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Archives for July 2010

Gammons On Ankiel, Crawford, Iannetta, Martin

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In his latest appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons opines that the trade deadline isn't as significant as it's made out to be. He cites only a handful of teams over the last decade who have made the World Series after making major deals prior to the deadline, arguing that the idea of pennant-altering trades is "essentially fiction." Here are a few other interesting tidbits from Gammons' conversation:

  • Gammons thinks Rick Ankiel could be a good fit for the Red Sox, if he shows that he's healthy.
  • The Angels' top priority this offseason will probably be trying to sign Carl Crawford. Gammons notes that the club put Crawford's locker next to Torii Hunter's at the All-Star Game.
  • The Rockies aren't eager to trade Chris Iannetta, hoping instead to platoon him with Brad Hawpe at first base as long as Todd Helton is out.
  • The Red Sox could try to make a run at Russell Martin, rather than Iannetta, since Martin's price tag may be getting too high for the Dodgers.
  • There's still a chance the Sox could be sellers this year if they fall out of contention, though it's more likely to happen in August than before July 31st.

Minor League Transactions: Vazquez, Rabelo, Calero

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The focus at this point in the season is on major league transactions – trades, to be precise. But that doesn't mean the minor league transactions stop. Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the latest on the minor league transactions that occurred between July 6th and July 13th:

  • One year after posting a 1.95 ERA in 67 major league games, Kiko Calero finds himself a free agent once again. He signed with the Mets and then with the Dodgers, but the Dodgers released him after he posted a 3.00 ERA in 15 minor league appearances. Calero struck out 11 and walked seven in 15 innings.
  • The Tigers released Mike Rabelo, a backup catcher who spent parts of 2006-08 with Detroit. The 30-year-old struggled through 36 plate appearances at Triple A before the Tigers let him go.
  • Ramon Vazquez hit much better in the Astros' system than he did in the Mariners', but the Astros released the former Pirate anyways. The 33-year-old had a .900 OPS in 64 plate appearances.

Jose Guillen Drawing Interest

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There are several teams with at least "a passing interest" in Jose Guillen, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal names the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Padres, and Giants as potential Guillen suitors.

The Giants, who have been connected to virtually every available outfielder, were said to have scouted Guillen last night. However, most of the other clubs Rosenthal lists have yet to be linked to Guillen. The Yanks, Sox, Mets, and Padres could all be in the market for another outfielder, and may not have to take on too much salary to acquire Guillen — last month, we heard from ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the Royals were willing to eat a good chunk of the money owed to the 34-year-old. Guillen has approximately $4.76MM remaining on his $12MM 2010 salary.

With David DeJesus on the disabled list for the rest of the season, Guillen (.279/.342/.463) has become the Royals' most appealing chip for teams in search of outfield help.

Rockies Focusing On Bullpen Help

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The Rockies' main focus heading into next Saturday's trade deadline will be on acquiring bullpen help, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. We heard a few days ago that the Rockies were eyeing starting pitching and corner infielders along with relievers, but Renck indicates that their bullpen is the top priority at the moment.

According to Renck, Blue Jays relievers like Kevin Gregg and Scott Downs interest the Rockies, with SI.com's Jon Heyman tweeting of Colorado's interest in Gregg as well. Renck also expects the Rox to check in on the availability of Pirates' setup men Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan, but wonders if the price for Pittsburgh's and Toronto's relievers could be too high.

Check out our list of potentially available relievers here.

Riggleman Likely To Manage Nationals In 2011

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GM Mike Rizzo fully expects Jim Riggleman to return to Washington in 2011 to manage the Nationals for another season, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The team would have had the option of buying out Riggleman for $100K after the season, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

"Yes, he will be back next season. He has done a terrific job," said Rizzo. "He is a terrific baseball manager. He has great respect from his peers in this game. When the games starts, he is as good as anybody in the game. He has the respect in the clubhouse. He is a diligent worker and he is a loyal employee."

Although the Nationals finished with baseball's worst record (59-103) last season, they showed signs of life in the second half when Riggleman took over for Manny Acta, ending the season on a seven-game winning streak. Riggleman has led the Nats to a 42-54 mark this year, after signing a contract with the team in the offseason. As Kilgore clarifies, while Riggleman's contract is for two years with a 2012 option, only one year was guaranteed.

Giants Eyeing Will Ohman?

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The Giants' search for another hitter has been well documented, but the team could be targeting more than just a bat. San Francisco is also looking into the possibility of acquiring Will Ohman, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Brian Sabean told listeners on his KNBR radio show Thursday that the team could use an experienced left-handed reliever, and Ohman fits the bill. Although the southpaw has had some control issues this year (5.1 BB/9), he has recorded a 2.57 ERA and struck out a batter per inning. He has also handled lefties well, holding them to a .531 OPS for the season.

If they don't acquire Ohman, the Giants could have a hard time finding another satisfactory left-handed arm for their bullpen. An already underwhelming relief market looks even more uninspiring when you consider the lack of lefties on the list. Besides Ohman and Scott Downs, whose price tag may be too high for the Giants, potentially available southpaws include Bruce Chen, Alan Embree, and Scott Schoeneweis.

Tigers Interested In Mike Lowell

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The Tigers "have some interest" in Mike Lowell, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports. Lowell is in the midst of a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket, and will play third base for the first time on Saturday. He hopes to be healthy enough to be activated next week.

With Brandon Inge set to miss four to six weeks with a broken hand, the Tigers are considering how to fill the void his injury leaves at third base. If they determine that Lowell is healthy and able to play the hot corner, he could be a low-cost replacement. While there is still about $4.76MM remaining on Lowell's 2010 contract, the Red Sox figure to pay nearly all of his salary if it means receiving even a mediocre prospect in return.

Lowell recently expressed pessimism about his trade stock to ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes, but a return to health for the 36-year-old could mean he draws a little more interest before July 31st.

Dodgers Designate Justin Miller For Assignment

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The Dodgers have designated Justin Miller for assignment to clear a spot on their roster for Kenley Jansen, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

Miller, who signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers over the winter, had been pitching out of the bullpen since taking Ramon Ortiz's place on the roster in May. Although Miller's numbers for Los Angeles were respectable, including a 4.44 ERA and 11.1 K/9, the club has to be excited to see what Jansen can do at the major league level. The 22-year-old has posted a 2.22 ERA and 15.4 K/9 in 45 minor league appearances since being converted from catcher last season.

Royals Designate Anthony Lerew For Assignment

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A day after the Royals acquired Sean O'Sullivan from the Angels in exchange for Alberto Callaspo, Kansas City has added O'Sullivan to their active roster. To make room for the right-hander, the team designated Anthony Lerew for assignment, according to a press release.

Lerew started six games for the Royals this year, compiling a 3.63 ERA in his first three starts before getting hit hard (18.00 ERA) in his next three. Lerew's 26.1 IP represent a career high for the former Brave, who was ranked as a top-100 prospect by Baseball America in both 2005 and 2006.

This is the second time this season that the Royals have designated the 27-year-old for assignment.

A’s, Suzuki Agree To Extension

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The A’s signed Kurt Suzuki to an extension that will keep the catcher in Oakland through 2013, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). The A’s, who have been discussing a possible extension with Suzuki since the spring, added a 2014 option to the deal.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the deal guarantees Suzuki $16.25MM over four years, supplanting his 2010 contract. The 2014 option will vest if Suzuki plays in 118 games in 2013, and would earn him $9.25MM. If the option doesn't vest, the club could still choose to exercise it for $8.5MM or buy it out for $650K. Suzuki would have been eligible for free agency after 2013, so the extension buys out his three arbitration seasons and possibly a free agency season.

When MLBTR's Tim Dierkes examined a possible Suzuki extension in April, he suggested that the backstop ought to seek at least $12MM for his remaining arbitration years, so the $16.25MM figure is a little higher than we were expecting for the 26-year-old.

Suzuki is hitting .257/.316/.408 this season, right in line with his career averages. He is throwing 26% of would-be base stealers out, also in line with his career marks.

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