Odds & Ends: Isringhausen, Sturtze, Molina
Some Sunday morning Odds & Ends:
- So, whatever happened to Tanyon Sturtze? Sturtze never caught on with the Dodgers and was granted his release on May Day last week. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe says he is now considering retirement to spend time with his kids.
- In the same piece, Cafardo reports Giants catching prospect Buster Posey has busted five homeruns and notched 22 RBI already in Single A San Jose, putting him on "a fast track to the big leagues." With Bengie Molina entering free agency, the Giants will not feel forced to re-sign him. According to Cafardo, the team would love to retain Molina to act as a mentor for Posey but for the fact that "Molina isn't ready for the mentoring role." Molina told reporters he'll seek a starting job. Finding one should be no trouble whatsoever.
- Also in that same piece, former player Troy O'Leary is developing a baseball reality TV show…
- According to Marc Lancaster, Jason Isringhausen is healthy. His rehab assignment is up May 19 but the Rays seem hesitant to call him up until then. With 10 days to determine what to do with him, it's expected Izzy will slot into the bullpen for Triple-A Durham until the Rays have to make a decision.
- Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com says Luis Vizcaino will join the Indians bullpen this week rather than go through a minor league stint in Triple-A Columbus. Vizcaino hasn't pitched in a game since April 21, right before the Cubs designated him for assignment and released him. Who gets sent down instead? Jensen Lewis or Tony Sipp both have options. Masa Kobayashi is a candidate to be released altogether, says Castrovince.
A’s Acquire Adam Kennedy
SATURDAY, 7:18pm: According to the Associated Press, via the Miami Herald, the A's have sent minor league infielder Joe Dillon to the Rays to complete the trade.
Dillon, 33, has been on the Triple-A Sacramento disabled list all season with a lower back injury. He hit .263/.374/.409 in 171 minor league at-bats last season and will simply provide organizational depth for the Rays.
FRIDAY, 6:48pm: Marc Lancaster of the Tampa Tribune gathered a nice quote from Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman, on why the club felt compelled to make the deal:
"It's an extended opportunity for Adam and we weren't going to stand in the way," said Friedman. "We feel like we're going to get a guy that's going to help us some depth-wise, and that was our understanding with Adam coming in — we're not a group that's going to stand in the way of someone, especially someone that hadn't played in the minor leagues in 10 years."
4:31pm: According to Jeff Fletcher of AOL Fanhouse the Rays traded Adam Kennedy to the A's for a player to be named later. Kennedy, 33, was playing at Triple-A Durham for the Rays and the A's have assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate, Sacramento. Kennedy gives the A's the infield depth they need after losing Mark Ellis, Eric Chavez and Nomar Garciaparra to the disabled list.
Yankees DFA Eric Hacker
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
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."
The Yankees’ Catching Predicament
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.
Nats GM Confirms Plans To Draft Strasburg
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."
Yankees Scouting Yu Darvish
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.
A’s Designate Ben Copeland For Assignment
According to MLB.com's Noah Coslov, the A's have designated outfielder Ben Copeland for assignment.
Manny Suspension Only Frees Up $2.7MM For L.A.
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.
The Nationals’ Bullpen
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.