Dodgers Outright Hector Gimenez To Double-A
The Dodgers have outrighted catcher Hector Gimenez to Double-A Chattanooga, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Gimenez had been on the 60-day disabled list, according to a team tweet.
The 28-year-old Gimenez appeared in just four games for the Dodgers in April before being shelved with a knee injury. Prior to that, he hadn't appeared in the big leagues since 2006, when he was with the Astros, with whom he signed as an amateur free agent in 1999.
Quick Hits: Guthrie, Giants, Brewers, Realignment
Here are a few stray items of note as Mike Moustakas bashes the first homer of his career for the Royals:
- The Orioles might be wise to trade right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun. Guthrie is eligible for arbitration this offseason before hitting free agency after the 2012 campaign. Last week, Tim Dierkes identified Guthrie as a potentially available starter prior to this year's trade deadline.
- The Giants need to acquire a catcher no matter how much they push Eli Whiteside, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News, but they're finding ways to win and shouldn't panic to fill their other holes.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin doesn't expect either of Milwaukee's first-round picks — college pitchers Taylor Jungmann and Jed Bradley — to sign soon, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Melvin said he encourages draftees to sign as quickly as possible in order to begin their development.
- Tigers manager Jim Leyland, one of three managers included in MLB's Special Committee for On-Field Matters, confirmed Saturday's report that realignment is under consideration, according to Jason Beck and Chris Vannini of MLB.com. Leyland expects some sort of change to come to pass, but he cautioned that these matters can be complicated with so many interested parties.
Padres Agree To Terms With Jace Peterson
The Padres have agreed to terms with Jace Peterson, whom they selected in the supplemetary round of Monday's Draft, reports Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter). Peterson will receive a bonus of $624,600, which matches MLB's recommended figure for his slot, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
Peterson, a left-handed-hitting infielder out of McNeese State, was the 58th overall pick and the Padres' fifth selection. The Padres gained the pick when Type B free agent Kevin Correia turned down their arbitration offer and signed with the Pirates. On Friday, the Padres signed their first first-round pick, Corey Spangenberg, who was selected at No. 10 overall.
San Diego has now agreed to terms with 19 of its 53 picks, with first-rounder Joe Ross (25th overall) and supplementary picks Michael Kelly and Brett Austin (48th and 54th) among the notables who remain unsigned.
New York Notes: Minaya, Montero, Alderson
Here are a few items of note coming out of the Big Apple as the Mets face the Pirates in Pittsburgh:
- The Mets were just one game under .500 entering Saturday night's game, and the team has played surprisingly well with an unheralded cast largely assembled by former GM Omar Minaya, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
- Jesus Montero, the Yankees' touted catching prospect, was out of the lineup for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight but not because he was called up to the big leagues, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (Twitter links).
- In the wake of Phil Hughes' DL stint and Joba Chamberlain's season-ending injury, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes that the Yanks should handle top arms Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances differently.
- Within the same piece, Madden writes that the Mets appear to be taking a long-term approach to restocking the organization under new GM Sandy Alderson, as evidenced by their selection of prep outfielder Brandon Nimmo with the No. 13 pick in the Draft.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Hiroki Kuroda
Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda has established himself as a top-of-the-rotation starter in three-plus Major League seasons since coming over from Japan. With a respectable career strikeout rate (6.6 K/9), fine control (2.2 BB/9) and the ability to induce ground balls (roughly 50%), Kuroda should draw interest as one of the better pitchers in what looks to be a so-so class of free-agent hurlers this offseason, including C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle, Chris Carpenter and Joel Pineiro.
Because of Kuroda's age, his seeming affinity for Los Angeles and the Dodgers' uncertain financial standing, it'll be interesting to see how his second foray into free agency in as many years plays out. Kuroda, who will turn 37 in February, signed a one-year, $12MM pact with the Dodgers in November 2010. I think that was a relatively modest deal considering Kuroda was coming off his best (and healthiest) season, but it did include a full no-trade clause, and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reported that Kuroda didn't even entertain offers from other clubs before re-signing with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers probably won't be big spenders so long as they are being managed by MLB, and it's uncertain when the team will be sold. However, Kuroda has already shown a willingness to exchange cash (and perhaps years) for security. Assuming he remains happy in Los Angeles, I could see him taking a similar deal with the Dodgers this offseason. If he chooses to test the market, or if the team wishes to go in another direction, I think he could probably find a two-year deal at a similar annual salary, likely without the benefit of a blanket no-trade.
Of course, considering his age, there's always the chance Kuroda could simply call it a career or return to NPB, where a couple of clubs were reportedly interested in his services last offseason.
Rosenthal On Willingham, Upton, Reds, Twins
It's the middle of June and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) says that teams aren't sure if they'll be buying or selling as the deadline approaches..
- The Athletics certainly look like sellers but they're not ready to just give players away. Three of their more attractive hitters, David DeJesus, Coco Crisp, and Josh Willingham all make $6MM or less, salaries that are not prohibitive. The A's can keep all of them, offer them arbitration, and then collect draft picks if they go elsewhere. Right now, Willingham is the only one of the trio that projects as a Type A free agent.
- The Rays could sell even while in contention if they believe that they can build something better for the future. B.J. Upton remains a difficult call for the club. Desmond Jennings, their top prospect, wouldn't provide as much of an impact. At the same time, Upton is likely to make more than $6MM next season in arbitration. Tampa Bay could wait until the offseason to move him but they might get more value if they act sooner.
- If the Reds wanted to get creative, they could move one of their catchers for starting pitching and promote prospect Devin Mesoraco. However, the combination of Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan is one of their strengths and they might not want to disrupt the chemistry between their pitchers and catchers.
- The Twins are at the bottom of the AL Central but GM Bill Smith says that the team still believes that it's in the race. It also helps that Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, and Joe Mauer are all expected back soon. Minnesota isn't ready to pack it in just yet, and they're not quite ready to be mid-season sellers.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Cabrera, Realignment, Oeltjen
Links for Saturday, as a pair of offseason headliners (Cliff Lee and Matt Garza) prepare to face off in Philadelphia this afternoon…
- The Pirates have been asking around for a catcher but have found that the asking prices are high as clubs want to take advantage of their situation, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Pittsburgh is in a bind with Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder on the disabled list.
- As the Giants look for infield help, ESPN's Buster Olney (via Twitter) says that Orlando Cabrera is a name to keep an eye on. The veteran just lost his everyday job in Cleveland and the Giants were close to inking him over the winter.
- After the Orioles tabbed Dylan Bundy with the fourth overall pick in the draft, Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun takes a look at Adam Loewen, the No. 4 pick that got away.
- Major League Baseball and the players' association have discussed doing away with divisions altogether and balancing out the leagues to 15 teams each, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. The new structure would have teams vying for five playoff spots in each league. The odds of this happening, however, are still less than 50-50, according to one source.
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times says that Trent Oeltjen could have become a free agent if the Dodgers didn't add him to the Major League roster by June 15th (Twitter link). Oeltjen was called up two days ago.
- In a piece for ESPN, Jim Bowden wrote about how GM's prepare to make trades, a process that usually begins with low-ball offers being exchanged.
- The writers at FanGraphs conducted a franchise player draft, selecting a player they would build a team around. Evan Longoria and Troy Tulowitzki were the first two off the board.
- The Royals have signed 16 draft picks according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. The highest signed pick was ninth rounder Aaron Brooks.
Giants Sign First Rounder Joe Panik
The Giants have signed first round pick Joe Panik according to a team press release. His signing bonus is unknown, but MLB's slot recommendation for the 29th overall pick is approximately $1.1MM.
Baseball America ranked the middle infielder as the second best prospect to come out of New York in 2011. Nationally, Panik was ranked 67th by the publication. The St. John's product is said to have a plus bat and likely projects to second base.
Panik, 20, is the first middle infielder taken by the Giants with a first-round pick since shortstop Royce Clayton in 1988.
Cubs Designate Brad Snyder For Assignment
The Cubs have designated Brad Snyder for assignment reports Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The move creates room on the roster for Casey Coleman, who was called up to reinforce the bullpen.
Snyder, 29, started one game in left field for the Cubs this year, striking out three times in four hitless at-bats. He picked up one hit and three more strikeouts in five pinch-hitting appearances. The lefty swinger hit a fine .342/.374/.568 with seven homers in 155 plate appearances with Chicago's Triple-A affiliate before being called up.
2012 Vesting Options Update
Now that the calendar has flipped to June, let's check in on the status of the various vesting options around the league…
- Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu has already come to the plate 276 times this year, so this one seems life a safe bet to vest, barring injury.
- Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Furcal is back on the disabled list with an oblique strain, and he's still a month away from returning. He has only 69 plate appearances this year, so this one won't vest.
- Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland has been on the disabled list twice this year (the first two times of his career), and he's currently out with a sore shoulder. He only has 54 innings to his credit and won't be back anytime soon, so this one won't vest.
- Francisco Rodriguez, Mets: $17.5MM option vests with 55 games finished and if doctors declare him healthy at the end of the year. K-Rod has already finished 25 games, putting him on pace for 65 at season's end. A trade to a team that would use him as a set-up man would change everything, but right now the option figures to vest.
- Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in 26 games and finished 11, putting him on pace for 69 and 29, respectively.
- Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season. He's appeared in 20 games so far, putting him on pace for 50. Rhodes' workload could increase down the stretch.
- Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. He's already appeared in 28 games and is on pace for 71. It's worth noting that even if the option doesn't vest, the Royals would still control Soria as an arbitration-eligible player in 2012.
- Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in 17 games so far, so a stint on the disabled list did not help his cause.
Adam Wainwright's 2012 ($9MM) and 2013 ($12MM) options will not vest because he will finish the season on the disabled list after having Tommy John surgery. Aramis Ramirez's option depends on MVP Award finishes and whether or not he's traded, not plate appearances or another counting milestone.
Mark Buehrle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and although he doesn't have a traditional option in his contract, he gets an extra year at $15MM tacked onto his current deal if he's traded at some point this season.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.