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Quick Hits: Kubel, Athletics, Twins, Harper

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The Athletics should consider claiming outfielder Jason Kubel, InsideBayArea.com's John Hickey argues. The Diamondbacks designated Kubel for assignment Tuesday afternoon. After losing Josh Reddick to a wrist injury, the A's are short an outfielder. Their current plan is to slide Brandon Moss to the outfield and have Daric Barton play first base, but Hickey thinks it might be better to keep Moss at first and play Kubel in an outfield spot instead. He notes that exchanging Barton for Kubel would be a defensive downgrade, however, and it's questionable how much more offense Kubel might provide. He hit .220/.288/.324 for the Diamondbacks this year, and would have to make a significant rebound in the direction of his 2012 form to be an upgrade. Here are more notes from around the Majors.

  • Josh Willingham of the Twins says August waivers are "no big deal," Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports (via Twitter). The Twins placed Willingham on recovable trade waivers earlier today, raising the possibility (even if it isn't an incredibly likely one) that Willingham could be dealt. Willingham tells Miller he's in no hurry to leave Minnesota. The outfielder is hitting .214/.348/.393 this season.
  • It's still not impossible that the Twins could trade Justin Morneau. But Morneau is a free agent after the season, so even if the Twins dealt him, they could bring him back for 2014. That decision could be based on how often they want Joe Mauer to play first base, 1500ESPN's Phil Mackey argues (on Twitter). Mackey argues that, in any case, the Twins shouldn't consider more than a one-year deal for Morneau, who appears to be past his prime and doesn't stack up particularly well against other first basemen.
  • Scott Boras, who represents the Nationals' Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg, half-jokingly says he prefers "12-year deals" for his players, MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko reports. "I'm more into 12-year deals for young players," says Boras. "The M.O. is that you want to keep within the franchise, you want him there for a long time and you want to be there for the fans and be a marquee for them. … You're going to have to do something different if you're going to be a team of distinction." Boras was in Washington for the Nationals' game against the Marlins, and he seemed to be talking about Harper, although he did not name him directly.

MLBTR Seeking Comment Moderators

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It's not a paid position, but it will keep you connected to the latest trade and free agent rumors. If you're a frequent MLBTR commenter who can help us keep the comment section clean, send a short e-mail to mlbtrmods@gmail.com with the following: your username, the email (or other) account you use to comment on MLBTR, your availability, and a short explanation as to why you'd be a good fit. If you're responsible, respectful and interested in contributing at MLBTR, we want to hear from you.

Blue Jays Notes: Gibbons, Payroll

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Despite a disappointing 2013 season, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons will be back in 2014, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm reports. "I actually think [regarding] the in-game managing, he has done a great job," says GM Alex Anthopoulos. "I think it's so easy to pin results on one person. I think it's convenient. I could say that for myself. I could say that for certain players, for the manager. I just don't think blame falls on one person." Anthopoulos adds that the Jays have not considered firing Gibbons. Here's more out of Toronto.

  • The Jays don't expect their payroll to decrease, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. That doesn't necessarily mean Toronto will go crazy spending in the offseason, however. The Jays had an Opening Day payroll of about $119MM in 2013, and already has about $110MM in obligations for 2014, despite Josh Johnson being eligible for free agency — Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes and R.A. Dickey are set to receive raises totaling almost $20MM.
  • By not firing Gibbons, Anthopoulos showed he wasn't looking for a scapegoat for the team's problems, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca says. Instead, Anthopoulos suggests he needs to investigate the Jays' issues with injuries. "I know injuries happen but we have had our fair share the past two years and that’s something we need to look at," Anthopoulos says. Davidi notes that the Red Sox have enjoyed a dramatic decrease in injuries after restructuring their medical staff last offseason. Of course, as Davidi points out, causation isn't easy to prove there, but it's still worth investigating why, for example, the Jays have suffered so many oblique injuries in 2012 and 2013.

Rosenthal On Nationals, Cruz, Peralta

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Here's the latest from FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal:

  • Nationals GM Mike Rizzo says he did not make a mistake in claiming David DeJesus, as some speculated at the time. "I wasn’t concerned about being stuck with David, as I like him a lot," says Rizzo. "The player from Tampa Bay is not nearly a sexy prospect, but we had solid reports on him and he will be, at worst, added depth. I would have liked (DeJesus) to go unclaimed — I think I could have made a better deal with several interested teams." After claiming DeJesus, the Nationals quickly sent him to the Rays for a player to be named.
  • One reason the Nationals might not be in any hurry to trade Dan Haren, Rosenthal suggests, is that they're still nominally in the playoff hunt. The Nats are currently eight games back of the last playoff spot, but they have a weak schedule down the stretch. Besides, Rosenthal notes, there hasn't been much interest in Haren in the first place.
  • Nelson Cruz has been working out at the Rangers' facility in the Dominican Republic. Cruz isn't forbidden to do that, even though he's currently serving a suspension for his involvement with the Biogenesis scandal. The Rangers want to have the option of turning to Cruz in the postseason.
  • The Tigers, meanwhile, have "not even discussed" using Jhonny Peralta in the playoffs, according to Detroit GM Dave Dombrowski.

Reactions To The Marlon Byrd Trade

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Here are a handful of odds and ends from this afternoon's trade between the Mets and Pirates, in which the Bucs received outfielder Marlon Byrd, catcher John Buck and cash in return for second base prospect Dilson Herrera and a PTBNL.

  • In addition to putting in a waiver claim on Byrd, the Pirates also claimed Buck before the trade, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York writes (on Twitter).
  • The player to be named the Mets are set to receive will be a "solid" one, and that could make an already-strong trade even better for New York, says ESPN's Keith Law (Insider-only). But Law also calls the trade a "truly all-in move" from the Pirates' perspective, noting that Byrd represents an enormous upgrade over the Bucs' right fielders, who have been dreadful this year.
  • Byrd is "a good get" for the Pirates, Fangraphs' Jeff Sullivan writes. Sullivan notes that, based on what we knew entering the season, it would have been strange to learn that the Pirates were still looking for upgrades in late August, and just as strange that the aging Marlon Byrd would constitute an upgrade.
  • In Herrera, the Mets may be getting an "offensive-oriented second baseman," Matt Eddy of Baseball America writes. Eddy also notes that Herrera could hit for decent power to go with a good on-base percentage, and that appears likely to stick at second base.
  • They may have just traded him, but the Mets may have interest in pursuing Byrd again when he becomes a free agent this winter, Andy Martino of New York Daily News writes (on Twitter).
  • Martino also tweets that the Mets are unlikely to make any more trades this month.

Minor Moves: Chien-Ming Wang

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Here are today's minor moves from around baseball.

  • The Blue Jays have outrighted pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to Triple-A Buffalo, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (on Twitter). The Jays designated Wang for assignment on Monday. Wang, 33, has a 7.67 ERA with 4.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 27 innings with the Jays this season. 
  • For the latest on DFAs and outrights, check out MLBTR's new DFA Tracker.

Pirates Designate Russ Canzler For Assignment

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The Pirates have designated utilityman Russ Canzler for assignment, Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (via Twitter). The team also placed pitcher Kyle McPherson on the 60-day DL. The two moves clear space on the Pirates' 40-man for Marlon Byrd and John Buck, who they acquired from the Mets earlier today.

The Pirates acquired Canzler from the Orioles for Tim Alderson last month, presumably to provide depth at first base, third base and corner outfield. He hit .195/.282/.244 in 142 plate appearances for the Bucs' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis. Canzler has had cups of coffee with the Rays (in 2011) and the Indians (in 2012).

Diamondbacks Designate Jason Kubel

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The Diamondbacks tweet that they have designated outfielder Jason Kubel for assignment. The move clears space on their 25-man roster for pitcher David Holmberg.

Kubel has hit poorly in 2013, posting a .220/.288/.324 line in 267 plate appearances after posting an .833 OPS in 2012. He is also a weak defensive player, making his lack of offense that much harder to take.The Diamondbacks were reportedly shopping Kubel before the July trade deadline, but did not trade him.

Kubel is in the final year of a two-year, $16MM deal. He is making $7.5MM in 2013, and his contract also calls for a $1MM buyout of his mutual option for 2014.

Pirates Still Interested In Justin Morneau

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4:45pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that multiple teams are inquiring on Morneau. He notes that the Orioles are still seeking a DH, though he stops short of stating that Baltimore is interested in Morneau, specifically.

4:41pm: Apparently not content to stand pat after acquiring Marlon Byrd and John Buck from the Mets earlier today, Pirates GM Neal Huntington is now eyeing Twins first baseman Justin Morneau once again, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. He adds that the Yankees, another team once linked to Morneau, aren't currently pursuing the Canadian slugger.

The Bucs were said to have interest in Morneau prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but a dreadful slump from the 2006 AL MVP coupled with a hefty amount of money remaining on his $14MM salary deterred interested parties from striking a deal. Now, Morneau is owed roughly $2.6MM through season's end and has seen his bat come back to life in August, hitting .270/.318/.550 with seven homers and seven doubles on the month.

Heyman also adds that there are indications that the Twins would include some cash in a potential trade to improve the return. The Pirates showed a willingness to deal respectable prospects in today's Byrd/Buck trade, dealing Dilson Herrera and a player to be named later to the Mets. Herrera ranked as the team's No. 11 prospect per MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo on his midseason Top 20, and Mayo also ranked him as the ninth-best second base prospect in all of baseball.

With Starling Marte currently on the disabled list, the Pirates could use both Byrd and Garrett Jones in the outfield to accommodate Morneau at first base, Heyman points out. As Michael Sanserino of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted earlier today, it will be at least two weeks before Marte can even swing a bat, so that arrangement could work out for several weeks.

In a second tweet, Sanserino adds that the Pirates have been skeptical that the Twins would actually part with Morneau, but they are indeed interested if the price is right. Because Morneau has already cleared waivers, Morneau is free to be traded to any team, but he must be on a new team prior to Sept. 1 to be eligible for postseason play.

Royals To Sign Carlos Pena

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The Royals have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with first baseman Carlos Pena, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Pena will be assigned to Triple-A Omaha.

The 35-year-old Pena hit .209/.324/.350 in 325 plate appearances for the Astros this season after signing a one-year, $2.9MM contract with Houston in the offseason. He was designated for assignment and released in  late July. In parts of 13 Major League seasons, Pena is a .233/.348/.465 hitter with 285 home runs. Pena doesn't appear to have an starting spot on the team's roster, given the presence of Eric Hosmer and Billy Butler, but he could serve as a veteran bench bat down the stretch.

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