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Archives for June 2013

Rockies Waive Volstad; Promote Oswalt

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The Rockies have placed Chris Volstad on waivers, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The move creates a 40-man roster spot for Roy Oswalt, who will be promoted and start tonight for Colorado. Jeff Francis has accepted a minor league assignment to Triple-A Colorado Springs, which clears a 25-man roster spot for Oswalt. We learned yesterday that Francis would be removed from the 25-man roster, but it wasn't clear whether he would accept a trip to the minors or be designated for assignment.

Volstad, 26, appeared in six games for the Rockies this season and allowed 10 runs in 8 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk. In 10 games (nine starts) for Colorado Springs this season, Volstad has a 4.79 ERA with 3.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

Oswalt, 35, has pitched briliantly for Double-A Tulsa since signing with the Rockies in May. In five starts (33 1/3 innings), the longtime Astro has a 2.16 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9. Last week I examined how much Oswalt would earn based on the incentives in his contract if he were promoted this week. Given the date, it's likely that he could earn nearly $4.3MM if he stays healthy and pitches well.

Francis, 32, re-signed with the Rockies on a one-year deal with a $1.5MM base salary and another $1.5MM worth of incentives. In 52 innings this season, he's posted a 6.58 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. The strikeout rate is actually the highest of Francis' career, as is his 50.3 percent ground-ball rate. He's been hurt by a homer-to-flyball ratio (20.4 percent) that's nearly double that of his career mark.

Twins Notes: Perkins, Buxton, Trade Market

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The Twins finished up the 2012 season with a 66-96 record — good for last place in the AL Central. At four games under .500, the Twins are on pace for a much-improved 76-win season, but they're also just six games out of first in the AL Central. Here's more on the Twinkies…

  • The Twins won't trade closer Glen Perkins without receiving a "big haul," a rival GM told Peter Gammons of the MLB Network. That same GM opined that the Twins are going to be good "quick" and called Byron Buxton the "best player in minor league ball." He also pointed out that top prospects Miguel Sano and Eddie Rosario, both of whom were recently promoted to Double-A, are on the fast track to the Majors. Gammons' unnamed GM said that Twins GM Terry Ryan "doesn't make mistakes" (Twitter links).
  • Buxton is nearing a promotion himself, assistant GM Rob Antony told reporters, including Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link). Buxton, who recently ranked as baseball's No. 2 overall prospect according to ESPN's Keith Law (ESPN Insider required), is hitting .344/.431/.561 for Class A Cedar Rapids and should move to Class A Advanced Fort Myers soon.
  • Antony also told Miller that the Twins have begun to field trade calls, as teams determine who will be buyers and who will be sellers this summer. When asked which category the Twins fall into, Antony told Miller the team isn't sure yet (Twitter link).

Orioles Agree To Terms With Comp Pick Josh Hart

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1:05pm: Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets that Hart signed for a $1.45MM signing bonus, which would be $58K under slot.

10:57am: Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles have reached an agreement with competitive balance pick Josh Hart. The prep outfielder from Georgia will receive a slightly under-slot bonus that will come in just under $1.5MM (Twitter links). Baseball America reported in April that the assigned pick value of Hart's No. 37 slot was $1,508,600. Hart is advised by SFX.

ESPN's Keith Law ranked Hart as the No. 50 prospect in this year's draft. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo had Hart ranked 54th on his Top 100, while Baseball America had him 57th on their Top 500. Law writes that Hart's best attributes are his bat speed and his ability to run. Mayo feels that Hart "profiles as a top-of-the-order type, a guy who will use his speed on both sides of the ball to be a basestealing threat and an excellent defender in the outfield."

Hart is the second player from Competitive Balance Round A to agree to terms today. Earlier this morning, MLBTR reported that the Reds had agreed to sign Michael Lorenzen, who was selected one pick after Hart.

Minor Moves: Lou Montanez, Chris Robinson

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Here are today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Angels have signed Lou Montanez to a minor league contract and assigned him to Double-A Arkansas, tweets Ryan Dunleavy of New Jersey Press Media. Montanez, 31, had been playing in the independent Atlantic League and compiled a .313/.359/.478 batting line for the Somerset Patriots. The Cubs selected Montanez with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2000 draft, but he's hit just .223/.258/.328 in 129 big league games between the Cubs and Orioles.
  • The Orioles have traded catcher Chris Robinson has been traded to the Padres for cash, CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff tweets. Robinson will be assigned to the Padres' Triple-A affiliate in Tucson. The 29-year-old was batting .241/.268/.278 in 29 games for the Tides this season.

Chris Cotillo contributed to this post.

MLBPA Grants Jay-Z Agent Certification

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The Major League Baseball Players Association has officially certified Jay-Z as an agent, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell (on Twitter). Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal adds that two other executives from Roc Nation Sports — Jay-Z's startup agency — have been certified to negotiate player contracts. She adds that Jay-Z is now certified to negotiate both MLB and NBA contracts (Twitter links).

Jay-Z's desire to work his way into the world of sports representation was first reported back in April. The rapper/entrepreneur merged with CAA Sports to create Roc Nation Sports, with an eye on negotiating a contract extension between Robinson Cano and the Yankees. Cano left the Boras Corporation in early April in order to hire Jay-Z and CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen as his representatives.

MLBPA director Michael Weiner said back in April that the MLBPA would consider Roc Nation's applications for certification, but they first needed to determine if there were conflicts based on his interest in the Brooklyn Nets.

Reds To Sign Comp Pick Michael Lorenzen

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The Reds have agreed to terms with competitive balance pick Michael Lorenzen, MLBTR's Chris Cotillo has learned. The Cal State Fullerton product is advised by the Boras Corporation. He will receive a $1.5MM signing bonus, which is slightly more than the $1,470,500 assigned pick value reported by Baseball America in April.

Lorenzen is both a center fielder and pitcher, though the consensus seems to be that he's better suited for the mound. MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo ranked him as the draft's No. 45 prospect, while ESPN's Keith Law had him at No. 49 and Baseball America ranked him No. 52. Lorenzen boasts outstanding instincts in center field according to BA, with Law giving him an 80-grade arm. Mayo feels that pitching should be a backup plan given his outstanding tools in center field.

After the draft, Lorenzen told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that the Reds plan on allowing him to work as both a pitcher and an outfielder:

"They'll allow me to swing the bat and try to prove to them that I can hit. So I'm just going to continue to do both," Lorenzen said. "I think that with my work ethic and athleticism that I have that I have the ability to continue that in professional ball, and we'll just see where that takes me from there. "

Law opined that Lorenzen was a supplemental or early second-round talent as a pitcher, but he wouldn't take him nearly that high as an outfielder. Reds senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley told Sheldon that Lorenzen could reach the Majors very quickly as a reliever but added that Lorenzen is a very good prospect as an outfielder as well. Said Buckley: "…we're going to kind have a unique plan with him and we're going to try to let him do a little bit of both."

Prospect Rumor Roundup: Future Promotions

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If you're a moderate to hardcore baseball fan, you've probably heard of the term "Super Two" when top prospects and their imminent big league promotions are being discussed. Basically, it's an important business aspect of baseball that can cause your favorite MLB-ready prospect to spend a little extra time in the minors. For a refresher on the subject, check out Tim Dierkes' article from April and Ben Nicholson-Smith's post from February.

Now that you're up to date and understand why some players have been recently called up to the Majors, it's time to identify the next big-named prospects who could be promoted in 2013, following in the footsteps of the Rays' Wil Myers, the Mets' Zack Wheeler, and the Mariners' Mike Zunino.

Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox: Bogaerts, 20, didn't let his age stop him from dominating Double-A ball. One of the youngest players in the Eastern League, the shortstop hit more than .300 with strong on-base skills and power. The Aruba native earned himself a trip to Triple-A after less than half a season. A strong start to 2013 earned fellow shortstop prospect (and potential roadblock) Jose Iglesias a 25-man roster spot as the backup to oft-injured veteran Stephen Drew, but Bogaerts has a much higher ceiling. Iglesias is much more likely to end up as trade bait thanks to his high-level play — should Boston need to shore up its roster for a run at the playoffs. Drew is a free agent at the end of the year, and the Red Sox may want to give Bogaerts a chance to get his feet wet in the Majors by the end of the year to gauge if he's truly ready to assume the full-time gig in 2014.

Nick Castellanos, 3B/OF, Tigers: Castellanos had a modest start to the 2013 season, but he's seen his offensive numbers improve each month with his OPS rising from .755 to .814 to 1.025. Also working in his favor for a call-up is the fact that he can offer competent defensive assistance at both third base and in the corner outfield. Miguel Cabrera isn't going to be bumped from his starting gig at the hot corner, but the emergence of Castellanos could allow the club to rest the veteran in the second half of the year in preparation for long playoff run. The prospect could also be a solid platoon complement to left fielder Andy Dirks, a left-handed hitter. It would also give Avisail Garcia — another rookie outfielder — a chance to spend more time in Triple-A. Lynn Henning of the Detroit News wrote that Castellanos could be a key player for the big league club as it tries to secure a playoff spot in 2013.

Sonny Gray, RHP, Athletics: Aside from Bartolo Colon, injuries have ensured that Oakland's starting rotation lacks pitchers with more than two years of service time. Due to the volatility of young pitchers, depth could become an issue for the first-place club in the second half of the year. Gray, a former first round draft pick, could offer some help after rebounding well from a disappointing 2012 season. The right-hander has averaged more than six innings per start in his 13 Triple-A appearances and struck out 83 batters in 82 1/3 innings of work.

Erik Johnson, RHP, White Sox: Chicago is currently deploying an inexperienced starting rotation with the likes of Hector Santiago, Jose Quintana, and Dylan Axelrod. Johnson, a former second round draft pick, has dominated pro ball and his time at Double-A in 2013 has been no different. He currently has a 2.24 ERA with 74 strikeouts and just 21 walks in 84 2/3 innings of work. Johnson, 23, has a frame that suggests he should develop into an innings-eater and his pitching acumen could eventually help him develop into a No. 2 or 3 starter for the Sox. The California native could offer some assistance to the big league club in the second half of the season, and he has the highest ceiling of any starter in the Sox system at either Double-A or Triple-A. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune recently penned an article after speaking with Johnson, who said he's just taking it one day at a time and not worrying about a promotion to The Show.

Danny Salazar, RHP, Indians: After spending big in the offseason, Cleveland finds itself in a playoff hunt. With a big league starting rotation that features some rather large question marks with the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, and Carlos Carrasco, Salazar could become a key player at some point during the second half of the season. While splitting the season between Double-A and Triple-A, the Dominican right-hander has struck out 80 batters in 58 innings of work. If he doesn't figure into the club's plans in the starting rotation, his power arsenal and ability to pitch multiple innings could allow him to offer some assistance in the bullpen in the latter half of the year and even the playoffs. In a piece for MLB.com, John Wagner spoke to Salazar's Triple-A manager, Chris Tremie, who talked about the things that the young pitcher does well.

Jonathan Singleton, 1B/OF, Astros: Singleton's season got off to an inauspicious start when he was suspended for 50 games after violating minor league baseball's drug policy. Since returning, the 21-year-old hitter has appeared in just 10 games, split between Single-A, Double-A and now Triple-A. Thirteen of his 20 hits have gone for extra bases, and he's walked 13 times. Singleton has experience playing both left field and first base but has exclusively played the infield in 2013. Despite that, his clearest opening for big league playing time could be in the outfield where Trevor Crowe, J.D. Martinez, and (recently demoted) Jimmy Paredes have produced less-than-impressive numbers. First basemen/designated hitters Chris Carter and Carlos Pena have also had underwhelming seasons to date (and could become trade bait) but offer much-needed power. The playoffs are out of the question for 2013, but once outfield prospect George Springer joins Singleton in Houston, the club will have a strong middle-of-the-order core to build around.

Yordano Ventura, RHP, Royals: Talented but undersized pitching prospects are slowly shedding the stigma that they're destined for future bullpen work at the big league level. Like Toronto's Marcus Stroman, the slender Ventura doesn't break the six-foot mark, but his upper-90s velocity — which tickles triple digits — has intrigued prospect watchers since he came over to North America from the Dominican Republic in 2010. After opening 2013 in Double-A, a recent promotion has brought Ventura one step away from the Majors. Should injuries strike — or should the Royals tire of the inconsistent performances from Luis Mendoza or Wade Davis — the 22-year-old Dominican could receive the call. Jeffrey Flanagan of Fox Sports Kansas City recently spoke to Royals Assistant General Manager J.J. Picollo who said the organization is looking to have Ventura become more efficient and keep his pitch counts down.

Nationals Could Pursue Right-Handed Power

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One year ago at this time, the Nationals found themselves 38-27 — good for a three-game lead in the highly competitive NL East. This season, they're 35-36 and sit seven games out of first, despite high expectations following last year's near-NLCS berth. MLB.com's Bill Ladson writes that this puts them in a different position than last year as non-waiver trade deadline approaches. While the team was content to simply make an August trade for Kurt Suzuki last season, they could be players in 2013.

Ladson spoke with one source who said the team may need to pursue some right-handed bench power after Tyler Moore was unable to follow up on his strong 2012 campaign. Moore hit .263/.327/.513 with 10 homers in just 171 plate appearances last season, but he mustered just a .480 OPS with two homers in 102 trips to the plate this season.

Ladson also writes that the Nationals are expected to give Dan Haren every chance to rediscover himself on the mound. His source doesn't anticipate the Nationals to explore trades for starters at this point. Haren, who was signed to a one-year deal worth $13MM this offseason, has pitched to a 5.72 ERA in 78 2/3 innings and leads the NL with 18 homers allowed.

AL Notes: Yankees, A’s, Royals, White Sox, Mariners

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With the Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly at Yankee Stadium today, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the process that resulted in Yanks' manager Joe Girardi getting the gig over Donnie Baseball back in 2007. Cashman considered those two gentlemen along with fellow late-80's/early-90's favorite Tony Pena. Managing the Yankees, explains Cashman, requires a wide range of skills that go well beyond the playing field. Ultimately, he said that Mattingly lacked the managerial experience that he was looking for: "The area that was a very difficult hurdle for him at the time, and obviously he doesn't have that anymore to deal with, is obviously at the time, he hadn't managed a game in the big leagues. So was I going to be in a position to be comfortable enough to turn over $200 million worth of assets to someone who hadn't done that before in-game."

Here are a few notes from some other American League clubs:

  • The City of San Jose has brought suit against Major League Baseball relating to the Athletics' potential move to the city, alleging various federal and state antitrust claims along with a claim for interference with prospective economic advantage. In a piece for Fangraphs yesterday, Wendy Thurm gave an excellent overview of the background legal principles governing the dispute, along with the procedural and strategic considerations that will frame it. The situation could, of course, have a major impact on the A's budget moving forward. I highly recommend a read.
  • Moving to the AL Central, Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan took a look at the Royals' impressive recent run of pitching-fueled success. Even as the team's offense continues to sputter, its starters (and excellent defense) have allowed KC to regain traction in the postseason race. Of course, the squad's rotation is led by arms that were acquired in a series of heavily-scrutinized transactions. GM Dayton Moore traded for James Shields and Wade Davis, dealt for Ervin Santana, and gave a three-year deal to free agent Jeremy Guthrie. While Davis has struggled and Guthrie's peripherals are concerning, the collective rotation ERA stands at 7th in baseball.
  • As the Royals gear up to try and make a run at the playoffs, the AL Central-rival White Sox appear to be readying to sell at the trade deadline. As MLB.com's Kelly Erickson reports, GM Rick Hahn says the team has "had some phone calls — more of the vulture-type phone calls, the type that traditionally we're more accustomed to making." Given the "hole that we've dug for ourselves," says Hahn, "teams are going to look at us as potential sellers when the deadline comes, and they're starting to lay a little bit of that ground work now."
  • The Mariners are coming up on some roster decisions with Dustin Ackley hitting the ball well in Triple-A and Franklin Gutierrez close to returning from the 60-day DL, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. While Ackley's return to the bigs has been delayed while he learns to man the outfield, the seemingly inevitable result will be some roster casualties. Baker tabs outfielder Endy Chavez and pitcher Aaron Harang as potential candidates for the waiver wire.

Quick Hits: Biogenesis, Boldt, Astros, Ramirez

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With today's news that MLB could be looking to fast-track suspensions relating to the Biogenesis PED scandal, it is worth reading USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale's look ahead at the arbitration process that will have a major role in how things play out. As previous arbitrator Shyam Das explained to Nightengale, newly-minted arbitrator Fredric Horowitz will be entering "somewhat uncharted waters" as he assesses whether the evidence warrants whatever suspensions are ultimately leveled. You may also be interested in reading this interesting account (from Tim Elfrink of the Miami New Times) of how whistleblower Porter Fischer blew the lid on the Biogenesis clinic.

In more pleasant news, here is a look at some goings-on around baseball:

  • While the Red Sox' below-slot signing of first-rounder Trey Ball freed up some cash, Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the team is still unlikely to ink 22nd-round choice Ryan Boldt. Boldt, a highly-regarded high school outfielder who was rated as high as 39th overall (by MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo), reportedly intends to attend the University of Nebraska. According to Callis, he is looking for a $2.5MM bonus to forego college.
  • On the other hand, with the Astros locking up first overall choice Mark Appel to a bonus that fell about $1.5MM below his slot value, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart says that the club is looking to spend some of that cash on later-round high schoolers. Houston could send some of its free money to tenth-rounder Austin Nicely (a left-handed University of Virginia commit) or eleventh-rounder Devonte German (a righty who will otherwise head to Nevada).
  • The inimitable Manny Ramirez has opted out of his contract with the Taiwanese EDR Rhinos and has his eyes set on a return to Major League Baseball, writes FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi. After mashing eight home runs and posting a .352 batting average in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, Ramirez's representatives Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro say that the slugger is "interested in returning to the majors in any role, including that of a pinch hitter." Now 41 years of age, the all-time great slugger last appeared in the bigs in 2011 with the Rays.

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