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Padres To Sign Mayky Perez

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MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez tweets that the Padres have agreed to terms with MLB.com's No. 9 international prospect, Dominican right-hander Mayky Perez, on a $635K signing bonus. Perez ranked 19th on the Top 30 list compiled by Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required).

The 16-year-old can throw in the mid-90s and also features a slider and changeup, according to MLB.com's scouting report. Scouts praise his mechanics and loose arm action, but questions over his ability to repeat his delivery lead some to believe he could end up in the bullpen. Badler had Perez's fastball at 87-92 mph, noting that some scouts have wondered why he hasn't added velocity since last summer when he was still in that range.

Sanchez's tweet also reports that the Padres agreed to sign Dominican outfielder Luis Asuncion for a $350K signing bonus. Asuncion didn't crack the Top 30 for either MLB.com or Baseball America, but Badler listed him as a "prospect to watch." According to Badler's report he stands out for his size and raw power but is a below-average runner.

In April, Badler reported that the Padres have a $2,500,800 bonus pool. The Friars' other largest signing to date was Venezuelan shortstop Ruddy Giron for $600K.

Minor Moves: Garcia, Gearrin, Broussard

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Happy Fourth of July to all of our readers! Here's your rundown of today's minor moves from around the league…

  • The Tigers announced via Twitter that they optioned Avisail Garcia to Triple-A Toledo following tonight's game with the Blue Jays. Garcia has appeared at all three outfield positions for the Tigers this season, hitting .241/.273/.373 in 88 plate appearances.
  • The Braves optioned pitcher Cory Gearrin to Triple-A Gwinnett and will announce a corresponding move tomorrow, The Atlanta Journal Constitution's David O'Brien reports via Twitter. Gearrin, a right-hander, has a 3.77 ERA in 31 innings for the Braves this year.
  • The Royals have signed first baseman Ben Broussard to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The 36-year-old was hitting .302/.344/.509 with eight homers in 44 games for the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. Broussard, a former second-round pick, served as the regular first baseman/DH for the Indians and Mariners from 2003-06, hitting .267/.330/.470 with 73 homers in 541 games. He last appeared in the Majors with the Rangers in 2008.
  • Twelve players are currently in DFA limbo: Brandon Lyon (Mets), Hector Gimenez (White Sox), P.J. Walters (Twins), Shawn Camp (Cubs), Miguel Olivo (Marlins), Chien-Ming Wang (Blue Jays), Kyle McClellan (Rangers), Jeff Francoeur (Royals), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Alex Liddi (Mariners), Eric Hinske (D-Backs) and Francisley Bueno (Royals).

NL Notes: Davis, Dodgers, Gallardo, Relievers

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Former Colorado Rockie Ryan Spilborghs has been blogging for The Denver Post about his experiences playing for the Seibu Lions in Japan this season, and he weighs in on the issue of PEDs in his latest post. While Spilborghs doesn't approve of PED use, he suggests that baseball's long season can push players too far without giving them enough time to recover. A better model may be the schedule adopted by Japan's NPB league, which has teams playing 144 games in about 180 days, Spilborghs says.

Some more notes from around the senior circuit…

  • Ike Davis will rejoin the Mets on Friday for their matchup with the Brewers, a source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Davis was demoted on June 10 after hitting just .161/.242/.258 in 207 plate appearances, but work with Triple-A coaches to address a hitch in Davis' swing was apparently successful, as the first baseman has compiled a .293/.424/.667 line with the Las Vegas 51s. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes speculated in a May post that Davis could be a non-tender candidate this offseason.
  • The Dodgers are expected to activate outfielder Carl Crawford from the DL as soon as Friday, reports Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Los Angeles will soon be faced with a long-anticipated glut of regular outfielders, with Crawford joining Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and sensation Yasiel Puig on the active roster. Manager Don Mattingly acknowledges that it will be a "sticky" situation to manage. It remains to be seen whether the Dodgers will consider moving Andre Ethier, who was given a five-year, $85MM extension just over a year ago.
  • While Yovani Gallardo of the Brewers has been the subject of trade dialogue, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that the righty is determined not to let the rumors affect him. "We all hear things. I'm not going to lie. … But basically I just leave it at that. I hear them, and then don't think about it too much." Gallardo did acknowledge, however, that he had become aware of some of the teams on his no-trade list.
  • Though the loss of Jesse Crain to the DL dampens the reliever market, a number of potentially available NL hurlers could help bolster a contender's bullpen, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports notes. The Cubs' Kevin Gregg has earned 14 saves in 15 opportunities, while the Brewers' Francisco Rodriguez is a perfect seven for seven in save chances and could help the Tigers, Rosenthal says. John Axford, Milwaukee's former closer, could also be a useful piece. 
  • The Marlins could offer Steve Cishek, Mike Dunn, or Ryan Webb, as they have power arms in the pipeline and "never mind trading relievers," according to Rosenthal. Both Cishek and Dunn have been effective for the Fish and become eligible for arbitration after this season. Miami could have a tougher time finding a taker for Webb, however, as he's shown discouraging strikeout and walk trends.
  • Rosenthal is also less high on the Phillies' Jonathan Papelbon, noting his high salary and declining strikeout rate, and the Brewers' Michael Gonzalez, a lefty who opponents have managed a .746 OPS against despite his high K/9 rate.

MLBTR's Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

White Sox Designate Hector Gimenez For Assignment

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The White Sox have designated catcher Hector Gimenez for assignment, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com. In a corresponding move, the team will promote fellow backstop Josh Phegley to the big club for tomorrow's game.

Gimenez, 30, saw the most extensive MLB action of his career this season while serving as the backup to Tyler Flowers. While solid behind the dish, Gimenez was struggling at the plate for Chicago with a .191/.275/.338 line over 80 plate appearances.

Though Gimenez has flashed some power over his minor league career, the Sox found it impossible to ignore Phegley's own power breakout in Triple-A. Phegley entered the year as the team's 18th overall prospect according to Baseball America, but his stock has soared in 2013. Back in May, GM Rick Hahn said that Phegley "is showing himself capable of potentially being an impact catcher at the Major League level." In addition to a career-best .316/.368/.597 triple slash over 258 plate appearances, Phegley has mashed 15 home runs for Triple-A Charlotte. 

AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox

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Let's take a quick peek in at the American League's eastern division:

  • The Yankees are still working to sign the last of the club's three first-rounders, Fresno State outfielder Aaron Judge. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets that Judge has yet to accept the Yanks' full slot offer of $1.677MM. As Baseball America's handy tracking page shows, New York is currently $311,900 under budget, so could presumably increase its offer to Judge if it wishes.
  • As previously reported, the Yanks' scouting staff was among those represented in the stands last night to see the Marlins defeat the Braves. But Heyman tweets that the club was not there to watch Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco take the hill. Instead, according to Heyman, New York was scouting hitters.
  • The Red Sox have signed University of Florida quarterback and 29th round pick Jeff Driskel, according to the Associated Press (via SI.com). As Jerry Hinnen of CBSSports.com reports, Driskel's deal will apparently allow him to continue to play under center for Florida, as he intends to do. Driskel, an outfielder on the ballfield, also says that he still hopes to pursue an NFL career before turning back to the diamond.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Twins Designate P.J. Walters For Assignment

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The Twins designated righty P.J. Walters for assignment to open a roster spot for Mike Pelfrey, tweets Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  Pelfrey had been on the DL with a back strain.

Walters, 28, was drafted by the Cardinals in the 11th round in 2006, a round that also produced Mat Latos.  He was traded to the Blue Jays in 2011 as part of the Colby Rasmus deal, and later joined the Twins as a free agent.  Walters made eight starts for the Twins this year, posting a 5.95 ERA, 5.0 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.14 HR/9, and 39.7% groundball rate in 39 1/3 innings.  He was better at Triple-A, with a 3.31 ERA in nine starts.

Prior to the 2011 season, Baseball America noted Walters' plus change-up helps him mask average velocity.  At that time, they projected him for a long relief/swingman role.

Cuban Righty Odrisamer Despaigne Nearing Free Agency

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Cuban defector Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has generated quite a bit of buzz with his showcases of late, with some reports suggesting that he could command as much as $60MM over five years. He may not be the only Cuban right-hander on the market for long though, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that Odrisamer Despaigne is hosting a showcase for MLB teams in Barcelona next week (MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez notes an open workout Tuesday afternoon). Passan adds that Despaigne is drawing "strong" interest, though not as much interest as Gonzalez (Twitter links). Both right-handers are represented by agent Jaime Torres.

Sanchez tweets that Despaigne has been working to establish residency in Spain, but it could still be another three to six weeks before he can file for free agency. Like other foreign prospects, Despaigne will also need to be cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to a report from the Associated Press (via ESPN), Despaigne defected from the Cuban National team at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris as the team traveled to a tournament in the Netherlands.

Cubs Willing To Incur International Spending Penalties

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Last night, in analyzing the Cubs' international expenditures, I noted that the team is on track to face some harsh penalties due to their bulk of signings since Tuesday. If the reported figures hold true, the Cubs would face a 100 percent tax on their overage and also be unable to sign a player from next year's international class for more than $500K. Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that the Cubs like this year's crop of international free agents so much, that they're willing to make that sacrifice.

Wittenmyer spoke to general manager Jed Hoyer and manager Dale Sveum about the crop of talent, with Sveum calling the international market "a whole 'nother draft." Hoyer told Wittenmyer, "We really like some of the impact talent in this year’s international class. We feel there’s both depth and premium guys."

The Cubs'  $2.8MM signing of top-ranked prospect Eloy Jimenez is not yet official, so it seems that they should still be able to acquire additional bonus slots in trades to avoid some of those penalties. Per the new CBA, teams can acquire an additional 50 percent of their initial bonus pool. That means the Cubs, who have already acquired $963K, can acquire an additional $1,315,600. They currently project to be $899K over their pool.

Matt Garza Rumors: Thursday

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Matt Garza dominated the A's in Oakland last night, firing eight innings of one-run ball on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts to drop his ERA to 3.45 (fellow trade candidate Kevin Gregg nailed down a save with a scoreless ninth as well). ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that a "dream scenario" has unfolded for the Cubs, as Garza is now the best pitcher available, and he's boosted his trade value with a hot streak. Garza has allowed just three earned runs in his past 30 innings of work. Here are Thursday's rumors on the right-hander…

  • The Red Sox were among the teams on hand to scout Garza's start last night, writes Joe Stiglich in a special contribution to ESPN Chicago. Stiglich adds that Garza — a veteran of the trading circuit — isn't letting rumors affect him. Said Garza, "[Until] my phone rings, I’m gonna plan on being a Cub and I’m gonna stay a Cub. We’ll see."
  • Gordon Wittenymyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (free subscription required) that a dozen scouts were on hand to see Garza's start last night, and he implies that there's a possibility that it may have been Garza's last as a Cub. Wittenymyer notes that the Cubs were burned by waiting until the deadline last summer, as they had little time to navigate issues surrounding Ryan Dempster's no-trade clause and saw Garza get injured.

Dodgers Outright Carlos Marmol To Triple-A

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THURSDAY: Marmol has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY, 11:54am: Gammons tweets that Marmol has already been placed on outright waivers. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that the outright move is procedural. Marmol has agreed to go to the minor leagues and try to work out his struggles there.

10:35am: The Dodgers have designated Carlos Marmol for assignment, according to Peter Gammons of the MLB Network (on Twitter). Gammons reports that the Dodgers were only interested in the international bonus slot they acquired in the deal, not in retaining Marmol as a member of their bullpen.

The Dodgers made what appeared to be a puzzling trade yesterday, dealing the recently DFA'ed Matt Guerrier to the Cubs in exchange for Marmol and an international bonus slot worth an additional $209,700. The Dodgers spent about $500K of actual money to acquire just under $210K of pool money, which makes sense, as international spending dollars carry more value than standard dollars due to bonus pool limitations.

In the end Marmol was property of the Dodgers for less than 24 hours. The 30-year-old, who posted a 5.86 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 6.8 BB/9 and 2.0 HR/9 in 27 2/3 innings this season, drew interest from multiple teams, so perhaps yet another club will inquire on his services.

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