Padres Notes: Rizzo, Adams, Gregerson
The Padres are last in the National League in runs per game, but first base prospect Anthony Rizzo may help solve San Diego's offensive woes before long. Here's the latest on Rizzo and the Padres:
- Padres GM Jed Hoyer has said there are legitimate developmental concerns for keeping Rizzo in the minor leagues, such as the prospect's offensive approach against left-handed pitching. But service time may also be a consideration for clubs wishing to avoid going to arbitration an extra time. As Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, the Padres "are dragging their feet for long-term financial reasons at the presumed cost of being more competitive right now."
- MLB executive VP of labor relations Rob Manfred told Sullivan that "there’s nothing illegal, immoral or fattening about it" because cutoffs such as the one for super two status are always subject to strategy.
- The Padres will listen to offers for any of their relievers, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The inquiries have already started on Mike Adams, Luke Gregerson and others, according to Morosi.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Reyes, Mariners, Galarraga
Links for Sunday, after John Danks was unable to get his first win of 2011 this afternoon….
- It seems likely that the Pirates will place Ryan Doumit on the disabled list after he injured his ankle today, and Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh-Tribune Review says (on Twitter) that Dusty Brown would get called up to replace him since Jason Jaramillo is also hurt. Pittsburgh's 40-man roster is full, so a move will have to be made to accommodate Brown.
- Andy McCullough of The Star-Ledger reports (on Twitter) that Mets shortstop Jose Reyes was again asked about his contract following today's game. "I've told you like a million times already," said Reyes, an impending free agent. "If [an extension] comes, it comes. If not, I'm going to continue to play."
- Larry Stone of The Seattle Times spoke to Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik about the upcoming draft, who indicated that he will not draft based on team need and that they have a group of about five players they're specifically targeting for the second overall pick.
- Bob Cohn of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote about the importance that decision-making plays into the success of small market teams.
- Armando Galarraga wasn't pleased about his demotion to Triple-A, writes Chris Gabel of the Reno Gazette-Journal. The right-hander was blunt about why he stayed in the Diamondbacks' organization and accepted his minor league assignment: "The money. They have to pay me $2.3MM to come here."
- The trade pulled off by the Yankees, Tigers, and Diamondbacks in 2009 was the rare three-way deal that worked out for each team, says Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
- Asked whether the Indians could pursue Jim Thome this summer, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer points out that if the Twins make him available, it likely won't be until after he hits his 600th home run. Hoynes doubts that the veteran slugger is a fit for the Tribe anyway.
- While the Red Sox committed over $300MM to Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez this year, their smaller investments are also paying dividends, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- P.J. Walters was removed from the Cardinals' 40-man roster and cleared waivers earlier this weekend, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
MLBTR Originals: 5/22/11 – 5/29/11
Time to recap all of the original content we've provided over the last seven days…
- Tim Dierkes put together a list of all the players eligible for arbitration after the season and explored the offseason closer market. Contenders and their lefty relievers was another topic, and Tim also looked at what might happen if the Padres become sellers.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith spoke to Indians' director of amateur scouting Brad Grant about the team's approach to the draft. He also listed some contenders that need help in the OBP department and broke down Heath Bell's trade value.
- The 2012 Contract Issues series continued with the Tigers, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks.
- Ben looked at what Fred Wilpon's comments mean for the Mets while Howard Megdal had some fun with them.
- I rounded up the best the blogosphere had to offer in Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- Here is this week's chat transcript.
Week In Review: 5/22/11 – 5/29/11
We're already just two months shy of the trade deadline, so make sure you tell all your friends where they can find the latest and greatest rumors involving their favorite team, right here at MLBTR. Here's a recap of the big stories from the last seven days…
- Mets owner Fred Wilpon tore into Carlos Beltran, Jose Reyes, and David Wright in an interview with The New Yorker, making statements that seemed to come from a frustrated fan and not the owner. The Mets also agreed to sell a minority share of the team to David Einhorn for $200MM. Reports indicated that he received a 30-35% ownership stake with an option to purchase more down the road, but the club is denying those terms. Either way, the Mets get a much needed infusion of cash.
- The Giants lost Buster Posey to a leg injury that ended his season, but they have not yet called other teams to inquire about catching help. Bengie Molina would be open to returning to the Bay Area.
- Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez said that he's willing to work as a setup man if traded, but only if he gets a contract extension and returns to the closer's role in 2012. The Rangers and other teams have inquired about Heath Bell and Joel Hanrahan.
- The Blue Jays and Giants both contacted the Mets about Reyes, but there haven't been any serious talks yet. The Twins are open to dealing Kevin Slowey, but an abdominal injury has landed him on the disabled list in the meantime.
- The Rockies are looking to shake up their bench, and did so by designating Alfredo Amezaga and Jose Lopez for assignment. They also traded Felipe Paulino to the Royals for cash.
- The Tigers and Athletics swapped Scott Sizemore and David Purcey while the Cubs acquired Rodrigo Lopez from the Braves for Ryan Buchter. Russell Branyan caught on with the Angels.
- Players that were designated for assignment last week: Pat Misch of the Mets, Robert Coello of the Cubs, Robinson Tejeda of the Royals, Rob Delaney of the Rays, Lance Cormier of the Dodgers, Jay Buente of the Marlins, Robbie Weinhardt of the Tigers, Samuel Deduno of the Padres, Josh Wilson of the D'Backs, Travis Schlichting of the Dodgers, and both Ryan Rohlinger and Henry Sosa of the Giants.
- Players claimed off waivers last week: Blake King by the Astros (from the Cardinals), Danny Ray Herrera by the Brewers (from the Reds), Kanekoa Texeira by the Yankees (from the Royals), plus Wilson by the Brewers and Buente by the Rays. Justin Germano (Indians), Hideki Okajima (Red Sox), and Dan Johnson (Rays) all cleared waivers.
- Players signed to minor league deals last week: Ian Snell by the Dodgers, Julio Lugo by the Braves, and Scott Podsednik by the Phillies. Alex Cintron called it a career and the Astros released Joe Inglett. The Nationals returned Rule 5 Draft pick Brian Broderick to the Cardinals and Steve Tolleson went to the Padres (from the A's) in a minor swap.
- And finally, Frank McCourt is expected to meet the Dodgers' end of the month payroll.
Dodgers Designate Travis Schlichting For Assignment
The Dodgers have designated Travis Schlichting for assignment according to the team's official Twitter feed. Eric Stephen of True Blue LA originally reported the news. The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Josh Lindblom, who takes the place of the injured Kenley Jansen (shoulder inflammation) in the bullpen.
Schlichting, 26, had a 6.55 ERA with just 4.9 K/9 and 5.7 BB/9 in 22 relief innings for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate. In 16 relief appearances with LA over the last two years, he posted a 3.55 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old Lindblom was the Dodgers' second round pick in 2008, and he struck out 12.2 batters per nine innings with a 2.96 ERA in 24 1/3 relief innings for their Double-A affiliate this year. Baseball America ranked him as LA's 16th best propect in the 2011 Prospect Handbook, noting that his future appears to be in relief after an unsuccessful stint as a starter.
Padres Acquire Steve Tolleson
The Padres have acquired infielder Steve Tolleson from the Athletics for a player to be named later according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle hears the A's will instead receive cash considerations (Twitter link), so there's some confusion about the (modest) return. He is likely headed to Triple-A.
Tolleson, 27, was playing with Oakland's Triple-A affiliate for the second straight season after being claimed off waivers from the Twins last February. The A's designated him for assignment in January after signing Brian Fuentes. Tolleson is a .293/.376/.425 hitter in nearly 1,000 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, and his first big league call-up went pretty well last season (.286/.340/.408 in 53 PA).
Baseball America's 2009 Prospect Handbook said Tolleson's "best-case scenario would be a career akin to Ryan Freel." He has plenty of experience at the three non-first base infield spots and has even dabbled in the outfield, so he's a candidate for a reserve role. The Padres just lost Orlando Hudson to injury (groin strain), so they replenished some depth while the A's cleared up a bit of a logjam following their Scott Sizemore pickup.
Rockies Designate Alfredo Amezaga For Assignment
The Rockies have designated Alfredo Amezega for assignment and recalled Chris Nelson from Triple-A, according to the team's Twitter feed. Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports first tweeted that Nelson would replace Amezaga on Colorado's roster.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported on Thursday that the Rockies were looking to shake up their bench, with Amezaga and Jose Lopez in jeopardy of losing their roster spots. Lopez was DFA'd later that night.
Amezaga, 33, has hit .242/.297/.273 in 38 plate appearances for the Rockies in 2011. The utility player, who signed a minor league deal with Colorado in January, played in 20 games for the team, seeing time at second base, shortstop, third base, and right field.
Cafardo On Indians, Young, Guthrie, Reddick
In his column today for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo argues against potential rule changes, discusses injuries around the league, and looks back at the 2009 trade that sent Justin Masterson to Cleveland and Victor Martinez to the Red Sox. He also dedicates some space to sharing a few hot stove notes. Let's check out the highlights….
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro on whether his team could be buyers at the trade deadline: "It’s not a matter of money. It’s a matter of not giving away any of our prospects. We’re not going to do that."
- Although the Twins won't say as much, they could move Delmon Young before the trade deadline in the right deal, according to Cafardo. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently looked at other players who might be available if the last-place Twins become sellers.
- The Orioles say Jeremy Guthrie won't be moved, but as one NL scout asks, "If you put together a package they can’t say no to, will they still say no?"
- Josh Reddick, recently recalled by the Red Sox, is "on a few teams' wish lists." Cafardo previously reported that Reddick was generating chatter among scouts, and says today that scouts for two NL teams are looking forward to evaluating the outfielder in the bigs.
New York Notes: Reyes, Felix, Hughes, Jeter
Even before reports of David Einhorn's $200MM investment in the Mets surfaced, things could've been worse in Queens, writes Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. Vaccaro points out that New York's baseball history includes plenty of stretches more dismal than the one endured by the present-day Mets, and breaks down his top five. Here are some other Sunday morning notes on the Mets and Yankees:
- Einhorn got a first-hand look at Jose Reyes on Saturday, but refused comment when asked about the possibility of re-signing the shortstop, says Kevin Kernan of the New York Post.
- Whenever Felix Hernandez faces the Yankees, as he did Saturday night, it seems invariably to lead to speculation about King Felix someday wearing pinstripes. However, as Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News writes, that's not about to happen anytime soon.
- Phil Hughes took "a step in the right direction" this weekend, throwing off a mound for the first time in over a month, according to Feinsand.
- The New York Post's Steve Selby argues that if there's one player who deserves to be cut some slack when he struggles, it's Derek Jeter.
Quick Hits: Gomes, Pudge, Lopez, Diamondbacks
With plenty of baseball still going on, here are some Saturday evening Quick Hits..
- Jonny Gomes is slumping badly for the Reds (.168/.302/.366 coming into today), and ESPN's Buster Olney doubts they'll be patient and wait until the trade deadline to see if he snaps out of it (Twitter link).
- Despite interest from the Giants, Ivan Rodriguez told Nationals GM Mike Rizzo that he wants to stay with the team according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times wonders if this could be the end of the line for Jose Lopez. The veteran infielder was DFA'd by the Rockies earlier this week.
- The Diamondbacks have managed to turn their bullpen around without spending big bucks, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
- A National League executive told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that with so many teams are hovering around the .500 mark, many don't know if they're buyers or sellers yet.