Archives for July 2012

NL East Notes: Sheets, Bourn, Schwinden

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 4:39pm CDT

Ben Sheets, who last pitched for the 2010 Athletics, will start for the Braves this Sunday, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The right-hander started two games at Double-A and posted a 5.06 ERA with a 10K/1BB ratio after signing with Atlanta. Here are today's NL East links…

Braves center fielder Michael Bourn believes the Nationals were interested in him last summer, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports. The Nationals, who continue to seek a long-term answer in center field, are expected to pursue Bourn when he hits free agency this coming offseason. Bourn told Kilgore he’ll take his time deciding on where to sign his next contract. “Right now, I’m focused on this season right now,” he said. “I think I’m on a good team right now in the Atlanta Braves.”
Chris Schwinden cleared waivers after being claimed four times in the span of five weeks, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The right-hander’s playing in the Mets’ minor league system, but he’s no longer on their 40-man roster.

J.C. Romero Elects Free Agency

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 3:41pm CDT

Left-hander J.C. Romero opted out of his deal with the Orioles and elected free agency, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Orioles signed the 14-year MLB veteran a month ago and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.

The Cardinals signed Romero to a one-year deal worth $750K plus incentives back in December only to release him six weeks into the season. After signing on with the Orioles the 35-year-old MDR Sports Management client posted a 2.51 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 14 1/3 innings (17 appearances) at Norfolk. He has a 4.15 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 657 1/3 career innings.

Regular MLBTR Features

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 3:31pm CDT

If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:

MLBTR Chats - Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CDT to chat about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the Major Leagues.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In - Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
Week In Review - It's remarkable how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories in our Week In Review posts.
MLBTR Originals - We gather all our original analysis and reporting in one place every Sunday night.

Dodgers Acquire Osvaldo Martinez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 2:33pm CDT

The latest minor moves from around MLB…

The Dodgers acquired minor league infielder Osvaldo Martinez from the White Sox for cash considerations, Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times tweets. Martinez, 24, had a .178/.221/.229 batting line in 230 plate appearances for Chicago's top affiliate this year. The White Sox acquired him last fall in the deal that sent manager Ozzie Guillen to Miami.

Potentially Available Outfielders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 2:00pm CDT

Teams willing to trade everyday outfielders this summer won’t have a shortage of interest. The Reds, Pirates, Indians, Dodgers, Tigers and Yankees are among the contenders with possible openings in the outfield. Here’s a look at some potentially available outfielders:

Center Fielders

Shane Victorino, Phillies – It’s unclear if the Phillies are serious about moving Victorino, but he’s definitely on the radar as a potential trade candidate in the final year of his contract. The 31-year-old is hitting .245/.311/.369 with eight home runs and 19 stolen bases this year. He earns a $9.5MM salary.
Peter Bourjos, Angels – Teams continue to call the Angels about Bourjos and the Angels would move him in the right deal, Jayson Stark reported recently. The speedy 25-year-old is a fourth outfielder in Anaheim but could start elsewhere.
Denard Span, Twins – Span has a respectable .334 on-base percentage and a team-friendly five-year, $16.5MM contract. The Nationals have had interest in Span before and the Twins seem willing to listen again this summer.
Coco Crisp, Athletics – Crisp, now in the first season of his two-year, $14MM contract with the A's, is off to a slow start at the plate.
David DeJesus, Cubs – DeJesus can play all three outfield positions and has a .271/.359/.387 batting line through 311 plate appearances. He earns just $4.25MM per season through 2013. So far there's no indication the Cubs have made him available.
B.J. Upton, Rays – There's been some speculation that Upton could be traded, but nothing concrete. The 27-year-old is hitting .248/.303/.376 and earning $7MM as he approaches free agency.

Right Fielders

Justin Upton, Diamondbacks – The Diamondbacks will listen to offers for Upton, who’s still just 24 years old. While his offensive numbers are down (.273/.353/.401 slash line), this represents a buy-low opportunity for contenders and non-contenders alike.
Jeff Francoeur, Royals – Francoeur's on-base percentage is below .300, his slugging percentage sits at .378 and he'll earn $6MM in 2012 and $7.5MM in 2013. In other words he'd have very little trade value. The Royals might be able to get Francoeur's contract through waivers in August.
Bryan LaHair, Cubs – There's no urgency for the Cubs to move LaHair, who posted an impressive .286/.364/.519 batting line en route to an All-Star berth.

Left Fielders

Alfonso Soriano, Cubs – Soriano could draw trade interest despite his over-sized contract. I discussed him in detail earlier this year. Soriano's contract will clear waivers, so the Cubs could trade him in August without restrictions.
Carlos Quentin, Padres – Quentin figures to draw considerable interest given his production and contract status. I also discussed him in detail earlier this year.
Juan Pierre, Phillies – The Reds have some interest in Pierre, who's reaching base and stealing bases as usual.
Josh Willingham, Twins – The Twins don't seem eager to part with Willingham, though he'd draw considerable interest if Minnesota made him available. He has 19 home runs and an OPS of .913.
Chone Figgins, Mariners – It’s doubtful Figgins would draw much interest even if the Mariners were willing to absorb all of his salary. Figgins would clear waivers, so he'll be an August trade candidate.
Vernon Wells, Angels – Wells has a .704 OPS and a contract that pays him $21MM annually through 2014. The Angels would be covering most of Wells' salary in any deal. Like Figgins and Soriano, Wells would clear waivers.

Other Options

Mark Kotsay, corner outfielder, Padres - Kotsay, 36, has a .745 OPS and a salary of just $1.25MM.
The Red Sox could trade Ryan Kalish, Ryan Sweeney or Daniel Nava once Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury are activated from the disabled list. The Reds match up well with Boston on paper.

MLBTR started previewing the trade market with a look at potentially available catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen and shortstops.

AL East Notes: Orioles, Longoria, Perez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 12:59pm CDT

Though fourth overall selection Kevin Gausman recently said he’s leaning toward returning to LSU, Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports the team intends to reach a deal with its top pick. Duquette says the sides have made progress toward an agreement and Morosi reports that the Orioles have already offered Gausman "close" to MLB's recommended $4.2MM bonus. Here’s the latest from the AL East…

There’s lots of concern about Evan Longoria’s absence in Tampa Bay and no guarantee the Rays third baseman will return in 2012, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney tweets. Longoria has been sidelined since the beginning of May with a partially torn hamstring.
Commissioner Bud Selig says it’s “inexcusable” to see the Rays ranked 29th in attendance, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter). “Nobody can defend that," Selig said. The commissioner added that he'll continue "discussions" with Rays ownership, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes (on Twitter).
Blue Jays left-hander Luis Perez will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a ligament in his left pitching elbow, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes.

Padres Notes: Street, Ownership

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 12:11pm CDT

The Padres are tied for last place in the NL West with a 34-53 record, but there's lots of intrigue for Padres fans this summer. Carlos Quentin, Chase Headley and Huston Street are among the players who figure to draw interest from rival teams as the July 31st trade deadline approaches. Here's the latest on the Padres…

The Padres have scouted the Cardinals and will watch one of St. Louis’ top minor league affiliates this week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Street, San Diego’s closer, could be targeted by the Cardinals in trade talks. He says he prefers to continue closing if he’s traded.
Commissioner Bud Selig told reporters, including Scott Miller of CBSSports.com, that he doesn’t know if the Padres’ sale will be completed by the owners meetings scheduled for next month (Twitter link). "I understand they [still] have two or three weeks of work," the commissioner said.

Red Sox Notes: Sweeney, Bard, Aviles, Ross

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 11:20am CDT

The Red Sox head into the All-Star break 2.5 games out of the Wild Card race with a 43-43 record. Here are the latest notes and rumors surrounding the team:

Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald hears the Red Sox could be discussing a deal involving Ryan Sweeney. The Cubs are one possible destination, Silverman writes. Boston GM Ben Cherington may consider deals for Sweeney once Jacoby Ellsbury returns from the disabled list.
Longtime Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that Daniel Bard will rebound from his early-season struggles. “He’s going to be fine. I really do think he’s going to be fine,” Papelbon said. “He’s taking some bumps and bruises right now but who doesn’t."
The Red Sox should be sellers this month, John Tomase of the Herald writes. Cherington should strongly consider trading players such as Mike Aviles, Cody Ross and Kelly Shoppach, Tomase suggests.
The Red Sox sent just one All-Star to Kansas City (David Ortiz) and until their best players start performing at an elite level, it's hard to imagine the team emerging from its current state of mediocrity, Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes.

Hamels, Phillies Continue Discussing Extension

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 10:09am CDT

Lines of communication between the Phillies and the agent for Cole Hamels are open and the negotiations are reaching a critical stage, Jim Salisbury at CSNPhilly.com reports. Hamels, a free agent after the 2012 season, is expected to become a trade chip if the Phillies don’t sign him long-term.

Not much has changed since Spring Training, Salisbury reports. The Phillies appear to be comfortable paying Hamels close to $24MM per season (the same range as Cliff Lee), but the sides haven’t agreed on the length of the potential extension. Initially the Phillies wanted to complete a four-year deal, but it’s likely the team is now willing to offer more years. However, John Boggs, the agent for Hamels, could target a six or seven-year contract.

Royals To Seek Pitching Next Offseason

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | July 10, 2012 at 9:04am CDT

The Royals are determined to sign a significant free agent starting pitcher for 2013 this coming offseason, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. After a difficult first half that included a number of serious injuries, the Royals' rotation ranks 28th in baseball with a 5.16 ERA.

A Royals person told Knobler the team won’t settle for back-of-the-rotation types. "Not a fifth starter, but a real starting pitcher," the person said. Knobler suggests Missouri native Shaun Marcum could be a fit given the Royals’ past interest in the right-hander.

The Royals rotation currently consists of Bruce Chen, Luke Hochevar, Luis Mendoza, Jonathan Sanchez and Everett Teaford. With the exception of Sanchez, the entire rotation is under control through 2013 or beyond. Royals pitchers Felipe Paulino, Danny Duffy, Blake Wood and Joakim Soria all had their seasons cut short to undergo Tommy John surgery this year.

Former Royals ace Zack Greinke headlines a class of free agent starting pitchers that figures to include Cole Hamels, Anibal Sanchez, Edwin Jackson, Ryan Dempster, Hiroki Kuroda and Marcum.

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