AL East Links: Sternberg, Hughes, Teixeira, Orioles
The Blue Jays' 11-game win streak was snapped tonight at Tropicana Field in a 4-1 loss to the Rays. Jeremy Hellickson delivered seven shutout innings of one-hit ball while James Loney, Wil Myers (in his home debut) and Sam Fuld connected on three straight solo homers in the second inning. One more victory would've given Toronto a new franchise record for consecutive wins.
Here's the latest from around the AL East…
- "If it’s up to me, it’s very unrealistic," that the Rays would leave the Tampa area, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg tells FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, though Sternberg warns that "the decision can be taken out of my hands at some point" by Major League Baseball if the Rays' stadium situation isn't resolved. Sternberg discusses several topics in this wide-ranging chat, from his team's future in Tampa Bay to David Price and Evan Longoria's contracts to even the prospect of MLB returning to Montreal.
- An AL executive sums up the Yankees' decision about trading Phil Hughes as "If he’s good, why trade him? If he’s struggling, what will you get?", according to Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (Twitter link). Hughes hasn't pitched well this year (a 5.09 ERA in 14 starts) and will be a free agent this winter, though it has been speculated that the homer-prone Hughes could still be targeted by teams who play in pitcher-friendly stadiums.
- Mark Teixeira received a cortisone shot over a week ago but is "still experiencing soreness" in his right wrist, Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters (including Andy McCullough) in a conference call today. Teixeira's lack of progress renews speculation that he may have to undergo season-ending surgery, though Cashman didn't want to comment on the possibility or possible future moves at first base until more was known about the injury.
- The Orioles are known to be looking for pitching help but since they aren't willing to move any top prospects or core players, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun thinks the O's will have to wait until close to the trade deadline "to see if they can get a bargain" since they currently wouldn't be able to find a true upgrade at their price.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko) that "we would have liked, in a perfect world, to have [Mark Reynolds] back" this season. "I know our guys liked Mark. He's a good teammate, a good guy, an easy guy to manage. We'd like to have had him, but it just didn't work out," Showalter said. Reynolds signed with the Indians last winter and took a .741 OPS and 14 homers into tonight's action, so while the O's could've used Reynolds at DH, they're very set at the corner infield spots thanks to Manny Machado and Chris Davis.
NL East Notes: Espinosa, Cowgill, Murphy
The Phillies aren't considered to have a particularly deep farm system but one upcoming gem could exist in the form of 20-year-old third baseman Maikel Franco. A scout tells CBS Sports' Danny Knobler (Twitter link) that Franco is the "best impact bat I've seen in minors this year." Franco posted a .259/.322/.395 line over his first three pro seasons but delivered a .925 OPS in 289 PA at High-A ball this year and already has two homers in four games since being promoted to Double-A. Baseball America ranked Franco as the Phillies' eighth-best prospect before the season, saying "he has a ceiling of a power-hitting corner infielder, but he'll have to continue to make offensive adjustments, especially in recognizing offspeed stuff."
Here's the latest from around the division…
- Danny Espinosa played two Triple-A games at shortstop this weekend, leading a few rival evaluators to tell Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post that it seems as if the Nationals could be showcasing Espinosa's shortstop ability for a possible trade. Kilgore isn't sure, since the Nats need Espinosa for infield depth and "trading Espinosa now would be the epitome of selling low." Espinosa has just a .465 OPS though 167 PA and has battled both a torn rotator cuff and a fractured wrist this season.
- The Mets offered Collin Cowgill to the Angels in exchange for right-hander Matt Shoemaker but the Halos weren't interested, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports (Twitter link). Cowgill was designated for assignment last week and the Mets are known to be exploring trades for the outfielder. Shoemaker, 26, has a 4.49 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 4.89 K/BB ratio in 16 starts at Triple-A Salt Lake City this season.
- As part of a reader mailbag, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo opines that a long-term extension for Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy doesn't seem like "a realistic expectation at this point." This could open the door for prospect Wilmer Flores, who currently has an .853 OPS in his first Triple-A season. Murphy will be arbitration-eligible for the second time this winter and is controlled through the 2015 season.
- In NL East news from earlier today, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reported that the Phillies had outrighted Michael Martinez to Triple-A, we heard some Ricky Nolasco rumors, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told CBS Sports' Jon Heyman that he is putting a high price tag on his star pitchers and The New York Daily News' Andy Martino shared a few items about the Marlins, Mets and Nationals.
NL West Notes: Garza, Nolasco, Padres, Giants, Rox
It was on this day in 1955 that the legendary Sandy Koufax made his Major League debut, throwing two scoreless relief innings (one walk, one hit, two strikeouts) for the Dodgers in an 8-2 loss to the Braves. Here are some notes and items from around the NL West…
- Peter Gammons hears two "rumors du jour" from the league's general managers (Twitter link). One involves the Cubs sending Matt Garza to the Padres in exchange for outfield prospect Reymond Fuentes and two other minor leaguers that were originally drafted by Cubs GM Jed Hoyer and senior VP Jason McLeod when they worked for San Diego. It would be somewhat of a surprise to see Garza end up with the Friars given that he's set to be a free agent this winter and the Padres would prefer to add a starter who is under contract beyond this season.
- The other Gammons rumor involves the Marlins sending Ricky Nolasco to the Giants. We heard about the Giants' interest in Nolasco earlier this month, though they are hardly the only potential suitors — the Orioles, Yankees, Diamondbacks and Padres have all been linked to the Miami right-hander.
- The Rockies have also called the Marlins about Nolasco, though Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that Colorado was just "laying groundwork" and the two sides aren't close to a deal. The Rockies will gives their current rotation and Drew Pomeranz a chance to perform before looking for external help.
- The Dodgers are looking to trade for another starting pitcher, rival executives tell FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. From the same piece, Rosenthal gives the Dodgers the second-best chance (less than the Nationals but better than the Royals or Angels) of turning their season around with a long winning streak, a la the Blue Jays.
- In division news from earlier today, the Padres are expected to look for starting pitching and the Rockies outrighted right-handers Chris Volstad and Logan Kensing to Triple-A.
Minor Moves: Vasquez, Alvarado, Upperman, Moskos
Here's today's rundown of minor moves from around the league…
- The Twins have released right-hander Esmerling Vasquez, according to Jeremy Nygaard of the Twins Daily blog (Twitter link) and the International League's transactions page. Vasquez signed a new minor league deal with the Twins in November but spent the entire season on the Triple-A disabled list. Vasquez posted a 5.68 ERA in six starts for Minnesota last season and a 4.66 ERA over 137 relief innings with the Diamondbacks from 2009-11.
- The Mets have signed 35-year-old righty Giancarlo Carlos Alvarado to a minor league deal, tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post. Alvarado had been pitching in the Mexican League, where he compiled a 4.03 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 38 innings.
- Right-hander Casey Upperman has signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and been assigned to Class A Delmarva, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The 22-year-old Upperman was a 47th-round pick by the D-backs in 2010 but was pitching for the Normal CornBelters of the independent Frontier League this season. In 11 1/3 innings for the CornBelters, he posted a 3.97 ERA, fanned 17 and walked eight.
- The White Sox have released lefty Daniel Moskos from Triple-A Charlotte, according to the International League's transactions page. The 27-year-old posted a 4.97 ERA with 8.7 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 in 29 relief appearances for the Knights. Those numbers are right in line with his career marks in 122 innings at Triple-A. Moskos, who was the No. 4 overall pick by the Pirates in the 2007 draft, has just 24 1/3 Major League innings under his belt — all with the Buccos in 2011.
- The Rockies released right-hander Brett Jacobson from Triple-A Colorado Springs, according to the Pacific Coast League's transactions page. Jacobson's biggest claim to fame was being included as part of the Twins' return in 2010's ill-fated J.J. Hardy trade. The 26-year-old has walked 78 batters over his past 63 2/3 minor league innings. Jacobson's release cleared a spot for the recently acquired Hisanori Takahashi.
- There are currently nine players in DFA limbo: Wade LeBlanc of the Astros, Quintin Berry of the Royals, Eric Thames of the Mariners, Josh Wilson of the Diamondbacks, Jose Valverde of the Tigers, Reid Brignac of the Yankees, Collin Cowgill of the Mets, Ross Seaton of the Astros and Yamaico Navarro of the Orioles. Navarro is presently on outright waivers and Brignac has cleared waivers and could elect free agency.
Rosenthal On Padres, Norris, Profar, Miller
Ken Rosenthal shares a few hot stove-related items in his latest column for FOX Sports…
- The Padres are known to be looking for starting pitching, and Rosenthal notes that San Diego would prefer to pick up a younger starter who is signed beyond this season. An exception could be Ricky Nolasco, as Rosenthal repeated his suggestion from yesterday that Nolasco could be open to re-signing with the Padres given that the pending free agent hails from southern California.
- Astros right-hander Bud Norris is cited as one of the controllable younger arms that fits the mold of what the Padres are looking for, though one rival executive thinks Norris "isn’t the best bet to make a team leap forward. Will he help a team improve? Yes. Would I stamp him as a difference-maker? Not a definite.” Norris has been connected to the Pirates, Giants and Orioles in trade speculation and I profiled him as a trade candidate last month.
- While the Rangers could use some outfield help, the decision to use Jurickson Profar as an outfielder is somewhat risky, Rosenthal opines. Profar is learning a new position on the fly and has yet to deliver much at the plate in his brief Major League career. If he struggles, he'll lose some trade value if the Rangers decide to move him, and the team may also have more trouble convincing Ian Kinsler to eventually move to the outfield to make room for Profar at second base.
- The Astros had an arrangement in place to draft Shelby Miller with the 21st overall pick of the 2009 draft, Miller tells Rosenthal, except the Cardinals took Miller with the 19th pick. Miller, a Texas native, was also managed by a Rangers scout during a high school showcase event but the Rangers passed on Miller with their 14th overall pick in the draft and instead took righty Matt Purke, who never signed with the club.
- The Jordan Walden-for-Tommy Hanson trade is looking like "a steal" for the Braves, in the words of one rival executive. Walden has been a force (2.70 ERA, 10 K/9, 6.50 K/BB rate in 23 1/3 IP) out of the Atlanta bullpen while Hanson has battled injuries and posted a 5.10 ERA over nine starts with the Angels.
Astros Designate Wade LeBlanc For Assignment
The Astros have designated left-hander Wade LeBlanc for assignment, the team announced via press release. In a related move, Marwin Gonzalez has been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Corresponding roster moves will be made tomorrow, according to the release.
LeBlanc was claimed off waivers by Houston earlier this month after the southpaw was designated for assignment by the Marlins. The 28-year-old appeared in just three games as an Astro, allowing four earned runs in 3 2/3 innings of work. For the 2013 season overall, LeBlanc has a 5.50 ERA, 1.78 K/BB and 5.5 K/9 over 52 1/3 IP, which includes seven starts with Miami.
Padres Expected To Pursue Starting Pitching
The surprising Padres are off to a 38-38 start despite a 4.56 ERA from their starters that ranks as the second-worst mark in the National League. In fact, only five teams in all of baseball have a worse ERA from their rotation. It isn't surprising to see Jon Heyman of CBS Sports report that the Friars will be on the lookout for candidates to improve their starting rotation in the coming five to six weeks as the trade deadline draws near.
Heyman reports that the Padres have more money to spend than in previous years, and while it's a long-shot, they've discussed Jake Peavy internally. A more realistic target could be the Orioles' Jake Arrieta, whom Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported as a possible Padres target over the weekend. Heyman adds that younger starters like Arrieta are probably more realistic targets for the Padres, as they could add to an emerging core of controllable talent like Yonder Alonso, Jedd Gyorko and Everth Cabrera.
Trade Candidate Leaderboards
FanGraphs is loaded with fantastic MLB statistics and related tools, and one of my favorites is the ability to create custom leaderboards. With trade season around the corner, I created three leaderboards to allow you to sort the stats for all the MLB players I currently consider viable trade candidates. You can see which available first baseman has the best walk rate, which available starting pitcher gets the most groundballs, which available reliever has the biggest strikeout rate – the possibilities are endless. Please note that the player selections are subjective, and some are much more available or movable than others, and use the leaderboards as a framework or starting point. They consist of reasonably-available veterans from the Astros, Brewers, Cubs, Mariners, Marlins, Mets, White Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Phillies, and Twins, with a few players on contending teams sprinkled in.
Position Player Trade Candidate Leaderboard
Rockies Outright Chris Volstad, Logan Kensing
The Rockies have announced that Chris Volstad and Logan Kensing have cleared waivers and accepted outright assignments to Triple-A Colorado Springs (Twitter link).
Volstad was placed on waivers in order to clear a roster space for Roy Oswalt. The 26-year-old allowed 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings this season. He posted a 4.79 ERA with 3.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 47 innings at Triple-A so far this season.
The 30-year-old Kensing pitched just two-thirds of an inning for the Rockies this season — his first big league action since 2009. The former second-round pick has a 5.79 ERA in 161 2/3 career innings with 8.0 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9. He's fared significantly better in Triple-A, though, where he owns a career 3.67 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
Phillies Outright Michael Martinez
MONDAY: Martinez cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.
SATURDAY: The Phillies have designated utilityman Michael Martinez for assignment, the team announced via Twitter. The move will create a 40-man roster space for reliever J.C. Ramirez, who was called up to replace the DL'ed Mike Adams in the Philadelphia bullpen.
Martinez, 30, failed to hit safely in his four plate appearances with the big club this year since being called up. His Triple-A line for the season stands at .285/.344/.380 over 152 plate appearances. Martinez has seen reserve action with the Phillies over the last three seasons after starting his career in the Nationals system.