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Archives for July 2012

Outrighted: Young, Phillips, Farina

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The latest outright assignments from around MLB…

  • The Tigers outrighted Matt Young to Triple-A Toledo, the team announced (on Twitter). Detroit designated the utility player for assignment two days ago. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A Toledo, where he has played second base, center field and right field and posted a .251/.410/.342 batting line in 258 plate appearances.
  • The Orioles outrighted left-hander Zach Phillips to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). Baltimore designated Phillips for assignment over the weekend to create roster space for Jim Thome.
  • The Blue Jays outrighted Alan Farina to their Dunedin affiliate earlier this month, according to the team's website.

Potentially Available Second Basemen

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MLB second basemen have combined to hit .255/.317/.381 for the first half of the season — hardly an impressive offensive performance. In fact, Robinson Cano, Aaron Hill and Ben Zobrist are the only three qualified second basemen with an OPS over .800 this year. Here’s a preview of the midseason trade market at the position:

  • Marco Scutaro, Rockies – Scutaro will likely be traded, Troy Renck of the Denver Post wrote last month. The 36-year-old infielder has a .285/.336/.385 batting line and considerable experience at shortstop. He earns $6MM this year and will hit free agency this coming offseason.
  • Orlando Hudson, White Sox – It's been a rough year for Hudson, who lost his roster spot on the Padres then his starting job on the White Sox. If a team were to call about the 34-year-old, the White Sox would presumably listen.
  • Darwin Barney, Cubs – Rival teams have asked about Barney, but there's no reason for the Cubs to rush a deal. Barney won't even be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season and he has an acceptable .264/.309/.371 batting line.
  • Mike Fontenot, Phillies – Fontenot's playing time has been reduced since Chase Utley returned from the disabled list. He's now a bench player with a .329/.372/.384 batting line and the ability to play multiple infield positions.
  • Chris Getz, Royals – Getz, now on the disabled list with a leg strain, had been playing well before his injury and could draw trade interest this summer.
  • Kelly Johnson, Blue Jays – As long as the Blue Jays don't fall too far out of contention, Johnson figures to stay in Toronto.
  • Jose Altuve, Astros – Despite some speculation that Altuve’s available, it seems far more likely that they’ll hold on. Just because Houston’s headed for another 100-loss season doesn’t mean Jeff Luhnow will trade a controllable middle infielder who’s playing at an All-Star level.

MLBTR started previewing the trade market this week with a look at potentially available catchers and first basemen.

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Royals To Release Humberto Quintero

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The Royals announced that they have requested unconditional release waivers on catcher Humberto Quintero (Twitter link). Kansas City designated Quintero for assignment on June 27th.

The Royals acquired Quintero and Jason Bourgeois from Houston for Kevin Chapman and minor league outfielder D'Andre Toney back in March. The backstop posted a .232/.257/.341 line in 144 plate appearances for the Royals before being removed from the roster. Once Quintero clears release waivers, teams will be able to sign him for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary.

Mets Claim Chris Schwinden

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Chris Schwinden is back with the Mets after a busy month that saw him change organizations four times. The Mets announced that they claimed the right-hander off of waivers from the Yankees and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo (Twitter link).

The Blue Jays claimed him off of waivers from the Mets on June 2nd, the Indians claimed him off of waivers from Toronto four days later, and the Yankees claimed him on June 29th before designating him for assignment yesterday. Schwinden has a 4.31 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 14 starts for four Triple-A teams this year. He also appeared in three games for the Mets.

Minor Moves: Chuck James, Matt Antonelli

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We'll track the latest minor moves here…

  • Chuck James has indicated that the Mets released him from Triple-A Buffalo, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (on Twitter). The Mets signed the left-hander to a minor league deal in December and he posted a 4.57 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 18 appearances at Triple-A.
  • The Yankees released infielder Matt Antonelli, the team announced on its website. The Yankees claimed Antonelli from the Orioles in May then removed him from their roster to create space for Chad Qualls this past Sunday. Antonelli, a 27-year-old former first round pick, posted a .203/.333/.294 batting line in 172 plate appearances at Triple-A this year.

NL East Notes: Nationals, Mets, Rodriguez

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Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's always looking to upgrade, but don't expect Washington to trade long-term assets for a short-term piece. “We’re never going to do a knee-jerk reaction to win now," Rizzo said. The GM added that he's comfortable with his team's bullpen and lineup. Here are the latest NL East notes…

  • One prominent Mets player told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that the team could use a right-handed bat. “We can’t hit lefties,” the player said. The NL East features some elite left-handed pitchers so a hitter like Carlos Quentin might appeal to Mets GM Sandy Alderson. 
  • Martino hears the Mets won’t trade their best prospects for a bat or a reliever. 
  • One veteran player suggested to Martino that the Mets should stay away from Francisco Rodriguez because the reliever has “too much baggage.” The Mets traded Rodriguez to the Brewers last year and appear to have some interest in bringing him back to Queens.

International Signings: Royals, Rockies

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MLB teams have been signing top international prospects since Monday, when a new class of players became available. Here are the latest signings from around MLB…

  • The Royals signed Venezuelan third baseman Samir Duenez for $425K, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 16-year-old bats left-handed and has projectable power, Badler writes.
  • The Rockies signed Venezuelan left-hander Luis Guzman, Badler reports. The 16-year-old is a strike-thrower with a feel for secondary stuff, Badler adds.

Olney On Red Sox, Mariners, Smith, Rangers

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Most of the top available starting pitchers currently play in the National League, but there’s still lots of trade talk in the AL this summer. Buster Olney provides updates on the junior circuit trade market in today’s column at ESPN.com. Here are some highlights:

  • The Mariners won’t trade Felix Hernandez, but Kevin Millwood, Chone Figgins, Jason Vargas and Brandon League could be dealt.
  • The Red Sox have focused on adding starting pitching. Some executives believe the Rangers will make a big play for the best starting pitchers available.
  • Meanwhile, the White Sox have been asking around about relievers.
  • Teams have called about Seth Smith, but the Athletics will keep him. However, Kurt Suzuki could be available and the A’s will listen to offers for Brandon McCarthy, Bartolo Colon and Grant Balfour.
  • The Indians figure to pursue right-handed bats and Carlos Quentin could be an option in Cleveland, Olney writes.
  • The Blue Jays plan to assess their chances at the All-Star break, and some rival officials expect Toronto to sell.
  • The Orioles need pitching, but Olney doesn’t expect the team to make a major addition. Similarly, the Twins figure to seek pitching in any midseason trades they consider.
  • Here’s MLBTR’s recap of Olney’s look at the NL trade market.

Morosi On Nationals, Angels, Pirates, White Sox

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The Nationals will win the NL East this year, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Bryce Harper appears to have solved the team's center field dilemma in the short term and the team's run prevention has been tremendous. General manager Mike Rizzo says his team's first half success isn't a fluke. “I’m very pleased with it — don’t get me wrong — but I’m not shocked by it," he told Morosi. Here are more of Morosi’s notes from around MLB:

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