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Archives for June 2013

Ricky Nolasco Rumors: Thursday

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Significant trades remain rare in June, but the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco has four days left to join a club that has added Kevin Youkilis, Mark Ellis, Joel Hanrahan, Sean Burnett, Mark DeRosa, Chris Perez, Nate McLouth, Jeff Locke, and Charlie Morton in recent years.  Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio and ESPN today that there have been far more serious trade discussions five weeks from the deadline than he can ever recall, and you have to wonder if Colletti is thinking of his own discussions for Nolasco while making that comment.  The entire NL West plus the Orioles have been linked to the 30-year-old righty, who is scheduled to face the Padres tomorrow night.  Nolasco has about $6MM left on his contract, which will certainly be part of the trade negotiations.  The latest:

  • Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports report that the Marlins are seeking a "good" prospect as well as the full $6MM of salary relief in exchange for Nolasco. The financial implications of those demands have pushed the Rockies out of the running. The Dodgers are the front-runners, according to one executive, though the Giants and Padres are still involved in talks. The Orioles are "less confident" in their chances, and the Rangers "loom as a possibility," according to the FOX duo.
  • The Dodgers are likely to pay more of Nolasco's salary if it means saving a prospect, tweets Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. The Dodgers are pleased with the current direction of their minor league system.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Dodgers and Marlins have indeed made progress in talks for Nolasco. One source tells Olney that there's a 70 percent chance the deal gets done.
  • The Marlins and Dodgers are indeed in talks about Nolasco, hears Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
  • As a Southern California native, Nolasco would naturally prefer to pitch on the West Coast, notes MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.  The interest from the NL West bodes well for that goal, though the Red Sox scouted Nolasco's last start, writes Frisaro.  Nolasco's opinion on being a walking trade rumor?  "Whatever happens, happens," he told Frisaro.
  • What might it take to acquire Nolasco?  Bowden offers proposals for each NL West team in this ESPN article. 

AL Central Notes: Peavy, Perkins, McDonald, Indians

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We learned earlier today that the White Sox are reportedly "open for business" and willing to trade anyone besides Chris Sale and their long-time franchise cornerstone Paul Konerko. Here's more on the Sox as well as the rest of the American League Central…

  • Jake Peavy knows that he could become a trade chip for the White Sox if he comes back healthy after the All-Star break, but he told Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago that he hopes that doesn't happen. Peavy voiced a desire to remain in Chicago but noted that he and his teammates control their own fate. If the team doesn't put together a significant winning streak quickly, Peavy acknowledges that GM Rick Hahn could very well trade him.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that if the Twins were to make closer Glen Perkins available this July, a major bidding war would break out. Olney told 1500 ESPN that he's spoken to several people who think Perkins would be the "No. 1 guy on the market" (Twitter link). Perkins is in the first year of a three-year, $10.3MM contract that contains a $4.5MM club option.
  • Indians general manager Chris Antonetti spoke with Olney as a guest on today's Baseball Tonight Podcast (Antonetti joins around the 30-minute mark) and spoke at length about the trade deadline. Antonetti said he likes this time of year and considers it exciting, as it gives he and his fellow GMs a chance to shape their organizations. Antonetti side-stepped a question about what the Tribe would be looking for in July, saying their focus for the time being is getting healthy.
  • Antonetti also discussed the difficult situation of designating John McDonald for assignment. He told Olney that the team was up front that a DFA was a very possible outcome when Asdrubal Cabrera returned from the DL, but it was still tough due to the great respect they have for McDonald.
  • Antonetti added that relationships with other GMs are a huge factor in trade negotiations, and discussed how he stays connected with other general managers to maintain strong relationships. The entire interview gives a nice look into the mindset of a GM at this time of year and is worth listening to.

Pirates Agree To Terms With Austin Meadows

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8:44pm: Meadows will sign for the full slot value, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (on Twitter).

7:42pm: The Pirates and Meadows have officially reached an agreement, according to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. It's expected to be close to slot value, and Meadows is in Pittsburgh for a physical right now (All Twitter links).

6:35pm: The Pirates are closing in on a deal with first-round pick Austin Meadows, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Meadows, a high school center fielder from Georgia, was selected with the No. 9 overall pick, which carries an assigned slot value of $3,029,600 according to Baseball America. Meadows is advised by Excel Sports Management.

Meadows ranked as the draft's No. 5 prospect according to both ESPN's Keith Law (Insider subscription required) and MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, while Baseball America ranked him sixth on their Top 500 list. Law and Mayo note that he has tremendous five-tool potential, though Law cautions that he's a risky commodity because of how much work his hit tool needs. Scouts and evaluators debated whether he or No. 5 overall pick Clint Frazier was a better draft prospect, as they live just a few miles apart in Georgia. The pair grew up playing against each other and have developed a friendly rivalry.

The Pirates received the No. 9 overall pick as compensation for failing to sign Mark Appel in 2012 after they selected him eighth overall. Pittsburgh also picked at No. 14, where they selected Washington prep catcher Reese McGuire.

Cuban Prospect Dariel Alvarez Eligible To Sign

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It's been months since we've heard significant news on Cuban defectors Dariel Alvarez and Aledmys Diaz, but MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez writes that Alvarez has been cleared by the Commissioner's Office to sign with a Major League team. He has actually been cleared to sign for several months, but the process has been slowed by a change in agents. Diaz, according to a separate tweet from Sanchez, will not be eligible for free agency until next February.

The Dodgers, Rangers, Red Sox, Royals, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Padres and Yankees were among the teams in attendance for an Alvarez showcase in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. yesterday, according to Sanchez. The Marlins did not attend his workout despite its proximity to Miami, which gels with reports from the offseason that the Marlins weren't interested.

Alvarez, 24, is capable of playing all three outfield positions and has drawn praise for a strong throwing arm. The new collective bargaining agreement states that players who are at least 23 years of age and have a minimum of three years of professional experience are not subject to the international signing limitations. In other words, teams will be able to spend as freely as they wish to acquire Alvarez's services. In addition to the previously mentioned teams, the Twins and Cardinals were both connected to Alvarez this past winter as well.

White Sox Ready To Sell; Won’t Trade Sale Or Konerko

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We heard last week that the White Sox had begun to receive calls on their veteran players. Now, rival executives tell Jon Heyman of CBS Sports that the ChiSox are "open for business" and willing to discuss anyone on their roster with the exception of Chris Sale and Paul Konerko.

That means that even John Danks, who just last year signed a five-year, $65MM extension with the Sox, could be had in the right deal. The team also has desirable trade chips like Alex Rios, Alexei Ramirez, Jesse Crain, Matt Lindstrom, Matt Thornton and Jake Peavy (though he's currently on the DL). Heyman also adds that Jeff Keppinger's name has already come up in conversations, despite the fact that he signed a three-year deal just this past offseason.

Not surprisingly, one executive told Heyman that Adam Dunn will be difficult to move. Dunn is owed $15MM in 2014 and is hitting .194/.303/.460 this season. Another said that Peavy will be tough to find a match for as well. The White Sox will have a high asking price on their co-ace, but teams won't have much time to determine if he's truly healthy.

Another executive told Heyman that the Mets could look at Ramirez as a potential long-term option at shortstop. While he's not hitting for power anymore, Ramirez is batting .280/.308/.345 with 18 stolen bases and outstanding defense, according to advanced metrics like UZR and DRS. He's owed $10MM in 2014 and has a $10MM club option for 2015 on his contract as well.

Valverde Accepts Outright Assignment To Triple-A

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THURSDAY: Valverde has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, according to Tigers manager of media relations Rick Thompson (on Twitter).

FRIDAY: The Tigers have designated Jose Valverde for assignment tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The 35-year-old Valverde returned to the Tigers following the start of the season and stepped into the closer's role admirably. He converted six of his first seven save opportunities, allowing one run over the course of 12 innings in that time. Over his past 7 1/3 innings, however, Valverde has allowed 11 runs on the strength of six homers.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland recently said that Joaquin Benoit would handle the majority of the closing duties, but shied away from officially naming Benoit the team's closer (MLB.com's Jason Beck reporting on Twitter).

Brewers Getting Calls On Relievers, Gallardo

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The Brewers are receiving "a lot of calls" regarding the availability of John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez and Mike Gonzalez, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). He adds that Yovani Gallardo is also drawing "some" interest.

Axford started the season as Milwaukee's closer but lost the job after he allowed nine runs in his first 3 1/3 innings. Over the past five weeks, however, he's fired 18 1/3 scoreless innings in a row, striking out 18 hitters and walking just seven in that time.

A look at the custom Fangraphs leaderboard of relief trade candidates compiled by MLBTR's Tim Dierkes shows that each of the three relievers ranks in the top 20 in xFIP. All three are striking out more than a batter per inning, though all three are pretty significant flyball pitchers as well.

As for Gallardo, Brewers GM Doug Melvin spoke about the right-hander earlier this week. While he feels that Gallardo is important to their chances of winning games in the future, he also acknowledged that contenders will likely make him offers that he has to consider. Tim also analyzed Gallardo's case as a trade candidate earlier this year.

Yesterday, ESPN's Jayson Stark noted that the Brewers will listen on any position player other than Carlos Gomez, Ryan Braun and Jean Segura. I'd imagine that Kyle Lohse will also draw some interest from other clubs.

Garcia Signs New Minor League Deal With Orioles

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THURSDAY: Garcia has accepted his assignment to Triple-A, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). The Orioles have confirmed the move, announcing that Garcia has opted out of his prior deal and re-signed a new minor league contract. He is no longer on the 40-man roster.

MONDAY, 2:40pm: The Orioles announced (via Twitter) that they have optioned Garcia to Triple-A Norfolk. Ghiroli tweets that Garcia has the right to decline the option and become a free agent. For the time being, however, Garcia remains on the 40-man roster.

2:20pm: Freddy Garcia told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com that he will be placed on waivers by the Orioles. He has no plans to retire and could become a free agent or accept an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk (Twitter links). Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter) that Garcia has technically been designated for assignment and not strictly waived just yet. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com adds that Kevin Gausman has been recalled and is listed as a reliever on the team's lineup card (Twitter link).

The 36-year-old Garcia totaled 53 innings for the Orioles this season, posting a 5.77 ERA with 4.4 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 40 percent ground-ball rate. The veteran hurler has become increasingly homer-prone since a solid 2011 campaign with the Yankees, as he's yielded an alarming 34 homers in his past 160 1/3 big league innings. Were his lofty homer-to-flyball ratio to stabilize around the league average, xFIP projects a 4.54 ERA for the 15-year veteran.

Draft Signings: Jones, Eades, Overton

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Today's notable draft signings…

  • The Pirates signed third round pick JaCoby Jones for $612K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  That's exactly slot for the Boras Corporation advisee.  A speedy second baseman out of Louisiana State, BA ranked Jones as the 75th best draft prospect and noted that he's said to prefer the outfield.
  • The Twins signed second round draft pick Ryan Eades, tweets director of baseball communications and player relations Dustin Morse.  Eades received the slotted amount of $1,294,100, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.  Eades, a righty out of Louisiana State, ranked 37th on the Baseball America 500.  He's advised by the Boras Corporation.  The Twins have two unsigned picks from the first ten rounds: Indiana righty Aaron Slegers from the fifth round, and his teammate Dustin DeMuth from the eighth.
  • The Athletics agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Dillon Overton yesterday, reported the Associated Press.  The Oklahoma lefty, chosen 63rd overall, signed for $400K according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.  That's well under the slot value of $885,600 for the Jonathan Gray teammate, which makes sense given the report from Yahoo's Jeff Passan that Overton will have Tommy John surgery within the next two weeks.  Overton is advised by The Legacy Agency.  With the signing, the A's have inked their top 13 picks according to BA.  They had a bonus pool of $6,036,800 for the top ten, and spent 93% of it at $5,619,100.  Savings on Overton and going cheap on their ninth and tenth-round picks enabled the A's to go over slot on fifth rounder Bobby Wahl and seventh rounder Dustin Driver.
  • Seven first-round draft picks remain unsigned in advance of the July 12th deadline: Kris Bryant of the Cubs, Colin Moran of the Marlins, Austin Meadows of the Pirates, Phil Bickford of the Blue Jays, Hunter Renfroe of the Padres, Ryne Stanek of the Rays, and Aaron Judge of the Yankees.  The Marlins hope to have a deal worked out with Moran "sooner rather than later," a source with knowledge of the negotiations tells Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.

The initial version of this post said that JaCoby Jones signed for under slot; our apologies for the error.

Phillies Acquire John McDonald

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The Phillies acquired infielder John McDonald from the Indians today for a player to be named later or cash considerations, announced the team.  McDonald is expected to join the Phillies tomorrow in Los Angeles, at which point they'll make a corresponding 25-man roster move.  The Phils cleared a 40-man spot by outrighting catcher Steven Lerud.

Johnny Mac, 38, joined the Pirates in a March trade with the Diamondbacks and was traded to Cleveland on June 10th.  The Indians designated McDonald for assignment yesterday to make room for Asdrubal Cabrera.  The veteran is known for his glovework; he's played shortstop, second base, and third base this year.

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