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Archives for May 2009

Yankees DFA Eric Hacker

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Marc Carig of the Newark Star-Ledger reports that the Yankees have designated right-hander Eric Hacker for assignment.  The 25-year-old was 1-1 with a 4.11 ERA this season in three starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  The Yankees needed his 40-man roster spot for Brett Tomko, who was added to the bullpen mix this afternoon.

Hacker posted a 2.43 ERA and a 115/37 K/BB ratio in 144 1/3 innings last season between Single-A Tampa and Double-A Trenton.  He’s likely to latch on with another organization.

Vizcaino Could Land Major League Deal

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According to Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, the Indians' signing of Luis Vizcaino is not yet official because the club is "in the process of deciding if he's ready to help their beleaguered bullpen immediately."

Vizcaino will throw a pair of bullpen sessions at Progressive Field this weekend.  If all goes well, he could join the big league club on Monday.  The 34-year-old reliever tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings and tallied a 3/0 K/BB ratio before he was released by the Cubs, so there's no reason to doubt he's ready to contribute.  As Castrovince explains,

"The Indians had originally intended to sign him to a Minor League deal and send him to Triple-A Columbus for a short period, but they might make it a Major League deal to get him up here immediately."

The Yankees’ Catching Predicament

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MLBTR hosted a discussion on the Yankees' catching situation yesterday that drew a nice response.  With Jorge Posada and Jose Molina sidelined, the Bronx Bombers are stuck with a real lack of depth behind the plate.  As Ben Nicholson-Smith explained, the club could either decide to let Francisco Cervelli and Kevin Cash man the position until Posada returns, sign a veteran free agent, or make a trade. 

Peter Abraham of The Journal News asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman which course of action he'll take on Friday night, and it appears the Yanks have decided to wait out the storm.  "A trade would be difficult at this point," admitted the general manager.

Cervelli, a 23-year-old from Venezuela, went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored to help in a 4-0 victory over the Orioles on Friday.  He also did a fine job flashing signals for CC Sabathia, and should get the majority of starts behind the plate.  "This is a talented young man," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi.  "I know how difficult it is to catch the ace when you're a rookie.  He did a great job."

Cash, 31, has more experience than Cervelli, but boasts a .184 carrer batting average in the big leagues and has virtually no upside.  He was signed to a minor league contract this winter.

Nats GM Confirms Plans To Draft Strasburg

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3:03pm: According to AOL Fanhouse's Ed Price, Rizzo was actually in attendance for Strasburg's no-no.  The love fest has begun. 

11:56am: Stephen Strasburg threw a no hitter last night, as MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo reports. The San Diego State righty struck out 17 along the way, walking two. This just cements what we already knew: Strasburg is the country's amateur player. 

Chico Harlan of the Washington Post heard this from acting Nationals GM Mike Rizzo about Strasburg:

"If the draft was today, he'd be our guy. But the draft is a month from now, so a lot of things can happen. Guys can turn up their intensity and their performance, a lot of things can happen in a month. But if it was today, he'd be our guy."

MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Rizzo met with Strasburg's agent, Scott Boras, earlier in the week. The Nationals have the first overall pick in the draft and are expected to select Strasburg. Rizzo told Boras he planned to scout Strasburg's Friday night start, but they didn't discuss Strasburg in detail or talk about a contract for the pitcher. 

Yankees Scouting Yu Darvish

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According to Japan's Sports Hochi, via Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker, the Yankees had three scouts on hand to watch Yu Darvish pitch Friday night.  Darvish didn't dominate, but he held the opposition to one earned run on four hits and fanned four batters.

We've covered Darvish at length here at MLBTR.  He won't be a free agent until 2014, but he's only 22 and already has multiple major league teams tracking his progress.

A’s Designate Ben Copeland For Assignment

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According to MLB.com's Noah Coslov, the A's have designated outfielder Ben Copeland for assignment.

Copeland was selected by the A's this winter in the Rule 5 draft.  He spent the first few weeks of the 2009 season on the disabled list with a shoulder issue, and wasn't given a plate appearance once he was activated on May 5.  The 25-year-old hit .261/.334/.417 in 372 at-bats last year for Double-A Connecticut.

Manny Suspension Only Frees Up $2.7MM For L.A.

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According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports the Manny Ramirez suspension frees up just $2.7MM in payroll this year for the Dodgers- or about $5MM less than originally expected. Because Manny's contract is deferred over the course of many years, he'll lose the money gradually, instead of all at once. Though Manny was originally expected to lose close to $8MM in total, he'll only lose $6.8MM. The Dodgers save $2.7MM this year and $1.37MM in each of the next three seasons.

Rosenthal adds that the Dodgers are expected to spend on pitching if they decide to make any additions.

The Nationals’ Bullpen

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According to Chico Harlan of the Washington Post, "changes are coming" to the Nationals' bullpen if it doesn't improve. The Nats have since DFA'd Mike Hinckley and called up Ron Villone, but they could make more moves:

  • The Nats could exchange bad contracts with another team. Trading Austin Kearns ($8MM) for Miguel Batista ($9MM) has been discussed.
  • Harlan adds that the trade market for relievers isn't good because many teams have struggling bullpens. 
  • The Nats' will likely address the bullpen from within the organization. Jason Bergmann and Tyler Clippard are available in the minor leagues.  

Odds And Ends: Manny, Rangers, Pie

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Links for Saturday morning…

  • On ESPN Radio, Keith Law says no team would pass on Manny Ramirez if he's available for $5MM in the near future, regardless of his suspension. He won't be available at that rate this offseason, as he has a $20MM player option for 2010.
  • Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News passes on a quote from Dodgers GM Ned Colletti: "My concern is still with the pitching."
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune believes the Dodgers' pitching will carry them while Manny serves his suspension.
  • Jamey Newberg suggests on the Newberg Report  that the Braves would deal the haul they received for Mark Teixeira– Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek– for any one of four players they gave up to get Tex- Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz or Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
  • The Chicago Tribune suggests the Orioles may try to sneak Felix Pie to Triple-A through waivers.

Pirates Sign Adam Melhuse

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According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pirates signed catcher Adam Melhuse and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Melhuse is a 37-year-old switch hitter who caught part-time for eight seasons, most recently with the Rangers and Rockies last year. The move gives the Pirates depth behind Jason Jaramillo, who has surprised with an .847 OPS since starting for the injured Ryan Doumit.

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