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Latest On Kyle Lohse, Cardinals

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It’s unclear whether there will be room for Kyle Lohse in the Cardinals’ rotation next year following the extension signed by Jake Westbrook on Tuesday. Lohse, a free agent this offseason, told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he hasn’t heard from the Cardinals about contract talks and doesn’t intend to initiate them. When agent Scott Boras asked Lohse if he wanted to talk to the Cardinals, the right-hander said he’d prefer to wait and see. 

"I'm not going to them. I figure if they're interested, they'd come to me. That hasn't happened," Lohse said.

Lohse, now in the final season of a four-year, $41MM contract, has positioned himself for another multiyear deal in free agency. He's 33 years old with a 13-2 record and a 2.67 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 169 innings. He told Strauss he’s enjoyed his time in St. Louis and believes the current deal has benefitted both sides. 

However, it doesn’t appear that Lohse fits in next season’s rotation. Westbrook, Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn, Jaime Garcia and Chris Carpenter are the team’s leading rotation candidates and Joe Kelly, Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal are alternatives. The Cardinals could make Lohse a one-year qualifying offer after the season if they’re prepared to spend $13MM-plus on him in 2013. St. Louis won’t obtain draft pick compensation for losing Lohse unless he obtains a qualifying offer.

NL Notes: Reds, Ludwick, Mets, Ramirez

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Here's a look at what's happening on the Senior Circuit..

  • The Reds have several factors to consider when deciding whether to call up shortstop Billy Hamilton, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.  Calling up the prospect in September would start Hamilton's service clock prematurely and skipper Dusty Baker says that he won't be among those making the call.
  • It's a foregone conclusion that the Reds will exercise their end of Ryan Ludwick's mutual $5MM option for 2013, but the outfielder says that he hasn't thought about what he'll do, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  The Reds signed Ludwick to a one-year, $2.5MM deal in mid-January after receiving interest from a few other clubs, including the A's.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson expects the team to improve via trade over the offseason, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  Alderson would go on to hint at significant changes, saying that the team needs "an infusion of players, productive players," (Twitter link).
  • One National League General Manager says that Hanley Ramirez has been a completely different player with the Dodgers and adds that his energy level is much higher, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  Ramirez has a slashline of .311/.368/.544 in 114 plate appearances for the Dodgers so far.

Red Sox Place Adrian Gonzalez On Trade Waivers

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The Red Sox have placed Adrian Gonzalez on trade waivers, a source tells Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).  A player being placed on trade waivers does not necessarily mean that he will be traded, but the first baseman could potentially draw interest from other clubs.

At one point this summer, the Dodgers inquired on the slugger, though its not clear how receptive the Red Sox were to the interest.  Ned Colletti & Co. reportedly offered pieces that could help Boston in the future, though the Dodgers' farm system isn't tremendously deep.  

Gonzalez's seven-year contract extension calls for him to make $4.82MM for the remainder of 2012 ($21MM total), $21MM annually through 2016, and $21.5MM in '17 and '18.  The veteran also holds a partial no-trade clause.

Astros Designate Armando Galarraga For Assignment

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The Astros announced that they have Armando Galarraga for assignment.  The move will create room for right-hander Hector Ambriz, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The 30-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Astros in late May to help fill a spot in Oklahoma City's rotation.  Galarraga wound up making five starts for Houston this year, posting a 6.75 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 18 walks.  For his big league career, Galarraga owns a 4.78 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Mets, Athletics, Storen, Izturis

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The Mets announced that Johan Santana isn't expected to pitch again in 2012 after an MRI revealed inflammation in his lower back. The Mets say no surgery is required for Santana, who returned from a shoulder capsule operation to post a 4.85 ERA in 117 innings this year. Here are today’s links…

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports suggests the Athletics will rely on internal options to replace the recently-suspended Bartolo Colon (Twitter link). If the Athletics do pursue outside alternatives Randy Wolf would be one option now that he has been released.
  • David Ross and Drew Storen have been impressed by MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports. "I'm a backup catcher, but he knew every detail of my career and my negotiations," Ross said. Weiner plans to continue to work on behalf of the players while undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.
  • There's virtually no chance Cesar Izturis returns to the Nationals this year, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). The infielder elected free agency earlier in the week.

Edinson Volquez On Waivers

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The Padres have placed right-hander Edinson Volquez on waivers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). Volquez drew interest leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline, so it would be surprising if he goes unclaimed.

Teams routinely place players on waivers, even if they don't plan on trading them, so this is not an indication that the Padres intend to move Volquez. If he goes unclaimed, the Padres will be able to complete a trade just as easily as they could have before the current waiver period began three weeks ago.

If a team claims Volquez, the Padres will have three choices. They can let him (and his contract) go to the claiming team, they can complete a trade with the claiming team, or they can pull him back off of waivers. National League teams will have claiming priority on Volquez.

Volquez earns $2.24MM this year and is under team control through 2013 as an arbitration eligible player. The 29-year-old has a 4.18 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 148 2/3 innings over the course of 26 starts.

Here’s MLBTR’s list of players to clear waivers in August.

Padres Designate Jeremy Hermida For Assignment

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The Padres announced that they designated outfielder Jeremy Hermida for assignment. The team selected the contract of left-hander Andrew Werner and optioned right-hander Brad Boxberger to Triple-A in related moves.

Hermida signed a one-year, $800K contract with the Padres last offseason only to spend considerable time on the disabled list with a strained hip flexor. The 28-year-old appeared in just 13 games for the Padres, but he also played in 44 games for San Diego's Triple-A affiliate, posting a .252/.318/.358 batting line in 170 plate appearances.

NL Central Notes: Wolf, Cardinals, Astros, Cubs

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The Brewers released Randy Wolf on his birthday, but the left-hander says the organization “has been outstanding” and showed him lots of respect, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. Wolf will go home to work out in Los Angeles and hope for another MLB opportunity to emerge. Here are some links from the NL Central…

  • The Cardinals’ offseason to-do list includes a potential contract extension for Adam Wainwright, left-handed relief and bench help, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes (on Twitter). Wainwright, who turns 31 in eight days, will earn $12MM in 2013, but he’s eligible for free agency after next year.
  • In case you missed it, the Cardinals agreed to a one-year extension with Jake Westbrook yesterday.
  • The Astros have not interviewed longtime MLB catcher Brad Ausmus for their managerial opening, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter). The Astros replaced Brad Mills with Tony DeFrancesco on an interim basis this week.
  • The Cubs parted ways with six scouts today, ESPN.com’s Keith Law reports (on Twitter).

Bartolo Colon Fails MLB Drug Test

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Bartolo Colon has failed an MLB-issued drug test and has been suspended for 50 games, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Both the Athletics and MLB have confirmed the suspension. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports says (on Twitter) that he tested positive for testosterone. 

Colon, 39, resurrected his career last season after undergoing an experimental stem cell treatment on his injured shoulder, a procedure MLB investigated last summer. Colon is scheduled to become a free agent after the season.

The veteran right-hander has pitched to a 3.43 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 24 starts and 152 1/3 innings for the Athletics this season after signing a one-year, $2MM contract. After missing all of 2010 and most of the 2006-2009 season, the 2005 AL Cy Young Award winner resurfaced with the Yankees last season and posted a 4.00 ERA in 164 1/3 innings.

Brett Anderson returned to the Athletics' rotation last night, pitching seven innings and allowing one earned run. He projects to join Brandon McCarthy, Tommy Milone and Jarrod Parker in the rotation for the remainder of the season. Dan Straily, Tyson Ross and Travis Blackley are also rotation options for the Athletics, who are deep enough in starting pitching to withstand the loss of Colon.

MLBTR Seeking Comment Moderators

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