Archives for April 2013

MLBTR Originals

By edcreech | April 21, 2013 at 3:29pm CDT

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

Tim Dierkes revised MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings and, while Robinson Cano remains atop the list, seven of the nine other positions changed hands.
Tim posited there are several factors weighing in favor of the Padres trading Chase Headley this summer and named some potential suitors for the third baseman.
Steve Adams explained the service time implications for prospects like Wil Myers, Aaron Hicks, and Jackie Bradley, Jr.
Speaking of Myers, MLBTR contributor Chuck Myron examined the Rays' decision to let their top prospect start the season at Triple-A.
Tim issued a Free Agent Stock Watch on Paul Maholm and he is bullish about the possibility of the Braves lefty becoming the best free agent starter available.
Tim then asked MLBTR readers to chime in on the "best free agent starter" debate. Nearly 10% of you agreed with Tim's stance on Maholm, but the title goes to Josh Johnson, number four on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings, with almost 20% of the vote.
Steve asked MLBTR readers to weigh in on who is the "best free agent hitter" available. Not surprisingly, 44% of you tabbed Robinson Cano, the top ranked player on MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings.
Charlie Wilmoth asked MLBTR readers which top-ten pick from the 2011 amateur draft will have the most success in the majors. Nearly one-third of you believe the Orioles' Dylan Bundy will be best in class.
Steve researched waiver claims over the past calendar year using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker and discovered the Blue Jays were involved in 26% of those claims and multiple players have been claimed multiple times.
Tim listed each team's highest-paid player in 2013.
Steve continued the Transaction Retrospection series by revisiting the Rangers' acquisition of Mike Adams from the Padres.
Tim addressed the issue many players face when choosing representation: big agency or small.
MLBTR was the first to learn Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons changed agencies leaving The Sparta Group for SFX.
Tim hosted this week's chat.
Zach Links compiled this week's edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
There are many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors. Here's a refresher on how to use MLBTR.
Want the latest rumors for your favorite team? Check out MLBTR's team-by-team links for Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds.

Week In Review: 4/14/13 – 4/20/13

By charliewilmoth | April 21, 2013 at 1:45pm CDT

Here's a look back at the week that was here at MLBTR:

The White Sox nearly traded Jake Peavy to the Blue Jays last fall.
Bobby Abreu plans to make a comeback in 2014.
The Rangers claimed pitcher Charlie Leesman off release waivers from the White Sox.
The Cubs claimed outfielder Julio Borbon from the Rangers, and designated infielder Alberto Gonzalez for assignment.
The Cubs claimed infielder Cody Ransom from the Padres.
The Blue Jays designated outfielder Casper Wells for assignment.
The Mets designated pitcher Aaron Laffey for assignment.
The Marlins designated pitcher John Maine for assignment.
The Astros designated pitcher Xavier Cedeno for assignment.
Pitcher Hisanori Takahashi and infielder Brent Lillibridge cleared waivers, and the Cubs sent them to Triple-A Iowa.
Outfielder Scott Cousins cleared waivers, and the Angels sent him to to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Pitcher Jeremy Jeffress cleared waivers, and the Blue Jays outrighted him to the minors.
The Rangers traded pitcher Jeff Beliveau to the Rays for cash considerations.
The Brewers signed pitcher Francisco Rodriguez to a minor-league deal.
After being released by the Diamondbacks, pitcher Eddie Bonine signed a minor-league deal with the Padres.
The Orioles signed second baseman Paco Figueroa to a minor-league deal.
The Braves signed first baseman Nick Weglarz and pitcher Erik Hamren to minor-league deals.
The Indians traded pitcher Eric Berger to the Astros for catcher Chris Wallace.
The Cubs released pitcher Jensen Lewis.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Garza, Price, Yankees

By Zachary Links | April 21, 2013 at 12:25pm CDT

"You can never have too much pitching" isn't just a cliche, and the 2013 Dodgers are proof of that. The Dodgers announced today that Chad Billingsley is headed to the disabled list because of right elbow pain and the right-hander may even require Tommy John surgery down the road. The Dodgers theoretically had a pair of extra starters to dangle to teams a couple of weeks ago, but injuries to Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Zack Greinke have put that idea on hold. Here's more from around baseball..

Baseball officials told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) that if Matt Garza winds up getting tied to draft pick compensation like Kyle Lohse, the advice they would have for him would be to push his negotiations early in the offseason. Because he's not a Greinke-type of talent, Garza will want to sign before teams have already settled in around spring training.
Olney recently suggested that the Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Rangers could be frontrunners if the Rays move David Price, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times doesn't see Tampa Bay doing business with Boston unless it's at a significant premium.
Lyle Overbay, Vernon Wells, and other new Yankees are rejuvenating their careers in New York, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Beavan, Stanton

By Zachary Links | April 21, 2013 at 10:57am CDT

Fifty-seven years ago, the Dodgers faced the Phillies in Jersey City, New Jersey, marking the first major league game ever played in the Garden State. The Dodgers won 5-4 after 10 innings at Roosevelt Stadium in front of a sparse crowd of 12,214. The game was also notable as Brooklyn backstop Roy Campanella tied the score in the tenth inning with his 1000th career hit, a double down the left field line. Here's this week's look around the baseball blogosophere..

I R Fast decided to dig a little bit deeper on recent claims that Colby Rasmus made.
Prospect Insider examined Blake Beavan's new delivery.
Grading On The Curve says Texas has enough to land Giancarlo Stanton.
i70 Baseball looked at the Cardinals' first base depth.
Pinstripe Pundits explains why Ichiro may head to the bench when Curtis Granderson returns.
If I Were GM came to the defense of Carlos Quentin.
Baseball Hot Corner wonders if Mike Scioscia will last the season.
Lasorda's Lair reviewed 42 and gave it three out of four baseballs.
Kings of Kauffman looked at statistical outliers so far in this young season.
The Tribe Daily asks what the Indians should do with Ubaldo Jimenez.
Marlin Maniac spoke with pitching prospect Edgar Olmos.
MLB Reports says the Rays have to call up Wil Myers ASAP.
On The Way Home asks if the Rangers should move Jurickson Profar.
Cardinals Fan In Cubs Land wants the DH kept out of the NL.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

Cafardo On Britton, Norris, Garza, Red Sox

By Zachary Links | April 21, 2013 at 10:03am CDT

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that strikeouts are on the rise this season and there are an abundance of theories as to why. One prominent AL GM believes that the umps are using a wider strike zone. Former pitcher Curt Schilling believes the strikeouts are piling up because there are more power arms than ever before. Others believe that there are a lot of youngsters in the game right now who may not be major league ready, leading to a lot of Ks. Here's more from today's column..

As the Orioles look for pitching help, there’s an increasing feeling among baseball people that Zach Britton is the arm the Orioles could dangle in a deal. The 25-year-old has begun the season well in Norfolk and has 1.98 ERA with five strikeouts and seven walks in three starts.
Astros pitcher Bud Norris could be the No. 1 guy on contenders’ wish lists – along with the Cubs’ Matt Garza, if he’s healthy and productive – according to an AL GM. Erik Bedard can also draw interest but he has an injury history, which scares teams off. Carlos Pena has value because of his power and could find himself on a contender if he has a strong showing in Houston.
Scouts feel that Red Sox minor league outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker has put himself back on the map as a player teams might be interested in trading for. Early in the season, the 25-year-old has a slash line of .271/.308/.563 with four homers in Triple-A. Scouts say he has taken a far more aggressive approach at the plate and is swinging at good pitches in good counts. Hazelbaker is also showing some power and is considered a plus defensive outfielder.
The Red Sox never pursued Ted Lilly while he was available because it would have been too difficult to add him to the 25-man roster. The Sox have been looking for a veteran starter they can keep at Triple-A in reserve, but haven’t found the right guy.
Brad Penny is still a free agent and looking to get back to the majors. However, he's still waiting for a team to bite. The 34-year-old last pitched for the Giants in 2012 and also had a disappointing few months with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.

Mets Designate Aaron Laffey For Assignment

By Zachary Links | April 21, 2013 at 8:56am CDT

The Mets have designated Aaron Laffey for assignment, according to Marc Carig of Newsday (on Twitter). The left-hander saw less than an inning of work against the Nationals last night as he allowed a walk and a double to set up a three-run homer from Adam LaRoche.

Laffey, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Mets in December. The veteran pitched to a 4.56 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 16 starts and six relief appearances for the Blue Jays last season. He also made eleven starts for Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 4.52 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.

Quick Hits: Nava, Borbon, Giambi

By charliewilmoth | April 20, 2013 at 10:49pm CDT

Daniel Nava, whose three-run homer helped the Red Sox to a dramatic victory Saturday, has come a long way since repeatedly considering retirement, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. Nava played independent-league baseball in 2007 and considered quitting before catching on with the Red Sox in 2008. Then, after playing with the Red Sox in 2010 and spending 2011 with Triple-A Pawtucket, he didn't get invited to Major League spring training in 2012, and he considered quitting again. He ended up staying, and spent much of the 2012 season with the big-league team, hitting .243/.352/.390. This year, he's an important part of the Red Sox outfield. Here are more notes from around the majors.

Outfielder Julio Borbon had a "whirlwind day" after being claimed off waivers on Friday, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat writes. After learning he'd been claimed by the Cubs, Borbon got to Milwaukee's Miller Park in the eighth inning Friday night. Manager Dale Sveum, who had been ejected, told Borbon to suit up. Borbon did, and entered the game as a pinch-runner, then ended the game when he got thrown out trying to steal. Borbon expressed excitement at being claimed by the Cubs because he's a fan of President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein. "My fiance, she’s from Boston, and she knew him, and she was the first one to tell me he had done great things for the city of Boston," said Borbon. "From his background and his resume, he’s on his way to doing the same thing here."
Jason Giambi of the Indians looks forward to becoming a coach one day, but for now he's enjoying the end of his big-league career, Gene Duffey of MLB.com writes. Giambi interviewed for the Rockies' manager position last year (the job went to Walt Weiss) and has declined coaching jobs with other teams while he continues to play. "I want to enjoy this while I can," says Giambi. "Unfortunately, this game will let you know when it's time to walk away. Sometimes it's not your choice. I've been lucky enough and blessed enough to be in my 19th Major League season. And I'm going to enjoy every minute."

Poll: Which 2011 Top Pick Will Have The Best Career?

By charliewilmoth | April 20, 2013 at 8:48pm CDT

The Nationals have promoted third baseman Anthony Rendon and moved Ryan Zimmerman to the disabled list, the Washington Times' Amanda Comak reports. Rendon was fairly widely considered the top talent in the 2011 amateur draft, but he fell to the Nats at No. 6 due to concerns about his health. Those concerns have proven to be well-founded, as injuries have limited Rendon to fewer than 200 minor-league at bats since being drafted. Still, only four 2011 first-round draft picks (Trevor Bauer, Dylan Bundy, Jose Fernandez and Jackie Bradley, Jr.) beat Rendon to the majors.

With Rendon's promotion in mind, which top-ten pick from the 2011 draft do you think will have the most success in the majors? (The Marlins took Fernandez with the No. 14 overall pick, so he isn't an option here.) The 2011 top ten has so far been a mixed bag, combining some stellar performances with plenty of questions.

1. Gerrit Cole, Pirates. Cole has stayed healthy with the Bucs, and is now in Triple-A Indianapolis after pitching 132 innings at three levels in 2012, striking out around a batter per inning. His minor-league numbers have been good but not overwhelming, although his 100-MPH fastball and plus slider give him plenty of upside.

2. Danny Hultzen, Mariners. Hultzen struggled at the Triple-A level in 2012, with 7.95 BB/9 in 48 2/3 innings, but he seems to have taken a step forward in 2013 (albeit in a small sample, as is the case for all 2013 performances mentioned here), walking just six in 22 2/3 innings so far. Hultzen appears to be on track to become a rotation mainstay in Seattle, although he probably still lacks the ceiling of Cole, Bundy or Archie Bradley.

3. Trevor Bauer, Diamondbacks. Bauer shot through the minor leagues soon after being drafted, but the Diamondbacks quickly gave up on him, shipping him to Cleveland in the Shin-Soo Choo trade and grumbling about his attitude. Bauer had one wobbly start for the Indians this year, but has pitched well so far for Triple-A Columbus.

4. Dylan Bundy, Orioles. Bundy made it all the way to the big leagues as a 19-year-old in 2012, after a stunning pro debut that included a ridiculous 40:2 K:BB ratio at Class A Delmarva and a strong performance for Double-A Bowie. He has yet to pitch in 2013, however, after being shut down in March with elbow and forearm tightness.

5. Bubba Starling, Royals. The first hitter chosen in the 2011 draft was raw when selected, and the Royals have moved slowly with Starling, sending him to short-season Burlington in 2012. He hit .275/.371/.485 there, but he's off to a slow start in 2013 for Class A Lexington, hitting .143/.213/.250 so far.

6. Anthony Rendon, Nationals.

7. Archie Bradley, Diamondbacks. Bradley posted good strikeout numbers in Class A South Bend as a 19-year-old in 2012, but walked 5.56 BB/9 in 136 innings there. In his first three 2013 starts with Class A+ Visalia, he's shown improved control, and the results thus far have been spectacular, with 27 whiffs and six walks in his first 17 innings.

8. Francisco Lindor, Indians. The young shortstop hit well for an 18-year-old last season at Class A Lake County, batting .257/.352/.355, and also earned praise for his defense. He's off to a great start so far at Class A+ Carolina, hitting .348/.423/.522 in his first 46 at bats.

9. Javier Baez, Cubs. Baez was terrific in 2012 for Class A Peoria, but struggled a bit in Class A+ Daytona and hasn't hit much so far this year after the Cubs sent him back there.That's not necessarily a warning sign for a very young shortstop who has mostly won glowing reviews for his work in the Cubs system so far, however.

10. Cory Spangenberg, Padres. Spangenberg is the only 2011 top-ten pick who doesn't yet have a strong, age-appropriate pro performance to his credit. He hit very well in short-season Eugene after being drafted, but that's to be expected from a college hitter selected in the first round. Since then, the second baseman has struggled at the plate, mostly at Class A+ Lake Elsinore.

Which 2011 top-ten pick will have the best career?

Dylan Bundy, Orioles 31.20% (3,141 votes)

Gerrit Cole, Pirates 20.71% (2,085 votes)

Javier Baez, Cubs 13.01% (1,310 votes)

Danny Hultzen, Mariners 7.79% (784 votes)

Anthony Rendon, Nationals 7.27% (732 votes)

Trevor Bauer, Diamondbacks/Indians 5.29% (532 votes)

Francisco Lindor, Indians 4.97% (500 votes)

Bubba Starling, Royals 4.80% (483 votes)

Archie Bradley, Diamondbacks 3.16% (318 votes)

Cory Spangenberg, Padres 1.80% (181 votes)

Total Votes: 10,066

AL Notes: White Sox, Angels, Kazmir

By charliewilmoth | April 20, 2013 at 5:40pm CDT

The White Sox are back at home after a 3-7 road trip, and they were 7-9 overall heading into an afternoon matchup against the Twins. But GM Rick Hahn says he isn't concerned about his team's slow start, MLB.com's Scott Merkin reports. "With just about 10 percent of the season played, I don't think you can draw any grand conclusions about where things sit right now," Hahn said. And with so small a sample, Hahn isn't about to start making big moves. "It certainly is a temptation to explore other options, but it's way too soon to avert from the plan except when forced to due to injury," he says. Here are more notes from the American League.

The Angels' lack of pitching talent could cost GM Jerry Dipoto, manager Mike Scioscia, and pitching coach Mike Butcher their jobs, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times argues. The Angels are currently 6-10, and their starting rotation has a 5.62 ERA. But DiGiovanna says owner Arte Moreno might ultimately be most responsible for the Angels' current roster construction, as Moreno's "infatuation with marquee names" led the team to sign hitters Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton to enormous contracts. Instead of signing Hamilton, the Angels could have tried to retain Zack Greinke, who ended up heading north to the Dodgers. Among Dipoto, Scioscia and Butcher, Butcher's seat is the hottest, DiGiovanna says. Firing Scioscia seems much less likely, due to Scioscia's enormous $50MM contract.
Scott Kazmir will make his Indians debut tonight, and it will be his first big-league appearance in over two years, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes. After being released by the Angels in May 2011, Kazmir pitched for the independent-league Sugar Land Skeeters in 2012. He won a spot in the Indians' rotation out of camp, but his 2013 debut was delayed by a rib cage injury.

Minor Moves: D’Backs, Padres, Orioles

By Jeff Todd | April 20, 2013 at 4:48pm CDT

We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here:

After being released by the Diamondbacks earlier today, right-handed pitcher Eddie Bonine has hooked on with the Padres, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Bonine was attempting a comeback from Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old had not seen big league action since 2010, when he appeared in 47 games for the Tigers and put up a 4.63 ERA over 68 innings. After sitting out the 2012 season, he struggled to a 6.30 ERA in his ten Triple-A innings this year.
The Orioles signed second baseman Paco Figueroa to a minor league deal, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Now 30, the former O's fringe prospect fizzled out at Triple-A in 2010 before being shipped to the Phils for cash or future considerations. Most recently, Figueroa struggled to a .259/.376/.314 line for the Phillies' Double-A affiliate in 2011, and spent 2012 in the independent leagues. As Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun notes (via Twitter), the former University of Miami star had the chance to play alongside his brother for Spain in this year's World Baseball Classic.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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