West Notes: Giants, Teagarden, Harden, Angels
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
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
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
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
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.
Padres Designate Jorge Cantu For Assignment
The Padres have designated infielder Jorge Cantu for assignment, reports Ted Mendenhall II of ESPN Radio 1700 San Diego (Twitter link). As Mendenhall notes, the move opens a spot on San Diego's 40-man roster.
Cantu signed an $850K contract with San Diego in January and he hit just .194/.232/285 in 155 plate appearances for the Friars, making 37 starts (26 at first, 10 at third and one at second). His versatility may entice another team to give him a look but his numbers have tailed off considerably since his .289/.345/.443 performance with Florida in 2009.
Marlins Sign DeWayne Wise
The Marlins have signed outfielder Dewayne Wise and he will be assigned to Florida's Triple-A affiliate, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. This is Wise's second stint with the Fish in 2011; he signed the team in the offseason but exercised his contract's out clause in March when he didn't make Florida's Opening Day roster.
Wise was released by the Blue Jays last week. The defensive specialist posted a .931 OPS in 144 plate appearances at Triple-A Las Vegas, but given how that number is over 250 points higher than Wise's career Major League OPS, his offensive surge can likely be explained by the hitter-friendly Las Vegas ballpark. The Marlins are Wise's fifth team in his eight-year Major League career — he has also played for the Jays, Braves, Reds, and perhaps most memorably, the White Sox.
Angels Release Scott Kazmir
The Angels have released left-hander Scott Kazmir, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times. (Twitter link) We heard earlier today that the move was imminent in the wake of Kazmir's poor performance in rehab starts, and DiGiovanna confirms that the Halos will indeed pick up the rest of Kazmir's remaining salary. That total will be the $7MM left on Kazmir's $12MM 2011 salary and the $2.5MM buyout of his 2012 option.
Kazmir posted a 3.51 ERA and 742 strikeouts in 689 2/3 innings for the Rays between 2005 and 2008, including a league-high 239 K's in 2007. Since then, he has dealt with a number of injuries, and Tampa Bay dealt him to the Angels in August 2009. The southpaw has managed just a 5.31 ERA and 5.7 K/9 in 35 starts with Los Angeles.
Minor Moves: Wade, Thomas, Diamond
Minor moves for Wednesday…
- The Yankees have signed right-hander Cory Wade to a Major League contract and called him up to the Major League roster, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Wade signed a minor league deal with New York on Monday. To make room, Hoch reports that Rafael Soriano was moved to the 60-day DL and Kevin Whelan was optioned to Triple-A.
- The Rangers have released catcher Michael Thomas, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Thomas was the player to be named later in the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade last July. Eddy notes the Rangers considered converting Thomas to pitching.
- The Cubs released righty Thomas Diamond from their Triple-A club, tweets Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. He'd been outrighted in May to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Doug Davis.
- The Diamondbacks purchased the contract of righty reliever Jeff Bennett from the Lancaster Barnstormers. It appears that Bennett will join Arizona's Triple-A club. The 31-year-old last pitched in the Majors with the Rays in '09.
Outrighted: Toregas, Hughes, Pucetas, Nieves
Players who cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A:
- The Cubs announced that Brad Snyder has been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa. The outfielder was designated for assignment on the weekend.
- Catcher Wyatt Toregas was outrighted to Indianapolis by the Pirates, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He'd been designated for assignment on Sunday to open a spot for Mike McKenry.
- Lefty reliever Dusty Hughes was outrighted to Rochester to open a 40-man spot with the Twins for infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, according to the team's transactions page. They'd claimed Hughes off waivers from the Royals in January. The Twins will need another spot for Joe Mauer soon.
- Righty Kevin Pucetas, designated for assignment by the Royals on Friday to open a 40-man spot for Mike Moustakas, was assigned outright to Omaha today according to the Royals' Twitter page.
- The Brewers outrighted catcher Wil Nieves to Nashville, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. George Kottaras' contract was selected. The Brewers' 40-man roster count remains at 37. The White Sox are the only other team under 38.