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Archives for June 2014

Rockies Designate Wilton Lopez For Assignment

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The Rockies announced, via Twitter, that right-hander Wilton Lopez has been designated for assignment in a series of roster moves. Michael Cuddyer has been placed on the 15-day DL with a left shoulder strain, and rookie right-hander Eddie Butler has also hit the DL due to inflammation in his right rotator cuff. Lopez’s DFA creates room for right-hander Christian Bergman, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Additionally, Chad Bettis has been recalled from the minors.

The 30-year-old Lopez spent three seasons as one of the most underrated setup men in baseball with the Astros, pitching to a 2.64 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 2014 1/3 innings. Lopez’s elite command and a ground-ball rate near 56 percent in that time attracted the Rockies, who acquired him in a trade that sent Alex Gillingham and Alex White to Houston in exchange for Lopez and a player to be named later (Jose Monzon).

However, Lopez has largely disappointed in one-and-a-half years with the Rockies, pitching to a sub-par 4.63 ERA. Lopez has allowed 18 hits (three homers) in just 6 1/3 innings this season, and he’s seen stark declines in his strikeout rate, velocity and ground-ball rate since coming over to Colorado. The decline isn’t necessarily a complete shock, as the Phillies were set to acquire him prior to Colorado’s acquisition but called the deal off due to concerns over Lopez’s shoulder.

Rangers, Forbes Agree To Over-Slot Deal

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The Rangers have agreed to terms with second-round selection Ti’Quan Forbes on an over-slot deal that will pay the high school shortstop $1.2MM, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter link). That’s $242,100 north of the $957,900 slot value of the No. 59 pick in the draft.

ESPN’s Keith Law ranked Forbes, who had been committed to Mississippi, 41st among draft prospects. Baseball America pegged him as the 46th overall prospect in this year’s draft, while Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked Forbes 50th. Forbes received some first-round consideration in mock drafts, with Law projecting him to go 25th to the A’s in the final version of his mock.

Baseball America calls Forbes a “projectable player scouts can dream on,” noting that “everything about his game is based on projection.” A three-sport athlete, Forbes draws praise for his ability to hit the ball to all fields, strong wrists and plus bat speed (Law). MLB.com notes that he’s an above-average runner that can cover ground at short but may have to move off the position. All three outlets suggested that a move to third base could be in the offing, though it sounds like there’s enough potential in his bat for it to play at the hot corner as well.

Pirates To Sign Cole Tucker

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The Pirates are in agreement with first-round pick Cole Tucker on a below-slot $1.8MM signing bonus, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports (Twitter link). The value of that No. 24 slot, as reported by Baseball America, was $1.9255MM.

Tucker was a surprise first-round selection for many, as he’d been ranked 64th by ESPN’s Keith Law, 67th by Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com and 84th by Baseball America. The Arizona prep shortstop is a switch-hitter that is better from the left side of the dish but has good bat speed and an ability to hit the ball the other way from both sides, writes Law. BA praised his strong arm and plus speed out of the box, while MLB.com said he has the ability to stick at shortstop and projection in his bat.

Tucker had been committed to Arizona but will instead begin his pro career. He is the first infield bat that the Pirates have selected in the first round since drafting Pedro Alvarez second overall back in 2008.

Mariners Release Zach Miner

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The Mariners have released right-hander Zach Miner, according to the Pacific Coast League’s transactions page.

The 32-year-old Miner inked a minor league contract with Seattle this offseason but struggled in his time at Triple-A Tacoma, pitching to an 8.60 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings of work over one start and 20 relief appearances. Miner posted a 4.40 ERA in 28 2/3 innings with the Phillies last season, though his 20-to-17 K/BB ratio in that time suggests that he was a bit fortunate to escape with that ERA.

In parts of five seasons at the big league level between the Tigers and Phillies, Miner has a 4.25 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a strong 47.5 percent ground-ball rate. Though last season marked his first Major League action since 2009, Miner still tied a career high by averaging 92.3 mph on his fastball.

Twins Sign Nick Gordon

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3:00pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweets that Gordon also receives scholarship money, which takes the deal’s value to roughly $4MM, though the scholarship’s value doesn’t count against the Twins’ bonus pool.

1:31pm: Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that Gordon signed for the slot value of $3.851MM.

1:21pm: The Twins announced, via press release, that they have agreed to terms with fifth overall pick Nick Gordon. The highly touted Gordon will head to Fort Myers, Fla. to participate in Twins mini-camp before joining the Rookie-level Elizabethton Twins in the Appalachian League. That season begins on June 19.

Nick Gordon

Gordon, a high school shortstop out of Florida, is the son of longtime Major League closer Tom Gordon and the brother of current Dodgers second baseman Dee Gordon. He ranked fourth among draft prospects per ESPN’s Keith Law, fifth according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis, and sixth according to Baseball America.

Scouts have praised Gordon’s speed, arm and glove as his best tools, noting that he’s a very good bet to remain at shortstop in pro ball. That doesn’t mean that he’s an all-glove prospect, however, as his bat has drawn high praise as well. Law noted that Gordon has “surprising power given his small frame; largely thanks to very strong wrists and above-average bat speed.” Mayo and Callis touched on Gordon’s ability to use the entire field at the plate, while BA called him an above-average hitter with doubles power that many scouts feel will grow into average home run power as he learns to pull the ball. MLBTR’s Zach Links spoke with Gordon prior to the draft as part of MLBTR’s Draft Prospect Q&A series.

Gordon was committed to Florida State, though the expectation was that he would sign out of the draft. He is the third consecutive Top 5 pick that the struggling Twins have had; Minnesota selected No. 1 overall prospect Byron Buxton with the second pick in the 2012 draft and picked right-hander Kohl Stewart with the No. 4 overall selection in last year’s draft. Gordon is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Josh Lueke, Kent Matthes

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Here are today’s outright assignments…

  • Rays righty Josh Lueke cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Durham, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets. Tampa designated Lueke for assignment two days ago in order to clear roster space for fellow righty Kirby Yates.
  • The Athletics have outrighted outfielder Kent Matthes to Double-A Midland, according to the MLB.com transactions page.  Matthes was originally designated for assignment on Friday.  The 27-year-old outfielder has a .217/.275/.370 slash line and five homers in a combined 200 PA for the Athletics’ Triple-A and Double-A squads this season.

White Sox To Sign Second-Rounder Spencer Adams

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The White Sox have agreed to terms with second-round pick Spencer Adams, a source tells Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link). The two sides are said to have agreed to the full slot value of $1.282MM.

Adams, who was selected with the 44th overall pick in this year’s draft, was considered a first-round talent by many. Baseball America ranked him 23rd in the final edition of its Top 500, while Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked him 27th, and ESPN’s Keith Law placed Adams 37th on his Top 100.

BA notes that Adams, a former basketball standout, is one of the best athletes in this year’s class with a fastball that sits in the 93 to 95 mph range. A high school right-hander from Georgia, Adams throws from a three-quarter arm slot that he struggles to repeat at times (per Law’s scouting report), sometimes teetering on the brink of sidearming the ball. MLB.com calls his slider his best secondary offering, noting that both his changeup and curveball have the potential to be average or better pitches that will complement his two plus offerings. Adams had been committed to Georgia but will instead embark on his pro career.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Wieters, Scherzer, Rollins, Delmon

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has been plenty busy over the past few days, digging up rumors from all around the league. Here are some highlights from his latest work…

  • Two sources tell Rosenthal that Matt Wieters’ throwing program is going poorly and surgery is looking more likely (Twitter links). A third source, however, cautions that it’s too soon to make that judgment, adding that Wieters has good days and also bad days at this time.
  • In this weekend’s Full Count video, he notes that while many were shocked by Max Scherzer’s decision to turn down $144MM in an attempt to secure more on next year’s free agent market, Scherzer has an insurance policy on his right arm that Scherzer says “takes the injury risk out of it.” While the policy likely doesn’t cover the full amount of that offer, it sounds to be a substantial amount. Rosenthal adds that Jon Lester has a similar policy, though not for nearly as much money as Scherzer’s policy.
  • Some friends of Jimmy Rollins feel that he’ll be willing to waive his 10-and-5 rights to approve a trade once he passes Mike Schmidt for the franchise lead in hits. Others feel he and his wife, a Philadelphia native, prefer to stay no matter what. Of course, Rollins’ $11MM vesting option damages his trade value as well, as he will easily reach the required plate appearances if he stays healthy.
  • The Giants are looking to upgrade at second base this summer. While they could use a starting pitcher, they aren’t likely to make an addition that would turn Tim Lincecum into a $17MM bullpen arm. The Athletics, on the other hand, could use a starting pitching upgrade and have the necessary catching depth to make a move.
  • The Orioles are willing to move Delmon Young, who is batting .286/.318/.369 and has lost most of his plate appearances to Steve Pearce. While Young isn’t the hitter than Kendrys Morales is, Rosenthal lists him as a low-cost alternative to teams that missed out on Morales; Young is set to earn about $600K over the rest of the season.

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Diamondbacks Sign Second-Rounder Cody Reed

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The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with second-round pick Cody Reed, reports Josh Bean of the Alabama Media Group. Bean’s piece includes video of an interview with Reed on his decision to sign. MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo reports that he signed for the slot value of $1,034,500 (Twitter link).

Reed, a high school left-hander out of Alabama, ranked as the draft’s No. 52 prospect per Baseball America. Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked Reed 61st overall, while ESPN’s Keith Law had him 92nd on his pre-draft rankings. Reed, who had committed to Vanderbilt, boosted his draft stock by upping his fastball velocity from 88-90 mph to 92-95 mph, according to MLB.com. BA notes that of his four-pitch mix, his slider and curveball both have the potential to be above-average pitches as well.

Law is among many evaluators to have voiced concern over the 6’3″, 260-pound Reed’s weight, though he notes that Reed has repeated his delivery well in spite of that size. As Mayo and Callis note, however, many scouts are intrigued by the possibility of his velocity increasing even further if he is able to get himself into better shape as a pro.

AL East Links: Balfour, Price, Drew, BoSox

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Grant Balfour is no longer the Rays’ closer, as manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that his team is moving to a closer committee.  The demotion comes as no surprise following Balfour’s rough performance on Sunday, when he allowed the Mariners to score five runs in the ninth inning.  Balfour has struggled badly this season, posting a 6.46 ERA and recording almost as many walks (20) as strikeouts (21) over 23 2/3 innings of work.  The 36-year-old signed a two-year, $12MM free agent contract with Tampa in the offseason.  If you have Balfour on a fantasy team, stay tuned to @CloserNews (MLBTR’s save-centric sister Twitter account) to keep tabs on the Rays’ bullpen and other late-game situations throughout baseball.

Here’s some more from the AL East…

  • The Rays could be sellers at the trade deadline, and Fangraphs’ Eno Sarris looks at some of the club’s veteran pieces with a particular focus on David Price.  While Tampa Bay will rightly seek a big prospect haul for Price, Sarris notes the difficulty in finding a contender (especially outside the AL East) who has the necessary minor league depth to swing a trade.  Sarris also notes that a fire sale seems unlikely, as the Rays will still look to contend in 2015.
  • Peter Gammons discussed several Red Sox topics in an interview on the Dennis & Callahan radio show this morning (WEEI.com’s Conor Ryan has a partial transcript).  While Gammons doesn’t think the Red Sox regret signing the struggling Stephen Drew, “there are so many political angles at play here that you’ve just got to wonder, ‘€˜What are they going to be a year from now?”  Gammons believes the Boston media’s criticisms of Xander Bogaerts’ ability to play short pressured the club to re-sign Drew, whereas Gammons felt the Red Sox should’ve acquired an outfielder instead.
  • Gammons doesn’t see the Red Sox becoming major sellers if they fall out of the race because they want pitchers like Jon Lester and John Lackey back in 2015 and also “just because of the nature of the Boston fans and because of the nature of the market and because of NESN.”  A.J. Pierzynski could potentially become a trade chip if the Sox fell far enough out of a playoff spot, which would open the door for Christian Vasquez to get called up and gain some big league experience.
  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington won’t make moves for the sake of making moves, John Tomase of the Boston Herald writes, as the current roster will have to prove its worth as a contender over the next six weeks to convince the front office to pursue upgrades.
  • Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette appeared on Middays With MFB today (again, tip of the cap to WEEI.com’s Conor Ryan) and said that trade talk around the league is slow since so many teams are still technically in contention.  “There aren’t many sellers, from what I can tell. Usually after the draft, which was just completed, teams will start calling around, but I only know that there’€™s just a couple of sellers right now….It’€™s going to be challenging to add to the team,” Duquette said.
  • The Yankees should look to shake up their struggling lineup by getting rid of Brian Roberts and Alfonso Soriano, Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog opines.  Since Derek Jeter won’t be moved down in the lineup due to his stature, Axisa suggests that Jeter actually become the leadoff hitter in order to have the Yankees’ best four hitters (Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mark Teixeira, Yangervis Solarte) all hit in a row.

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