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Archives for July 2009

Twins Release Luis Ayala

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The Twins released Luis Ayala after failing to trade him, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He was designated for assignment after struggling on the mound and failing to get along with manager Ron Gardenhire.

Ayala's name came up in trade talks with the Pirates, and there are indications that Eric Hinske was part of the discussions until he was dealt to the Yankees. Now that Ayala's a free agent he could sign on with one of the many teams seeking bullpen help, like the Rangers or Marlins.

Mets Sign Venezuelan Lefty Juan Urbina

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The Mets signed Juan Urbina, a Venezuelan lefty, to a bonus worth more than $1MM, according to Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus. Urbina is the son of longtime major leaguer Ugueth Urbina.

We'll have all the big international signings here at MLBTR. If you're unsure about what it all means, check out this explanation of the international signing period, which begins today.

Aroldis Chapman Defects

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Aroldis Chapman is a 21 year-old lefty who's touched 100 mph with his fastball.  Interested?  According to CubaenCuentro.com, Chapman defected from the Cuban national team while the club was stationed in the Netherlands (English version here).  Chapman is currently in an undisclosed location, and he told the paper he plans to sign with a Major League club.

Chapman pitched in the WBC against Japan in March, and R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs provided analysis.  A video clip of a different WBC appearance can be seen here.

Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus confirms the defection.

Rosenthal Discusses George Sherrill

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Orioles closer George Sherrill sports a 2.51 ERA with 17 saves, and had been lights out recently until today's outing against the Red Sox.  The 32 year-old southpaw is under team control through 2011.  Since the Orioles are 10.5 games out of the wild card, it's only natural to expect a few trade rumors involving Sherrill.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports discusses the possibility of a deal in an article tonight.  His source speaks of talks with Florida that have "tiny legs" that "could grow given time."  The Marlins' closer, Matt Lindstrom, is currently on the shelf with an elbow sprain.  Rosenthal says the Fish would not be willing to part with Chris Coghlan for Sherrill, though the O's like the rookie.  The Orioles have a clear organizational need on the left side of the infield.

A trade of Sherrill is no sure thing, according to Rosenthal.  He speaks of Sherrill's stabilizing presence on the team's young pitching staff.  I imagine it would be easier for the Orioles to part with Danys Baez, especially with over $2.8MM remaining on his contract.

Indians Prospect Faked Identity

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Ben Badler at Baseball America reports that Indians shortstop Jose Osoria falsified his age and identity. He is 20 years old, not 17, and his real name is Wally Bryan.

Bryan, whom Baseball America ranked as the Indians' No. 30 prospect this season, is "one of many players MLB has been investigating" for this type of misrepresentation. According to Badler, "industry insiders believe the number of players under suspicion is at least 70 and expect several other Dominican signings to be caught soon as well."

This issue came to light in February, when Carlos Alvarez (aka Esmailyn Gonzales) was found to have lied about his age and identity.

Bryan has not been suspended and will remain in the Indians organization.

Mariners Explore Deal For Kouzmanoff; Not Ready To Trade Yet

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Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Mariners are taking a "wait-and-see" approach to trades and "will probably wait about two weeks before moving definitively on the trade market."

Morosi adds that the Mariners and Padres have "engaged in preliminary discussions with the Padres about third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, according to one source with knowledge of the talks."

With Adrian Beltre on the DL, a deal for a third baseman would make sense for the Mariners. Earlier today, we discussed an alternative for the Mariners at third, as well as the chances that they will trade pitchers Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn.

Rockies Re-Instate Torrealba, DFA Paul Phillips

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Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies re-instated Yorvit Torrealba from the restricted list today and designated Paul Phillips for assignment. Torrealba was expecting to be traded, and the Rockies had hoped to find a suitor for him, but the $2MM left on his contract "complicated" any potential deal, according to Renck.

Torrealba was placed on the restricted list a month ago following the kidnapping of his son, who was returned safely. It was reported earlier today that this decision would be delayed until Friday. According to Renck, it is unclear why the move was made today instead.

Odds and Ends: Duran, Ichiro, Wright, Manny, Wilson

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The Pirates are dominating the rumors lately, but there have been a few other noteworthy items:

  • The Astros claimed infielder German Duran off unconditional waivers from the Rangers. Ken Rosenthal writes that Duran will be put on the DL and will end up in the minors. 
  • Though money is tight for many American franchises, SI reports that the earnings for the world's twenty richest non-American athletes are at an all-time high. Ichiro, with $22.5MM, is the only ballplayer on the list. 
  • David Wright shook off criticism from former Met John Franco, telling reporters that Franco "doesn't know what's going on" in the Mets clubhouse.
  • Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the Dodgers prepared for the return of Manny Ramirez with a series of roster moves.
  • And Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson apologized for remarks made yesterday that criticized the team's trading strategy.

Discussion: Mike Rizzo’s Team-Building Strategy

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Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has some interesting thoughts in the wake of yesterday's deal between the Nationals and Pirates. He argues that this trade was an indication of GM Mike Rizzo's team-building strategy, "which favors reliability over high-yield potential, a counter to predecessor Jim Bowden."

Harlan continues, "the trade, too, commences Washington's attempt to restock a malformed roster on which few outfielders can catch and few relievers can hold leads."

Meanwhile, Dave Cameron at Fangraphs argues that Nyjer Morgan might be more valuable than most give him credit for.

Morgan and Sean Burnett will both plug holes for the Nationals, but is this kind of deal a ticket to respectability for Washington? Is reliability a good return for the upside of Lastings Milledge? Pick a side!

Pirates Open To More Deals?

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Ed Price at Fanhouse.com reports that the Pirates might be open to dealing more of their players. He cites "an official of an AL team" as saying that the Bucs have been "considering deals for [John] Grabow and closer Matt Capps."

Price writes that the Pirates are not simply attempting to dump salary; they will want power pitching prospects in return. He cites a "person familiar with the Pirates' thinking" who says that other teams would have to give up more for Capps, whose contract runs through 2011.

Grabow is a left-handed reliever who had his best season last year. He is currently sporting a 3.75 ERA with 32 K's in 36 innings. Capps, the Pirates' closer, is only 25 years old and has a 3.25 career ERA, though he has pitched to a less-impressive 4.72 ERA this year with 18 saves.

For those interested in the Pirates' overall strategy, this transcript of a chat with president Frank Coonelly is worth a read. There seems to be some unrest brewing among Pirates fans who, in the words of Coonelly, are asking, "When is now?"

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