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Archives for August 2010

Red Sox Agree To Deal With Carlos Delgado

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The Red Sox and Carlos Delgado have reached an agreement on a minor league contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). If Delgado is not on the big league roster by September 1st, he can opt out of the deal and become a free agent.

Rosenthal adds that the contract will pay Delgado $20K per month in Triple-A and a pro-rated portion of $3MM, if and when he reaches the majors. The Red Sox also included playoff performance incentives in the contract, and agreed not to offer arbitration to the 38-year-old after the season.

Following the season-ending thumb injury sustained by Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox had been eyeing a few first base options,. Boston was among a handful of clubs interested in Delgado, who last appeared in the majors for the Mets in May 2009.

No Trade Imminent For Mets

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The Mets scratched Fernando Martinez and Ruben Tejada from their Triple-A lineup last night, leading to speculation that a trade could be in the works. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reported that the team was "in dialogue" with the Mariners, but for now, no trade is imminent.

As FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal tweets, Martinez or Tejada have not been placed on waivers, so neither player could be traded at this point. Rubin indicated that Martinez may have been one player on the move in a hypothetical deal with Seattle, but Rosenthal suggests that the late scratches just involve "internal stuff." Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes confirms (via Twitter) that both players will join the big league club in Philadelphia.

Baseball America ranked Martinez and Tejada third and ninth respectively among Mets' prospects heading into this season. The 20-year-old Tejada earned some time in the majors earlier in the year, hitting .212/.297/.250 in 122 plate appearances, while Martinez has spent the season in high-A and triple-A, posting an overall slash line of .256/.321/.458.

Odds & Ends: Yelich, Harper, Tigers, Minaya, Guillen

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Links on a Friday night…

  • MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports that negotiations between the Marlins and first round pick Christian Yelich are progressing slowly, but all signs point to a deal being reached before the August 16th deadline.
  • Meanwhile, Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post says there is nothing new to report about talks between the Nationals and first overall pick Bryce Harper. 
  • Like the Marlins and Yelich, talks between the Tigers and their top picks will go down to the wire according to MLB.com's Jason Beck. Four of Detroit's top five selections remain unsigned, including their two first rounders Nick Castellanos and Chance Ruffin.
  • When asked about his job security, Omar Minaya responded "The fact of the matter is that I have a contract beyond this year, two years beyond this," according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Owner Jeff Wilpon recently implied that Minaya's job is safe through 2011.
  • Jack Curry of the YES Network says (via Twitter) we shouldn't expect the Yankees to have any interest in Jose Guillen. We heard this morning that they were going to keep an eye on the recently DFA'd outfielder.
  • Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News spoke to an American League GM who said he can't see Derek Jeter signing anywhere but back with the Yankees after the season. I suspect that's the general belief pretty much everywhere.
  • The Tigers have expanded the roles of three front office members, reports Steve Kornacki of MLive.com.

Astros Release Brad Thompson

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The Astros have released Brad Thompson according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America and this week's edition of minor league transactions.

Houston signed Thompson back in June after he chose to become a free agent when the Royals designated him for assignment. The 28-year-old righthander appeared in 15 games for the Astros' Triple-A affiliate, posting an 8.87 ERA with a 1.93 WHIP in 23.1 innings. He struck out 12 and walked four.

Red Sox Looking At Left-Handed First Base Options

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7:51pm: Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald says that if the Red Sox are interested, they figure to sign Delgado fairly soon. Delgado's agent David Sloane told Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe that his client could sign "as soon as tonight," but that he'd need a week or two in the minors to get himself ready (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, WEEI.com's Alex Speier heard from a source that the Sox were simply "doing their homework" by working Delgado out today.

FRIDAY, 3:02pm: Delgado worked out for the Red Sox today, agent David Sloane told Mark Hale of the New York Post. Sloane says Delgado has worked out for multiple clubs.

THURSDAY, 7:06PM: Daric Barton could be another possible pick-up for the Sox, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets that the Oakland first baseman was put on waivers today.  Barton's .377 OBP fits right in with Boston's patient plate mentality, though he only has a .741 OPS against right-handers.

6:17PM: Two sources tell WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that Delgado "seems a reach" for Boston and that "he is worth a dice roll, but not for the Sox" given both Delgado and Lowell's lengthy injury histories.

5:56PM: With the news of Kevin Youkilis' season-ending thumb surgery breaking today, the Red Sox are suddenly in the market for a left-handed first baseman to platoon with Mike Lowell.  Boston GM Theo Epstein said that while the team is looking, a move won't come too quickly since the team first wants a chance to gauge Lowell's effectiveness, reports the Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin (via Twitter).

Carlos Delgado, who has been linked to Boston already, will be working out for the Red Sox "in the next couple of days," according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald.  Delgado might be the most realistic option on the market given that the free agent slugger is available for a reasonable price and can be acquired without the hassle of the waiver wire.  Tomase's Herald cohort Scott Lauber tweets along word from Delgado's agent that the veteran first baseman "would be thrilled" by any interest from the club.

Nate Taylor of the Boston Globe posits Casey Kotchman's name as another potential fit.  Kotchman, who was dealt from Boston to Seattle for Bill Hall last January, has a .656 OPS in 296 plate appearances for the Mariners this season and just a .232/.300/.405 line against right-handers.  Given Kotchman's struggles, his M's teammate Russell Branyan (and Branyan's .868 OPS against right-handers this season) might be the more attractive option for the Red Sox, though the club might have a difficult time picking Branyan up without another AL team putting in a claim first.

As for internal replacements for Youkilis, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports that Epstein didn't seem enthused about calling up Lars Anderson.  "Right now, the things Lars is working on and the adjustments he's making, that type of work is best done at Triple-A," Epstein told MacPherson.  Anderson, ranked as the 87th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's preseason rankings, has not stood out at the Triple-A level this year, managing just a .740 OPS in 338 PA for Pawtucket.

Twins Sign First Rounder Alex Wimmers

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The Twins have signed first round pick Alex Wimmers according to Kelsie Smith of The Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune tweets that he will receive a $1.33MM signing bonus, matching MLB's recommended bonus.

Minnesota selected Wimmers with the 21st overall pick back in June. The Ohio State righthander boasts the best changeup in the draft according to Baseball America, who also says that he throws his fastball at 90-92 and touches 94 mph. Smith says Wimmers will report to the Twins' Class-A Advanced affiliate in Fort Myers next week (Twitter link).

There are still 17 unsigned first round picks with ten days to go before the signing deadline.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Park, Garza, Wieters

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On this date four years ago, the Mets locked up franchise cornerstone David Wright to a six-year deal worth $55MM guaranteed. A club option for 2013 could put another $15MM in his pocket, and he's already earned an extra $300K in award based incentives. Wright, just 23 at the time and now a .307/.387/.517 career hitter, would have become a free agent after this season had he not opted for the long-term security. Can't say I blame him.

Here's a look at what's being written in the baseball corner of the blogging universe…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Bautista, Red Sox, Dunn, Greinke

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Links for Friday, exactly two years after the Rockies claimed Livan Hernandez from the Twins…

Indians Claim Drew Sutton

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The Indians claimed Drew Sutton off of waivers from the Reds and optioned him to Triple A Columbus, according to both clubs on Twitter. Sutton, 27, appeared in two major league games this year and 42 games last year, but most of his pro career has come in the minors. 

He has a career OPS of .810 in the minor leagues, including a .262/.366/.365 line so far in 2010. Even though he has just 291 big league plate appearances, Sutton has already played second, third, short and both corner outfield positions for the Reds.

The Indians have been watching the waiver wire all week; they lost Wes Hodges to the Rockies Tuesday, only to re-claim him yesterday.

Reds Rumors: Grandal, Baker, Guillen

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The Reds, who lead the NL Central by the slimmest of margins, are considering ways of improving the team now and in the future. Here's the latest:

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