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Archives for July 2014

Yankees Designate Dean Anna For Assignment

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The Yankees announced that they have designated infielder Dean Anna for assignment.  The move will help to make room for the arrival of fellow infielder Zelous Wheeler.  Yangervis Solarte has also been optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

Anna appeared in a dozen games for the Yanks’ varsity squad in April, slashing .136/.200/.318 in 25 plate appearances.  The 27-year-old has spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A, where he has hit just .192/.283/.292 in 36 games.  Anna’s numbers for the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in 2013 were much stronger when he slashed .331/.410/.482 in 132 games.

You can keep track of Anna and everyone else in DFA limbo with MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.

AL East Notes: Drew, Yankees, McCarthy, Red Sox

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In a piece for FOXSports.com, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron writes that the struggles of Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew might give others pause about following in his footsteps in signing midseason.  While many different people have contributed to Boston’s struggles this season, Drew’s futility at the plate is one of the primary reasons for their slide, Cameron writes.  Of course, fellow Scott Boras client Kendrys Morales has also been struggling since joining the Twins.  More out of the AL East..

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post looks at four pitching trade targets that would make sense for the Yankees.  Sherman’s suggestions include old friend Ian Kennedy and Diamondbacks hurler Wade Miley, if he’s made available.
  • Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues is scouting the trade market for the Yankees and takes a look at the pitchers the Diamondbacks have to offer.  In addition to Miley, Axisa sees right-hander Brandon McCarthy as a possibility for the Bombers.  McCarthy is a sabermetrics darling and his advanced numbers show that he’s better than his 5.11 ERA would indicate.  On the flipside, his injury history is troubling.
  • Because player development is so fickle, things haven’t worked out as planned for the Red Sox, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.  Of course, the unpredictable nature of it all is the very reason why organizations stockpile so many prospects.

Latest On The Padres’ GM Search

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Here’s the latest on the Padres’ search for a new GM to replace Josh Byrnes.

July 3 Updates

  • The Padres will interview MLB Senior Vice President for Baseball Operations Kim Ng for the GM job, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported that the former Dodgers and Yankees assistant GM was under consideration for the role.

July 2 Updates

  • The Padres will interview Diamondbacks scouting director Ray Montgomery, sources tell Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).

July 1 Updates

  • San Diego has received permission to interview Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, who also runs down some of the known and possible field.
  • The club’s current VP of baseball operations, Omar Minaya, has decided not to pursue the job but does wish to stay with the team, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).

June 30 Updates

  • The Padres announced that they have interviewed White, tweets MLB.com’s Corey Brock.
  • Cubs’ executive Jason McLeod told reporters, including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter links), that he has taken himself out of the running for the Padres GM role. He explained that he was “flattered” to be considered, but wants to stay in Chicago because the team has “a lot of special things going on.”

June 29 Updates

  • Red Sox Assistant GM Mike Hazen confirms he will interview for the position, tweets Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald.
  • Dodgers Vice President of Amateur Scouting Logan White will receive “big time” consideration, tweets the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo.
  • The Padres will interview Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller but not fellow assistant Thad Levine, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The Padres would prefer not to interview two candidates from the same organization.
  • Red Sox Assistant GM Mike Hazen has connections to Padres president Mike Dee (the former Red Sox Chief Operating Officer) and could become a strong candidate for the Padres’ GM job, Cafardo reports. Hazen has not yet interviewed, however.
  • There has been “a lot of talk” of Diamondbacks president Kevin Towers returning to San Diego, Cafardo reports.
  • Cafardo also notes that former Twins, Cubs and Orioles exec Andy MacPhail would have interest in the position if the Padres were interested in him. MacPhail, 61, served as the Orioles’ president of baseball operations from 2007 through 2011.

Edward Creech and Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Frieri, Cubs, Hammel, Twins

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As Ernesto Frieri was en route to the Pirates after being traded by the Angels, he ran into a familiar face at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, writes MLB.com’s Tom Singer. “I’m waiting for my next flight, so I just went to a bathroom to wash my face. First thing, I look at this guy washing his hands next to me,” said Frieri, “and I thought, ’I think I know this guy.’”  He was right – that guy was Jason Grilli, the reliever for whom he had been traded hours earlier.  Anyone who has been in the colossal O’Hare Airport can appreciate exactly how unlikely this chance meeting was.  Here’s more from the AL and NL Central..

  • A year and one day ago, the Cubs traded Scott Feldman to the Orioles rather than waiting until the July 31st deadline was closer.  This year, while there are plenty of scouts watching the Cubs, General Manager Jed Hoyer isn’t positive that we’ll see a similarly timed move this year. “Last year it really came together,” Hoyer said, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “Baltimore was so determined to get a starter. You can always tell when teams have a feel for what we’re looking for. Ultimately, sometimes it takes a deadline to make deals. People get a lot more serious with each day that gets closer to the deadline. It probably works both ways. I don’t think you ever go into July thinking you’re going to make deals early, but sometimes it can come together.”
  • Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have sent at least ten scouts to watch the Cubs since September and several sources tell Gonzales that they have followed Jason Hammel just as closely as they have followed Jeff Samardzija.
  • We saw a bunch of international signings on July 2nd, but Twins VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff says they aren’t in a rush to spend.  “Right now the biggest issue is early committing,” Radcliff said, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. “It just doesn’t make sense. You’re talking about 15- and 16-year-olds. You’d think you’d want more time to figure it out and have more people see the players, but people are just throwing their money out there and locking them up earlier and earlier. I think we’re all still figuring it out.”

AL East Notes: Lester, Blue Jays, Hoffman, Yankees

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ESPN’s Buster Olney thinks that extension talks between the Red Sox and Jon Lester are “all but over” and the left-hander will hit free agency, he said Wednesday on the WEEI radio. Olney states that if the Sox had approached Lester and offered something like $100MM over five years in Spring Training, a deal may have been reached, but that didn’t happen. The only way for a long-term deal to be reached now, in Olney’s opinion, may be to go the route the Phillies went to extend Cole Hamels in 2012 — offer top-of-the-market value ($140-150MM) on a final midseason offer.

Here’s more on Lester and the AL East…

  • Tim Britton of the Providence Journal spoke with Red Sox skipper John Farrell, who said that Lester has been a model example for how to handle a contract year. Lester has kept his contract discussions private and hasn’t created any sort of distraction or tension in the clubhouse, choosing instead to focus on the season at hand, according to Farrell.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons are noncommittal when asked what areas the Jays might seek to upgrade via trade this summer, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Anthopoulos noted that it would be very difficult for a club to acquire anyone from the Jays’ current 25-man roster unless they were acquiring an upgrade at that same position, and he also discussed Brett Lawrie’s role with the team when he returns from the DL.
  • In the video at the top of the previous link, Anthopoulos discussed the signings of top picks Jeff Hoffman and Max Pentecost. Anthopoulos touched on the team’s previous inability to sign first-rounders Tyler Beede and Phil Bickford, but noted that he wouldn’t draft a player he didn’t think he could sign. He added that Hoffman will head to Florida to continue his rehab from Tommy John, while Pentecost will eventually head to short-season Class A Vancouver (once he gets a passport). Anthopoulos also said that the team agreed to the full-slot value with Hoffman because they felt the “discount” on signing him was already built in to the fact that he fell to the No. 9 pick. He and his staff thought Hoffman had a chance to go in the Top 3 or even Top 2 picks before tearing his UCL.
  • The Yankees have garnered a lot of attention with their international spending spree today, and Kiley McDaniel of Scout.com tweets that the team could spend as much as $30MM on international free agents, once the 100 percent overage tax is accounted for. That figure assumes that the team eventually agrees to terms with Colombian outfielder Bryan Emery, as many expect them to.

Yankees To Sign Eight Top International Prospects

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10:02pm: MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez tweets that Arias received an $800K bonus, and Flames’ bonus is $1MM. Park’s bonus is $1.1MM, he adds in a second tweet.

7:19pm: Scout.com’s Kiley McDaniel reports that the Yankees have signed Venezuelan outfielder Jonathan Amundary for a rumored $1.5MM bonus and Dominican outfielder Antonio Arias for a rumored $1MM (Twitter links).

Amundary is described by Badler as a toolsy project that has a crudeness about many aspects of his game but comes with plenty of upside. He ranked seventh on MLB.com’s list and 22nd on BA’s. Arias ranked ninth on MLB.com’s list and 28th on BA’s. Badler writes that Arias, like Amundary, is all about projection. Sanchez likens him to a Cameron Maybin style player and praises his quick hands, good balance and aggressiveness at the dish.

5:50pm: Badler now reports that the Yankees have inked Korean shortstop Hyo-Jun Park — his No. 18 prospect and No. 13 on MLB.com’s list. Park is a bit older than most prospects, as he is an 18-year-old high school senior out of Korea. Scouts feel he can stick at shortstop with plus speed and athleticism. Sanchez notes that while his power is his weakest tool, some believe he could hit 10+ homers once he adds some strength.

5:36pm: Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that the Yankees have added to their impressive haul on this year’s international market by signing his No. 2 ranked prospect — Dominican outfielder Juan De Leon. The 16-year-old De Leon ranked No. 5 on the Top 30 list of MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Badler notes (subscription required) that he has the potential for plus power due thanks to possessing the best bat speed in this year’s class. De Leon has a strong arm and average speed, and scouts are split on whether he can remain in center field or will have to slide over to right, per scouting reports from Badler and Sanchez.

Also from Badler, the Yankees have signed Venezuelan catcher Miguel Flames, who ranked 16th on BA’s Top 30 and 25th on MLB.com’s list. The former third baseman draws praise for raw power, a strong throwing arm and good plate discipline, but he needs more work behind the plate and may have to move to first in some scouts’ opinions, per Sanchez.

3:05pm: Shortstop Dermis Garcia has agreed to a $3.2MM bonus with the Yankees, reports Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter). Garcia landed at the very top of MLB.com’s list of the top prospects, while checking in at ninth on that of Baseball America, which said the key question is whether he can transition his power into game action. Kiley McDaniel first connected the two sides back in February, with Robert Murray tweeting last month that the two were circling in on an “approximate” $3.2MM bonus that proved to be the final amount.

2:20pm: The Yankees have also agreed to a $1.35MM bonus with Wilkerman Garcia, tweets Sanchez. Garcia, a shortstop, appeared at seventh on Baseball America’s list of the top international prospects and 14th on that of MLB.com.

12:38pm: The Yankees have agreed to a $2.25MM bonus with international prospect Nelson Gomez, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Gomez is an infielder out of the Dominican Republic. Murray also approximated a $2.25MM bonus for Gomez last month (Twitter link).

Prospect analysts agree that Gomez is one of the best players available, with MLB.com ranking him second overall and Baseball America putting him at sixth. He has a large frame and offers power at the plate and with his arm. Those physical tools could play anywhere on the diamond, but of course his value depends in part upon his position. Though MLB.com says there is some chance he could stick at short, BA sees him as a third baseman who could have to shift over to first or into the outfield.

The Yankees have been widely expected to blow past their $2,193,100 bonus allocation, and Gomez’s reported bonus accounts for more than that on its own. The Yankees also inked Diego Castillo for a $750K bonus earlier today.

Mets Notes: Niese, Conforto, Syndergaard, Collins

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The Mets have yet to determine whether they’re buyers or sellers at this year’s trade deadline, GM Sandy Alderson tells Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. The next 10 to 12 days will be vital in making that assessment, Alderson said, but he made it clear that regardless of the way they go, the team isn’t likely to deal left-hander Jon Niese. Given the fact that the Mets can control Niese, who has a 2.88 ERA in 103 innings, through 2018, that stance isn’t entirely surprising. Niese is guaranteed $16.5MM through the 2016 season, and his contract contains a $10MM club option for 2017 and an $11MM club option for 2018. That would be tremendously difficult to part with, though it would also be highly appealing to other clubs and carry a great deal of trade value.

More from Heyman and other reporters on the Mets…

  • From that same piece, Alderson notes that Daniel Murphy’s name has come up “periodically” in trade talks. Heyman suggests that Alderson’s statement includes the mention of a Murphy in trade that would net Jonathan Villar and others, which appeared in the recent Astros’ data leak. Heyman adds that Alderson didn’t deny anything that was mentioned in those notes.
  • In a second piece, Heyman reports that the Mets’ deal with top pick Michael Conforto still isn’t quite done. Alderson tells Heyman that the two sides are still working out three or four mostly non-financial clauses. The two sides remain in agreement on a $2.97MM signing bonus.
  • While he was once thought to be on the Matt Harvey/Zack Wheeler summer promotion track, top prospect Noah Syndergaard now might not even be called up in 2014 at all, manager Terry Collins told reporters yesterday (including Mike Puma of the New York Post). One club source told Puma that team officials have struggled to get a read on Syndergaard, and some feel he would benefit from a full year at Triple-A. Andy Martino of the New York Daily News wrote earlier today that a club official recently told him Syndergaard is “not even on our radar” at this point.
  • Martino also tweets that Alderson recently lamented the team’s run differential (a point he touched on with Heyman as well) but firmly stated that he doesn’t feel Collins is the cause for that issue.
  • The Mets announced the signings of 11 international free agents today, and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo runs down the list, noting that Venezuelan shortstops Yoel Romero and Edgardo Fermin received respective bonuses of $300K and $250K. None of the 11 signed by the Mets ranked among the Top 30 lists compiled by MLB.com and Baseball America.

Minor Moves: Keys, Escalona, Coello, O’Sullivan

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Marlins have outrighted center fielder Brent Keys to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the club’s transactions page. Miami designated Keys for assignment over the weekend when they acquired lefty Donnie Joseph from the Royals.
  • The Yankees have signed right-hander Edgmer Escalona to a minor league deal, according to the club’s transactions page. The hard-throwing 27-year-old rejected an outright assignment from the division-rival Orioles and elected free agency a couple weeks back. Curiously, the Orioles transitioned Escalona to their Triple-A rotation, where he made the first three starts of his professional career. He didn’t fare particularly well, posting a 6.10 ERA in 20 2/3 innings. He has some MLB experience with the Rockies and averaged 94.2 mph on his heater from 2012-13.
  • Escalona will take the roster spot of righty Robert Coello at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, after Coello opted out of his minor league deal, the team has officially announced (hat tip: Donnie Collins of the Scranton Tribune-Times on Twitter). Coello posted a pristine 1.69 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 32 innings, but he also walked a troubling 21 batters in that time.
  • Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish reports (via Twitter) that right-hander Sean O’Sullivan has accepted his outright assignment with the Phillies. O’Sullivan was outrighted yesterday after being designated for assignment last week and had the option to elect free agency.

NL International Signings: Cuadrado, Gonzalez, Rosario

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Here are the day’s most notable international prospect signings from the National League (rankings via MLB.com and Baseball America):

  • The Dodgers have signed Venezuelan corner outfielder Romer Cuadrado and given him a $750K signing bonus, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. Cuardado didn’t crack either Top 30 list, though Badler did note in a report (subscription required) that he has an “extra-large frame” for a 16-year-old (6’4″, 195 pounds) with room to add size. Badler noted that Cuardado has projectable raw power from the right side.
  • Shortstops Pedro Gonzalez ($1.3MM) and Yeremy Rosario ($800K) have agreed to terms with the Rockies, according to Dionisio Soldevila of ESPNDeportes.com (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (Twitter link), respectively. Gonzalez was rated the 12th-best prospect available by both Baseball America and MLB.com. Rosario, meanwhile, landed at 22nd on the MLB.com list, with opinions varying on whether he is a top young player or instead lacks the ability to stick up the middle.
  • Shortstop Kenny Hernandez has signed with the Mets for $1MM, Sanchez reports on Twitter. Hernandez was the 27th-rated prospect by MLB.com but rose all the way to 13th on the Baseball America board.
  • The Giants have inked outfielder Sandro Fabian for $500K, reports Sanchez (via Twitter). Fabian hails from the Dominican Republic and can generate hard contact but needs to work on his plate discipline and will likely need to move from center to left field, according to Badler (subscription required).
  • The Phillies have signed shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa to a $900K bonus, reports Sanchez (via Twitter). The switch-hitting Venezuelan checked in at eighth on BA’s list and 15th on that of MLB.com. His value appears to be in his legs and defensive ability, though Gamboa is said to be a capable contact hitter. Philadelphia has also inked fellow Venezuelan shortstop Daniel Brito, who was rated 29th overall by BA, according to a report from Badler. Brito receives a healthy $650K bonus, according to Badler.
  • The Padres have agreed to terms with catcher Ricardo Rodriguez, who came in at the very bottom of MLB.com’s top-30 prospect list, tweets Sanchez. San Diego also landed a $500K contract with shortstop Elvis Sabala, per another Sanchez tweet.
  • Outfielder Christian Capellan has agreed to a $500K deal with the Marlins, tweets Sanchez. The club has also inked Venezuelan outfielder Anderson Castro for $650K, according to MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro (via Twitter). Miami is expected to land as many as twelve players today while wielding a bonus that is triple the club’s previous levels, tweets Frisaro. The Fish have just over $4.6MM in available pool space, second-most in the league.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Rockies Acquire Jair Jurrjens From Reds

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The Rockies announced that they have acquired right-hander Jair Jurrjens from the Reds in exchange for minor league first baseman Harold Riggins.

The 28-year-old Jurrjens inked a minor league deal with the Reds back in May that came with an $800K base salary upon making the Major Leagues. The former All-Star has thrown 34 1/3 innings with Triple-A Louisville since signing the deal, posting a 4.46 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.

Jurrjens looked to be a young star on the rise a few years ago, finishing third in the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year voting with the Braves and making an All-Star team in 2011. Acquired from the Tigers in exchange for Edgar Renteria, Jurrjens posted a 3.34 ERA in 671 2/3 innings for Atlanta from 2008-11, but knee injuries have derailed his career and limited him to just 55 2/3 innings of 6.68 ERA ball since. He spent last season with the Triple-A affiliates for the Orioles and Tigers, posting a combined 4.57 ERA in 134 innings.

Riggins, 24, had a .263/.351/.447 batting line with seven homers in 205 plate appearances with Double-A Tulsa this season. He ranked as Colorado’s No. 23rd prospect heading into the 2013 season, per Baseball America, but did not crack the club’s Top 30 prospects heading into this season.

The Rockies have seen a great deal of their pitchers go down with injuries, as they currently have Brett Anderson, Tyler Chatwood, Eddie Butler, Jordan Lyles, Jhoulys Chacin and Christian Bergman on the disabled list. Jurrjens will provide depth at Triple-A Colorado Springs for the time being, per the Denver Post’s Nick Groke (on Twitter).

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