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Archives for June 2011

Pirates Designate Jose Ascanio For Assignment

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The Pirates designated right-hander Jose Ascanio for assignment to create 25-man roster space for left-hander Tony Watson, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). Manager Clint Hurdle will have the second lefty reliever he coveted once Watson joins Daniel Moskos in the bullpen.

Ascanio appeared in eight games for the Pirates this year, allowing ten hits, five earned runs and two walks in 6 1/3 innings of work. The 26-year-old has a 5.28 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 46 career innings with the Pirates, Cubs and Braves.

Watson, a ninth round pick of the Pirates in 2007, has spent this season at Triple-A, where he was a 2.45 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old has a 3.26 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in five seasons of minor league baseball for the Pirates' affiliates.

NL West Notes: Rizzo, Towers, Rockies

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Here are a few items of note out of the NL West, where only 7.5 games separated the first- and last-place clubs entering Tuesday's action:

White Sox Notes: Dunn, Williams, Guillen

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White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he has confidence that slumping slugger Adam Dunn will go on a hot streak and help the team return to contention. Dunn leads the league with 80 strikeouts and has five homers with a .176/.314/.309 line two months into his $56MM contract. Here's the latest on the 29-33 White Sox… 

  • Reinsdorf told Morosi that he’s confident in GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen and expects both to return in 2012.
  • Reinsdorf isn’t thinking about becoming ‘sellers’ at this point, but he is disappointed to be spending more money for diminished results. “We have a much bigger payroll than we had last year,” Reinsdorf said. “And we’re on pace to draw the same number of people. Obviously, that makes it tougher financially. But we’ll be OK.”
  • Guillen's son, Ozney Guillen is excited about the possibility of being drafted and starting his pro career, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. The White Sox selected him out of high school in the 22nd round last year, but he didn't sign and is draft-eligible once again. Ozney expects to sign this year.

Olney On Nationals, Mariners, Brewers, A’s

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Rival executives have wondered whether the Nationals will eventually shift top pick Anthony Rendon to second base, so ESPN.com’s Buster Olney constructs an impressive-looking 2013 Nationals lineup with Rendon at second and prospective free agent Prince Fielder at first base. Here are the rest of Olney’s rumors:

  • The Mariners wondered whether Safeco Field would limit Rendon’s offense, but they’re confident that their second overall selection, left-hander Danny Hultzen, will be a good fit in their home ballpark.
  • Brewers GM Doug Melvin confirmed to Olney that it’s possible (though not likely) that top pick Taylor Jungmann could help them this year.
  • Some executives tell Olney that top Orioles pick Dylan Bundy is the greatest pure talent in the draft. He's certainly looking to get paid like an elite talent.
  • Olney wonders if Grant Balfour could be dealt to the Rangers, who could use relief help.
  • Teams like the Braves and Phillies are looking for offense, so Josh Willingham could become a target if the 27-34 Athletics do become sellers.

Draft Notes: Nationals, Bundy, Cardinals, Astros

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Be sure to catch up on the results from the first and supplemental rounds of the draft. As we await day two of the big event, here's what you need to know:

  • ESPN.com's Keith Law lists the Rays, Twins and D'Backs among his day one winners while questioning moves by the Braves, Rockies and others. High school outfielder Josh Bell heads Law's list of best remaining players.
  • Bell, Daniel Norris and Dillon Howard are the best players remaining according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
  • Anthony Rendon, Alex Meyer and Brian Goodwin, Washington's first three picks, are all Scott Boras clients, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nationals have a history of selecting Boras clients, going back to first overall picks Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper.
  • Rendon plays the same position as Nationals cornerstone Ryan Zimmerman, but "the point of the draft is to take the best player available" regardless of the big league roster, Zimmerman told Ladson.
  • Top Orioles pick Dylan Bundy may be an especially difficult player to sign, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. “The numbers that were thrown out were true," Bundy said, without saying explicitly that he's looking for a $30MM bonus.
  • Cardinals scouting director Jeff Luhnow sounds confident that he'll be able to sign first rounder Kolten Wong before the August deadline for deals, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach.
  • Red Sox GM Theo Epstein and scouting director Amiel Sawdaye broke down Boston's top four picks and Alex Speier of WEEI.com has the details. Epstein says he thought some things broke Boston's way.
  • Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner gets the sense that Astros' amateur scouting director Bobby Heck will take a pitcher with the 69th overall selection (Twitter link).

Selig Continues To Support Slotting, Worldwide Draft

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Commissioner Bud Selig still wants MLB to introduce capped bonuses for top picks and develop an international draft, according to Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP (via the Miami Herald). Selig says the draft has worked to establish competitive balance, but he insists the system would work better with some changes.

"I believe in slotting and I believe in a worldwide draft. I think it's important," he said. "I think the draft has worked, but I think there are some things that have happened in the last five or six years that are worrisome."

Selig said owners and general managers have expressed support for a slotting system. However, the players’ association will work to ensure that drafted players obtain substantial bonuses, so it won’t be as easy to convince them that slotting is a good idea (unless the cap for bonuses sits significantly higher than it does now). 

A worldwide draft would pose many logistical issues (some countries might decline to participate, for example). Selig has spoken out in favor of the worldwide draft and slotting on numerous occasions before.

Bauer Expects To Fit In With Diamondbacks

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Trevor Bauer isn’t this good by accident. Listen to this year’s third overall pick describe his repertoire and it’s hard not to get the distinct impression that he is intent on combining his wits with his physical skills to become as effective as possible. 

“I throw a four-seam fastball, I throw two variations of the curveball, two variations of the slider, two variations of the change-up, a split fingered fastball and two variations of a reverse-slider, which is kind of a cross between a fastball and a screwball," Bauer explained on a conference call with reporters. "It’s a little bit slower than a sinking fastball and a little bit faster than a screwball and has a left-handed cut fastball action to it.” 

The 20-year-old's extensive repertoire worked wonders at the collegiate level in 2011, as he posted a 1.25 ERA with 203 strikeouts and 36 walks in 136 2/3 innings for UCLA. D'Backs GM Kevin Towers sees Bauer and fellow first rounder Archie Bradley as future members of Arizona’s rotation and D’Backs’ amateur scouting director Ray Montgomery agrees.

“We see [Bauer] as a potential rotational guy for us and I think his talent gives him a chance to make an impact on us sooner rather than later,”  Montgomery said in a statement.

Bauer has an unorthodox workout regimen and unusual Tim Lincecum-like mechanics (the righty models his mechanics after Lincecum and his pitching style after Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee). In conversations with D’Backs vice president of scouting and player development Jerry DiPoto, Bauer was relieved to determine that his thoughts on pitching aligned closely with those of many in the Diamondbacks’ front office.

“The organizational philosophy as far as training and pitching and sequencing pitches and player development fit with my ideas that I already had on my own,” he said.

Bauer understands that Arizona may decide to shut him down for the season as a result of his heavy workload so far. But the Golden Spikes finalist says he's looking forward to the possibility of representing the D’Backs at the Major League level and was honored to have been selected third overall.

“It’s a credit to all the hard work I’ve put in over the years, all the hours of preparation and video analysis, conditioning on days you don’t really want to be conditioning,” he said. “And it’s a credit to the Diamondbacks organization as well, since they talked to me to get an idea about why I do the things I do.”

Archie Bradley On Future With D’Backs

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After out-matching the opposition all season long, it was Archie Bradley’s turn to be overwhelmed. The 18-year-old right hander could barely contain himself when the Diamondbacks selected him seventh overall in tonight’s draft. 

“I almost broke down in tears,” he said on a conference call with reporters. “For me to finally hear my name called was amazing.”

The Broken Arrow high school product posted a 0.37 ERA with 137 strikeouts and 11 walks in 71 1/3 innings this year (while hitting .395 and leading the team with nine homers). He’s just a teenager, but D’Backs’ director of amateur scouting Ray Montgomery says he already compares favorably with older players.

“The tools Archie Bradley brings fits with what we were looking at with the guys on the college front, and he happens to be two years younger,” Montgomery said. “Bradley is big, physical, athletic and has the stuff to be in our starting rotation in the future.” 

He also has the stuff to start at quarterback for the University of Oklahoma. The 6’4” 215 pound Bradley has signed a letter of intent to play football at Oklahoma, which gives him a negotiating tool that others don’t have.

Bradley says “the frontrunner has always been baseball,” though he loves football as well. He declined to say whether he and advisor Jay Franklin would accept ‘slot’ money to sign with Arizona.

“I have no comment on that,” he said. “I’m still just enjoying the moment. That comes later down the road.”

The D’Backs have until August 15th to sign Bradley, third overall selection Trevor Bauer and the rest of their picks.

Quick Hits: Johnson, Tigers, Kouzmanoff

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With the first round of the 2011 draft in the rear view mirror, let's take a look at a few links..

  • Slugger Nick Johnson was in the Indians' clubhouse before tonight's game against the Twins, but skipper Manny Acta says that it doesn't mean that we'll see the veteran promoted to the majors, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.  Instead, the first baseman will be promoted from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus.
  • Because of their signing of Victor Martinez, the Tigers were without a first round pick tonight.  Six months later, Tigers VP David Chadd has no regrets, writes MLB.com's Jason Beck.  The club wound up surrendering the No. 19 overall pick to the Red Sox, who used the pick to take UConn pitcher Matt Barnes.
  • Athletics third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff was shocked to learn of his demotion to Triple-A tonight, writes Jane Lee of MLB.com.  

Draft Notes: Bradley, Bundy, Hager, Starling, Cubs

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The first and supplemental rounds are over and teams are reaching out to their top picks and setting up media conference calls with them. Here’s the latest on the draft from the players and teams themselves…

  • Archie Bradley (selected seventh overall by the D’Backs) says fellow Oklahoma high schooler Dylan Bundy (selected fourth overall by the Orioles) pushes him to be a better player. “With his workout and the way he goes about the game, it puts some weight on my shoulders to try to equal that or better that” Bradley said.
  • High school infielder Jake Hager (selected 32nd overall by the Rays) wants to start his pro career soon. Though he sees himself as a shortstop, he remains flexible to playing elsewhere on infield if that’s where the Rays want him to play. Hager describes himself as a hard worker who’s coachable. The Nevada native “had a feeling” the Rays would take him, since they were scouting him hard most weeks.
  • High school outfielder Bubba Starling (selected fifth overall by the Royals) describes himself as an equally good football and baseball player. The Kansas native admits to being a Royals fan, though he says he didn’t have time to see tons of games, since he plays so many sports. Starling says he felt stronger later in the season, after returning from a tweaked quad muscle.
  • Cubs scouting director Tim Wilken explained the selection of Javier Baez (ninth overall). “Javier has a tremendously live bat, is versatile in the field and we are happy to welcome him to the Cubs organization,” Wilken said in a team statement.  “He has a great arm and is a smart baserunner in tune with the game.

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