Royals, Blue Jays, Cubs Sign Venezuelan Prospects
The Royals signed 16-year-old prospects Angelo Castellano and Luis Lara, the Blue Jays signed 16-year-old prospects Wilmer Becerra and Jesus Gonzalez and the Cubs signed catcher Mark Malave and third baseman Ricardo Marcano, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The bonuses are not yet known for the players, who are all Venezuelan.
Castellano is a right-handed hitting shortstop who may eventually have to move to second or third base. He has good hands and has shown power potential, according to Badler. Lara is a catcher whose defense is ahead of his bat at this point.
Becerra has good speed and will likely become an outfielder. Scouts are mixed on his bat with some saying he's one of the top available right-handed hitters and others saying he struggles in games. Gonzalez has raw power and standout arm strength, according to Badler's subscriber-only report. He's an average runner who appears to have drawn interest from Arizona, as well as Toronto.
Malave has a strong arm that may be his best tool. The switch-hitter isn't a lock to remain at catcher and not all scouts believe in his hitting ability. Marcano has one of the best left-handed swings available and could hit for average and power. He is an average runner who may have to move to left field, according to Badler.
Giants Interested In Ramon Hernandez
The Giants like Ramon Hernandez, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links). San Francisco has been looking for catching help since Buster Posey got injured in late May, but the front office is not talking to the Cubs about Geovany Soto or Koyie Hill, Schulman reports.
The Reds have the depth to part with Hernandez, who earns $3MM this year and is hitting .307/.368/.500 with eight home runs. Cincinnati could rely on Ryan Hanigan and prospect Devin Mesoraco if they trade Hernandez in an attempt to return to .500 and repeat as NL Central champions.
Yorvit Torrealba, Ivan Rodriguez and Ronny Paulino are three of the other catchers that have come up in San Francisco's internal discussions. I examined Hernandez as a trade candidate last week.
Heyman On Cubs, Reyes, Street, Dodgers
Jon Heyman of SI.com hands out his midseason awards and Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Verlander, Jose Reyes and Roy Halladay are among those who take home some virtual hardware. Here’s Heyman’s latest from around the Major Leagues…
- Though Cubs manager Mike Quade appears to be safe, GM Jim Hendry doesn’t have assurances that he’ll keep his job, according to Heyman.
- The Mets will make Reyes an offer, but one GM believes it will cost more than the $142MM Carl Crawford obtained to sign the shortstop when he hits free agency after the season.
- I compared Reyes to Crawford on Monday and suggested that Reyes appears headed for a Crawford-like deal.
- The Phillies would like to re-sign Ryan Madson after the season, when the currently injured closer hits free agency.
- Huston Street could hit the trade market if the Rockies keep losing.
- The Dodgers are saying they don’t expect to consider trading players away for two weeks or more.
- Former Mets GM Omar Minaya is expected to join a different team in 2012.
Pirates Considering Summer Acquisitions
The 45-41 Pirates are in second place in the NL Central and, for the first time in a long time, they could be buyers this summer. Manager Clint Hurdle told Karen Price of the Pittsburgh Tribune Tribune-Review that team management will meet today to determine what moves to make this month.
"We're just trying to be smart with the moves we make," Hurdle said. "We want to make sure we bring in a good skill-set that fits in the clubhouse as well."
The Pirates have ten players on the disabled list, including Joe Beimel, Ross Ohlendorf, Ryan Doumit, Chris Snyder, Pedro Alvarez, Ronny Cedeno and Jose Tabata, so Hurdle believes help could come from within. If some injured Pirates return later in the season, the team could improve without forfeiting prospects or taking on salary.
Indians Will Attempt To Improve Offense
The Indians are 13th in MLB with 364 runs, but with Shin-Soo Choo on the disabled list until September, Cleveland’s offense could use a mid-summer boost. GM Chris Antonetti told MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince that he expects to focus on adding to the Indians' offensive attack.
“We’re open in any way we can to improve the team, whatever that might be,” Antonetti said. “Especially with Choo suffering the injury that he suffered, we’ll probably focus most of our efforts on improving our offense and getting a little more consistency there.”
As Castrovince explains, it’s hard to imagine the Indians giving up anything substantial for an outfielder like Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur or Ryan Ludwick, even though they could use an outfielder with some pop. Antonetti says relying on internal options for an offensive boost could be a simpler alternative to trades that's equally effective.
Davidoff On Twins, Indians, Reyes, Rays
Since few teams have been completely eliminated from contention, the trade market is developing slowly, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. As of today, the top commodity available is relief pitching and there’s lots of interest in that department. Here are the rest of Davidoff’s notes on the trade market:
- Heath Bell, Francisco Rodriguez, Chad Qualls and Luke Gregerson are available.
- The Mets believe they can keep their fans interested even if they trade Rodriguez.
- The Diamondbacks, Brewers, Cardinals and Rangers are among the teams that are heavily in the mix for relievers.
- It appears extremely unlikely that the Mets will trade Jose Reyes, but his top suitors would likely include the Reds, Indians, Giants and Mariners, four teams that have poked around for infield help, according to Davidoff. It’s even possible that the Red Sox would pursue Reyes if he became available.
- The Orioles aren’t quite ready to shop Koji Uehara and the Twins aren’t quite ready to shop Matt Capps. In fact, the Twins aren’t going to sell until they’re sure they’re out of contention.
- The Yankees are focused on finding a lefty reliever, a commodity the Red Sox and Tigers would also like to acquire.
- Though no frontline starters appear to be available, the Yankees are looking to acquire a top starter. Cleveland and Detroit are also looking for rotation help.
- The Mariners are looking for an outfielder and the Phillies are still looking for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
- One official says the Rays are “buying and selling.” Johnny Damon could be had in the right deal, according to Davidoff.
Looking Back At The Pirates’ Last Playoff Run
It’s been a while since the Pirates were relevant. Top Pittsburgh prospect Jameson Taillon was less than one year old when the Pirates last posted a winning record in 1992. A generation of Pittsburgh sports fans has had to rely on the city’s football and hockey teams for excitement.
Some things haven’t changed in the last 19 years – members of the '92 Pirates like Miguel Batista, Tim Wakefield and manager Jim Leyland are still around – but it’s been long enough that we aren’t used to the possibility that Pittsburgh could be a buyer at the trade deadline. The 45-41 Pirates are now legitimately in contention, so it’s time to entertain the notion that GM Neal Huntington will be looking to add Major Leaguers rather than prospects this month.
The last time the Pirates made the playoffs, GM Ted Simmons completed a pair of midseason trades that helped deliver Pittsburgh to its third consecutive NLCS. First, Simmons sent minor leaguer Tony Mitchell to the Indians for speedy outfielder Alex Cole on July 4th. A week later, the Pirates sent third baseman Steve Buechele to the Cubs for left-hander Danny Jackson.
Looking back, it’s easy to see that the deals helped Leyland’s Pirates to a 96-win season. But at the time, they weren’t considered blockbusters.
“I would consider them trades that no one was even paying attention to,” said Simmons, who is now a senior advisor to Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik.
Simmons knew Cole as a strong defender who could get on base, and wanted to add him to a Pirates outfield that already featured Andy Van Slyke in center field and Barry Bonds in left. Cole became an everyday player for the Pirates, posting a .278/.335/.361 line down the stretch, and Mitchell, the prospect he was traded for, never made it to the Major Leagues.
Jackson appealed to the Pirates, who wanted to add a southpaw to their rotation, yet Simmons wasn't completely confident in the left-hander's health. After scouting Jackson in depth, the Pirates were convinced that the former first rounder and 20 game winner had recovered from earlier injuries and regained his form. Fifteen starts later, Jackson had a 3.36 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 for Pittsburgh.
Though the deals worked out well for Simmons and the Pirates in 1992, circumstances could not be more different this summer. Few expected the Pirates to be in contention before this season and now that they have a chance to end their streak of losing seasons at 18, ownership may push for an attempt at a playoff run.
Huntington could follow Simmons’ example and make modest acquisitions for the pennant race, or he could even look to supplement his roster with splashier trades. As long as the Pirates continue contending, Pittsburgh’s current GM will have the support of one of his predecessors.
“Everybody’s rooting for the Pirates,” Simmons told MLBTR. “Everybody – including me."
BoSox Looking At Position Players Over Pitchers
As the trade deadline approaches, the Red Sox are probably going to be looking for position players rather than pitchers, GM Theo Epstein told Peter Gammons in an appearance on NESN (video link).
"I don't see a ton of pitching help out there unless it's the few guys who can really make an impact, who will take your farm system to get," Epstein said. "I think we could benefit from a complementary position player in the right spot."
Epstein cited the organization's pitching depth as a reason why the club won't seek out arms before the deadline. For the time being, he says, the club won't look to tap into that depth to replace John Lackey in the rotation. The 32-year-old has a 7.47 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 through 13 starts this season.
Mets Are Shopping K-Rod, Byrdak, Isringhausen
The Mets are making it clear to other teams that they're looking to move relievers Francisco Rodriguez, Tim Byrdak, and Jason Isringhausen, two sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
"They are really trying to move Isringhausen, and also Byrdak and K-Rod (before the trade deadline)," said one of the sources. "Those guys have pitched well, and they could help somebody."
Their actions, Martino writes, do not yet indicate that they're giving up on this season. The club could trade a reliever or two and still claim to be serious about this year. However, it does seem that they will look to sell and build towards the future.
Rodriguez's situation is complicated by his 2012 contract option, which vests if he finishes 55 games. At present, K-Rod is on pace to finish 61 games this year. The right-hander will earn $17.5MM in '12 if his option kicks in but can be bought out for just $3.5MM if he falls short of the mark.
Quick Hits: Mets, Indians, Cameron, Gregerson
Tuesday night linkage..
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't counseling manager Terry Collins on how to use Francisco Rodriguez, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. K-Rod is on pace to finish more than 55 games this year.
- Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan have encouraged GM Chris Antonetti to find ways to improve the club, but that doesn't mean he's operating with an open checkbook, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
- The Mariners, Phillies, Nationals, Twins, and Rangers didn't inquire on Mike Cameron before he was dealt to the Marlins, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- A major league executive told Tom Krasovic of InsideThePadres (via Twitter) that no team wants to take on money in a deal. The teams that can absorb salary, the exec says, have a big advantage.
- The Padres activated right-hander Luke Gregerson from the disabled list today and a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that there's already trade interest in him.
- There's been a lot of interest in pitcher Scott Kazmir and he should have a team soon, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. On Sunday, Buster Olney of ESPN estimated that Kazmir would find a club by early next week.