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Archives for August 2013

Reverse Standings

By Tim Dierkes | August 6, 2013 at 7:19am CDT

Nearly half the teams in baseball have virtually no chance of making the playoffs.  For fans of those teams, the offseason can't come soon enough.  However, MLBTR has a feature that can help those people get through the next few months: our reverse standings.

The reverse standings, which are updated automatically each morning, serve as a projection of the 2014 amateur draft order.  With a 36-74 record at present, the Astros are in good position to draft first overall for the third consecutive year in 2014, a sustained level of being the worst team in baseball that has never been done since the draft was instituted in 1965.  The White Sox could jeopardize Jeff Luhnow's dream of adding Carlos Rodon to his stash next June, however, as our standings show they're only 4.5 games "behind" the Astros.  The last first overall White Sox pick worked out pretty well, as they drafted Harold Baines in 1977.  There's also a tight race for the fourth overall pick.  The Brewers project to get that at the moment, but ten teams are within five games of them.

Our reverse standings are also a good way to track which teams project to get protected first-round draft picks, meaning one in the top ten.  You can always reference these standings on the right-hand sidebar under MLBTR Features.  Enjoy!  

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Quick Hits: Flores, Rowland-Smith, Cherington, Cruz

By charliewilmoth | August 5, 2013 at 11:43pm CDT

Top Mets prospect Wilmer Flores will be promoted to the Majors on Tuesday, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports. Flores, an infielder, didn't rank in any major outlets' top 100 prospect lists at the beginning of the season, but he might if those lists were published now — he's hitting .322/.358/.532 in Triple-A (albeit in the excellent hitting environment of Las Vegas), and today is his 22nd birthday. Newsday's Marc Carig notes (on Twitter) that with David Wright on the disabled list, the Mets will likely use Flores at third base. Here are more notes from around the Majors.

  • Pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith had an August 5 out clause in his minor-league deal with the Red Sox, but he will not exercise it, and will instead stay with Triple-A Pawtucket, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish tweets. Rowland-Smith has a 1.58 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 for Pawtucket this season. His opt-out date had been pushed back to August after he missed most of July following an appendectomy. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that, now that the August 5 date has passed, Rowland-Smith can opt out of his deal if any team offers him a spot on its active roster.
  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has emerged as one of baseball's best executives, WEEI.com's Mike Salk writes. After an awful 2012 season, the Sox have the third-best record in the Majors, behind only the Pirates and Braves. Salk chalks that up to the addition of more depth, character and chemistry to the roster, as well as to Cherington's hiring of John Farrell as the Red Sox's manager.
  • The Rangers are preparing to be without Nelson Cruz now that Cruz has been suspended for his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, T.R. Sullivan and William Boor of MLB.com report. The Rangers have promoted outfielders Joey Butler and Engel Beltre, and on Monday they started Beltre along with Leonys Martin and David Murphy, giving the Rangers an all-left-handed outfield. That left three righties — Butler, Craig Gentry and Jeff Baker — on the Rangers' bench, suggesting the possibility of platooning all three outfield spots. "We're going to use the whole roster and continue to play Texas Rangers baseball," says Rangers manager Ron Washington. The Rangers are still trying to trade for an outfielder, but GM Jon Daniels suggests that the waiver rules governing August trades will make it difficult for Texas to pull off a deal.
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Boston Red Sox New York Mets Texas Rangers Ben Cherington Nelson Cruz Ryan Rowland-Smith Wilmer Flores

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Angels Release Ryan Madson

By charliewilmoth | August 5, 2013 at 9:16pm CDT

The Angels have released reliever Ryan Madson, MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports (on Twitter). Madson signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with the Angels last November to bolster what turned out to be a weak bullpen. The investment didn't pay dividends, however, since Madson hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2011 — he spent all of 2012 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and has not yet pitched in 2013, except in one May rehab appearance with Class A+ Inland Empire. Madson threw bullpen sessions in Arizona last month.

Madson has a 3.59 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 630 career innings pitched. He posted a 2.37 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 2011 with the Phillies.

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Los Angeles Angels Transactions Ryan Madson

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Peralta’s Future With Tigers Likely Tied To Iglesias’

By charliewilmoth | August 5, 2013 at 8:30pm CDT

Jhonny Peralta has been a member of the Tigers since the Indians dealt him to Detroit near the trade deadline in 2010. But after receiving a 50-game suspension Monday for his ties to the Biogenesis scandal, Peralta's future with the Tigers organization is in question.

Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was vague when asked Monday about Peralta's role going forward, John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press writes. When asked whether Peralta would return to the club to play in the last few games of the regular season and in the playoffs, Dombrowski said, "That’s down the road. That’s two months. I think I’ve spoken enough about that."

The Tigers' recent acquisition of Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox would surely seem to have at least some impact on the team's plans for Peralta. Iglesias will start at shortstop in Peralta's absence, and Danny Knobler of CBS Sports hears (via Twitter) that if Iglesias performs well, Peralta's tenure with the Tigers could be over. "Early sense I get is that if Iglesias does well at shortstop, Tigers might not want Peralta back. We'll see," Knobler writes.

For 2014 and beyond, if not for the end of the 2013 season, it makes sense that Peralta's fate would be tied to Iglesias'. Peralta (who had been set to make $6MM in 2013) becomes a free agent this winter, whereas Iglesias is not eligible for free agency until after 2018. Iglesias won't even be eligible for arbitration until after the 2015 season, and while he isn't the typical zero-to-three player (he can't receive more than a 20% pay cut in 2014 on his $2.06MM 2013 salary), he'll be awfully cheap for at least two more years.

So if Iglesias performs capably down the stretch, there's no room for Peralta in Detroit, as least not as a starting shortstop. There's the possibility that the Tigers could re-sign Peralta and use him at third base, but that seems like a stretch — Miguel Cabrera is a poor fielder there, but with Prince Fielder at first base and Victor Martinez (who's signed through 2014) at designated hitter, it will be tough for the Tigers to move him. With Omar Infante and Ramon Santiago set to become free agents, it might also be possible for the the Tigers to re-sign Peralta and use Iglesias at second base.

With Peralta about to hit free agency and with a 50-game suspension ahead of him, however, it might be jumping the gun to even consider such scenarios. Knobler's take seems fairly likely to be true — if Iglesias doesn't perform, the Tigers might have a need for Peralta, but if Iglesias does, Peralta's future with the Tigers will become very murky. It's far from certain that Iglesias will hit, however, and Peralta, with his .305/.361/.461 performance in 2013, will likely be a sought-after free agent, even with a PED suspension on his record.

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Detroit Tigers Biogenesis Jhonny Peralta Jose Iglesias

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Rangers Don’t Envision Re-Signing Nelson Cruz

By Zachary Links | August 5, 2013 at 6:56pm CDT

Outfielder Nelson Cruz has spent the last seven years as a member of the Rangers but his tenure could come to an end this winter when he hits the open market.  Texas feels that it would be quite difficult to re-sign Cruz, who accepted a 50-game suspension for his ties to the Biogenesis PED clinic earlier today, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter).

For his part, Cruz says he wants to play for the Rangers again this season if they make the postseason and he hopes to finish his career in Texas, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com.  Barring a serious change of heart in Arlington, it doesn't seem like the 33-year-old will get his wish.

Cruz is coming off of a two-year, $16MM deal that he signed in February of 2012 which paid him a $500K signing bonus, $5MM in year one, and would have given him $10.5MM this season.  Whatever deal he signs next season will be negotiated by the Wasserman Media Group, whom he hired today after parting ways with ACES.

How will the missed time and the stain of PED allegations effect Cruz's value this winter?  As a free agent, he won't have to worry about his weakened stats playing a direct role in his salary for 2014, unlike arbitration-bound Everth Cabrera.  However, if Jon Daniels & Co. don't agree to forgive and forget, he'll have one less suitor for his services on the open market, which certainly hurts his value.  On top of that, if Texas is unwilling to even consider a reunion with the longtime Ranger, one has to imagine that will send up another red flag for clubs seeking a right-handed outfield bat.  

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Texas Rangers Nelson Cruz

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Looking At Everth Cabrera’s Suspension

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2013 at 5:35pm CDT

Earlier today, Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera was one of 12 players to accept a 50-game suspension for his involvement with the Biogenesis PED investigation. The Padres have exactly 50 games remaining this season, so they will lose their 26-year-old shortstop for the remainder of the 2013 campaign. The Padres issued the following statement on the Biogenesis suspensions:

“The Padres fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. The club will continue to stand behind the Commissioner’s Office to ensure the integrity of baseball.”

Cabrera is in the midst of the finest season of his career, hitting .283/.355/.381 with four homers and an NL-best 37 stolen bases. That stolen base lead comes in spite of a trip to the 15-day DL earlier this season and comes on the heels of his league-leading 44 swipes in 2012 (despite playing just 115 games). 

How does the suspension impact Cabrera's future, though? The Nicaragua native is earning $1.275MM this season after his first venture into arbitration in the 2012-13 offseason. As such, the financial penalty for Cabrera isn't nearly as steep as it is for other players. He'll lose roughly $383K in salary this year as a result of his suspension.

Because he's still going year-to-year through arbitration, however, Cabrera's suspension carries major financial implications for his future. The arbitration process heavily rewards counting statistics, and Cabrera will lose nearly one-third of his opportunities to accumulate those precious stats because of this discipline. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz now projects Cabrera to earn $2.2MM in 2014. Swartz had originally projected Cabrera to earn $2.9MM next season, assuming he would have lived up to his ZiPS rest-of-season projection and finished with a .276 average, five homers, 42 RBIs and 50 stolen bases. All in all, this suspension figures to cost Cabrera roughly $1.083MM in salary from 2013-14 — no small sum for a player who has earned less than $2MM to date throughout his big league career.

The financial implications may not stop there, either. Cabrera entered the season with two years, 144 days of service time. Numerous shortstops — some of whom are solid comparables for Cabrera — have inked long-term deals at this point in their careers. As MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows, Elvis Andrus (three years, $14.4MM) and Alcides Escobar (four years, $10.5MM) signed long-term deals with between two and three years of service time. When I asked Padres GM Josh Byrnes how this disciplinary measure would impact the club's thoughts regarding a long-term deal for Cabrera on a conference call this afternoon, he offered the following response:

"Well, a lot of players over time have been disciplined. I think we'll know a few more facts as we go. You know, we control him for a few more years through the arbitration process. I think we'll sort of evaluate as we go, but I wouldn't foresee a long-term deal until we know more."

It will be interesting to see how the Padres handle Cabrera going forward. It's also worth noting that Cabrera isn't the only young Padres player to serve a suspension in the past year. Yasmani Grandal was suspended for 50 games following the 2012 season and later connected to the Biogenesis clinic. He missed the first 50 games of 2013 but was not disciplined further, as MLB ruled that he had already served his punishment with that previous suspension. Fautino De Los Santos, however, was also one of the 12 players earlier today who accepted a 50-game suspension.

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San Diego Padres Biogenesis Everth Cabrera

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Yankees Designate Brent Lillibridge For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2013 at 4:55pm CDT

The Yankees have designated infielder Brent Lillibridge for assignment, according to Andy McCullough of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter). David Adams was recalled to take his roster spot, adds McCullough.

Lillibridge, 29, batted .171/.194/.200 in 37 plate appearances for the Yankees this season after going just 1-for-24 in nine games for the Cubs. He's appeared with the Red Sox, White Sox, Indians, Cubs and Yankees all since the beginning of the 2012 season, batting just .177/.224/.241 in 270 plate appearances. The former fourth-round pick has played at least 30 games at every position other than pitcher and catcher in parts of six Major League seasons.

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New York Yankees Transactions Brent Lillibridge

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Rangers Designate Adam Rosales For Assignment

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2013 at 4:47pm CDT

The Rangers have designated Adam Rosales for assignment to clear a roster spot for Joey Butler, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Round Rock, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).

The Rangers just claimed the 30-year-old Rosales off waivers from the division-rival Athletics this past Friday. The Rangers recalled Butler and Engel Beltre today after it was announced that Nelson Cruz will miss the remainder of the season as he serves a 50-game suspension for his involvement in the Biogenesis PED investigation.

Rosales didn't get an at-bat for the Rangers and batted .193/.268/.319 in 153 plate appearances for the A's this season. He is a career .220/.289/.334 hitter in parts of six seasons with the Reds and A's.

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Texas Rangers Transactions Adam Rosales

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Minor Moves: Martinez, Marte, Urquidez

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2013 at 4:34pm CDT

Monday's collection of minor moves from around the league…

  • The Indians outrighted right-hander Joe Martinez to Triple-A Columbus over the weekend, according to the International League transactions page. Martinez was designated for assignment last week and has a 5.88 ERA in 19 games (16 starts) for Columbus this season.
  • The Angels have signed infielder Andy Marte to a minor league deal, according to York Revolution play-by-play announcer Darrell Henry (Twitter link). Marte, 29, once ranked as a one of the game's top 10 prospects, according to Baseball America, and was hitting .301/.367/.526 with 19 homers in 96 games for the Revolution in the Atlantic League.
  • Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com reports that the Halos have signed right-hander Jason Urquidez out of the Atlantic League (on Twitter). Urquidez, 30, was a 17th-round draft pick of the Diamondbacks out of Arizona State back in 2005. Serving as the closer for the Atlantic League's Lancaster Barnstormers, Urquidez posted a ridiculous 0.25 ERA by allowing just one earned run in 36 innings with 12.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9. Urquidez allowed just 19 hits as well, en route to a 0.72 WHIP with Lancaster.
  • Four players are currently in DFA limbo: Julio Borbon of the Cubs, Josh Sullivan of the Rockies, Jason Bay of the Mariners and Yusmeiro Petit of the Giants.
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Cleveland Guardians Los Angeles Angels Transactions Andy Marte Joe Martinez

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Commenting Policy

By Steve Adams | August 5, 2013 at 3:50pm CDT

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