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Archives for June 2013

Quick Hits: Rodriguez, Nolasco, Davis, Martin, Astros

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Tonight's Brewers vs. Marlins matchup surely was of interest to teams that might pursue starting pitching in the trade market, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweeted at the beginning of the game. Yovani Gallardo started for the Brewers and pitched eight shutout innings, striking out four and walking one. The Marlins' Ricky Nolasco, another trade candidate, didn't fare so well, allowing four runs while striking out five and walking two over 5 1/3 innings. Here are more notes from around the league.

  • Last November, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks expressed interest in Alex Rodriguez, Ken Belson and David Waldstein of the New York Times report. The Yankees never discussed the matter with the Japanese team, because they knew Rodriguez required hip surgery that would limit him in 2013, and because they knew Rodriguez would not consent to playing overseas.
  • Ike Davis' poor performance (and subsequent demotion) may make him a non-tender candidate in the coming offseason, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York argues. Davis will make $3.125MM this season, and will be eliglble for arbitration next season. He hit .161/.242/.258 in 207 plate appearances this year before the Mets shipped him to Triple-A Las Vegas.  Last month, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes discussed many potential non-tender candidates, including Davis, Clayton Richard, and Chris Perez.
  • The Pirates have had a number of surprisingly good pitching performances this year, and what connects them is catcher Russell Martin, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Martin's pitch-framing is highly-regarded, and he also wins praise for his game-calling. His impact on the Pirates' pitching staff makes the two-year, $17MM contract to which the Bucs signed him this offseason look like a very good one, Sawchik argues.
  • The Astros are rebuilding the right way, says ESPN's Jim Bowden in a new video. Bowden argues that GM Jeff Luhnow, manager Bo Porter and new president Reid Ryan are the right leaders for the Astros. Bowden also says the Astros' top draft picks help set them up to the future. The Astros selected Carlos Correa first overall in 2012, then grabbed Mark Appel with this year's top pick. They'll also have a very high pick next year. Not trying to spend their way out of last place is the right strategy for the Astros, Bowden says, because of the top picks they get as a result.
  • The Orioles are not interested in Jon Garland, MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko tweets. The Rockies released Garland this afternoon after he posted a 5.82 ERA with 4.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 for them.

Draft Notes: Williams, Cordell, Reinheimer

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This weekend's draft meant the start of a path to the big leagues for top picks like Mark Appel, Kris Bryant and Jonathan Gray, but also lots of unknowns selected on the Day Three. Former big-league outfielder Gabe Kapler reflects on his status as a late-round nobody in an essay for WEEI.com. While we're busy fussing over the signings of first-round picks, Kapler writes, "the next Kevin Youkilis will be covertly advancing through the minor league system on his way to winning a World Series championship with a bunch of other idiots." Here's more on the draft.

  • The Rangers have signed 11th-round pick Ryan Cordell, a junior outfielder from Liberty, for $100K, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (via Twitter). Signings of $100K or less after Round 10 do not count against teams' bonus pools. Baseball America ranked Cordell the No. 196 prospect in the draft.
  • There hasn't been any specific announcement of a signing, but MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter) that the Brewers' top pick, Missouri high school pitcher Devin Williams, is taking a team physical. Williams was a second-round pick; the Brewers lost their first-rounder when they signed Kyle Lohse.
  • Mariners fifth-round pick Jack Reinheimer will finalize his deal with his new team tomorrow, Nathan Summers of Reflector.com reports (via Twitter). Reinheimer, a junior shortstop from East Carolina, was the No. 147 pick in the draft.
  • ESPN's Keith Law's AL draft recap (Insider-only) features praise for the Athletics (who gambled on high-upside picks like Bobby Wahl, Kyle Finnegan and Dustin Driver in the middle rounds) and Yankees (who nabbed Eric Jagielo, Aaron Judge and Ian Clarkin with their three late-first-round picks).

Rangers Sign Gonzalez, Demeritte, Bostick

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7:43pm: Gonzalez gets a signing bonus of $2.215MM, Demeritte will earn $1.9MM, and Bostick's deal is worth $520K, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com tweets.

6:18pm: The Rangers announced that they have signed both of their first-round picks, Alex “Chi-Chi” Gonzalez and Travis Demeritte.  Gonzalez was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2013 draft while Demeritte was tapped with the No. 30 selection.

Gonzalez, a right-handed pitcher, has been assigned to Spokane of the Northwest League while Demeritte, a shortstop, will go to the Arizona League.  Gonzalez, 21, had a 1.83 ERA with 126 strikeouts and 27 walks across 113 and 1/3 innings of work at Oral Roberts in his junior year.  His gaudy strikeout total was good for second in the nation in the college regular season.  Gonzalez was previously selected by the O's in the 11th round of the 2010 draft but did not sign.

Demeritte, 18, was plucked out of Winder-Barrow High School in Winder, Georgia where he was named the 11th-best high school position player in the draft by Baseball America.  Demeritte had committed to the University of South Carolina, but he liked his deal enough to turn pro.

Texas also inked their second-round pick, high school right-hander Akeem Bostick, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).  Bostick, who comes from West Florence High School in South Carolina, was ranked No. 147 in the nation by Baseball America.  The youngster was a three sport star and was set to attend Georgia Southern both as pitcher and a wide receiver on the gridiron.

NL West Notes: Gonzalez, Dodgers, Padres

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Here's a look at the latest out of the National League West..

  • Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, who has drawn the attention of the Dodgers, has been declared a free agent and will have a showcase in Tijuana, Mexico on June 20th, a source tells Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (via Twitter).  The Cubs, Rangers, Twins and Red Sox have also been linked to the promising hurler.
  • Yasiel Puig is the talk of the baseball world and his Arizona League manager had some very high praise for him, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.  "I said, 'He's [reigning NFL MVP] Adrian Peterson.' That's how much God-given ability this guy has," Martin said. "That's the comparison I had to give. He's Adrian Peterson."
  • On the heels of the 2013 draft, MLB.com's Corey Brock took a peek into the Padres' war room.  With the No. 13 overall pick in the draft, San Diego tapped Mississippi State outfielder Hunter Renfroe.

Indians Acquire John McDonald

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The Indians announced that they have acquired John McDonald from the Pirates in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.  McDonald will help bolster the club in the middle of the infield in the wake of Asdrubal Cabrera’s right quadriceps injury.

The 38-year-old has appeared in just 16 games for the Pirates so far this season.  Over the course of his 15 year major league career, McDonald owns a .237/.275/.328 slash line.  Last year, the veteran hit .249/.295/.386 in 70 games for the D’Backs with above-average defense at shortstop.

Padres Designate John Baker For Assignment

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The Padres announced that they have designated catcher John Baker for assignment.  In related moves, San Diego also reinstated infielder Logan Forsythe from the 60-day disabled list and placed infielder Jedd Gyorko on the 15-day disabled list with a right groin strain.

Baker, 32, played in 16 games for the Padres this season, hitting .150/.261/.150 in 46 plate appearances. Over parts of six Major League seasons with the Marlins (2008-11) and Padres (2012-13), Baker has hit .258/.342/.364.

Draft Signings: Covey, Astin, Guillorme, Aper, Wade

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Over the next several weeks, signings from this year's MLB draft will be pouring in. Here's Monday's rundown of significant signings (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America's list of assigned pick values)…

  • The Athletics signed fourth-round pick Dylan Covey to a $370K deal, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  The San Diego right-hander was taken by the Brewers with the No. 14 overall pick in 2010 but ultimately didn't sign after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
  • BA's Jim Callis reports that the Brewers have signed third-round pick (No. 90 overall) Barrett Astin for a bonus of $584,300 (Twitter link), which is the exact amount of the assigned slot value. The Arkansas right-hander "was a force" as a reliever in 2012 but more average as a starter in 2013, Callis adds.
  • Mets tenth-round pick Luis Guillorme tweeted that he has signed with the team earlier today (hat tip: Adam Rubin of ESPN on Twitter). Callis adds that Guillorme signed for $200K, noting that the slick-fielding high school shortstop has drawn comparisons to Omar Vizquel (Twitter link). Guillorme's bonus is over slot, as the recommendation for that pick was $136,400.
  • Callis also tweets that the Marlins have signed sixth-round pick Ryan Aper for $225K. A junior college player from Illinois, Aper possesses a quick bat and has a plus arm and speed in center field. Aper signed about $30K under the slot recommendation of $257,400.
  • The Rockies have signed right-hander Konner Wade for a $198,500 bonus, tweetsCallis. Wade was a seventh-round pick out of Arizona and features a solid fastball/changeup combo when he's at his best, Callis notes. Wade signed for exactly slot value.
  • Callis also reports that the Cardinals have signed 16th-round pick Blake Higgins for a $100K bonus (Twitter link). Higgins attended Jackson Community College in Michigan and is forgoing a Michigan State commitment to sign. He's already had Tommy John surgery but was clocked at 95 mph prior to his injury.
  • One more from Callis, who adds (also via Twitter) that the Brewers have signed Fresno State left-handerTyler Linehan for $125K. Milwaukee selected the 6'4", 240-pound hurler in the ninth round, and Callis reports that he sits 88-93 mph with his fastball. Linehan came at a slight discount, asthe slot value of his pick was $144,100.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Diamondbacks Sign David Pauley

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The Diamondbacks have signed right-hander David Pauley to a minor league deal, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.  The Octagon client will report to Triple-A Reno tomorrow.

Pauley has a career 4.68 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 across 71 big league relief appearances and 20 starts.  However, he's spent the bulk of his career at the Triple-A level, where he has posted a 4.00 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in parts of six seasons.  

Brewers Sign Tucker Neuhaus

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Second-round pick Tucker Neuhaus tweeted that he is officially a Brewer and even included pictures of his contract signing earlier today. Joel Anderson of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Neuhaus will sign for the slot value of $771K, plus an additional $64K to compensate for the scholarship to Louisville that Neuhaus will forego to begin his pro career.

Anderson notes that Neuhaus' production was down significantly this Spring, but the cause for that could be a rash of injuries that caused him to miss much of the season as well as the mental toll of his older brother's death following a car accident.

Neuhaus, a shortstop out of Wharton High School in Florida, ranked as the 83rd-best prospect in the draft, according to Baseball America. BA notes that he's from a baseball family (his father was the coach at Bethel College in Minnesota and also an assistant at Iowa) and posseses plus power from the left side of the plate. Neuhaus was selected with the Brewers' competitive balance pick, which they were awarded in last summer's lottery.

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