Marlins Release Nate Robertson
The Marlins released Nate Robertson, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter link). Robertson struggled as a starter this season and the Marlins designated him for assignment last week. Today, the Marlins designated minor league right-hander Kris Harvey for assignment, according to Capozzi (Twitter link).
Robertson’s stats (5.47 ERA, 5.5 K/9 and 3.6BB/9) aren’t pretty and the outing against the Rockies that preceded his DFA was ugly (7 ER in 5.0 innings). However, his splits suggest he could be more effective out of the bullpen against lefties. The Tigers, Robertson’s former team, don’t appear to have interest. Any club can now sign Robertson for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.
Giants Discussing Guillen, Interested In Willingham
The San Francisco offense is heating up, but the Giants are still looking for outfield bats. The Royals are discussing Jose Guillen with San Francisco, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The potential deal would send the 34-year-old to San Francisco along with cash to cover some of the $4.5MM or so remaining on Guillen’s contract.
But Jayson Stark of ESPN.com hears (via Twitter) from a rival official who believes the Royals have “no real options” to move Guillen, even if they ask for a modest return and take on salary. Stark’s source says (via Twitter) there’s very little action on some of Guillen’s teammates: Brian Bannister, Kyle Davies and Kyle Farnsworth.
Another one of Guillen’s teammates, Scott Podsednik, is drawing strong interest from NL West teams, including the Giants. For what it’s worth, the Giants have been scouting Guillen aggressively, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). For the season, Guillen has 16 homers and a .271/.333/.457 line.
The Giants are pursuing outfielders other than Guillen and Podsednik, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Like the Braves, Rays and Red Sox, the Giants have interest in Josh Willingham.
Braves, David Ross Agree On Two-Year Extension
3:28pm: Ross will make $1.625MM in 2011 and the same amount in 2012, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via Twitter). That's a total of $3.25MM for the two seasons. Rosenthal reports (via Twitter) that Ross can earn $300K more through incentives. The catcher makes $50K for starting 50 games behind the plate and earns an additional $50K when he reaches 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 starts.
12:05pm: The Braves agreed to a two-year extension with catcher David Ross worth more than $3MM, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Ross would've been eligible for free agency after this season, as he's finishing up a two-year, $3MM deal signed in December of '08.
Ross has done a fine job as Brian McCann's backup in Atlanta, hitting .272/.378/.447 over 244 plate appearances. The 33-year-old has also gunned down almost half of attempted base-stealers.
Ross, Not Cantu Impacted By Coghlan Injury
3:17pm: Coghlan's injury won't prevent the Marlins from dealing Jorge Cantu, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. Capozzi reports that the Marlins continue discussing Cantu with other teams and suggests there's a "good chance" that the club trades Cantu. The Marlins appear to be asking for a "big prospect" from the Rangers for Cantu, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter).
10:56am: With the news that Chris Coghlan tore the meniscus in his left knee in Sunday's pie-related incident, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Marlins are leaning toward keeping outfielder Cody Ross. The loss of Coghlan depletes the team's outfield depth, and the Marlins are still within spitting distance of the playoffs.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports actually tweeted two days ago, before the Coghlan injury, that a Ross deal was unlikely. Now, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says on Twitter that trading Ross is a "definite no-go" for the Marlins.
Frisaro says Ross has drawn attention from the Braves, Dodgers, and Red Sox. He doesn't rule out a deal, but says it'd "have to completely make sense." The Phillies and Yankees have also been linked to the 29-year-old outfielder.
Rockies Considering Selling, Shopping Cook
2:54pm: The Rockies had feelers out a week ago on names ranging from Adam Dunn to Dan Haren, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman says the Rockies are now "quietly shopping" Aaron Cook and are willing to help make the financial aspect work. Cook is still owed $3.75MM this year if traded, plus $10.25MM for 2011, a $500K buyout for '12, and $125K per year if he reaches 200 innings.
7:51am: The Rockies are preparing for the possibility of becoming sellers, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. They've not yet committed to that course, but they're eight games back in the NL West. But at 4.5 games out of the wild card, the Rockies still appear to have a legitimate playoff shot. Baseball Prospectus' postseason odds report puts their chances at a healthy 23.4% despite a recent losing streak.
Rosenthal says the Rockies are still eyeing Jorge Cantu and could move Melvin Mora, Ryan Spilborghs, and/or Brad Hawpe regardless of their direction. If the team's rough week continues and they start thinking about 2011, Jorge de la Rosa would be an interesting addition to the trade block. Rosenthal names Aaron Cook, Rafael Betancourt, and Joe Beimel as other possibilities.
De La Rosa has made three starts since returning from the DL for a finger injury. His last effort was solid, and he takes on the Pirates tonight. He'll be a free agent after the season and currently profiles as a Type B.
Angels Prefer To Avoid First Base Rental?
The Angels are still looking for offensive help, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark, but one team he spoke to says they're not going to rent a first baseman for two months. This runs counter to Ken Rosenthal's July 10th report that the Halos are "looking only at rentals" at first base since Kendry Morales will be back in 2011. Rosenthal wrote eleven days later that the Angels had discussed Jorge Cantu and Adam LaRoche.
Could both reporters be correct? Perhaps, if the Angels are quietly seeking to upgrade over an incumbent such as Howie Kendrick or Bobby Abreu. But we haven't heard anything like that.
Dodgers Sign Juan Castro
The Dodgers signed infielder Juan Castro to a minor league deal, tweets Ed Price of AOL FanHouse. Castro was released by the Phillies on July 17th.
Castro, 38, came up through the Dodgers' system and also spent the '09 season with the club. He tallied a .198/.237/.238 big league line before the Phillies released him this year.
Rangers, Phillies Have Some Interest In Guzman
The Rangers and Phillies have some interest in Nationals infielder Cristian Guzman, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Guzman is able to play multiple positions, and he's hitting .287/.331/.366 on the season.
The problem with Guzman is that he has a cool $3MM left on his contract. And regarding the Phillies, ESPN's Jayson Stark says Miguel Tejada is their primary infield target. Tejada has $2.25MM in base salary remaining, with another $250K in bonuses coming if he's traded and reaches 630 plate appearances.
Stark On Werth, Willingham, Cantu, Theriot
Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth told ESPN's Jayson Stark he's "not up late reading the blog sites" regarding trade rumors, but he doesn't expect to be dealt. Stark agrees, though he notes that the Phillies did toss Werth's name out there to many teams. On to Stark's other rumors…
- The Dodgers are looking at Ted Lilly, but they haven't completely abandoned the idea of acquiring Roy Oswalt. Still, the impediments to an Oswalt deal remain significant. Lilly appears certain to be traded.
- Josh Willingham is drawing interest from the Braves, Rays, and Red Sox. Adam Dunn remains a trade candidate as well, but the Nationals would only deal one of the two.
- Money might be holding up a Jorge Cantu-Rangers deal, as the Rangers can't add any payroll and would want the Marlins to pick up the entire $2.25MM tab.
- The Padres have been linked to infielders Ryan Theriot and Jeff Keppinger, as outfield targets such as David DeJesus, Corey Hart, and Jayson Werth drop out of the picture for various reasons.
- Don't look for anything major from the Red Sox outside of some bullpen tweaking. They will prowl the waiver wire in August, though.
Indians Designate Wes Hodges For Assignment
The Indians designated infielder Wes Hodges for assignment to make room for pitcher Josh Tomlin, according to the team.
Hodges, a second-round pick of the Indians in 2006, was hitting .270/.316/.423 this year in his second Triple A stint. He came up as a third baseman, but has been playing first base and DH this year. Baseball America ranked him 27th among Indians prospects heading into the season, citing health issues and the move off third base.