Pirates Release Blaine Boyer
The Pirates have released Blaine Boyer according to the Triple-A International League transactions page. He signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh back in April after electing free agency when the Mets designated him for assignment.
Boyer, 29, threw eight innings across 11 relief appearances with the Pirates' Triple-A team, though he allowed 14 hits and 14 runs (12 earned) in that time. He also walked more batters (nine) than he struck out (eight) and surrendered three homers. Boyer gave up eight runs in 6 2/3 innings for the Mets earlier this season, though he did post a respectable 4.26 ERA in 57 innings with the Diamondbacks last year.
Quick Hits: Kazmir, Gordon, Jackson, Hudson, A’s
Some late night links as Friday turns into Saturday…
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel that he has no interest in pursuing the recently released Scott Kazmir once the lefty clears waivers (Twitter link).
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that the Rangers had interest in Brian Gordon before the Yankees signed him. "[Texas] had been interested from the beginning, but didn't think they had a lot of room," said David Schwartz, Gordon's agent. "On Tuesday, when their pitching staff was getting beat up, they got more interested. But by then, we had come to a verbal agreement – he was going to New York."
- MLB.com's Spencer Fordin wrote about Edwin Jackson of the White Sox and Daniel Hudson of the Diamondbacks, who were traded for each other last season and faced each other tonight.
- ESPN's Howard Bryant brings us up to speed with the Athletics and their stadium situation.
Orioles Designate Jeremy Accardo For Assignment
The Orioles have designated Jeremy Accardo for assignment, reports MLB.com Britt Ghiroli (on Twitter). The move frees up a roster spot for infielder Blake Davis, who was recalled from Triple-A.
Accardo, 29, signed a one-year deal worth $1.08MM this offseason, though Baltimore could have controlled him as an arbitration-eligible player in 2012. He came into today with a 4.50 ERA but nearly as many walks (15) as strikeouts (20) in 32 innings. The three runs Accardo gave up in just one-third of an inning tonight appear to have been the straw that broke the camel's back.
Brewers Designate Danny Ray Herrera For Assignment
The Brewers have designated Danny Ray Herrera for a assignment, reports Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). He was called up just yesterday.
Herrera, 26, pitched both yesterday and today. He gave up a homerun to Kosuke Fukudome and recorded two outs yesterday, and tonight he gave up four runs in an inning of work against the Red Sox. Herrera was claimed off waivers from the Reds just a few weeks ago, and the lefty's big league career consisted of a 3.69 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 92 2/3 innings coming into today.
Draft Pick Signings: Twins, Indians, Red Sox
Let's round up some notable draft picks signings in one convenient spot…
- The Twins have signed second round pick Madison Boer, reports MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger and Jordan Schelling. The Oregon righty was taken with the 87th overall pick, which comes with a slot recommendation of $405K from MLB.
- The Indians announced via press release that they have signed third rounder Jake Sisco, a right-hander from Merced College. MLB's slot recommendation for the 97th overall pick is approximately $357K.
- The Red Sox announced in a press release that they've signed a dozen more draft picks, including sixth rounder Miguel Pena and ninth rounder Alex Shaw. WEEI.com's Alex Speier reports that they received $85K and $110K, respectively.
NL East Links: Isringhausen, Reyes, Marlins
Let's round up some links from the NL East…
- ESPN's Buster Olney says (on Twitter) one name that has been raised by talent evaluators as a trade option if the Mets become sellers is Jason Isringhausen. Izzy has a 3.09 ERA in 23 1/3 innings as Francisco Rodriguez's primary setup man, but the advanced metrics don't like him as much: his FIP sits at 4.75.
- An executive told SI.com's Jon Heyman that he believes Mets shortstop Jose Reyes will eclipse Carl Crawford's seven-year, $142MM contract as a free agent this winter because of his bat and "shutdown" defense (Twitter links). Another exec told Joel Sherman of The New York Post that "Prince Fielder is going to get at least 7 yrs with that body, so tell me how [Reyes] doesn't get at least 7 yrs."
- The Marlins made a series of roster moves today, but MLB.com's Joe Frisaro hears that the team is not considering a managerial change (Twitter links). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, meanwhile, says that manager Edwin Rodriguez is on shaky ground and the team maintains interest in Ozzie Guillen and even Bobby Valentine.
- Peter Gammons hears that Marlins players believe team ownership will go over the the heads of the baseball operations department and fire Rodriguez as well as his coaches (Twitter link).
Astros Looking To Trade Myers, Keppinger
The Astros are currently an MLB worst 25-45 and are in the process of being transferred to a new owner, so they certainly figure to be sellers at the trade deadline. MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears that they are looking to trade both Brett Myers and Jeff Keppinger, two names that have frequented the trade rumor circuit in recent months (Twitter links). Ladson doubts that the Nationals would have interest in either.
Myers might not be very marketable these days. He'll be 31 in August, and he's pitched to a 5.03 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 87 2/3 innings this season. The 18 homers he's allowed are the most in baseball and his fastball velocity has fallen off considerably. Myers will earn $7MM this season and $11MM next season before a $10MM club option ($3MM buyout) for 2013 comes into play.
Keppinger seems like a much more practical trade candidate. He's hitting .301/.329/.370 since coming off the disabled list following a foot injury, and last year he hit a respectable .288/.351/.393 with more walks (51) than strikeouts (34) in 575 plate appearances. Keppinger has plenty of experience at second, third, and short, and his $2.3MM salary is a little easier on the wallet. He is also under team control next year as an arbitration-eligible player.
The Yankees have been connected to both players at times, though we recently learned that they "don't have a match" for Myers. Keppinger was more of an offseason target for them.
Carlos Zambrano Would Waive No-Trade Clause
Carlos Zambrano does not want to leave the Cubs, but he told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he would waive his no-trade clause if the team asked him to do so.
"If they come to me and want to trade me, obviously it's because they don't want me here anymore," said Zambrano. "I always say that. I'll be here until the Cubs decide to trade me … I've heard rumors. I've already talked to my family. They said,'It's OK. If you think it's good for you, if you feel you want to be traded, do it.' I don’t want to leave. I've been here 10 years. The town has been special to me, the fans, too."
This morning we learned that the Yankees had several top advisors watch Zambrano recently, though Rosenthal hears that their interest is minimal due to his volatile personality. Since he is due to earn $17.875MM this year and $18MM next, it's likely the Cubs would have to include some cash to facilitate a trade. The Yankees are one of the few teams able to absord that kind of payroll hit, and it's worth noting that their pitching coach, Larry Rothschild, held the same position with the Cubs for the last several years.
Zambrano, 30, owns a 4.59 ERA in 96 innings across 15 starts this season. His strikeout rate (6.3 K/9) is the second lowest of his career and his ground ball rate continues to decline, though his walk rate (3.3 BB/9) is a career best. It's also worth noting that Zambrano's fastball velocity is trending downward as well.
Gammons: Yankees, Others Tampered With Miller
The Red Sox announced today that Andrew Miller will make his season debut against the Padres on Monday after calling him up from Triple-A before his opt-out clause became an issue. However, in an appearance on WEEI's Mut & Merloni Show today, Peter Gammons said that the Yankees and several other teams tried to get Miller to opt-out of his deal. WEEI.com's Jerry Spar has the transcript.
"I know this," said Gammons, "There were a lot of teams that tampered and tried to get him to do the opt-out, including the New York Yankees. A lot of teams wanted him to opt out on Wednesday. Because of his trust for the Red Sox and how much they’ve invested in him — not in terms of money but in terms of effort to just get his delivery back and be patient with him, he stayed. In some ways, their fortunate. Because I think he could have gotten twice as much money if he had left."
MLB's tampering rules say "there shall be no negotiations or dealings respecting employment, either present or prospective, between any player, coach or manager and any club other than the club with which [the player] is under contract or acceptance of terms," which in English means that a team is not allowed to discuss employment with a player while he is under contract with another team. Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded to the report by saying they were simply "not true," reports Marc Carig of The Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
Miller, 26, pitched to a 2.47 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 in 65 2/3 innings for Boston's Triple-A affiliate this year. In his last four starts before the promotion, he struck out 26 and walked just three in 25 1/3 innings.
Cuddyer Would Waive Limited No-Trade Clause
Michael Cuddyer's limited no-trade clause consists of just three teams, but he indicated to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com that he wouldn't stand in the way of a trade to one of those teams if it came down to it.
"I care so much about this organization," said Cuddyer. "I do … I care so deeply about this team, that if it helps the organization…"
As for the three teams included in the no-trade clause, well not even Cuddyer is sure who they are: "Can't remember … I think Oakland is one. Toronto. And … I'm not sure."
Cuddyer's loyalty to the Twins is admirable, and there figures to be a market for his services before the trade deadline. Steve Adams explored Cuddyer's trade candidacy last weekend, noting that similar players like Casey Blake and Mark DeRosa have yielded decent returns in the last few years.
The 32-year-old Cuddyer is making $10.5MM this year, though the Twins could eat some of that in exchange for a better return. He's hitting .282/.347/.449 in 259 plate appearances this year, and he has experience playing first, second, third, and the corner outfield spots. Cuddyer's .292/.381/.491 career batting line against left-handed pitchers could also be a big help to a number of clubs.