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Archives for July 2013

Odds & Ends: Hughes, Byrd, Cubs, Yankees

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Giants fans have been concerned about Tim Lincecum as of late, but he looked stellar last night as he pitched a no-hitter against the Padres.  The Freak tossed an eye-popping 148 pitches to get there, one shy of the watermark set by Edwin Jackson in 2010.  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Phil Hughes has been mentioned quite a bit as a trade candidate for the Yankees and while one might expect them to seek out a piece to help them in 2013, like a righty-hitting corner bat with power, they would prefer a player that they can control in the future, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  If the Yankees keep Hughes, they are prepared to give him the 2014 tender (roughly $13.8MM) as they believe that outside teams will bid on him even with compensation attached.  In the event that they're wrong, the Bombers see it as low risk to have Hughes on a one-year deal and believe, at worst, he would still be tradeable.  
  • The Mets could trade Marlon Byrd, but Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) opines that nobody is going to give them anything close to a significant piece for a rental with a .313 OBP.  This weekend, General Manager Sandy Alderson said that he isn't in a rush to deal the outfielder.
  • The Cubs figure to be an attractive trade partner for contending clubs this summer, but president Theo Epstein didn't see it working out that way.  "We wanted to be buyers this year," Epstein told reporters, including MLB.com's Chad Thornburg. "With a few breaks, this year, we could've been in a much different situation. Some one-run games early change, and different bullpen situations [we'd have different results]. The goal every year is to be in position where you're looking to add and have a strong pennant push."
  • After helping the Cubs top the Cardinals, Matt Garza spoke with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link) about what the immediate future might hold for him.  While he says that he's focusing on pitching the best he can, he admits that it would be tough for him to leave the Cubs.  Meanwhile, he still pegs the odds of signing an extension with Chicago at 50/50.
  • Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record writes that Yankees fans hoping for a major splash shouldn't hold their breath between now and the end of the month.  “There’s not a lot out there for [GM Brian Cashman],” said one rival executive, who added that Michael Young isn’t currently available and the Bombers aren’t particularly interested in Byrd. 

AL Central Notes: Twins, Perkins, Jacobs

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Here's a look at the latest out of the AL Central..

  • Twins GM Terry Ryan says that he's willing to trade anybody, including coveted reliever Glen Perkins, writes Mike Beradino of the Pioneer Press.  "If somebody overwhelms you with something, then you've got to listen," Ryan said. "There's no question. You just can't say, 'No.' It's not just Glen Perkins. It would be anybody in this situation. If somebody wants to talk about a guy, I'm all ears. Go ahead."  Perkins is under contract for a combined $10.3MM through 2015 with a team option for 2016 at $4.5MM.
  • In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (insider sub. req'd) writes that rival GM continue to believe that the Twins don't want to part with Perkins.  However, the left-hander's value is at its zenith and he would bring in a nice haul for Minnesota.
  • Jim Margalus of South Side Sox breaks down the newly-acquired Brandon Jacobs, who came to the White Sox in the Matt Thornton deal.

Royals Designate J.C. Gutierrez For Assignment

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The Royals have designated right-hander J.C. Gutierrez for assignment, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).  The move allows the club to clear space for fellow righty Wade Davis, who is rejoining the club after paternity leave.

Gutierrez, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, posted a 3.38 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 25 relief appearances this season.  For his big league career, Gutierrez has a 4.58 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in parts of five campaigns for the Astros, Diamondbacks, and Royals.  The right-hander boasts a mid-90s fastball and so far in 2013 he's been clocking in with a career high 95 mph average.

East Notes: Rays, Byrd, Brown, Red Sox

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The Rays tend to stand pat at the trade deadline, and you can expect the same this time around, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Right now, the Rays have one of their best squads in the past six seasons, strong pitching, a solid bullpen, and the offense is doing better than expected.  "I like what we have now," manager Joe Maddon said. "With everybody staying well I don't anticipate us doing anything."  Here's more out of the AL and NL East..

  • Consistent with what we've been hearing, the Mets say that they aren't in a rush to trade outfielder Marlon Byrd, writes Mike Puma of the New York Post.  ”It would have to be significant [talent],” Alderson said before last night's game. “I don’t want to add to the speculation because I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we want to remain competitive.”  Byrd is hitting .267/.313/.498 with 15 homers while the Mets are 40-50, 12 games back from the first place Braves.
  • Domonic Brown is shining for the Phillies, but they almost let him get away, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Brown was an untouchable during talks in 2009 with Toronto for Roy Halladay but two baseball sources said Brown's name was discussed in the 2011 trade with the Astros for Hunter Pence.
  • The Red Sox aren't feeling pressured to make a trade before the deadline, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Even if Clay Buchholz has another setback, the BoSox can still get by with what they have, in Silverman's estimation.

AL Notes: Rangers, Blue Jays, Orioles, Rodriguez

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If you're looking for some interesting reading late into this Saturday night, you might try one of these two pieces. Recent Rangers acquisition and all-time great hitter Manny Ramirez may have remade himself over three months in Taiwan, writes Sam Graham-Felsen, or he may have just kept being Manny. Either way, with a strong start to his Triple-A assignment, Ramirez could be close to a fascinating return to the bigs. Just as unlikely, if not moreso, is the path of Blue Jays reliever Steve Delabar from washout to All Star; Harry Pavlidis of the Washington Post has the story. Elsewhere in the American League …

  • While the Cubs' Matt Garza currently pitches in the National League, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com says that he could soon return to the AL. Levine reports that the Rangers and Blue Jays are the "front runners" in acquiring Garza's services for the balance of 2013. Though the Rangers have frequently been mentioned as pursuers of Garza, who figures to be the top starter available, the Jays have generally not been placed atop the list. Nevertheless, Levine says that Toronto has been very active in scouting the righty over his last three starts. As for Texas, Levine says that power-hitting prospect Mike Olt would probably be included in a deal.
  • Another American League club, the Orioles, is likely out on Garza, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. After already dealing for one Chicago starter, Scott Feldman, Baltimore apparently believes that Garza will require too large a commitment in prospects and cash to warrant a deal.
  • If the Yankees were still hoping to get a contribution this year from fallen star Alex Rodriguez, the odds appear to be on the downturn. Bill Madden and Teri Thompson of the New York Daily News report that, after learning today of the nature of MLB's case against him arising out of the Biogenesis scandal, Rodriguez's representatives could be contemplating an attempt at a "plea deal" that could result in a 150-game suspension. (That a "clearly shaken" A-Rod reportedly went on to engage in yet another dust-up with the club over his rehab situation could be another hurdle to his return.)
  • With Rodriguez and possibly other players considering such an arrangement to limit the scope of punishment, and the league reportedly prepared to move aggressively after the All-Star break, it is looking more and more likely that the impact of the scandal will be felt this season. While the potential for a drawn-out process remains, any agreements to bypass the appeals procedure and agree to penalties would presumably result in a more immediate imposition of suspensions.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Chasing Puig, Cespedes

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SATURDAY: For his part, Cespedes says that he has no intentions of leaving his agent, Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group. As the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports, Cespedes says he is "very happy with Adam and with the work he's done for me."  

THURSDAY: "We're not inflicted with that disease," Jay-Z said in reference to other agents' belief in doing only one thing, speaking yesterday on The Breakfast Club Power 105.1 (hat tip to Forbes contributor Darren Heitner).  "It's insane to even say that, 'What does he know about sports?' Uh, everything. More than you," he added.  In regard to other agents, he said, "They've been sitting around for 20-30 years just not doing anything, so me coming, that's a problem for them.  Now they have to go to work, now they have to wake up."  The agency talk begins around the 10:20 mark in this video.

WEDNESDAY: Jay-Z made waves earlier this year when he entered the sports representation world with his Roc Nation Sports venture and lured Robinson Cano away from Scott Boras (whom he dissed in song).  Now, the company is wooing Dodgers star Yasiel Puig and also has an eye on Athletics slugger Yoenis Cespedes, sources tell Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

When the Yankees hosted the Dodgers in mid-June, Puig was invited to a party at a club owned by Jay-Z after a Dodgers teammate passed along the rapper's contact information, one source said, and Puig left the meeting intrigued.  Puig has also talked with at least one other marketing agency in New York, but the prospect of joining Roc Nation remains a possibility.

Jay-Z is also known to be interested in signing A's outfielder Cespedes, who will be in New York for the Home Run Derby.  Puig could be in town as well if he wins the Final Vote for the last slot on the National League All-Star team.

As the MLBTR Agency Database shows, Puig is currently represented by Jamie Torres and Cespedes is with Adam Katz of Wasserman Media Group.  Puig is in the early portion of the seven-year, $42MM deal he signed in June 2012.  Meanwhile, Cespedes' four-year, $36MM deal will take him through the 2015 season.

Jay-Z burst onto the agent scene in April, taking Cano from Boras as the Yankees' second baseman heads toward a nine-figure contract.  As Passan notes, Jay-Z rapped on the recently-released song "Crown," "Scott Boras, you over, baby. Robinson Cano, you coming with me."  Talking to Yahoo's Tim Brown on July 3rd, Boras didn't respond directly to the shot, but hammered home, "All I can offer the player is, all my time will be spent only on baseball."

AL Central Notes: White Sox, Twins, Indians

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After last night's Matt Thornton trade sent a veteran player to greener pastures, the White Sox team faces a few weeks of speculation backed by the knowledge that some rumors will come to fruition. Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com gathered some interesting material from the Chicago clubhouse. Fellow reliever and trade candidate Jesse Crain, for instance, said that the team now realizes that it is in for a lot of changes: "With him being traded, you know it's going to happen. That kind of opens the door." Likewise, manager Robin Ventura acknowledged that the deal makes things harder. "Any time these guys read a paper or look at the names floating around, now one of them is true," Ventura explained. "It does become a little tougher because it was a rumor before, but now something has happened." Indeed, the White Sox could move any number of its veterans before the deadline. Here are a few notes elsewhere in the American League's Central division:

  • The Twins ownership approved a "much higher payroll" for 2013 than the team's front office elected to utilize, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Of course, as Ben Nicholson-Smith explained in reviewing the Twins' offseason for MLBTR, the true arguable failure was not the decision to withhold from spending, but rather the failure to deploy funds in a way that would give the team some upside (either generating an outside shot at contention or building trade chips). 
  • Indeed, the Twins seem to have little prospect of significant returns among the team's free agent signings. While Mike Pelfrey could be dangled, he would hardly bring much in return after a poor first half. Fellow starter Kevin Correia has produced better results and could garner some attention, but as Nicholson-Smith noted in March, his value is limited by the seeming over-pay he received from Minnesota. (While Correia does come with another year of control, he has produced only .5 fWAR to date and will be owed $5.5MM in his age-33 season.)
  • Although the Indians remain viable contenders, Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that the team should stick with its multi-year rebuilding plan rather than going for broke. With too many holes to fill this year, Ocker recommends a conservative trade deadline strategy in which the team explores additions with longer-term value but otherwise hopes that its current club can hang in the division with its present constitution.

Travis Ishikawa To Elect Free Agency

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SATURDAY: Ishikawa cleared waivers and will elect free agency, MLBTR has learned.

THURSDAY: The Yankees designated first baseman Travis Ishikawa for assignment to open a roster spot for Derek Jeter, they announced today.  Ishikawa, who received only two plate appearances with the Yankees, is expected to go on waivers today, MLBTR has learned.  Jeter makes his season debut tonight following his long recovery from ankle surgery, batting second at designated hitter.

Ishikawa, 29, received most of his playing time with the Orioles' Triple-A club, hitting .316/.413/.525 in 208 plate appearances.  He had signed a minor league deal with Baltimore and was added to the big league club upon reaching his opt-out date.  He was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Yankees shortly thereafter given their lack of depth at first base after Mark Teixeira's season ended.

NL Notes: Garza, Schierholtz, Pirates, Revere

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With today's earlier notes on the division and several relevant bullets from our most recent post, the National League Central continues to be busy. We've also seen another trade deadline hotspot develop in the NL East. Let's look at the latest: 

  • With Matt Garza taking the hill for the Cubs tonight, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets that it is looking increasingly likely that it will be his last time doing so. Olney writes that Chicago is making progress in trade talks with at least two teams, and could be in position to complete a trade over the All-Star break.
  • Another piece of Cubs trade bait, outfielder Nate Schierholtz, is expected to get a few days off for general wear and tear. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link), the ambiguous reasoning for the time off has led some scouts to suggest that Chicago could be shelving Schierholtz in anticipation of a trade.
  • One team that could be in on the Cubs' outfielder is the division-rival Pirates, reports Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. With Pittsburgh failing to receive adequate production from the right field position, Biertempfel says that multiple sources tell him that the team is looking closely at both Schierholtz and White Sox outfielder Alex Rios.  
  • Everyone's favorite buying/selling fence-straddlers, the Phillies, have suffered a major blow to the team's 2013 chances with the team reporting that center fielder Ben Revere has suffered a broken foot. (Twitter links.) While the full severity is not yet known, Revere is set to see a specialist on Monday and a relatively prolonged absence seems inevitable. With some already wondering whether Ryan Howard's knee surgery could drive the Phils to sell, the loss of Revere — who had emerged as a major contributor over the last few months — can only increase that likelihood. MLBTR's Aaron Steen took a look at the Phils' decision-making process last night, before Revere came up hurt. 

Rosenthal On Garza, Cardinals, Ibanez, Rockies

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In a video report, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal passes on some updates on developing trade situations around the league. Here are the main takeaways:

  • The Cubs have had relatively detailed talks on an extension with free-agent-to-be Matt Garza — including years and dollars — but Rosenthal says it remains much more likely that the starter will be dealt. There is a solid chance that a deal could be made before Garza's scheduled July 22 outing, says Rosenthal, with Chicago seemingly willing to accept less in return if a team is willing to eat more of the remainder of Garza's $10.25MM deal. 
  • Echoing previous reports, Rosenthal lists the Dodgers, Nationals, Red Sox, and Rangers as the teams most prominently in on Garza. He does note that there may be a few other teams who could make such a move. We've recently heard of interest from the Indians as well, though cold water has already been thrown on that idea. 
  • Rosenthal adds via Twitter that the Rangers have two scouts watching Garza pitch tonight, with the Tigers, Orioles, Pirates, and Blue Jays also scouting the game. Of course, as Rosenthal further tweets, the other clubs are more likely interested in Chicago's relievers and position players.
  • While Rosenthal says that the Cardinals would be a nice fit for a starter like Garza, he says that it remains extremely unlikely that GM John Mozeliak would part with any elite talent to make such a deal. Rosenthal says that Cards could be on the starter market, but only if the club feels it cannot rely on internal options like Chris Carpenter.
  • Meanwhile, Rosenthal says St. Louis does not feel any urgency to make a move at shortstop. While Pete Kozma is far from perfect, it would be hard to upgrade the position substantially at a non-prohibitive price.
  • One obvious trade candidate, Raul Ibanez of the Mariners, is somewhat unlikely to be dealt in spite of his cheap, expiring contract and solid performance this season. As we've heard elsewhere recently, Rosenthal says that GM Jack Zduriencik would be hesitant to deal the once-and-current Mariner without consulting with him. According to Rosenthal, Seattle is more likely to trade other veterans like reliever Oliver Perez and starter Joe Saunders.
  • The Rockies could be interested in making a deal for the Yankees' Phil Hughes, but Rosenthal says that they would be looking at him as a bullpen piece rather than a starter. If the Yanks are in fact looking for a significant return for Hughes, of course, the Rockies would seem hard-pressed to get an overly attractive price on the pending free agent.
  • One other player the Rockies are looking at is starter Vance Worley of the Twins, who is currently working out his issues (with some success) at Triple-A. According to Rosenthal, Minnesota is loathe to ship off Worley at a discount because they view him as a rebound candidate and maintain team control through 2017. Worley's extended minor league stay could make him even cheaper, as he may lose his expected Super Two status and figures to earn less whenever he does reach arbitration.

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