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Orioles Designate Jason Berken For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated right-hander Jason Berken for assignment, according to Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).  The move will create space for left-hander Zach Phillips on the 40-man roster.

Berken threw just one big league inning this year while posting a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 starts for Triple-A Norfolk.  The 28-year-old made 24 starts for the O's in 2009 and 81 relief appearances in '10 and '11 and owned a 5.40 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 during that stretch.

Pirates Designate Oscar Tejeda For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated utility man Oscar Tejeda for assignment, according to Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In a related move, the Bucs have selected first baseman Jeff Clement from Single-A Bradenton.

Tejeda was claimed off of waivers by the Pirates in late June after he was DFA'd in the wake of the Kevin Youkilis trade.  The 22-year-old has hit .253/.293/.380 with eight homers in Double-A this season with most of his time coming at left field.  In previous seasons, Tejeda has seen significant time at shortstop and second base.

Week In Review: 8/26/12 – 9/1/12

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With rosters in place for the home stretch, let's take a break from the action to catch up on the week that was here at MLBTR…

  • The Cubs officially signed Starlin Castro to a contract extension that will keep the 22-year-old shortstop under contract for the remainder of his 20s. Castro has posted a .276/.311/.418 batting line with 12 homers in 540 plate appearances this season.
  • The Orioles acquired Joe Saunders and cash from the Diamondbacks in exchange for reliever Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later. 
  • Brandon Laird joined the Astros this week after Houston claimed him off of waivers from the Yankees, who designated the infielder for assignment. Laird, 24, posted a .254/.307/.414 slash line with 15 home runs and 31 doubles in 550 plate appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
  • The Yankees acquired Steve Pearce from the Astros for cash considerations. Pearce, 29, has a career line of .277/.347/.484 against left-handed pitching.
  • The Giants designated right-hander Hector Correa for assignment. Correa, 24, has pitched to a 7.50 ERA in just 18 innings for the club's Triple-A affiliate this year while battling injury.
  • Will Rhymes' struggles at the plate may have him looking for a new team as the Rays designated the infielder for assignment. Rhymes, 29, hit .228/.299/.285 in 137 plate appearances for the Rays this season while playing second and third bases. 
  • The Yankees designated Ramiro Pena for assignment. Pena, 27, hit .258/.325/.328 in Triple-A this summer while playing second, third, and shortstop. 
  • The Rangers designated left-hander Miguel De Los Santos for assignment. De Los Santos, 24, has pitched to a 5.22 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 58 2/3 innings for the club's Double-A affiliate this season.
  • First baseman Frazier Hall headed to the desert this week as the player to be named later from a July trade between the Diamondbacks and Angels for right-hander Barry Enright. 
  • The Rays acquired Ben Francisco from the Astros in exchange for a player to be named later. Tampa Bay designated right-hander Albert Suarez for assignment in order to clear space for Francisco on the team's 40-man roster. 
  • The Tigers traded Jeff Baker to the Braves for a player to be named later. The veteran has played second base and all four corner positions this year, while posting a line of .254/.293/.408 in 181 total plate appearances.
  • Cody Ransom finds himself headed back to the Diamondbacks as the team claimed him off waivers from the Brewers. Ransom, 36, has played all four infield positions this year.
  • The Orioles signed free agent left-hander Randy Wolf to help bolster their pitching depth for the remainder of the season. The 36-year-old started 24 games for the Brewers in 2012, posting a 5.69 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 43.4% ground ball rate in 142 1/3 innings.
  • The Indians designated Shelley Duncan for assignment. Duncan, 32, hit .203/.288/.388 with 11 homers in 264 plate appearances for Cleveland this season. Cleveland also claimed left-hander Scott Maine off of waivers from the Cubs, who had designated him for assignment. Maine, a sixth round selection in 2007, appeared in 21 games for the Cubs this year, posting a 4.79 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings.
  • Shortstop Jack Wilson finds himself without a home after the Braves released the veteran. The 34-year-old appeared in 40 games before getting injured, playing shortstop and a little second base.
  • The Cubs designated left-hander Alex Hinshaw for assignment just nine days after claiming him from the Padres.
  • Lefty Erik Bedard and the Pirates parted ways this week as Pittsburgh released the veteran after he couldn't regain form from earlier in his career. The Bucs signed Bedard in December to a one-year, $4.5MM free agent deal, so they still owe him about $910K.
  • The Rangers designated infielder Luis Hernandez for assignment. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A Round Rock, where he posted a .262/.302/.372 batting line in 548 plate appearances.
  • The Cubs acquired Anthony Recker from the Athletics in exchange for catcher Blake Lalli.

Poll: Which NL GM Made The Best Offseason Moves?

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Last week MLBTR asked readers to consider the performances of American League general managers to determine which executive made the best offseason moves based upon the 2012 season thus far and long-term outlook. With over 19,500 votes, Billy Beane of the Athletics received 33.57% of the total in recognition of the moves he made this offseason which have led to his team's success this year. 

Today's poll heads to the Senior Circuit where the question becomes which National League general manager has made the best offseason moves. MLBTR’s Transaction Tracker provides a look back at all of the trades and moves that took place during the offseason to help make an informed choice.

Rockies Notes: Bill Geivett, Rotation, Michael Cuddyer

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With an unconventional approach both on and off the field, the Rockies have attracted a great deal of attention for a team on pace to lose over 90 games this season. Beset by injuries, a payroll in the bottom half of the league and inconsistent pitching further hampered by altitude, Colorado seemingly has no choice but to think outside the box if it hopes to make a playoff run anytime soon. Let's head to the Mile High City and catch up on the latest news making headlines…

  • Bill Geivett's new role running the Rockies' Major League operations on a daily basis reveals a trend of untraditional thinking in the team's organization, but it may pay off, writes Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. Instead of moving to the corner office, Geivett put a desk in the team's conference room located within the Rockies' clubhouse in hopes of getting a better grasp on where the club is struggling and how he can work to fix the problems. Colorado has already felt an impact from Geivett's presence as the team just enjoyed its first winning month since June 2011. 
  • The Rockies' unusual decision to continue to go with a four-man rotation must discussed with the team's position players as Colorado will be more successful if everyone buys in, opines Renck. While there is data that suggests removing a starter before he faces a lineup for a third time is beneficial, Renck says the movement can't be sustained without players expressing confidence in the approach. Since making the switch in June, the Rockies' starting rotation has improved its ERA by over half a run. 
  • Michael Cuddyer remains at peace with his decision to sign with the Rockies last offseason even amidst injuries and the team's inability to win games, writes Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. The former Twins All-Star outfielder has found his niche by serving as a leader both on and off the field to the team's younger players. "He's very outgoing, always willing to help," said rookie Jordan Pacheco. "In spring training, he came up to me and said, 'I have played a couple of positions and I have been a utility guy before, so if you have any questions, just come ask me.' He's like that for everybody."

MLBTR Originals

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A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week:

Quick Hits: Profar, Strasburg, Miller, Inge, Phillips

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Baseball has always been a game for the young and old alike and today captured that sentiment perfectly. First, the young. The Rangers' Jurickson Profar made his Major League debut a memorable one by becoming the second youngest player and only the third teenager to homer in his first career at-bat. Profar, a last-minute substitute at second base for Ian Kinsler, also doubled becoming the youngest player since Andruw Jones (1996) to hit a four-bagger and a two-bagger in his debut and the first AL player to do so since Ken Griffey Jr. (1989). Now, the old. The Astros celebrated Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton's 85th birthday with a bobblehead day and induction into the Houston Baseball Media Wall of Honor. This year marks Hamilton's 59th and final season calling baseball games. Elsewhere around baseball:

  • Stephen Strasburg will make two more starts for the Nationals with his final one coming September 12 against the Mets, tweets MASNSports.com's Dan Kolko. Manager Davey Johnson made the announcement following the Nationals' 4-3 win over the Cardinals. In separate tweets from Kolko, GM Mike Rizzo confirmed Strasburg's shutdown date saying, "That seems like the right number of innings to end his season. I don't think he's going to fight me on it. I know he'll be unhappy about it. He's an ultimate competitor."
  • The Cardinals have decided to include top pitching prospect Shelby Miller in their batch of September call-ups this week, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Miller, the team's first round pick in 2009 who has created concerns over his conditioning and willingness to be coached, redeemed himself in his last ten starts at Triple-A Memphis amassing a 7-2 record, 2.88 ERA, 70 K's, and seven walks while limiting opposing hitters to a .217 average. Strauss says there is no plan for Miller to receive a start and will be used in mop-up situations. The Cardinals will have to add Miller to the 40-man roster before activating him.
  • Brandon Inge will likely have season-ending surgery this week after re-injuring his right shoulder last night, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Inge says he wants to return to the A's next season in a utility role, if they will have him.
  • Catcher Paul Phillips has decided to call it a career and become a coach at Lipscomb University, tweets the Colorado Sky Sox PR Department (Rockies' Triple-A club). Phillips spent 2012 playing for the Brewers' and Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliates. Phillips, who last appeared in the majors in 2010 with the Rockies, will finish with a slash line of .262/.298/.357 in 91 games over seven seasons with the Royals, White Sox, and Rockies.  

Outrighted to Triple-A: Hinshaw

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Today's outright assignments:

  • The Cubs have outrighted left-hander Alex Hinshaw to Triple-A Iowa, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page.  Hinshaw had been designated for assignment last Tuesday, after surrendering back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game against the Brewers the night before. Hinshaw has a 6.04 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 6.7 BB/9, and 2.5 HR/9 in 33 games between the Padres and Cubs this season.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Rockies, Giambi, Puig

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Last night, the Dodgers saw a glimpse of what the newly-acquired Josh Beckett might be capable of when he turned in 6.2 strong innings of work on the way to a 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks.  Ned Colletti & Co. will be hoping to see more of the same as they look to make their playoff push.  Here's more out of Los Angeles and other notes out of the NL West..

  • Other clubs are convinced that the blockbuster deal which brought Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers took them out of the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.  The other usual suspects, like the Red Sox and Yankees, are unlikely to be in on the outfielder as well, which makes it hard to predict where he might end up.  One AL exec guesses that a mid-market team will come out of the woodwork to sign Hamilton.
  • Rockies slugger Jason Giambi has no plans to retire and hopes to continue playing in 2013, writes Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.  "I would to love to play if I can get a job," Giambi said. "That's kind of up to everybody else. If I have an opportunity, I would love to play."
  • Pricey Cuban import Yasiel Puig isn't particularly concerned about how long it might take him to reach the major leagues, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  If he proves worthy of starting, it may be hard for the Dodgers to find a spot for him as they have Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford under contract through at least 2017.  The Dodgers signed Puig to a seven-year, $42MM contract back in June.

East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Valentine, Mets

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Here's a look at items out of the AL and NL East..

  • Agent Scott Boras told Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald that a contract extension is possible between the Red Sox and client Jacoby Ellsbury.  Boras noted that Ellsbury likes playing in Boston and would be happy to continue playing there, but the agent will be looking for superstar money in a new deal.  “The only thing I can say about Jacoby is that there are few players like him. He is a proven successful player in Boston and in the American League East environment, and he plays a premium position at Gold Glove levels. He is a franchise player," Boras said.
  • Now is the time for the Red Sox to move on from Bobby Valentine, opines Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Speier writes that it is now clear that Valentine is not the right manager to guide the club going forward and there is little sense in having him in place for the final month of the season.
  • The Mets should consider trading R.A. Dickey, Jonathon Niese, and David Wright this offseason, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  With the club financially handcuffed in the short-term, Sherman writes that it would make sense for them to replenish their system with eight-to-ten prospects that can help them build for the future.

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