MLBTR Originals
A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week:
- Ben Nicholson-Smith explored the possibility of Geovany Soto (Rangers), Chris Volstad (Cubs), and Jair Jurrjens (Braves) being non-tendered this offseason.
- Daniel Seco asked MLBTR readers which player will most likely be traded in August. Over 40% of you say Alfonso Soriano is the most likely to be dealt this month from a group of Heath Bell, Scott Hairston, Justin Morneau, Vernon Wells, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford.
- MLBTR is keeping track of the players who, based on published reports, have cleared waivers. This list can always be found in the sidebar under MLBTR Features.
- Ben asked MLBTR readers how the Pirates will finish out the season. You were split between the Buccos making the playoffs for the first time in 20 years (51%) and failing to make the post-season but finishing with a winning record also for the first time in 20 years (45%).
- Ben asked MLBTR readers the same question about the Orioles. You were much less optimistic about the O's chances of making the playoffs for the first time in 15 years (25%). So much for a rematch of the 1979 World Series. But, you were very bullish about the Birds having a winning season (63%).
- The "How Will They Finish" polling continued with Zach Links asking about the Dodgers and Mike Axisa asking about Oakland. A majority of MLBTR readers believe the Dodgers will make the post-season (61%), but the A's will fall short despite finishing with a winning record (56%).
- Mark Polishuk imagined what a contract extension for Buster Posey would cost in terms of dollars and years.
- Mike provided a 2013 vesting options update for players like Jason Bartlett, Kevin Gregg, and Brett Myers.
- Mike also updated the seasons for 11 players identified as 2012 being a make or break year for them.
- Ben hosted this week's live chat.
- Mike assembled the best of the baseball blogosphere for you in Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
- There are many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors. Here's a refresher on how to use MLBTR, our commenting policy, and our roster of weekly features, including when they are posted and what exactly to expect from them.
Quick Hits: Mets, Gerrit Cole, Aviles
The Games of the XXX Olympiad came to a close today in London. Nearly 11,000 athletes from 204 nations took part in over 300 events in 26 sports. But, none of the Olympic pagentry involved baseball. So, let's celebrate America's National Pastime with the latest news, notes and quotes:
- Not everyone in the Mets front office is sold that they can be a sustained contender moving forward with Ike Davis at first base, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. One internal option would be moving Lucas Duda in from the outfield and some believe that he would be more comfortable at first.
- Mets owner Fred Wilpon wouldn't speak with reporters following a rare on-field appearance before last night's game against the Braves, but he'll have to start answering questions soon, writes David Lennon of Newsday. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding the Mets, including what their projected payroll will be for 2013 and if the franchise is on the rebound financially.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington says Gerrit Cole, last year's top draft pick, will not be a September callup, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Sulia). "We've not talked about it internally. My gut (feeling) is no." Huntington said. "To drop him into bullpen up here in September is not something we have lot of interest in doing. We have a lot of other options, instead of rushing a young prospect." Cole is currently starting at Double-A Altoona.
- The A's had interest in Mike Aviles prior to the trade deadline, but a deal is unlikely now the Red Sox have placed the shortstop on waivers, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Slusser says the chances are slim the A's will acquire a shortstop before the August 31st deadline for playoff-roster eligibility.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Padres, Mark Kotsay Agree To Extension
2:40pm: Kotsay's extension is worth $1.3MM, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.
10:33am: The Padres announced via press release that they have agreed to terms on a contract extension with Kotsay. “Mark provides versatility and a very good late-game at-bat,” General Manager Josh Byrnes said. “He brings invaluable leadership to our club and has become one of the key members of our team.”
9:20am: The Padres are set to extend veteran Mark Kotsay through the 2013 season today, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter). San Diego has been impressed by the veteran's clubhouse presence and his bat off of the bench, according to Brock.
Kotsay, 36, has a .275/.333/.363 slash line with one home run in 111 plate appearances. The outfielder/first baseman made just $1.25MM this season and earned trade interest from multiple clubs in July, including the Reds. Kotsay owns a .278/.334/.409 batting line across his 16-year career.
Outrighted to Triple-A: Atahualpa Severino
Today's outright assignments:
- The Nationals have outrighted left-hander Atahualpa Severino to Triple-A Syracuse, according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times and Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (both on Twitter). Severino had been designated for assignment last Monday when the Nationals acquired Cesar Izturis on waivers from the Brewers. Severino has spent the entire 2012 season at Triple-A with a 2.72 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 in 40 relief appearances.
Indians Release Jose Lopez
The Indians have released infielder Jose Lopez, according to the team. Lopez was designated for assignment last Tuesday.
Lopez appeared in 66 games for the Indians this year, playing third base and seeing some time at first and second. The 28-year-old posted a .249/.272/.366 batting line in 224 plate appearances. Lopez signed a minor league deal with the Indians last December.
Minor Moves: McClung, Zawadzki
Today's minor moves..
- The Cubs have signed pitcher Seth McClung to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa, tweets Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. The right-hander was released by the Brewers roughly two weeks ago and has not appeared in the majors since 2009.
- The Cardinals signed infielder Lance Zawadzki to a minor league contract, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. The 27-year-old was previously with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate where he hit .231/.271/.340 with three homers in 157 plate appearances.
Cafardo On Damon, Braves, Youkilis, Saunders
Dan Duquette was out of baseball for ten years and wasn’t sure if he’d find his way back, but the Orioles GM has surprised many by putting together a strong club for 2012, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe. The GM was quick to credit the work of manager Buck Showalter for the team’s success and also pointed to some good breaks for the club as they dealt with a young and oft-injured rotation. Here’s more from Cafardo..
- Johnny Damon could be a fit for the Braves as they are in need of a lefthanded pinch hitter. Atlanta is looking all around for a part-time lefthanded bat and they are scouting almost every team out of the race. Damon posted a posted a .222/.281/.329 batting line with four home runs in 224 plate appearances for the Tribe this year.
- The Braves aren’t optimistic that they can re-sign Michael Bourn when he becomes a free agent, in part because they don’t seem to do well with Scott Boras clients. Given that, it also seems unlikely that they’ll aggressively pursue Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason.
- Atlanta will have to replace both Bourn and Chipper Jones, and one Braves official didn’t rule out Kevin Youkilis if the White Sox don’t pick up his $13MM option. Of course, the Braves would be looking to spend considerably less than that to sign him.
- D’Backs pitcher Joe Saunders would be an interesting trade piece if they feel they can’t make the playoffs. The left-hander has looked strong as of late and is headed towards free agency, but Arizona doesn’t expect to resign him. With Patrick Corbin, Tyler Skaggs, and Trevor Bauer all in the fold, Kevin Towers & Co. could easily part with him.
Quick Hits: Astros, Braves, Indians, Choo, Marlins
The Braves beat the Mets at Citi Field tonight to remain atop the Wild Card chase in the National League. Atlanta found their way into the playoff chase as expected, but with a different cast of characters than planned. Here's today's look around the league..
- The Astros announced that they have named Mike Elias their new amateur scouting director in a press release. Bobby Heck, who filled the same role since October 2007, will not have his contract renewed. Elias worked with Astros GM Jeff Luhnow in the Cardinals' front office.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gives Braves GM Frank Wren credit for not only managing to plug the rotation's holes on the cheap, but making it as formidable as it was supposed to be when the season began. While it's unknown how well free agent pickup Ben Sheets and recent acquisition Paul Maholm will hold up, both have looked strong through seven combined starts. Regardless, both pitchers will cost the Braves less than $4MM in 2012.
- Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer looks at how the Indians can position themselves to contend in 2013. Hoynes suggests that the Tribe starts by parting ways with Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore, who are both eligible for free agency at the end of the year. Beyond that, he writes that trading Shin-Soo Choo could bring Cleveland some solid pieces in return. So far, the rightfielder has rebuffed the club's efforts to keep him in the fold beyond next season.
- Carlos Lee has done exactly what the Marlins hoped he would when they acquired him from the Astros last month, tweetsJuan Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel. In 32 games with Miami, Lee has a .291/.382/.355 slash line and an OPS not far off from what he posted in Houston earlier this year.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Make Or Break Year: How Are They Doing?
Before the season, we identified 11 players who were entering "make or break" years. These guys had experienced ups and downs in their respective careers and were positioned to re-establish themselves as difference makers at the Major League level and set themselves up for nice paydays in the future. Now that we're into August, let's take a second to check in each player (all links go to MLBTR posts)…
- Scott Baker, Twins — Baker, 30, had elbow surgery in April and will miss the entire season. Minnesota will likely decline his $9.25MM option for 2013 (no buyout).
- Phil Hughes, Yankees — The 26-year-old right-hander owns a 4.10 ERA in 131 2/3 innings this year, including a 3.40 ERA since mid-May. He's a safe bet to be tendered a contract for 2014, his final year as a arbitration-eligible player.
- Jair Jurrjens, Braves — Jurrjens, 26, pitched so poorly earlier in the season that he had to be sent to the minors. He's since resurfaced and owns 6.89 ERA in 48 1/3 innings, cementing his status as a non-tender candidate.
- Adam Lind, Blue Jays — Lind has battled back problems and also been demoted to Triple-A this season, and he's hit .227/.298/.394 while with the big league team. The 29-year-old continues to disappoint since signing his four-year, $18MM extension prior to 2010.
- Francisco Liriano, White Sox — It's been another up and down season for the 28-year-old southpaw, who owns a 5.03 ERA in 111 innings. The Twins traded Liriano to the ChiSox at the deadline.
- James Loney, Dodgers — Loney, now 28, hasn't helped himself at all this season, hitting just .251/.301/.330 in 327 plate appearances. He might have to settle for a minor league contract this coming offseason.
- Kendrys Morales, Angels — The 29-year-old is hitting .282/.327/.455 with 14 homers on the year, well below the level he established prior to his leg injury in 2010. Morales figures to be both a trade and non-tender candidate after the season.
- Mike Pelfrey, Mets — Pelfrey pitched to a 2.29 ERA in three starts before needing Tommy John surgery. The Mets are expected to non-tender the 28-year-old after the season.
- Geovany Soto, Rangers — The 29-year-old backstop has continued to deal with injuries in 2012 and is hitting just .201/.289/.356. Soto is an obvious non-tender candidate.
- Kevin Youkilis, White Sox — Youkilis lost his starting job with the Red Sox and was traded to the White Sox, who are likely to decline his $13MM option after the season. The 33-year-old has dealt with nagging injuries and is hitting .238/.339/.427 overall.
- Delmon Young, Tigers — Young, 26, has had a below-average season at the plate (.266/.298/.402) and has dealt with some off-field problems. He hasn't helped his free agent stock any.
Minor Moves: Tim Redding, Matt Young
Let's keep track of the day's minor transactions right here…
- The Blue Jays have released Tim Redding according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. Toronto signed the veteran right-hander during the offseason. Redding, 34, pitched to an 8.66 ERA in seven starts and 16 relief appearances with their Triple-A affiliate this year.
- The Tigers have released Matt Young according to the International League transactions page. The 29-year-old had one double and nine strikeouts in ten at-bats with Detroit earlier this season, but they designated him for assignment and then outrighted him last month. Young hit .212/.363/.276 in 369 Triple-A plate appearances this season.