Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2013

MLBTR Originals

By | at

A look back at the original reporting and analysis found on MLBTR this past week:

  • Tim Dierkes revised MLBTR's 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings. Robinson Cano and Jacoby Ellsbury remain the top two in this edition, but Nelson Cruz dropped out in the wake of his 50-game Biogenesis suspension.
  • Steve Adams documented Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera will lose at least $1MM in salary this year and next because of his 50-game Biogenesis suspension while also putting the opportunity for a long-term contract at risk.
  • MLBTR was the first to learn the Giants decided to hold off pursuing a minor league contract with Ted Lilly, for the time being, after reviewing the left-hander's medical history.
  • MLBTR was the first to report Giants right-hander Yusmeiro Petit cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Fresno.
  • Tim asked MLBTR readers who will forego free agency this offseason by signing a contract extension. Once again, our readers are very prescient with 56% predicting Chase Utley and the Phillies would come to terms on a new pact. A mere 11 hours after the survey was published, news broke of the two sides reaching an agreement on a two-year, $27MM deal with three vesting options, which could increase the value of the extension to as much as $75MM.
  • Steve listed the notable August extensions from the previous three seasons.
  • Zach Links tracked the progress players with a 2014 vesting option are making toward exercising those options.
  • MLBTR is keeping track of the players who, based on published reports, have cleared waivers. This list can always be found in the sidebar under MLBTR Features.
  • Tim named the relievers who could become August trade candidates.
  • Zach revisited the White Sox's waiver claim acquisition of Alex Rios four years ago yesterday.
  • The MLBTR Reverse Standings page is now available offering readers a simple way of following the action, as teams vie for the for the best draft picks in 2014 by losing the most games in 2013. You can find the link under MLBTR Features in the right sidebar.
  • Zach asked MLBTR readers how the Diamondbacks will finish out their season. Nearly 75% of you see a winning season for Arizona, but not a trip to the playoffs.
  • Tim hosted this week's chat.
  • MLBTR contributor Marc Hulet updated the Prospect Rumor Roundup.
  • Zach compiled the latest edition of Baseball Blogs Weigh In.
  • Want the latest rumors for your favorite team? Check out MLBTR's team-by-team links for Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds.
  • There are many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors. Here's a refresher on how to use MLBTR.

Week In Review: 8/4/13 – 8/10/13

By | at

Here's a look back at the week that was here at MLBTR.

Royals Acquire Jamey Carroll

By | at

The Royals have acquired infielder Jamey Carroll from the Twins, tweets Phil Miller of the Star Tribune. Both teams have confirmed the trade and the Twins will receive a player to be named later or cash.  Carroll

"I'm excited to go to a team that's been playing really well," Carroll told reporters including Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioner Press (video link). "I hope I can go there and contribute in a positive way. It should be pretty exciting. It's exciting to go and be in this situation."

The Royals, 7.5 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central and 4.5 games out of the second AL Wild Card spot, have lost a pair of second basemen to injury this month. Chris Getz was placed on the disabled list August 1 with a left knee sprain and Miguel Tejada landed on the DL today after suffering a right calf strain last night. Carroll has split his time between second base and third base for the Twins this year while posting a slash line of .230/.284/.262 in 202 plate appearances. Royals manager Ned Yost says Carroll "is a very solid player" and will play mostly at second, but will see time at third, tweets Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star.  

Carroll is in the final season of a two-year, $6.75MM contract he signed with the Twins in November 2011. The deal includes a 2014 mutual option worth $2MM. MLBTR's Zach Links detailed recently the 39-year-old needs 401 plate appearances for the option to vest, so he needs 199 more to reach that mark. If the option does vest, Carroll can decide to take the guaranteed $2MM and remain in Kansas City or accept a $250K buyout and test the open market this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Acquire Alex Rios

By | at

AUGUST 11: The White Sox have announced, via Twitter, Garcia is the player to be named later in the Rios trade. Garcia will report to Triple-A Charlotte and will most likely be a September call-up, before if needed, reports Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (Twitter links).

AUGUST 9: It looked like a long shot just hours ago, but the White Sox and Rangers have announced a trade that will send Alex Rios to Texas in exchange for a player to be named later. The White Sox are reportedly including $1MM to help offset some of the remaining money on Rios' contract.  Rios

Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago feels that it's likely Leury Garcia will be the player to be named later at a time when he's not required to clear waivers to be moved (Twitter link). MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan agrees that Garcia will head to the White Sox, adding that the trade came together just minutes before the deadline to move Rios before his waiver period expired.

The 32-year-old Rios is hitting .277/.328/.421 with 12 homers and 26 stolen bases this season. Originally set to earn $12.5MM next year with a $13.5MM option for 2015, Rios has a clause in his contract that escalates both of those figures by $500K if traded, which is likely the reason that the Sox included the $1MM in cash.

The Rangers claimed Rios off waivers earlier this week after expressing interest in him prior to the trade deadline. This is the second time that he has changed teams in August, as the White Sox originally acquired him from the Blue Jays back in 2009 in a down season when the Jays simply dumped his contract onto the White Sox. In parts of five seasons with the White Sox, Rios hit .269/.310/.430, offering solid defense in right field. He's also capable of playing center field in a pinch, though he hasn't done so regularly since 2011.

The 22-year-old Garcia is hitting just .192/.236/.231 in 57 plate appearances this season. The switch-hitter entered the season ranked as the Rangers' No. 20 prospect, according to Baseball America. In their scouting report, BA noted that Garcia is a near 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale and also possessed the best infield arm in Texas' system. His ultimate role may be a super utility player capable of handling second base, shortstop and center field, according to BA.

Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago first reported that Rios had been traded and that the White Sox would receive a PTBNL (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported that that the White Sox were including $1MM (on Twitter).

NL Notes: Cubs, Weiss, Rockies, Manuel

By | at

On this date in 1961, 40-year-old Warren Spahn became the 13th pitcher in MLB history to win 300 games as he went the distance in the Milwaukee Braves' 2-1 victory over the Cubs. The complete game was the 317th for the left-hander, who also drove in Milwaukee's first run with a sacrifice fly. Spahn was enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 with 363 victories, the most by any left-hander and the most by any pitcher who played his entire career in the live ball era. Here's more from this era's National League: 

  • Cubs catcher Welington Castillo is having a strong season behind the plate and he's showing the club he can be a valuable piece for the future. The same can't be said for the rest of the catchers in the Chicago farm system and the position is thin enough that GM Jed Hoyer said this weekend the front office plans to make acquiring more backstops a priority this winter, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  
  • Walt Weiss signed only a one-year contract to manage the Rockies this season, but he told the Denver Post's Patrick Saunders he wants to return in 2014. "Yes, sure. I knew it wasn't going to be all fun and games," Weiss said. "I have been through enough Major League seasons to understand that you'll get beat up. But I want to be a part of building something special here. That's what drives me."
  • The final weeks of the season provide the Rockies a platform for cold-hard analysis, opines Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies need more talent and Renck names Giancarlo Stanton and Nelson Cruz as aquisitions who could fill the club's void of a right-handed power bat and Jesse Crain should be a free agent priority as a much needed late-inning arm.
  • The Phillies need to provide clarity to their managerial situation, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Brookover writes the assumption is Charlie Manuel will step aside for Ryne Sandberg and, if that is the Phillies' desire, the announcement should be made now so Manuel can use the remainder of the season as a well-deseved bow for being the franchise's winningest manager while also giving the players, who will be around when Spring Training opens in February, an idea of what they can expect from their next manager.

Edward Creech contributed to this post.

Diamondbacks Promote Matt Davidson

By | at

The Diamondbacks have promoted third baseman Matt Davidson, according to Keith Law of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  The California native, who has been considered a top prospect for the last few years, was taken with the 35th overall pick in the 2009 draft by Arizona.

Davidson was ranked as the 70th best prospect heading into 2013 by Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, No. 75 by Keith Law of ESPN.com, and No. 88 by Baseball America.  This season was Davidson's first at the Triple-A level and he has looked strong thus far, hitting .278/.348/.484 with 16 homers in 466 plate appearances.

The 22-year-old was rated as the top power hitter in the D'Backs' system and their fifth best prospect overall.  BA notes that while he has an issue with strikeouts and probably won't blossom into a high average hitter, he has the ability to drive the ball deep and to all fields when he isn't pressing.

As an August promotion, Davidson will be clear of the Super Two cutoff, meaning he will only be eligible for arbitration three times if he sticks with the varsity squad.  Staying with the big league club would mean that he will be controlled through the 2019 season.

Royals Designate Brett Hayes For Assignment

By | at

The Royals announced that they have designated catcher Brett Hayes for assignment.  The move will allow KC to activate fellow backstop Salvador Perez from the seven-day disabled list.

Hayes, 29, saw just three games of big league action (all last week) before being DFA'd.  The catcher has a .219/.266/.364 slash line across parts of five major league seasons and a .252/.294/.398 in five Triple-A campaigns.

Cafardo On Stanton, Red Sox, Ramirez, Willingham,

By | at

No one would have predicted it this time a year ago, but Red Sox–Dodgers series next week in Los Angeles could very well be a prelude to the World Series, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  It's not a surprise to see that L.A. has benefited from the swap early on, but few expected the Red Sox to be this strong in 2013.  Does Dodgers GM Ned Colletti see this intriguing World Series matchup happening?  “That’s something you can dream about. I’m worried about Tampa Bay,” Colletti said, referring to the Dodgers’ weekend opponent.  Here's more from today's column..

  • The Twins and Red Sox might be in the best position to acquire Giancarlo Stanton this offseason if the Marlins make him available since both teams have the organizational depth to make a blockbuster deal.  A few teams like the Rangers have inquired about Stanton and were consistently told he wasn’t available, but Miami would have to listen if someone offered a handful of top prospects. “The Red Sox might be in a better position than the Twins because the Twins have to rely on their top players to come up and man several positions,” said one baseball exec. “The Red Sox have veteran players so their need to keep their best guys isn’t as severe. So if they can trade them off for a young player like Stanton, they wouldn’t have to fear about thinning out as a result.”
  • The Yankees could turn out to be the best fit for White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez as they eventually will need a replacement for Derek Jeter, who could wind up DHing a lot in 2014. The Bombers' weak farm system could be a stumbling block, however. 
  • Now that he's back from knee surgery, Twins outfielder Josh Willingham could be moved before the end of August.  Willingham hasn’t had a good season but last year he hit .260/.366/.524 with 35 homers last year.  The 34-year-old is signed for one more year at $7MM.
  • ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin has been one of the most interesting names bandied about as a possible replacement for Nationals manager Davey Johnson. Another candidate is Houston manager Bo Porter, but he says he's not returning to the Nats.
  • Even though the Red Sox are looking for a right-handed power bat, they don’t see Mark Reynolds as a fit because of his poor defense and high strikeout rate. 

Poll: How Will The D’Backs Finish?

By | at

You may remember the Diamondbacks' last trip to the postseason in 2011 when they finished with a 94-68 mark and took the division before getting bounced in five games by the Brewers.  Their last playoff cameo before that?  It was in 2007 when they captured the NL West crown and made quick work of the Cubs in the opening round before they got the favor returned to them by the Rockies in the NLCS.  As it stands in 2013, the Diamondbacks are a 6.5 games back of the red-hot Dodgers and are 4.5 games back of the Reds for the final Wild Card spot.

Arizona was in need of a bullpen boost heading into the trade deadline this year and while they got themselves a left-hander in Joe Thatcher, it didn't come cheap.  Landing the LOOGY from San Diego meant parting ways with 28-year-old Ian Kennedy, a starter who is under club control through 2015 as an arbitration eligible player.  Whether you like that deal for the D'Backs in the long-term (many don't), it should only help improve things for them this year as their rotational depth made Kennedy fairly expendable.  So far, Thatcher has surrendered just one hit across four relief appearances for Arizona. 

If the playoffs started today, the Diamondbacks would be the best National League club to be left on the outside looking in.  Of course, there's still plenty of time left for the Diamondbacks to make up ground as well.  How do you see the rest of this season playing out for Arizona? 

Quick Hits: A-Rod, Desmond, Padres, Zimmermann

By | at

Alex Rodriguez's public battle with the Yankees took another turn today when the slugger denied a report that the club intends to fine him a day's pay for conduct during his recent rehab assignment. According to ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand, a hand-delivered letter written by Yankees GM Brian Cashman informed A-Rod that the club plans to punish him for seeking a second opinion on his quadriceps injury and also for failing to appear at Yankee Stadium last month after meeting with MLB officials to discuss the Biogenesis investigation. In an article by Bryan Hoch and Josh Vitale of MLB.com, however, A-Rod denied receiving the letter. "Maybe they sent it to my lawyers," Rodriguez said. "But I'm not really going to talk about that." More Saturday night MLB links…

  • Neither Ian Desmond nor Jordan Zimmermann appear close to contract extensions with the Nationals, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports. Zimmermann, 27, said his camp and the Nationals broached the subject in the offseason but didn't come close to an agreement. "I'm not going to give a huge team discount," Zimmermann warned. "Just something fair is all I ask."Meanwhile, Desmond recognizes that he has two years of arbitration remaining and doesn't appear to be in a hurry to put together a deal, according to Ladson.
  • Everth Cabrera's recent suspension has reinforced the fact that the Padres' farm system is thin on shortstop talent, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune says. “You’d like to have a shortstop at every level that you feel is a prospect – has a chance to be an everyday guy,” assistant GM Chad MacDonald said. However, as Sanders notes, the club's best prospects at the position remain in the lower minors. For now, former first-round pick Logan Forsythe figures to get an extended look at short for the Friars.
  • Astros top prospect George Springer may finish the season at Triple-A, Brian McTaggart and Chris Abshire of MLB.com say. Springer, 23, is hitting .303/.410/.597 with 38 stolen bases across stops at Double-A and Triple-A this season. However, Astros manager Bo Porter didn't give any indication of when Springer might be called up to the major league club when discussing the outfielder today.
  • Will Middlebrooks was called up to man third base for the Red Sox because he has more experience at the hot corner than Xander Bogaerts, Scott McLaughlin of WEEI.com reports. Many speculated that Bogaerts, who's hit .300/.392/.487 in 481 minor league plate appearances this season, would get the call, but manager John Farrell says the team prefers that he continue to take reps at third in the minors. The Sox want Bogaerts to be ready in case Middlebrooks struggles or hits the disabled list, according to McLaughlin.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top