MLBTR’s Agency Database
Wondering who represents your favorite players? Here at MLBTR we are constantly updating our agency database; check it out today. The database currently has about 1,300 players and their agencies, and you can filter by agency or team.
A few players we don't have: J.A. Happ, Brandon Beachy, Sergio Romo, James McDonald, Neftali Feliz, and Charlie Blackmon. If you represent any of these players or know who does, an email to mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com would be much appreciated.
Scott Kazmir Likely To Be Released
"It appears the Angels will have no choice but to release" lefty Scott Kazmir, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. That would mean eating about $7MM in remaining salary, plus a $2.5MM buyout for 2012.
GM Tony Reagins was on hand to watch Kazmir's fifth rehab start, writes DiGiovanna, and it was the lefty's fourth ugly outing. Kazmir's recovery from back stiffness has been drawn out, as he attempts to regain his old form within the 30-day rehab window. Last year, Kazmir's 5.94 ERA was the worst in the American League among those with 150 innings. Kazmir led the American League in strikeouts in 2007 as a 23-year-old, but his work has gone downhill since.
Kazmir is still only 27, so don't count him out of baseball quite yet. Perhaps another fresh start will lead to him becoming a serviceable starter in time.
As for the August trade with the Rays, the Angels sent Sean Rodriguez, Alex Torres, and Matt Sweeney to Tampa Bay. Torres could be the gem of the deal, as he was ranked sixth among Rays prospects by Baseball America prior to the season.
How To Use MLBTR
An explanation of the many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors:
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Quick Hits: Miller, Dodgers, D’Backs, Rays, Trades
Here are a few items of note as Justin Verlander narrowly misses his second no-hitter of the season:
- Red Sox lefty Andrew Miller, currently in Triple-A, will remain with Boston and not opt out of his contract, as we inferred earlier today. Now, we know why: Miller will likely soon be called up and added to the rotation, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- With their financial future hazy, the Dodgers should take notes on how successful small-market teams like the Rays and Marlins operate, writes Tom Krasovic of West Coast Bias.
- The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with seven more Draft picks — bringing their total up to 30 of the 52 players they selected — including third-rounder Justin Bianco, according to a club press release.
- The Rays signed second-round pick Granden Goetzman, writes Anthony Chiang of MLB.com.
- This season's relative league-wide parity has led to a slow-developing trade market, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter). An AL executive told Morosi, "Too many teams still in it."
Ronnie Belliard Retires
Ronnie Belliard, currently with Lehigh Valley, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, is retiring, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
Belliard, primarily a second baseman, played in 13 Major League seasons, most recently with the Dodgers in 2010, when he posted a .216/.295/.327 line in 185 plate appearances. He began his career with the Brewers, by whom he was drafted in the eighth round in 1994, and was once traded for Hector Luna. He also spent time with the Rockies, Indians, Cardinals and Nationals.
Belliard signed a minor league deal with the Phils after being released by the Yankees toward the end of Spring Training but did not see a promotion. He calls it a career with a .273/.338/.415 line.
Yankees To Sign Brian Gordon
Brian Gordon has opted out of his contract with the Phillies and will sign with the Yankees, according to to Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter, courtesy Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer). There is a condition in Gordon's contract that stipulated he be added to an acquiring team's Major League roster should he opt out, as Davidoff recently reported.
Gordon began his professional career as an outfielder with the Diamondbacks, by whom he was drafted in the seventh round in 1997, according to Brookover. Not progressing as a position player, Gordon made the conversion to pitching with the Rangers organization in 2007 and appeared in four games with Texas in 2008, but that was his only stint in the bigs. In 55 1/3 innings (12 outings, nine starts) with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Gordon has a 1.14 ERA, 9.1 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9.
Felipe Lopez Clears Waivers
TUESDAY: For the second time this season, Lopez has cleared waivers after being DFA'd and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Durham, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (via Twitter).
SATURDAY: The Rays have designated Felipe Lopez for assignment and activated Elliot Johnson from the disabled list in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
It's been an interesting ride for Lopez and the Rays. He fell out of favor after not hustling and was DFA'd last month upon Evan Longoria's return from the DL. However, Lopez cleared waivers, accepted an assignment to Triple-A Durham and was later recalled. The Rays hope this DFA will play out similarly, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
The well-travelled Lopez owns a .265/.334/.393 in 11 Major League seasons. He signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay prior to this season.
If The Royals Become Sellers
The Royals sit at 29-37, seven games out and in fourth place in the AL Central. The offense has been respectable, but the rotation has not. GM Dayton Moore moved a couple of veterans with expiring contracts at last year's deadline in Rick Ankiel and Kyle Farnsworth; let's see who might be on the trade block this summer.
- Jeff Francis (pictured) is the team's nominal ace; he owns a 4.40 ERA in 14 starts, and his peripheral stats mostly support that ERA despite a low strikeout rate. With a $2MM salary and $2MM in incentives, Francis would fit into any team's budget. However, the Royals may not be inclined to subtract him from what is already the league's worst rotation. If you're wondering about draft pick compensation, Francis is nowhere near Type B.
- Kyle Davies and Bruce Chen are both on the DL currently, though they could return within a week. Neither pitcher would really bolster a contender's rotation except perhaps at the fifth spot. At best, the Royals could try to dump their salaries at the deadline to save about $1.7MM.
- Jason Kendall is currently on the 60-day DL recovering from September shoulder surgery, so the Royals would need to clear a 40-man roster spot to activate him. He could be back in mid-July. Like Davies and Chen, the only reason to trade him is to save a little money. Backup catcher Matt Treanor could be expendable, though he won't bring much in return.
- Jeff Francoeur has some power, hitting .275/.316/.462 on the season. As an affordable player who hits lefties, Francoeur would make sense for the Phillies. The trade return would be minimal, I'd imagine, but maybe Moore could package him with Francis for some club in the vein of last year's deadline deal.
- Melky Cabrera comes with the mild incentive of being arbitration eligible after the season. He's showing good pop with a .453 slugging percentage, and makes just $1.25MM. He's also capable of playing center field.
- Wilson Betemit is useful as well, as he can play all around the infield and is hitting .289/.348/.411 on the season. He's cheap, too. The Marlins were said to be tracking him last month.
- We've covered the Athletics, Cubs, Padres, Pirates, Twins, and Astros as potential sellers previously.
Quick Hits: Connor, Andrew Miller, Tigers
A second pitching coach change occurred today, as Mark Connor resigned from the Orioles post for personal reasons. Rick Adair will take his place. Today's links…
- A couple of young pitchers were added to 40-man rosters today, as the Blue Jays added Zach Stewart in place of Kyle Drabek and the Cubs promoted Chris Carpenter in place of Casey Coleman according to ESPN's Bruce Levine. Both teams already had one open spot on the 40-man roster.
- Andrew Miller's agent Mark Rodgers implied his client will not opt out of his Red Sox contract tomorrow, in a discussion with Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. Lauber notes that Miller has a second opt-out date on August 5th.
- Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski suggested he might look for offense at the trade deadline, talking to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio (Twitter link). The Tigers currently rank sixth in the AL with 4.48 runs scored per game.
- Minor league infielder Matt Lawson retired, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The Indians acquired Lawson and cash considerations from the Mariners for Aaron Laffey in March. At least they still have the cash. Laffey currently has a 1.98 ERA in 27 1/3 innings for the Mariners.
- More bad news for the Indians: pitching prospect Jason Knapp, acquired in the Cliff Lee deal, will miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery according to the team (Twitter link).
- An unnamed agent guesses contracts for ten prominent free agents in Jeff Passan's latest Yahoo article. The agent guessed eight years and $200MM for Prince Fielder. Meanwhile, Fielder's former Brewers teammate Bill Hall had all kinds of praise for the first baseman in this conversation with Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Astros Notes: Arnsberg, Brocail, Wandy, Crane
The Astros announced today that they've relieved pitching coach Brad Arnsberg of his duties over philosophical differences, with Doug Brocail taking his place on an interim basis. The Astros' 4.69 team ERA ranks second to last in the NL this year, with Brett Myers and J.A. Happ hovering around 5.00. A few more Astros links…
- Starter Wandy Rodriguez, who had been out almost a month due to an elbow injury, returned last night against the Braves and picked up a win with six scoreless innings. Though his contract will scare away some clubs, Rodriguez would be one of the better available starters if the Astros are willing to listen at the trade deadline.
- In this Forbes article, Maury Brown takes a look at some of the more controversial aspects of Jim Crane's business dealings. Crane may officially take over the Astros on July 7th or 8th, tweeted Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle yesterday.