Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for June 2014

AL Notes: Orioles, Webb, Walker, Martinez

By | at

Though they’ve lost Matt Wieters for the season to Tommy John surgery, the Orioles aren’t actively shopping for upgrades at the catcher position, executive VP Dan Duquette told reporters (including Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com). “It’s always a challenge to change catchers during the season because the catcher is involved in so many factors of the game,” said Duquette. It wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see the O’s eventually poke around in the catcher market, though, as Caleb Joseph and Nick Hundley haven’t shown much value at the plate. Joseph, at least, has been outstanding on defense. He ranks as one of the best pitch-framers in the game (via Baseball Prospectus and Matthew Carruth’s StatCorner), and his 47 percent success rate in catching base stealers leads the league.

Here are a few more items from the O’s and the rest of the American League …

  • Randy Wolf spent more than a year away from the Orioles organization between the end of the 2012 season and the minor league deal he signed to return on Sunday, but he seems to have helped the Orioles even when he wasn’t with the club. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets that Duquette credits Wolf for Ryan Webb signing with the team this offseason, as Wolf gave a ringing endorsement of the organization to Webb when he was a free agent. Webb’s strong command and elite ground-ball rate have led to 32 2/3 innings of 2.48 ERA ball out of the Baltimore ’pen — a bargain considering the two-year, $4.5MM deal he signed with the O’s.
  • The Mariners’ trade deadline plans could be dictated in part by how top prospect Taijuan Walker throws over his next several outings, notes Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Though Seattle is not necessarily intent on dealing him, a return to health and top form would provide options, says Morosi. Presumably, Walker could also be looked to for a boost to the club’s own rotation.
  • It is no accident that J.D. Martinez has had his sudden breakout with the Tigers, according to a report from George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit assistant GM Al Avila, who has had his eye on Martinez for quite some time, says that he “always felt [Martinez] was a good hitter” and saw him going through highs and lows much like many other young players. Of course, Avila acknowledges that he has still been surprised by Martinez’s stunning .310/.344/.593 line and seven home runs through 122 plate appearances since signing a minor league pact with the Tigers late in the spring.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Draft Signings: Kevin McAvoy, Tanner Scott

By | at

Here are the latest draft signings of note:

  • Fourth-rounder Kevin McAvoy has agreed to terms with the Red Sox, tweets Callis. McAvoy will get a $300K bonus, saving the club $77.6K against his 134th slot allocation. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal profiled the Bryant University righty after he was selected.
  • The Orioles have agreed to sign sixth-round choice Tanner Scott, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (via Twitter). Scott takes home a $650K bonus, which nearly triples the $240K slot value allocated to the 181st choice. Scott, a high school lefty out of Texas, was rated the 184th-best prospect by Baseball America but did not crack the top-200 list of Callis and his MLB.com colleague Jonathan Mayo.

Edgmer Escalona Rejects Outright, Elects Free Agency

By | at

The Orioles have announced that right-hander Edgmer Escalona has rejected his outright assignment and elected free agency instead.

Escalona, 27, signed a Major League deal with the O’s this offseason despite lacking a significant Major League track record. He opened the season on the 60-day disabled list as he recovered from an impingement in his right shoulder but was activated and began pitching for Triple-A Norfolk in late May.

Curiously, after making three relief appearances, the Orioles transitioned Escalona to the Tides’ rotation, where he made the first three starts of his professional career. All 262 of his minor league appearances and all 70 of his Major League appearances had come out of the bullpen prior to that point.

Escalona didn’t fare particularly well in the Norfolk rotation, and he leaves the Orioles’ organization with a 6.10 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. He struck out 14 batters in that time and showed solid command, yielding only five walks.

Prior to his time with the Orioles organization, Escalona had spent his entire career with the Rockies. In exactly 100 innings at the Major League level, he has a 4.50 ERA with 6.4 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 and a 36.7 percent ground-ball rate. Escalona’s strong 94.2 mph average fastball velocity from 2012-13 likely enticed the Orioles. That marked a significant uptick in his velocity from 2010-11, but unfortunately for the Rockies, the increased velocity also came with a 5.80 ERA in 68 1/3 innings of work, which likely led to his departure from the Rockies organization.

Padres Notes: GM Search, Byrnes, Cashner

By | at

Following the dismissal of GM Josh Byrnes over the weekend, the Padres are believed to be looking at external candidates, ESPN’s Jim Bowden reports (Insider subscription required). In fact, Bowden writes, Padres ownership is believed to prefer a first-time GM with vision. Ownership is looking for an up-and-coming executive from a successful organization. Bowden lists five candidates that he feels fit that bill and provides some background on why each would be a success as a GM. His list includes Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, A’s assistant GM David Forst, Cubs VP of player development & amateur scouting Jason McLeod, Tigers assistant GM Al Avila, and Yankees director of amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer.

After a tumultuous weekend in San Diego, here’s more on the Padres…

  • Byrnes joined Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and discussed the end of his tenure (audio link). Asked if he was surprised, Byrnes replied, “Not really. I think there’s been an awful lot of change here as the new owners have come in and Mike Dee has come in.  There’s going to be attention focused on baseball as there should be – we’re a baseball organization.  …[T]here were higher expectations and, you know, we were not having a good season.  …[W]hen you are an inherited GM and your team is not winning enough these things can happen.” Asked about reports of his deteriorating relationship with ownership, Byrnes said, “I probably don’t want to go there,” but suggested that he and ownership didn’t get on the same page regarding the team’s identity.
  • Dave Cameron of Fangraphs looks at comments from CEO Mike Dee stating that the team hadn’t lived up to expectations and wonders where those expectations came from. Cameron looks back to the offseason and notes that few pundits and fans expected the Padres to be good this season. He opines that the Padres probably did need a change at the top, as they weren’t building for the future nor were they built to win right now, and that, not falling shy of misguided expectations, should have been the motivation for the change.
  • Byrnes was only a small part of the Padres’ problem, writes Matt Calkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  The Padres gave Byrnes the greenlight to spend more last offseason but their ~$90MM payroll put them at just 21st in the league. Much of the additional funds went to arbitration raises rather than external additions, Calkins notes, making the talk of increased payroll a bit misleading.
  • Many Padres players were unhappy to hear of Byrnes’ firing, writes MLB.com’s Will Laws.  “It’s sad to see Josh go,” said starting pitcher Andrew Cashner, who was acquired by Byrnes in a trade with the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo in January 2012. “He gave me an opportunity to start here and I’m grateful for that. But it’s out of my control.”
  • Speaking of Cashner, the club announced today that he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with soreness in his right shoulder. Odrisamer Despaigne will take his place on the active roster, while Casey Kelly has been transferred to the 60-day DL to create room on the 40-man roster. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune hears that the decision to place Cashner on the disabled list was more of a precaution than anything (Twitter link). Sanders adds that Cashner could pitch right now if needed, but given the state of the team, it made more sense to play it safe.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Latest On Mets, Chris Young

By | at

1:44pm: GM Sandy Alderson went on record with Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News (Twitter link) and called reports of Young’s potential release “simply inaccurate.”

10:20am: When asked if releasing Young is a possibility, a Mets official responded with a blunt “no,” tweets Mike Puma of the New York Post.

9:29am: A Mets insider tells Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that Chris Young’s days with the organization “are numbered.”  The Mets, who would have to eat the remainder of Young’s $7.25MM salary, are debating internally whether to pull the trigger this week.

The Mets could cut ties with Young on Thursday when Juan Lagares is expected to be brought up from his rehab assignment.  The Mets could free up a roster spot by demoting Kirk Nieuwenhuis to Triple-A, but they might prefer to cut Young loose instead.

The Mets are slated to face A’s left-handers Scott Kazmir and Brad Mills, so Young could have an opportunity to change minds in the club’s front office.  Because of the matchups, the lefty-hitting Nieuwenhuis probably won’t get a chance to state his case for staying on the varsity squad.

General Manager Sandy Alderson signed Young to a one-year, $7.25MM deal after a rough season in Oakland where he slashed .200/.280/.379.  So far, Young has followed that up with even worse offensive production.  The 30-year-old is hitting .201/.284/.313 through 58 games.

Brady Aiken In Houston To Sign Contract

By | at

JUNE 23: Aiken arrived in Houston today to sign his contract, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports. Aiken acknowledged to Berman that the deal is done, and he’s set to begin his pro career.

JUNE 7, 7:17pm: The sides are “on the same page” regarding the bonus, though the deal still has pieces left to be negotiated, tweets Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.

5:24pm: The Astros are in agreement with top overall choice Brady Aiken on a $6.5MM bonus, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports on Twitter. As Callis notes, Aiken — who is advised by Excel Sports Management — ties Jameson Taillon (Pirates, 2010) for the largest-ever bonus agreed to by a high school pitcher.

More importantly for Houston, that number falls well shy of the pick’s allotment of just over $7.9MM, leaving the club with ample additional funds to apply to other draft choices. The rest of the team’s day one haul consisted of seven college juniors, one college senior, a JuCo choice (Brock Dykxhoorn, sixth round), and one high-schooler (Jacob Nix, fifth round). One player who could see some money dangled is Mac Marshall, who appears set to attend LSU but was taken by Houston in the 21st round.

Aiken established a clear consensus as the best overall player heading into the draft, though many have noted the shaky recent history of prep arms chosen at the very top of the draft. Of course, focusing only on the players that happened to go at the top of the draft would mean ignoring success stories like that of Clayton Kershaw, who Aiken seems reasonably comparable to at this (early) stage of  his development.

Certainly, draft observers agreed that Aiken was worth the top choice. He landed at the head of the final draft boards of Baseball America, ESPN’s Keith Law, and Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com. Those experts credit him with a heater that ranges into the mid-90s, plus secondary offerings (curve and change), fluid mechanics, and outstanding command.

East Notes: Ortiz, Price, Yankees, Nationals

By | at

Five years removed from what seemed like his demise, David Ortiz remains the Red Sox’s foremost game-changer, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  “I couldn’t even watch TV, any sports channel at the time, because it was nothing but, ’He’s done.’ You’re struggling and people are saying that you’re done, it doesn’t help,” recalled Ortiz. “That’s when your mind has to start processing that and next thing you know, ’I’m out.’ ”  Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

  • The Rays need to trade David Price as soon as possible, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  The Rays, of course, can’t afford to keep their ace long term and Price has grown increasingly frustrated with the team’s losing.  Meanwhile, Topkin doesn’t see a trade within the division as an impossibility, but he says that it will require an additional premium for the Rays to even consider it.
  • The Yankees have to explore their options for starting pitchers on the trade market, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  The Bombers have the phenomenal pitching of Masahiro Tanaka and a strong late-game bullpen working in their favor, but they feel they are one more rotation injury or significant dip in production from being in trouble.
  • There’s no indication that the Nationals would trade someone like Denard Span to make it possible, but Ryan Zimmerman says that his preference is to stay in left field rather than move back to one of the corner infield spots, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

Red Sox Sign First-Rounder Michael Chavis

By | at

JUNE 23rd: Chavis’ deal is now official after the infielder passed his physical, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.

JUNE 16th: The Red Sox have agreed to a full-slot bonus with first-rounder Michael Chavis, reports Ryan Hannable of MetroBoston (via Twitter). Chavis, taken with the 26th overall pick, will get $1,870,500 to forego his commitment to Clemson.

Chavis, a shortstop in high school ball who could transition to third (if not the outfield or even catcher) as a pro, is said to impress with his overall abilities more than any single tool. Reports say that he has a strong arm, solid power, good contact skills and bat speed, and decent running ability. That package, along with his reputed effort and work ethic, led Chavis to be rated the 21st overall prospect by MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, 26th by Baseball America, and 28th by ESPN.com’s Keith Law.

The signing of Chavis wraps up a notable day for Boston’s system. The club landed an at-slot deal with second-rounder Sam Travis. Meanwhile, we also learned that compensation round A choice Michael Kopech would indeed sign for just under his slot allocation.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Sabean, Buehrle, Duffy

By | at

On this date in 2012, Jim Thome set a major league mark with his 13th career walk-off home run, a solo shot over the left-field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Phillies a dramatic 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay.  Before that, the 41-year-old shared the record with Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, and Frank Robinson.  Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..

Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

Red Sox Aren’t Targeting Matt Kemp

By | at

The Red Sox have been linked to Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp in the past and a recent report indicated that Boston was spending “significant time” watching him.  However, a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI that there’s nothing brewing between the two sides regarding the two-time All-Star.

General Manager Ben Cherington & Co. continue to explore options to improve their outfield’s offensive production but the source insists that there’s no momentum towards a deal for Kemp.  For his part, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the 29-year-old isn’t going anywhere.

In 261 plate appearances this year, Kemp owns a slash line of .274/.333/.460.  That’s not quite the performance from his All-Star seasons in 2011 and ’12 (.315/.387/.567) but its an uptick from his injury filled 2013.  Kemp has also been on an absolute tear over the last ten games.

Fellow Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier was mentioned as a possibility for the BoSox in the spring but Bradford reported in late May that Boston wouldn’t be pursuing him either.

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