Rockies Sign Jose Tovar
The Rockies have signed Venezuelan left-hander Jose Tovar, an international source told Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old will receive a $350K bonus in the deal.
Tovar, who is 6'2" and 180-pounds, pitched in the Dominican Prospect League despite being a native Venezuelan. In 8.2 innings for Los Patriotas, Tovar had no earned runs, 13 Ks, and six walks.
Earlier this week, Badler projected that Tovar would be the fifth highest-paid pitcher in this year's class of international free agents.
Cliff Lee Rumors: Sunday
9:17pm: The Cardinals had a scout at today's Tigers-Mariners game as well, tweets Morosi.
2:45pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says that both the Dodgers and Yankees had scouts in attendance for Lee's brilliant start against the Tigers today (8 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K). For the Yankees, this is the second consecutive start of Lee's which they've scouted.
According to Morosi, some clubs feel the Yankees are scouting Lee for a potential acquisition prior to the July 31 deadline, while others feel they're scouting with an eye toward this year's free agent market.
2:39pm: Jamey Newberg takes a lengthy, but interesting look at some reports guessing what it might take for the Rangers to acquire Lee from Seattle. Ultimately, due to the elite prospects required and the difficulty of working out the payroll (Newberg suggests adding Rich Harden and including an extra prospect to offset the salary), he feels he'd say no to Zduriencik were he in Ranger GM Jon Daniels' shoes.
Newberg also makes the point that while Lee projects as a Type A free agent, it shouldn't be assumed that he'll net his new team two first-round draft picks. Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford both project as fellow Type A free agents. With all three on the Yankees' radar, it's possible that Werth and/or Crawford end up outranking Lee, though Lee currently leads the three. If that happens, and the Yankees sign Lee and one of the two outfielders, Lee's new team would receive a supplemental round pick and a second-round pick instead of a first.
12:28pm: Citing rival executives, ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider link) says that Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik is searching for a "difference-making hitter" in any Cliff Lee negotiations. Expanding upon a tweet he made yesterday, Olney takes a look at the type of young hitter the Mariners may ask for in return for Cliff Lee.
One scenario that Olney suggests involves bringing the Brewers into a potential three-way trade. During Zduriencik's time in Milwaukee, he drafted Brett Lawrie, who Baseball America ranked as the 59th-best prospect in baseball coming into this season. The 20-year-old has only improved his stock this year, hitting .297/.362/.476 with 22 steals for Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate. While trading for Lee makes little sense for the Brewers, they could hypothetically add talent and depth to their farm system by sending Lawrie to Seattle and receiving prospects from the team acquiring Lee. This is speculation on Olney's part, but it's something Zduriencik could very well consider in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Frank Fitzpatrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Cliff Lee checks in on his former teammates in Philadelphia every now and then. Within the piece, Lee says he'd be happy to stay in Seattle for the rest of the year, and touches on how the season may have played out if he'd remained a Phillie.
Braves Sign Willy Taveras
The Braves have signed outfielder Willy Taveras to a minor league deal, according to the International League transactions page. Taveras has been assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Taveras was released by the Phillies on Tuesday, roughly a month after being brought aboard. That marked the third time the speedy outfielder has been released this year as the Nationals and A's have also cut him loose. Oakland is on the hook for most of his $4MM salary.
The 28-year-old has a track record of being a solid defender and base stealer, though he has struggled offensively in recent years. His most recent stint in Triple-A Lehigh Valley yielded a .208/.255/.271 slash line in 104 plate appearances.
Week In Review: 6/27/10 – 7/3/10
It's time for a special Fourth of July edition of the Week In Review..
- The Diamondbacks cleaned house, firing GM Josh Byrnes and manager A.J. Hinch. Jerry DiPoto is the new interim GM and Kirk Gibson has been appointed the interim skipper. DiPoto wasted little time getting started in his new role, calling the Red Sox about Chris Snyder.
- Bengie Molina was sent from the Giants to the Rangers in a deal that was made official on Thursday. In order to move the catcher, San Francisco had to kick in cash considerations. The Giants received Michael Main and Chris Ray in the trade.
- Several teams are in the mix for Cliff Lee, including the Phillies. However, the club considers themselves to be long-shots in the Lee sweepstakes. They won't be the only NL East team looking at Lee. Meanwhile, the M's are looking ahead to 2011-2012.
- More Phillies news as the club has Dan Haren "on their radar". The Diamondbacks have reportedly been scouting the club's farm system to identify prospects for a deal. The Nats have also expressed interest in the hurler and the Cards are said to covet him.
- After lots and lots of talk on Sunday, Bobby Valentine ultimately did not agree to manage the Marlins. Florida has yet to find their new skipper.
- Josh Willingham would like to work out a new deal with the Nationals, but he continues to be mentioned in trade rumors as we approach the deadline. The Braves are said to be interested in him, as well as Corey Hart and Jose Bautista.
- Willy Taveras was released by the Phillies after being signed by them earlier in the month.
- The international signing period got underway this week and on Saturday MLBTR learned that the Braves agreed to terms with Mauricio Cabrera, a Dominican right-hander. Other signings include the Tigers inking Venezuelan outfielder Danry Vasquez and the A's picking up third baseman Renato Nunez. We're going to see a ton of international signings in the coming weeks.
- No surprise here: Yanks president Randy Levine expects impending free agents Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera to be back with the club.
- Both the White Sox and Angels are being linked to Adam Dunn.
- The Astros made a minor deal, shipping Kevin Cash to the Red Sox. This is the catcher's second stint with Boston.
- The Yankees are looking for bench help, and they may be zeroing in on Ty Wigginton.
- Jermaine Dye is still a free agent, but perhaps not for long. Three teams are looking at the veteran outfielder: Texas, Colorado, and San Diego.
- Pitcher Sean Gallagher was designated for assignment by the Padres.
- Hank Blalock is reportedly a player of interest in the Angels' front office. The 29-year-old was DFA'd by Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
- The Halos signed two of their three first-round picks, Cameron Bedrosian and Chevez Clarke.
- The Nats signed Orlando Hernandez to a minor league pact on Friday. El Duque will report to the club's training complex in Florida and may pitch for Triple-A Syracuse at some point this year.
- Oakland got Boof Bonser on a minor league deal shortly after the hurler was DFA'd by Boston.
- Brian Bruney will look to pitch in New York again, this time for the Mets. The club signed the well-traveled reliever to a minor league deal.
- Tim learned that the next Super Two cutoff will require fewer days of service time than usual.
- Mike MacDougal opted out of his deal with the Nats.
- The Astros signed infielder Ramon Vazquez to a minor league deal on Friday.
- The Mets signed catcher Michael Barrett to a minor league contract.
- Toronto's Jeremy Reed elected free agency after being outrighted by the club.
- Chad Tracy was DFA'd by the Cubs but elected free agency instead of reporting to the minors.
- Even with a payroll of $97MM, the Twins are willing to spend more.
- The Phillies DFA'd Brian Bocock in order to free up a spot for Cody Ransom.
- Florida designated Brian Barden for assignment as he failed to do much offensively in 2010.
- Ben gave us a look at the upcoming free agents and how they're performing thus far.
- Our own Howard Megdal penned a great read on Bobby Bo.
Royals Trade Edwin Bellorin To Astros
The Royals have traded minor league catcher Edwin Bellorin to the Astros for cash considerations, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The club promoted backstop Manuel Pina from Double-A to the club's Triple-A affiliate in his place.
After spending the first six years of his professional career in the Dodgers' farm system, Bellorin was with the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate from 2007 through 2009. During that span he made eight big league appearances with the club. With Triple-A Omaha in 2010, the 28-year-old hit just .162/.231/.185.
Hunter: Angels Could Use Fielder Or Dunn
Torii Hunter has never been one to be shy in the media. According to a tweet from FOX Sports' Jim Bowden, Hunter recently opined that his Angels could use an addition like sluggers Prince Fielder or Adam Dunn. When asked if he's talked to GM Tony Reagins or manager Mike Scioscia, Hunter wouldn't say, though Bowden believes he has.
The Angels are without first baseman and heart-of-the-order bat Kendry Morales following a bizarre injury suffered when celebrating a walk-off grand slam. Since then, catcher Mike Napoli has seen the lion's share of playing time at first base. As a first baseman, Napoli is hitting .253/.329/.453. Some may say he's held his own, but he's not living up to Morales' .290/.346/.487 line from 2010, and especially not his .306/.355/.569 breakout from 2009.
Fielder, 26, is eligible for free agency following the 2011 season. As we learned in late June, he's not currently discussing an extension with the Brewers, and you have to imagine that as a Scott Boras client, he's going to test the market. Off to a slower start than 2009, Fielder's still hitting .266/.390/.488 with 18 HR. Due to his age and contract status, he's likely tougher to acquire than Dunn. There's also the issue of what to do with Fielder following 2010 when Morales is healthy.
Dunn, 30, is a free agent following 2010 and off to a better start. He's hitting .276/.363/.549 with 17 homers. Finishing up a two-year, $20MM contract, Dunn has just $6MM of the $12MM he's earning remaining on his contract as of today. We learned yesterday that he'd hoped to have an extension worked out by the All-Star Break, but that seems unlikely.
The Angels sit a manageable 4.5 games behind Texas in the AL West, and we've seen them acquire rentals before, as they did with Mark Teixeira in 2008. A deal for either Fielder or Dunn would likely require far more than they dealt in that trade (Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek), but we've heard there's no limitation on their spending this July.
Recently Acquired All-Stars
Every year we see teams gamble. Whether it's signing a big-name free agent for multiple years, exchanging prospects for elite players, or rolling the dice on someone who might have another good year or two left in the tank, every team takes risks. Let's look at some of the most successful risks (from a strictly 2010 standpoint) we've seen in the past year by seeing which freshly-signed or traded players will be headed to Los Angeles as members of the 2010 All-Star rosters.
American League:
Vladimir Guerrero — Signed a one-year, $6.5MM deal with a mutual option for 2011. Guerrero is hitting a ridiculous .331/.376/.570 with 18 HR and 70 RBI. Both of those numbers eclipse his totals from an injury-shortened 2009.
Adrian Beltre — Signed a one-year deal worth $9MM with a $5MM player option. Clearly hoping to build up his value, Beltre's followed through to the tune of a .341/.377/.545 line with 12 long balls and 53 driven in. I'm going out on a limb and guessing that player option's not getting exercised.
Victor Martinez — Acquired at last year's trading deadline, V-Mart has recovered from a slow start to produce a strong overall line of .289/.344/.480, though he's currently on the disabled list. He'll be one of the more sought-after free agents on this year's market.
Cliff Lee — Acquired by Seattle in a multi-team deal. Including today's start, Lee's compiled a 2.34 ERA through 103.2 innings. He's struck out 89 hitters and, remarkably, has the same number of complete games (five) as walks issued. He may not be long for the Emerald City, but he's been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season.
Jose Valverde — Signed a two-year, $14MM deal with Detroit. Arguably the American League's best closer so far, Papa Grande has just two earned runs through 35 innings while recording 33 K's. He's got 18 saves in 19 chances, and opponents are somehow hitting just .099 against him.
John Buck — Signed with Toronto after being non-tendered by Kansas City. Doubtful that many pegged Buck as an All-Star, but he's got a line of .271/.306/.509 and his 13 HRs are second among Major League catchers.
National League:
Scott Rolen — Acquired at last year's deadline, Rolen signed a two-year extension worth $13MM. Rolen's reminded us that his bat was once as highly regarded as his glove with a .302/.368/.577 line to go along with 17 HR. His .577 slugging percentage leads the NL.
Matt Holliday — Signed a seven-year, $120MM deal with the Cardinals. He may not be decimating the National League like he did in his return in 2009, but Holliday's got a solid line of .301/.375/.498 and went on a tear in the month of June (.971 OPS)
Marlon Byrd — Signed a three-year, $15MM deal with the Cubs. Byrd's impressed in his first year in the Windy City. His .310/.357/.485 line makes for an .842 OPS, fifth-best among Major League center fielders. His 26 doubles lead the National League.
Matt Capps — Signed with Washington after being non-tendered by Pittsburgh. Capps has a breath of fresh air for Jim Riggleman's bullpen, registering 22 saves and 32 K's in 36.2 innings. He's struggled a bit following a dominant start to the season, but his ERA remains at 3.19.
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Elias Rankings Update
After the season the Elias Sports Bureau will take all players over the 2009-10 period, divide them into five groups for each league, and rank them based on various statistics. Then each player will be labeled a Type A, B, or none. Those designations and the possible accompanying arbitration offers determine draft pick compensation (click here for a refresher).
Eddie Bajek has reverse-engineered the Elias rankings, and he's providing that information exclusively at MLB Trade Rumors. Here's a look at how the players rank for the period beginning with the 2009 season running through July 3rd, 2010. The Google spreadsheet below has separate tabs for each position group. The players have about three more months to change these rankings. You can also go directly to the Google spreadsheet here, download the rankings in Excel here, and view a PDF here.
Bloomquist Drawing Interest
Royals' super-utility man Willie Bloomquist is drawing attention from multiple clubs, according to the Kansas City Star's Bob Dutton.
After a terrible start to the season, which Bloomquist attributed to offseason knee surgery, his bat has begun to heat up, with 14 hits in his last 37 at-bats. Add that to his speed, defensive versatility (he's appeared everywhere except pitcher and catcher in 2010 already), and affordable contract, and Bloomquist would be a welcome addition for many clubs.
Dutton names the Red Sox and Phillies as teams that could use a boost in the infield, which makes sense in light of injuries to Dustin Pedroia and Chase Utley. Additionally, Dutton names the Yankees as a possibility, with GM Brian Cashman recently saying he'd like to improve his bench. Remember also that the Rockies are on the lookout for versatile pieces, with Troy Tulowitzki recently landing on the disabled list as well.
Bloomquist is finishing out a two-year, $3.1MM deal signed with Kansas City back in January of 2009. He's owed roughly $850K for the rest of the season. His batting line sits at a mere .247/.291/.397, though as previously mentioned, it's trending upward. And while he hasn't been a standout defensive player at any of his many positions throughout his career (according to UZR/150, that is), the combination of these assets make him a valuable piece that likely wouldn't be too difficult to pry away from the Royals.
Bloomquist notes that he'd like to stay in Kansas City for another five or six years if possible, and manager Ned Yost shares that sentiment, but it shouldn't be a surprise to see him in a new uniform come August 1.