Odds And Ends: White Sox, Smoltz, Lowrie
A few links for Thursday morning…
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times speculates that Jermaine Dye, Octavio Dotel and even Bobby Jenks could be traded before July 31st.
- Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe reports that John Smoltz could debut for the Red Sox as soon as Tuesday.
- Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald reports that Smoltz's teammate, Jed Lowrie, could return from his wrist injury by the end of June.
- Smoltz's return will lead to more Brad Penny rumors, while Lowrie's return will ease concerns about the Red Sox shortstop situation.
- Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus revises his initial take on shortstop Jean Carlos Batista, describing him as "five-tool talent." The Dodgers, Rangers, A's, Indians and Yankees are among the suitors for the Dominican prospect.
Discussion: Do The Nats Have To Sign Strasburg?
Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports suggests the Nationals have "absolutely nothing to lose with this draft," and says they win whether they sign Stephen Strasburg or get the second pick in next year's draft for failing to do so. They've already agreed to sign Drew Storen, the 10th overall selection, and they're early favorites for next year's first overall pick, with an MLB-worst 15-42 record. They could have the first two picks in next year's draft if they don't sign Strasburg.
Pirates Draft Roundup
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asked GM Neal Huntington if Tony Sanchez had more upside and talent than the other players available when the Pirates picked fourth. Here are a couple of points Huntington made in his reply to Kovacevic:
- "We did not take the player we felt had the highest upside on the board with the Sanchez selection, but we did select the player who was at the top of our board at the time."
- Huntington says upside isn't everything, pointing out that it's risky to draft high school pitchers.
- "If Stephen Strasburg or Dustin Ackley had slipped, we would have likely altered our approach to the draft and committed greater resources to either of them."
Instead, the Pirates plan to commit to a group of talented players, according to Pat Mitsch of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Huntington and his staff drafted 21 players who are demanding bonuses of $100k or more, and he expects to sign many by recruiting well and being "very aggressive."
Draft Roundup: White, Tejada, Fuentes
Here are some updates on the draft as we enter its final day…
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians will develop their first round pick, Alex White, as a reliever.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that the team's selection of shortstop Jiovanni Mier doesn't mean Miguel Tejada's about to be moved. Mier had said a scout told him the Astros would get rid of Tejada.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo points out that more high school arms were selected than usual. Seven of the first 19 picks were prep pitchers.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports "indications" that the D'Backs will be able to sign their second and third highest picks, A.J. Pollock and Matt Davidson, soon.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Brewers could sign first round pick Eric Arnett soon with a bonus of about $1.2MM.
- As Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP reports, Carlos Beltran has high hopes for his cousin, Reymond Fuentes, who was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round.
Closer Report
Over at RotoAuthority, I have the latest on each of the 30 closer situations. Check it out so you can get all the saves in your fantasy league.
Draft Day 2 Roundup: Mets, Indians, Red Sox
Writers are rolling in the draft recaps. Let's see if we can't keep up with a few:
- The Mets took a majority of pitchers and outfielders, says MLB.com's Tim Britton.
- The Angels' second day was highlighted with University of Washington QB Jake Locker, says MLB's Lyle Spencer.
- The Dodgers snagged Jeremy Wise, Big 12 player of the year and one of three catchers in their draft, according to David Ely at MLB.com.
- 20 of the Indians' 30 draft choices were pitchers this year, notes Anthony Castrovince.
- The Red Sox took mostly pitchers, but struck an even balance between high school and college talent, note Joe McDonald and Daniel Barbarisi at the Providence Journal.
- According to Wayne Staats at MLB.com, Pirates GM Neal Huntington says 21 of the 30 players drafted have asked for six figures.
- B.J. Rains recaps the Cardinals' second draft day, which erred on the side of college talent after a few high-upside prep school picks on day one.
- The Marlins aimed to restock their pitching, says David Villaveciencio at MLB.com.
- ESPN's tireless Keith Law recaps Day 2 for a few teams, including the Pirates and A's (subscription req'd).
Discussion: Are White Sox Buyers or Sellers?
The Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales got a hold of White Sox GM Kenny Williams to discuss the team's recent woes, losing seven of nine and sitting five and half games out of first place. When asked if he'd break up the team if the losing streak continued, it appeared he'd be taking a "wait-and-see approach":
"Hard decisions always have to be made. But very clearly, we are in a transitional phase, and if this team shows me at some point they don't pick it up at some point (sic), yeah, I'm going to have do some things that maybe aren't going to be the most popular but in the best interests of the club."
He says such decisions are "a little ways away." But with Ozzie Guillen's prediction that Carlos Quentin won't be back until past the All-Star Break, the 27-32 Sox could make moves sooner rather than later.
The Sox still have a few stagnant performers who could be primed for breakout–Alexei Ramirez comes to mind–but if you were GM, would you act as a buyer or seller? As a buyer, what deals would make sense to help them contend? As a seller, who would be the first pieces to go?
Pirates Acquire Chris Snelling
According to beat reporter Jen Langosch at MLBlogs, the Pirates have acquired outfielder Chris Snelling from the Padres for future considerations. He'll be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Snelling, 27, had signed a minor-league deal with the Pads in March. He's put up a .760 OPS in 93 games on various teams dating back to 2002.
Odds & Ends: Rockies, Mariners, Astros
Some linkage as we enter the post-draft hangover, with more to come:
- Troy E. Renck at the Denver Post offers up his theories for the Rockies' reasoning behind choosing Tyler Matzek–a potentially tough sign.
- According to Ryan Divish at the Tacoma Tribune News, RHP Denny Stark, who was designated for assignment on Sunday by the Mariners, has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Tacoma.
- So says Zachary Levine at the Houston Chronicle, the Astros have outrighted RHP Geoff Geary to Triple-A Round Rock. He can report there or opt to become a free agent.
- La Velle E. Neal III at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has a handy rundown of all the Twins' picks. Troy E. Renck has a nice one for the Rockies, too.
- Chico Harlan at the Washington Post has a transcript of the press conference with Mike Rizzo and new pick Drew Storen.
- Keith Law at ESPN has a video recap of the high school talent in this year's draft.
Nats Agree To Terms With Drew Storen
4:09pm: Chico Harlan of the Washington Post says the deal includes a $1.6MM bonus. This is less than the recommended bonus for the slot. Typically players drafted 10th have received bonuses of $2MM or a bit more.
11:13am: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that the Nationals have agreed to terms with Drew Storen, who they selected 10th overall in yesterday's portion of the draft. Terms of the deal aren't known. Some believe Storen could make the big leagues quickly, as he was a reliever in college.
Pete McElroy of MASN reports that Storen's open to starting or relieving in the Nationals' system. He struck out 66 batters in just over 40 innings of college ball this year, but he would start if that's Washington's preference.
The Nationals ensured Storen has ample time to develop in the minor leagues by agreeing to terms with him quickly. Negotiations with Stephen Strasburg, their other first round pick, are expected to continue until the August 17th deadline.