice, they are presently undecided. According...

Stark's Latest: Zito, Anthony Reyes, Varitek, Inoa

ESPN's Jayson Stark has been working the phones, and the result is his latest Rumblings and Grumblings column. Stark talked to an official from a "pitching-starved" team. This person said the Giants would have to eat at least $80MM of Barry Zito's remaining $112.5MM if they want to trade him. One scout suggested Zito's only chance at revival is a reunion with Rick Peterson. The Cards' Anthony Reyes is "eminently available." Problem is, John Mozeliak has a high asking price for the 26 year-old hurler. Edwin Jackson remains a hot commodity, but there's no reason for the Rays to move...

Odds and Ends: Morris, Moeller, de la Rosa

Let's kick things off with an odds and ends post today. By the way did anyone watch Max Scherzer's debut last night? Damn. Dejan Kovacevic notes that even if Matt Morris considered retiring and abandoning his '08 salary, the Players Association would've strongly objected. Rays Senior VP of Baseball Ops Gerry Hunsicker indicates that the team will spend money to improve the team if they're still contending a few months from now. According to Jon Heyman, catcher Chad Moeller will remain with the Yankees. Another fine piece from Bob Nightengale of USA Today (hat tip to ShysterBall). The article discusses...

Rosenthal's Latest: Krivsky, Scherzer, Edwin Jackson

Ken Rosenthal has a new column up; let's take a look. Rosenthal gives a good refresher on July trade candidates; pretty much the names you'd expect. Reasons for Wayne Krivsky's firing are discussed. By the way check out John Fay's blog for some candid final comments from Krivsky. One interesting note is that he had no extension talks with Adam Dunn. The D'Backs could use Max Scherzer to strengthen their bullpen, or they could shop Chad Tracy for a reliever. Rosenthal wonders whether the Nationals might consider the under-30 segment of the next free agent class. Plenty of teams continue...

Dan Johnson Clears Waivers

FRIDAY: No one wanted Johnson; he cleared waivers and will head to Triple A Durham. WEDNESDAY: That was quick - Dan Johnson's time with the Rays is up. He's been designated for assignment in the wake of the Gabe Gross acquisition. Gross does make more sense for the roster spot. There are only a handful of teams that might be able to accomodate Johnson as a regular. We'll have to see which club was second in line for his services (if any). At the least, he'd be a strong bench player.

Stark's Latest: Oswalt, Tejada, Upton, Burrell

Check out the latest column from ESPN's Jayson Stark. Stark talked to one exec who believed the Astros' baseball people might consider a Roy Oswalt trade, but owner Drayton McLane never would. The exec also questioned whether the Astros would've given up a bounty of five players to acquire Miguel Tejada if they'd known the player's true age. Stark implies that the Upton brothers are eyeing big bucks and aren't likely to sign extensions. Stark's sources believe the Phillies will offer Pat Burrell something like two years and $14MM. He'll probably want significantly more than that.

Rays Could Take Catcher No. 1 Overall

In a recent blog post, ESPN's Peter Gammons told us not to be surprised if the Rays take Florida State catcher Buster Posey first overall in the June draft. Posey, a former shortstop, has the skills and frame to behind the plate in his career. Baseball America's Jim Callis recently analyzed the Rays' most likely options (print issue 0809). He doesn't see the Rays choosing Boras-represented corner infielder Pedro Alvarez. Pitchers Brian Matusz and Aaron Crow and shortstop Tim Beckham are the top talents after Alvarez. Callis, like Gammons, notes that the Rays could go for Posey if they choose...

No Offers For Bonds

Jon Heyman recently spoke to Barry Bonds' agent, Jeff Borris. Borris said no team has made any kind of offer to Bonds, even at the league minimum. Borris might not take $400K for Bonds, but he'd listen. Tony La Russa and Ron Washington pushed for Bonds for their respective teams, but management passed. Heyman notes the Rays' flirtation as well. That's it though. No front office wants anything to do with Bonds, despite the possibility of a 1.000 OPS at a bargain basement price. I still expect Bonds to play this year. A month or two from now some team...

Gabe Gross Traded To Tampa

In a quick, surprise move, the Brewers have traded outfielder Gabe Gross to the Rays for 23-year-old Class-A right hander Josh Butler. There is no word on Tampa Bay's roster move to make room for Gross, who can play all three outfield positions. Presumably, it will be Justin Ruggiano, but I suppose it could be Nathan Haynes. Gross has 48 plate appearances in the young season, but is hitting only .179/.303/.205. That's just extra base hit, a double. He does have eight walks to seven strikeouts, which is a plus. But certainly not enough to keep him around once Mike...

Odds and Ends: Klesko, Street, Davis

I've got a slew of links for you. Saberscouting has a mock June draft up. Ryan Klesko officially retired. Chipper Jones let the cat out of the bag in February. Voros McCracken sees the Evan Longoria contract as a low-risk proposition for the Rays. The A's are still discussing an extension with Huston Street, though nothing appears imminent. The Giants DFA'd Rajai Davis. Anyone need an outfield burner? Sam Mellinger explains how the Hideo Nomo signing was the type of move the Royals need to make. Our Brian Bannister Q&A continues to get mileage, this time snagging a mention in...

Frank Thomas Suitors

The Blue Jays are on the hook for the rest of Frank Thomas' salary this year, making him a fine bargain for a team looking for a DH. It seems that the signing team will not be liable for his 2009 vesting option. As an injury-prone DH with clubhouse concerns, Thomas has similarities to Barry Bonds. The Big Hurt will come more cheaply, offering less production but no steroid baggage. As far as suitors: Mariners GM Bill Bavasi will talk to his scouts about Thomas. Question for Mariners fans: does Thomas offer more at DH than Jeff Clement, who is...

Odds and Ends: Hatteberg, Colon, Longoria

And now for more Odds and Ends around the league: In his latest "Full Count" audio piece at Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal expects the Reds to do some roster shuffling that could come down to trades. Scott Hatteberg has become "expendable" with the recent emergence of Joey Votto and by the fact that the Reds have too many lefty hitters. Cork Gaines latest Baseball Blogs Weigh In delved into the Evan Longoria signing. To add to that, Ken Rosenthal, also in his Full Count piece, notes favorably that Longoria has set himself for life without having to establish himself and...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: The Longoria Deal

Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Rays announced a historic long-term deal with their rookie-of-the-year candidate, Evan Longoria. If all the options are picked up and bonuses earned, the Dirtbag from Long Beach State will earn $44.5MM over the next 9 years. Some have noted that the Rays are following the blueprint of the Indians from the 90s, by locking up their young talent long-term. However, this move is unprecedented for a player so early in his career, as last night marked only his 7th game as a major leaguer. Buster Olney notes that this deal is not surprising as teams are...

Cubs May Have Use For Murton After All

One of the players most-rumored to be traded in the past month is Matt Murton after he failed to make the Cubs opening day roster and was sent to AAA. Now it appears the Cubs may have a use for Murton after all, recalling him from the minors today. Jon Greenberg notes that Murton is still not an everyday player but could get an occasional spot-start in the outfield as well as regular pinch-hit at bats. Earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal noted that the Rays were still interested and earlier this month wrote of the Padres also pursuing the outfielder....

Odds and Ends: Tejada, Howard, Johnson

Couple more odds and ends this evening... Orioles executive VP Mike Flanagan admitted he wouldn't have signed Miguel Tejada to a six-year deal if he knew the shortstop's proper age. But he still would've signed him (if possible). People are debating whether ESPN ambushed Tejada with his birth certificate...of course they did. Ken Rosenthal believes the optimal course of action for the Phillies is to just let Ryan Howard play out the string and then let him walk as a free agent after the 2011 season. Rays Index says the Dan Johnson acquisition signals a "win-now" attitude for the Rays.

Stark's Latest: Stanton, Hamels

ESPN's Jayson Stark has a new Rumblings and Grumblings column up. The Rays may have a pitching surplus when Scott Kazmir and Matt Garza return in May. Teams will probably be eyeing Edwin Jackson, Jason Hammel, and Andy Sonnanstine - not that the Rays are anxious to give them up. Jackson seems least likely to go. If I had to pick a team deficiency perhaps it would be their middle infielders. The Phillies have "mild interest" in Mike Stanton, who would like to play for them. The Phils already inked Steve Kline to a minor league deal though. The Braves...

Rays Claim Dan Johnson

According to Susan Slusser, the Rays have claimed first baseman Dan Johnson off waivers. She expects him to put in time at DH while Cliff Floyd is out for the next month or so. Johnson moves from McAfee Coliseum (deflates LH HRs by 10%) to Tropicana Field (inflates LH HR by 4%). You can read Johnson's story here. He should be a decent stopgap for Tampa Bay.

Rays To Sign Longoria Long-Term

12:23pm: MLB.com has the particulars: $17.5MM guaranteed over six years, with the potential for $44MM over nine years. I like this unprecedented move by the Rays. 11:25am: Rosenthal says it will be something like $17MM over six seasons plus options for two free agent years. There will also be incentives along the way. 10:45am: Ken Rosenthal has the scoop. It's a long-term deal for Evan Longoria. I definitely didn't see this coming - he only has six games in the bigs! Interesting move. I'm curious to see if the Rays snagged options for any free agent years. 10:12am: Baseball Digest...

Bonds Continues To Wait

What's up with Barry Bonds? Not a whole lot. The New York Times' Jack Curry dug up what he could by talking to a few associates of Bonds. Curry found that Bonds is working out at home and staying in shape, but not hitting. Curry is on board with the speculation that an opportunity for Bonds might open up if a DH on a contender goes down. This morning, David Chalk made a case for the Rays to sign Bonds. He can't find a reason why they shouldn't.

Rosenthal's Latest: Crisp, Murton, Lowrie

Ken Rosenthal, your favorite hot stove reporter, has a new article up. Let's discuss. The Red Sox seem inclined to keep Coco Crisp unless they're blown away with an offer. Jayson Stark noted last week that the Sox don't want to eat any of the $11MM owed to him. The Rays still like Matt Murton, and are not content with Nathan Haynes as their only outfield acquisition. Rosenthal says the Cubs are asking for a lot for the 26 year-old, who is hitting .333/.487/.333 in 30 Triple A at-bats. Rosenthal notes that Jed Lowrie is pretty well blocked in Boston...

Snyder Accepts Minor League Assignment

MONDAY: Snyder has cleared waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple A, as suggested by Sarah Green back on April 5th. FRIDAY: According to Jeff Horrigan of the Boston Herald, the Tigers, Rays, and Phillies have interest in recently-designated pitcher Kyle Snyder. Snyder, now 30 years old, was the seventh overall pick by the Royals in the 1999 draft. He was tolerable as a middle reliever for the Red Sox last year, though his control was poor. He had two labrum surgeries in '03 and '04, and that injury reoccurred in '05. The Royals designated him the following year, and...

Odds and Ends: Darvish, Maddux

Let's kick off the day with some random links. Baseball America's Jim Callis profiles young phenom Yu Darvish, currently pitching in Japan. If he were MLB-bound, he'd be the third-best prospect in the game. DRays Bay would like to see Edwin Jackson traded rather than Jason Hammel, if there's a roster squeeze. Greg Maddux has told some teammates that this is his last season. That nugget is only a small part of Tim Keown's fantastic article about the legendary Professor.

Odds And Ends: Crisp, Spiezio, Lahey, Longoria

Here are a few notes from the MLBiverse... Terry Francona sounds like a manager that is frustrated and wishes the Red Sox would go ahead and trade Coco Crisp. After starting Crisp for the second straight game, Francona said "The more [Jacoby Ellsbury] plays, the better he's going to be, and I clearly feel that responsibility...I'm trying to balance [playing time] the best I can." It only took a couple of weeks, but Scott Spiezio managed to mess up his latest opportunity with the Atlanta Braves. After failing to show to his AAA Richmond game "ready to play", Spiezio was...

Baseball Blogs Weigh In

Bunch of random topics so let's just get to it and see what it being said in the Blogosphere... Big League Stew talks to Bless You Boys about the idea of Barry Bonds signing with the Tigers. BYB argues against signing Bonds noting that the Tigers already have a bunch of slow players (base cloggers?) and what they really need is some more speed in the lineup...Although we keep hearing about collusion and have not heard any numbers bandied about, Bonds has always made it very clear how much he values the almighty dollar. Does anybody else think that Bonds...

Odds and Ends: Hosmer, Fossum, Garza

Some random tidbits for today... USA Today has an in-depth look at high school first baseman Eric Hosmer, who will likely be advised by Scott Boras. He's a likely top-ten pick this June unless his asking price causes him to drop. Baseball America looks at another first-round first baseman, Yonder Alonso. Here's a reminder of which teams pick when. The Tigers inked oft-injured pitcher Casey Fossum, who is not likely to help them at the big league level this year. Rays Index wonders whether the Rays might seek compensation from the Twins for Matt Garza's injury.

Rays To Stay Flexible

Some Rays notes to report on from Marc Lancaster: A quote from Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg: "We have room to cut payroll, we have room to grow payroll. We'll be opportunistic. I know you guys have heard it, but we're never going to take our eye off of that. If somebody happens to want a high-priced talent of ours and we can get low-priced talent, great. And if they want a low-priced talent and we get high-priced talent that we think is very additive, that's fine, too." According to Lancaster, just because the Rays didn't pick up Rocco Baldelli's option...

Phils Designate Lahey For Assignment

Earlier today, the Phillies activated closer Brad Lidge from the 15-day DL and, to make room for him on the roster, designated young right-handed reliever Tim Lahey for assignment as foreseen. He'll now be looking for his fifth job in as many months. The wandering Lahey has already been part of the Cubs, the Rays, and the Twins. He's still relatively new to pitching, having been converted by the Twins from catching. He posted a 3.45 ERA in 78 and a third innings at AA New Britain last year, and gave up three runs in three innings at AAA Rochester....

Crawford Wants To Stay

Last week Rays outfielder Carl Crawford made some ambiguous comments. One person might say Crawford was hinting he'd leave the Rays after the 2010 season; another might see no such implication. Yesterday, Crawford clarified, saying he "couldn't imagine" playing with a team other than the Rays. He wants to stay, and knows the best is yet to come for the organization. There haven't been any extension talks, but he'd listen if the Rays came to him. I admit this isn't much of a story. Who knows how he and the Rays will feel three seasons from now. Crawford's a bargain...

Rays Notes: Crawford, Baldelli, Wheeler

Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times has the latest on the Rays' moves today. The first two were expected. Carl Crawford's $8.25MM option for '09 was exercised. The Rays still have a $10MM club option for '10 that is highly likely to be exercised. After that, it's anyone's guess. The Rays chose Rocco Baldelli's $4MM buyout over his $6MM option. It's a sad situation but it had to be done. Dan Wheeler was signed to an extension. His '08 contract was replaced; the new three-year deal runs through 2010 and is worth $10.5MM. He would've been a free agent...

Rangers DFA Tejeda, Cruz

As expected the Rangers DFA'd outfielder Nelson Cruz and pitcher Robinson Tejeda over the weekend. Tejeda is a casualty of the Rangers' Friday deal for Dustin Nippert, and has been undergoing a thus far unsuccessful transition to the bullpen. He went 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA during the spring, but did manage to run a streak of four scoreless appearances prior to giving up a game-ending RBI triple to Felix Pie last week. Cruz's release was expected. There was some light talk of him possibly being moved to Tampa last week, but that evaporated when the Rays acquired former Angels...

Odds And Ends: Quintero, Rios, Pierre

A few random notes from around the MLBiverse... Henry Schulman says the Giants are in need of a backup catcher and a logical choice may be Astros backup Humberto Quintero, whom Bruce Bochy is familiar with from his days with the Padres. He also notes that the Rays have two experienced catchers that were just reassigned to the minor leagues in Josh Paul and Mike DiFelice. The Jays and Alex Rios are closer today to an agreement on a long-term extension than they were yesterday. That according to Rios' agent, Paul Kinzer. Yesterday it was reported that the Jays had...

Rosenthal's Latest: DeWitt, Murton, Vargas, Hatteberg, Pena, Baek, Piazza

Ken Rosenthal has his latest column up at FoxSports.com. As usual he is not shy about stirring up rumors. Let's take a look at what the rumor-guru has to say: Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers will go with Blake DeWitt at third base who has never played a game above AA. This comes after the Dodgers failed to acquire either the Astros' Mark Loretta, who was unavailable and the Royals' Esteban German, who was too expensive. The Royals were asking for the Dodgers' third best prospect, shortstop Chin-Lung Hu. He indicates that the Padres and the Rays are pursuing Matt...

A Look At Nathan Haynes

As you know, the Rays snagged outfielder Nathan Haynes off waivers yesterday from the Angels. I liked this move; let's take a closer look at the 28 year-old outfielder. MLB.com's Lyle Spencer speaks of Haynes' "sprinter's speed" and defensive talents at all three outfield positions. Haynes' prospect status expired years ago, but he seems equally as valuable as many free agents signed for millions in the last few years. I think there's still a lot of talented late-20s players who just need a chance, guys like Haynes, Marcus Thames, and Jack Cust. Haynes' path has been slowed by many knee...

June Draft Order

Baseball America's Jim Callis has the June '08 draft order, with supplemental and compensation picks accounted for. The Rays have another #1 pick - who's it going to be? Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein expects the Rays to pick corner infielder Pedro Alvarez, shortstop Tim Beckham, or starter Aaron Crow. Here's a scouting perspective on Crow, by the way.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Matt Murton

Yesterday, Tim asked the question, "Who Wants Matt Murton?" As we await the answer to that question, only one thing is clear, the Cubs don't. Surprising for a player that is only 26 and PECOTA projects to have an .821 OPS, 19.8 VORP and 2.4 WARP in 2008 assuming he can find a team that will give him big league at bats. With only two years of service time, Murton is still a year from arbitration and four years from free agency, so he should be able to command a solid relief pitcher in return. Let's take a look at...

Odds And Ends: Gotay, Register, Haynes

A couple of minor pickups this afternoon: The Rays have claimed left-hand-hitting Nathan Haynes off waivers from the Angels. Rocco Baldelli will be moved to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man. Marc Lancaster speculates that Haynes, who is out of options, will take a roster spot that was presumed to be Eric Hinske's. The Mets have given up trying to trade for Rule V pick Steven Register, and are letting him go back to Colorado. He'll report to Triple A. Ruben Gotay, who had been DFA'd by the Mets, has been picked up by the Braves. Adam...