Melvin: Talk Of Deal “Absolutely False”
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy spoke to Brewers' GM Doug Melvin about some "trade rumors that have swirled on the Internet over the past 36 hours about an imminent trade for a front-line pitcher." Melvin called the rumors "absolutely false," although he did acknowledge speaking to several other GM's recently. He wouldn't acknowledge who exactly he spoke to, or what kind of players were discussed.
The only recent trade talk we've heard involving the Brew Crew lately is that Jake Peavy is too expensive and that Tom Glavine isn't good enough to help. Peavy is out for at least a month with an ankle injury, so he figures to be out of the mix for now.
Let's round up the rest of McCalvy's rumors:
- Neither Trevor Hoffman or Ryan Braun has spoken to Peavy lately, perhaps about pitching in Milwaukee. Hoffman, of course, was Peavy's teammate in San Diego, while Braun played with him in the World Baseball Classic.
- Melvin said he hasn't spoken to Indians' GM Mark Shapiro "in a while," potentially eliminating Cliff Lee as the rumored front-line pitcher.
- Boston GM Theo Epstein called Melvin recently not to talk trade, but to apologize for a rumor about the Red Sox attempting to acquire Corey Hart.
- Melvin said "There's not one team that's saying, 'I'm ready to trade my players,'" specifically mentioning the Mariners.
Yankees Sell Linden To Japanese Team
Chad Jennings of The Scranton Times Tribune reports that the Yankees have sold outfielder Todd Linden to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League. Linden had been playing in Triple-A, where he hit .312-.381-.515 in 268 plate appearances. The Yanks agreed to the move after Linden had come to terms with his new Japanese club.
Linden is second player the Yankees have agreed to sell to the Golden Eagles within the last eight months. They received $1MM for the rights to RHP Darrell Rasner back in November,
Peavy Out A Month, Trade Will Have To Wait
MLB.com's Corey Brock tweets that Padres righthander Jake Peavy has his injured ankle in a cast, and will miss at least a month. The injury originally popped up when Peavy developed tendonitis in his ankle running the bases in late May.
After nixing a deal to the White Sox last month, Peavy was still expected to be a popular name on the trade rumor circuit between now and the trade deadline. The injury will most likely put any trade talks on hold, because teams are going to want to see him healthy before trading several young players from him, not to mention assume the more than $50MM Peavy's guaranteed over the next four years.
Pirates Sign Tyler Herron
According to a press release from the Altoona Curve, the Pirates have signed RHP Tyler Herron to a minor league deal. The Cardinals released Herron just nine days ago. Still just 22 years old, Herron had a 4.37 ERA in 45.2 IP at Double-A before his release. The 46th overall pick in the 2005 Draft, Herron's been assigned to Double-A Altoona.
The Pete Incaviglia Rule
Here's a quick one for the MLBTR Glossary…
A player cannot be traded until one year after he signs with a major league team. The rule was instituted after the Expos traded Pete Incaviglia to the Rangers just months after drafting him. This MLB.com article says he was dealt because the Expos had trouble signing him. Incaviglia, who would go on to become an all-or-nothing hitter with the Rangers, was chosen eighth overall by the Expos in 1985.
Discussion: The Boston Rotation
Earlier today we took stock of the Red Sox rotation, which will soon be overflowing with quality arms. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Brad Penny are about to be joined by John Smoltz. Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Justin Masterson offer the Red Sox even more depth. But you can't adopt a nine-man rotation, so the Red Sox have to make some tough decisions. Here's what some are saying:
- Through his interpreter, Dice-K told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's not feeling 100%. Morosi says it's conceivable that Boston could put him on the DL when Smoltz returns.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Mets, Phillies and Cardinals have interest in Penny. The Red Sox could simply deal him, as most have assumed they would.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wonders whether the Red Sox would trade Smoltz instead. He wouldn't command as much as Penny, but it would allow the Red Sox to keep their rotation together.
- A six-man rotation sounds intriguing, but, as Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald notes, the team has two days off in the near future, making such an arangement less likely.
Lots of choices here for Boston. They can place Dice-K on the DL, trade Penny or Smoltz or just wait it out. What should they do?
Pirates, Twins Are Sano’s Top Suitors
ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. hears that the Pirates may not offer Miguel Angel Sano as much as $3MM, let alone $4MM. The Pirates are still tracking Sano closely, and, along with the Twins, they're the frontrunners to sign the 16-year-old shortstop once July 2nd comes around. The Orioles recently worked Sano out, but they are not expected to beome serious bidders.
- Padres director of international scouting Randy Smith says he hopes to acquire one "big-name" international player.
- Daniel Sanchez is a player to watch; Arangure says some consider him the year's best Latin American pitcher.
Pirates To Sign Tony Sanchez
According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates agreed to terms with their first round pick, Tony Sanchez, on a signing bonus of about $2.5MM. The fourth overall selection caught during his career at Boston College. The Pirates agreed to choose Sanchez before Tuesday's draft began.
He will report to extended Spring Training before beginning to play at Class A West Virginia.
The Rule 5 Draft
The Rule 5 Draft takes place every year at baseball's winter meetings in December. Some years it's uneventful, but it's been a major source of talent for the teams that selected Dan Uggla, Johan Santana and Roberto Clemente. Here's how it works:
- Players who signed when 18 or younger are eligible for the draft after five years.
- Players who signed when 19 or older are eligible after four years.
- If these players aren't on their teams' 40 man rosters, they're exposed.
- As in the June draft, teams draft in reverse order of the previous season's standings.
- Teams that draft players must pay $50k to the player's original team.
- Those selected must remain on the 25-man roster or the major league DL for the entire season.
- Otherwise, the claiming team has to offer the player back to his original team for $25k.
- First, however, he must clear outright waivers.
- This gives the other 28 teams the opportunity to claim him. If any team claims the player, he must remain on their roster for the entire season or go through waivers again.
- The draft was more relevant before it was modified under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, when players were eligible a year earlier.
Thanks to ESPN.com's Keith Law, Cot's Baseball Contracts and ESPN.com's Rob Neyer.
Heyman On Penny, Ackley, Milledge
SI.com's Jon Heyman places Marco Scutaro and David Ortiz atop his lists of over and underperforming players. In the same article, he provides some trade rumors:
- The Phillies, Mets and Cardinals are among the teams "in" on the Brad Penny discussions.
- Philadelphia would still like to acquire a premium pitcher; they're "aiming higher" than Penny.
- Dustin Ackley is apparently seeking "Mark Teixeira money." No, he's not looking for $180MM, but he'd like a deal worth $9.5MM, like the one Teixiera received out of college.
- And there's word of trade talks involving Lastings Milledge.