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Archives for June 2011

Yankees Release Amaury Sanit

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The Yankees released righty Amaury Sanit to open a 40-man roster spot for Brian Gordon, tweets Newsday's Ken Davidoff.  To clear a spot on the 25-man roster, Lance Pendleton was optioned to Triple-A.

Sanit had been on the DL for an elbow injury.  The 31-year-old Cuban tossed 19 innings at Triple-A this year and another seven with the big club.  You can read about his story over at Mike Ashmore's Thunder Thoughts blog.

Dustin Ackley Gets The Call

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Mariners top prospect Dustin Ackley will make his big league debut tomorrow against the Phillies.  The second baseman has a .303/.421/.487 line at Triple-A this year.  He was the second overall pick in the 2009 draft. 

No 40-man roster move was necessary; Luis Rodriguez was optioned to open a spot on the 25-man.  It appears that Ackley will accrue a maximum of 104 days of service this year, so he's unlikely to qualify as a Super Two player after the 2013 season should the criteria remain the same.  He'll be arbitration eligible after the 2014 season and under team control through 2017.

The Ackley call-up prompts the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker to think about the possibility of trading infielder Jack Wilson.  Baker thinks the team may keep the veteran, as the current focus is the pennant race.

Scott Kazmir Rumors: Thursday

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27-year-old lefty Scott Kazmir was released by the Angels yesterday.  The team ultimately received 188 innings of 5.31 ball, plus 10 2/3 postseason innings, since acquiring him on August 28th, 2009.  The Angels gave up prospects Alexander Torres and Matt Sweeney that day, and infielder Sean Rodriguez was included as a player to be named later.  The Angels still owe Kazmir over $9MM to cover his salary for the rest of the season and the buyout on his club option.  Today's Kazmir links…

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he hasn't looked into the possibility of acquiring Kazmir but will eventually, tweets MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.  Cashman commented, "I know he's struggled."
  • Kazmir is a "possibility" for the Mets, GM Sandy Alderson said in response to a question on WFAN's Benigno and Roberts (MetsBlog has more info).  However, when pressed on the topic by Andy Martino of the New York Daily News, Alderson admitted his interest in Kazmir is the same as it is for everybody who hits the wire (Twitter link).  Kazmir, of course, is a former first-round pick of the Mets who was traded by former GM Jim Duquette to the Devil Rays in '04.  Kazmir's history with the organization is a factor, Alderson told Dan Martin of the New York Post.
  • My take: signing Kazmir is a low-risk proposition that almost any team could justify, taking him on as a minor league project for the next several months similar to what the Nationals are doing with Oliver Perez.  But that's only if Kazmir wants to sign right now and finds a good fit.
  • "I don't have any regrets," Angels GM Tony Reagins said of the '09 Kazmir trade, speaking to Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.  Explained Reagins, "You make decisions in this business and live with the consequences."
  • Angels manager Mike Scioscia remarked to ESPN's Mark Saxon and the AP, "He's still young and I'm sure at some point we hope he can unlock that secret of where he needs to be."

Contenders In Need Of A Second Base Upgrade

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As many as six contenders could use help at second base, though not all of them will look externally.  Several may never enter buying mode.  But here's a look at the contenders that could consider a second base upgrade:

  • Indians: Rookie Cord Phelps has entered the mix with Orlando Cabrera at second base.  Phelps was hitting .299/.391/.488 at Triple-A, so if he gets established the Indians already have their upgrade on O-Cab.  If not, Jason Kipnis has been similarly productive in the minors.
  • Tigers: They've been using Ramon Santiago and Ryan Raburn of late.  I'm sure they'd like Raburn to run with the job and provide offense, but he's shown little to date.  There's always the option of giving Will Rhymes another go.
  • Cardinals: Nick Punto is on the disabled list, leaving Skip Schumaker as the main second baseman and Tyler Greene as another option.  The Cards could consider acquiring a shortstop and moving Ryan Theriot to second base.
  • Giants: Starter Freddy Sanchez has a shoulder injury, and the plan is for rest and rehab over the next six weeks.  Mike Fontenot should come off the DL soon, and the Giants recently signed Bill Hall.
  • Blue Jays: Aaron Hill is the starter, though he hasn't done much.  At five games out in the wild card, the Jays still have a chance, so they could try to upgrade.
  • Marlins: Their second base starter is Omar Infante, who's had a rough year but has at least been a little better in June.  Even if they do turn things around I don't expect the Marlins to look for an outside upgrade at second.

So who's available?  Jeff Baker, Adam Kennedy, Jeff Keppinger, Clint Barmes, Jamey Carroll, Jerry Hairston Jr., Mike Aviles, and Mark Ellis are viable trade candidates.  Ellis is currently on the DL, while Aviles is in the minors.

Quick Hits: Orioles, Miller, Maybin, Bedard

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Congratulations to the Boston Bruins on winning their first Stanley Cup since 1972.  This year's major sports champions have now come from Boston, the Dallas/Fort Worth area and Wisconsin.  All three of those regions could be gunning for their second championship parade of the year come November — the Red Sox, Rangers and Brewers are all in first place in their respective divisions.

Some news and items from around the majors….

  • The Orioles have a lot of pieces that can be moved this summer, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.  He lists Koji Uehara and Jeremy Guthrie as possible trade candidates, but Schmuck predicts Vladimir Guerrero and Derrek Lee will finish the season in Baltimore since "neither…has done enough to create real value for the club."  Schmuck also notes that Andy MacPhail may not pursue a full fire sale since finishing with a .500 record would be a positive step for a team that hasn't had a winning record since 1997.
  • Andrew Miller has indeed opted to remain with the Red Sox and he will start for the team against San Diego on Monday, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston.
  • David Villavicencio of FOX Sports Florida has the story of Marlins first-round pick Jose Fernandez, who escaped to the United States from his native Cuba on his fourth attempt.  Florida took the right-hander with the 14th overall pick and though Fernandez has committed to the University of South Florida, the story makes it sound as if he's eager to sign.
  • Erik Bedard still carries too much risk for the Yankees to make a play for at the trade deadline, argues Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog.  Also, as Axisa notes, the Mariners aren't likely to deal the Canadian southpaw since they're contending in the AL West.
  • "China, as well as India, Taiwan, and South Korea, represents one of the next great market inefficiencies," writes Bradley Woodrum for Fangraphs.  A team that establishes a foothold in East Asia will have first dibs on a huge, untapped area for finding future baseball talent.

West Notes: Giants, Teagarden, Harden, Angels

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Jhoulys Chacin lowered his ERA to 2.81 today after allowing just one run on three hits in six innings today against the Padres.  Chacin picked up his eighth win of the season and improved his case for inclusion on the NL All-Star Team.

Some notes from both divisions out west….

  • The Giants are looking to the Rangers as a potential source of catching help, reports CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler.  Taylor Teagarden is cited as a possible candidate once Mike Napoli returns from injury and resumes backing up Yorvit Torrealba.  Knobler says the Giants' catching search has extended to the minor leagues as the club has sent scouts to look at various Triple-A backstops.
  • Rich Harden looked good in his most recent simulated game and the Athletics are looking to send Harden on a rehab assignment in Triple-A next week, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • The Angels have signed 30 of their 49 draft picks, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.  The highest pick to sign thus far is fifth-round outfielder Andrew Ray.
  • The Angels and Rockies were the only MLB teams in the top 10 of ESPN The Magazine's annual list of the best franchises in sports, reports Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times.  The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers topped the list, while the Angels were fourth and the Rockies eighth.  The lowest-ranked baseball team?  The Mets, who ranked 117th out of 122 teams in MLB, the NFL, NHL and NBA.

Rosenthal On Reds, Nunez, Edwin Rodriguez

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Here's the latest from FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal in this new Hot Corner video…

  • Of the NL Central contenders, Rosenthal thinks the Reds will be the most active before the trade deadline.  They can deal one of their top prospects (Zack Cozart, Yonder Alonso, Devin Mesoraco) for help, or perhaps promote one or more of those youngsters.  The Reds also have Aroldis Chapman and Homer Bailey's returns on the horizon.
  • The Cardinals will rely on reinforcements in the form of injured players returning from the DL, and while the Brewers are looking for "a hard-throwing reliever," Rosenthal doesn't think Milwaukee will be able to make any major trades since the farm system is thin after the Zack Greinke deal last winter.
  • The bright side of Derek Jeter's injury is that it gives the Yankees a look at Eduardo Nunez, their possible shortstop of the future.  Rosenthal also notes that Nunez could be a potential trade chip.
  • In regards to the rumored realignment plan, Rosenthal says concerns about interleague games being played throughout the year would be addressed by having the majority of AL vs. NL matchups take place towards the middle of the season, as per tradition.  Rosenthal, for his part, is a big supporter of realignment since it will create a more fair playing field in regards to scheduling and the divisional setup.
  • In another video clip, Rosenthal argues that the Marlins shouldn't be quick to fire manager Edwin Rodriguez even though the team is struggling.  The injuries to Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson have hampered the team, though as Rosenthal notes, even with this excuse for Florida's slump, it's hard to predict Jeffrey Loria's actions.

Red Sox Haven’t Approached Ortiz About Extension

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The Red Sox have not broached the topic of a new contract with David Ortiz and no discussions are expected to take place between the two parties before the season ends, Ortiz tells Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes.

"Nobody from the team's front office has talked to me about a contract or about the future," Ortiz said. "And to be honest, I don't expect them to do so."

The Sox aren't quite the Yankees in terms of a strict policy against in-season contract talks, but as MLBTR's Transaction Tracker reveals, Theo Epstein generally leaves extensions for the offseason.  Adrian Gonzalez and Clay Buchholz both finalized extensions within the first two weeks of this season (perhaps to avoid an extra luxury tax penalty), but before those deals you have to go back to 2006 to find the last in-season extension for a Boston player — Josh Beckett's three-year, $30MM pact on July 1, 2006.

While Ortiz reiterated his desire to stay in Boston, he noted that he didn't mind the lack of negotiations since right now he is concentrating on baseball.

"At this point we have a good streak going. We are all focused on bringing back the championship to Boston," Ortiz said.  "We don't need any particular distractions, from me or anybody else….I think it would be somewhat improper to get into this kind of thing now that we are playing so well.  I would like to stay in Boston for the rest of my career, but it's something that is out of my control."

Ortiz can afford to wait, given the 1.009 OPS he carried into tonight's game.  Provided Ortiz stays healthy and keeps hitting even close to his current levels, he'll put the onus on team management to re-sign him or else feel the heat from Red Sox Nation over letting the beloved Big Papi leave.  As MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith pointed out last month, Ortiz will surely be able to find a multiyear deal somewhere in the AL given the lack of options at designated hitter.  But, given Ortiz's stature with the Sox, the likeliest scenario is that he ends up back at Fenway Park in 2012 and probably in 2013 as well.

Central Notes: Ricketts, McClellan, Draft Signings

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Here are some links from the Central divisions….

  • Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts gave votes of confidence to GM Jim Hendry and manager Mike Quade during a state-of-the-franchise address on Wednesday, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.   "I have 100 percent confidence in Jim," Ricketts said. "He's working very hard to do everything he can to get this season back to where we want it to be. And I think Mike's done a great job. You know Mike has got those guys playing hard. You know they're not giving up. You know there's good spirit in the clubhouse. Yeah, those guys are fine."  Hendry's future in Chicago has been a hot topic given the Cubs' struggles, with ESPNChicago.com's Jon Greenberg just one of several pundits who think Hendry will be fired.
  • Ricketts also said the Cubs' debt problems wouldn't factor into any baseball-related spending.  "The fact is this year we've spent more on Baseball Operations than any year in the past, and we continue to invest in the team," Ricketts said.  "[The debt is] no way a limitation on our ability to sign free agents or our flexibility to build a better organization. It's just irrelevant for that."
  • Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch looks back at the Cardinals' decision to pass on Joba Chamberlain in the 2006 draft and wonders if the Cards have "developed their own" version of Chamberlain in Kyle McClellan.
  • Jim Leyland feels the Tigers have "too many" left-handers in their bullpen, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.  With a number of teams short on southpaw relievers, the Tigers could look to a fellow contender in a trade for a right-hander.
  • The Twins have signed 15 picks from the 2011 amateur draft, according to La Velle Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  Fifth-round shortstop Tyler Grimes is the highest-drafted player to sign.
  • The Pirates announced the signings of six draft picks.  Auburn third baseman Daniel Gamache, a sixth-rounder, is the highest-selected of the signed players.
  • The Astros' pending sale, Hunter Pence's big season and strong play from younger players has the club's future looking bright, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.

Mets Notes: Gee, Mazzoni, Einhorn, Collins

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Dillon Gee's xFIP (3.90, well above his 3.05 ERA) and low BABIP (.244) indicate that the right-hander is probably due for a regression, writes Mark Simon of ESPN New York.  Mets fans are hoping the magic can last for at least one more start as Gee puts his 7-0 record on the line tonight against the Braves.  A Mets win tonight would get them back to the .500 mark (34-34) for the season.

Some more items from the Amazin's….

  • The Mets announced the signings of 12 draft picks, including second-rounder Cory Mazzoni.  Mazzoni, a right-handed pitcher from NC State, was taken 71st overall.
  • If Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz don't pay $200MM back to pending minority owner David Einhorn within three years, Einhorn will receive a 60% controlling interest in the franchise for just one dollar, writes Mike Ozanian of Forbes.  Somewhere, at least one Yankee fan is claiming the price is too high…
  • Given all of the off-the-field drama, trade rumors and injuries that the Mets have suffered this season, Terry Collins should be a Manager Of The Year contender for keeping the team competitive, argues Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. 

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