Outrighted To Triple-A: Wells, Carpenter, Sutton
The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- Padres pitcher Kip Wells cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Tucson, according to U-T San Diego (via Twitter). The Padres designated the right-hander for assignment on Friday. Wells, 35, made seven starts for the Padres this year.
- The Blue Jays outrighted Andrew Carpenter to Triple-A, Las Vegas, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. The Blue Jays had removed Carpenter from their roster to create room for Adeiny Hechavarria and Jesse Chavez over the weekend.
- The Pirates outrighted Drew Sutton to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. Pittsburgh designated Sutton for assignment one week ago on the day of the non-waiver trade deadline.
Mets Won’t Eat Jason Bay’s Contract
After announcing that Jason Bay will be a platoon player for the Mets, General Manager Sandy Alderson says that he won't absorb the final season of the veteran's contract. The Mets allegedly discussed a change of scenery deal with the Marlins for Bay but the Mets aren't looking to part ways with the outfielder.
"Certainly, there are times when it is appropriate to eat a contract," Alderson told Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York. "There are other times when it is not. Jason Bay is not going anywhere, nor is his contract."
Bay, 34 in September, is hitting just .154/.248/.285 with five homers in 149 plate appearances in 2012. The outfielder is set to earn $16MM in 2013 and has a $3MM buyout on his $17MM 2014 season.
Astros Designate Juan Abreu For Assignment
The Astros have designated pitcher Juan Abreu for assignment, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (via Twitter). The right-hander appeared in seven games for the Astros last season but never saw time on the big league roster in 2012.
Abreu, 27, had a 7.09 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 6.7 BB/9 in 38 appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. His Triple-A numbers last season were significantly sharper as he posted a 2.18 ERA with 12.0 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 in 48 games for the Astros' and Braves' affiliates.
Quick Hits: Figgins, Upton, Chavez
Indians starter Corey Kluber will look to shut down the Twins tonight and end Cleveland's ten-game losing streak. Kluber will face an offense that ranks 12th in MLB in runs scored (though they do much of their hitting at home, as Dave Cameron noted today). In the meantime, here are today's links…
- The Mariners would have to absorb about $10MM in salary if they released Chone Figgins, but they should remove him from the roster anyway, Larry Stone of the Seattle Times writes.
- Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that he owes it to his teammates to focus on his game, rather than the trade chatter that often surrounds him. He might have to face another round of trade rumors this offseason, if the Diamondbacks decide they'll listen to trade offers for him again a few months from now.
- The Orioles are discussing trade possibilities regarding Endy Chavez, but they think he could stay in the organization, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Instead of trading the recently-designated outfielder, the Orioles could demote him to Triple-A with the expectation of calling him up when rosters expand in September.
Rays Designate Brooks Conrad For Assignment
The Rays designated infielder Brooks Conrad to create 40-man roster space for Evan Longoria, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Longoria injured his hamstring on April 30th and has been on the disabled list ever since.
The Rays claimed Conrad off of waivers from Milwaukee on June 21st and manager Joe Maddon has played the 32-year-old at second and third since acquiring him. In 105 total plate appearances this year, Conrad has a .133/.181/.306 batting line. However, he has a career line of .207/.278/.400 in five MLB seasons.
Indians Designate Jose Lopez For Assignment
The Indians announced that they designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment. The move creates roster space for right-hander Frank Herrmann, who has been recalled from Triple-A. The Indians, losers of ten consecutive games, recently designated veterans Derek Lowe and Johnny Damon for assignment.
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. He earns $800K this year after signing a minor league deal with Cleveland last December.
Tigers Release Fu-Te Ni
We'll keep track of the day's minor moves right here…
Olney On Buehrle, Reyes, Red Sox
The Marlins expected about 25 percent more fans than they’ve drawn this year, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. The Marlins are averaging 28,406 fans per game, an improvement of more than 10,000 people per game that amounts to the largest increase in the game since last year. Here are more notes from Olney, starting in Miami…
- Marlins president David Samson has said the team isn’t making financially motivated trades, but Olney suggests Miami will have to manage its money carefully to field a competitive team. This could include shedding the contracts of the team's best-paid players.
- The Marlins will likely look to dump the contracts of players like Jose Reyes at some point in the coming years, and they won’t be offered much in return. The salaries of players like Reyes and Mark Buehrle are back-loaded and will soon spike, which will reduce interest from rival clubs. Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson and Heath Bell are among the other Marlins who have significant money remaining on their current contracts.
- Olney points out that Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has as much opportunity as any manager to shape his team. Valentine shouldn’t have accepted the job if he wanted more control than he’s getting, Olney writes.
Pitching Notes: Blue Jays, Lee, Garza, Oswalt
The Blue Jays announced that right-handers Drew Hutchison (Tommy John surgery) and Dustin McGowan (arthroscopic shoulder surgery) will undergo operations on Thursday. Hutchison is expected to return within a year or so, but no timetable is listed for McGowan, who had previous shoulder surgeries in 2008 and 2010. Here are some more notes pertaining to MLB pitchers…
- The Phillies didn’t intend to trade Cliff Lee when the Dodgers claimed him on waivers, but the left-hander could have blocked a move to Los Angeles, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Dodgers are one of the 21 teams on Lee’s no-trade list.
- Matt Garza has a stress reaction in the back of his pitching elbow and has been shut down indefinitely, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Garza, who hasn’t pitched since July 21st, could miss the remainder of the season. If he doesn’t return this year, it’ll affect his offseason trade value. However, Cubs GM Jed Hoyer has said he expects the right-hander to be in Chicago’s 2013 rotation.
- The Rangers need all the pitching they can get, but they don’t need distractions from Roy Oswalt, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. It’s not yet time to release Oswalt, who isn’t pleased with his current role, Morosi adds.
Samson On Payroll, Hanley, Guillen
The Marlins, now tied for last place in their division with a 49-60 record after an offseason of free agent extravagances, are evaluating what went wrong. “We set ourselves up for it,’’ Marlins president David Samson said, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. But owner Jeffrey Loria is “angry, and he should be,” according to Samson. Here are more Marlins-related notes from Samson:
- Samson wouldn’t say whether the Marlins will lower payroll next year, but he said last month’s Hanley Ramirez trade wasn’t about saving money. “Not one trade that was done was payroll-motivated,’’ Samson said.
- Changes to the front office and on-field staff can’t be ruled out, Samson said. It’ll be up to Loria to evaluate manager Ozzie Guillen and the rest of the coaching staff, according to Samson. Guillen is in the first year of a four-year contract.
- Samson assumed most of the responsibility for the team's disappointing season. He mentioned president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest and general manager Michael Hill as two others who share the blame.
- The Marlins will consider adding key players through trades and free agency this offseason, Samson said, according to Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post. However, the Marlins won’t match last offseason’s spending spree.