Indians Designate Blake Wood For Assignment
The Indians have designated righty Blake Wood for assignment, the club announced via press release. Though Wood had previously been optioned to Triple-A, his 40-man spot was needed for the club’s selection of the contract of catcher George Kottaras.
Wood, 28, had tossed 6 1/3 innings for Cleveland this year, allowing five earned runs and striking out seven while surrendering seven free passes. Over eight Triple-A frames, he had allowed just one earned and struck out seven, though he had also issued a troubling 11 walks. Wood was a mainstay in the Royals pen from 2010-11, but missed the 2012 campaign due to Tommy John surgery and has seen mostly spot time in the bigs since joining the Indians organization before the 2013 season.
Yordano Ventura Has Clean MRI
TODAY: The MRI came back clean and the current expectation is that Ventura will only miss one start, Royals GM Dayton Moore said on MLB Network today (hat tip to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports).
YESTERDAY: Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura left tonight’s start against the Astros after allowing five runs in 2 2/3 innings and exhibiting inconsistent velocity. Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star tweets that Ventura is experiencing “lateral elbow discomfort.” Royals manager Ned Yost says the team’s training staff does not believe Ventura injured his elbow ligament, but Ventura will have an MRI on Tuesday. In 57 1/3 innings this season, Ventura has posted a 3.45 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9.
A significant injury for Ventura would represent a serious blow not only to the Royals, who would be losing their most exciting young talent, but also to baseball in general, which has suffered a terrible year for pitcher health. Jose Fernandez, Matt Moore, Jameson Taillon, Jarrod Parker, Patrick Corbin, Martin Perez, Ivan Nova, Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are among the pitchers to suffer serious injuries in recent months, along with top draft prospects like Jeff Hoffman and Erick Fedde.
Blue Jays To Sign Mike Zagurski
The Blue Jays have signed southpaw reliever Mike Zagurski to a minor league deal, reports MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter). The 31-year-old southpaw opted out of his prior minor league pact with the Indians on Saturday.
Zagurski has posted strong numbers thus far at Triple-A, working to a 2.76 ERA with 12.1 K/9 against 5.5 BB/9 over 16 1/3 frames. He has been consistently excellent during his time at the highest level of the minors, posting a cumulative 2.87 ERA with 11.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 194 1/3 career Triple-A innings. But he has allowed 7.05 earned runs per nine over 75 1/3 career big league innings, spread over five separate MLB campaigns (including each of the last four).
Reds To Sign Carlos Marmol
The Reds have agreed to terms with free agent right-hander Carlos Marmol on a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (on Twitter). Marmol, a client of the Kinzer Management Group, was released by the Marlins on May 19.
The 31-year-old Marmol signed a low-risk, $1.25MM deal with Miami in the offseason but struggled by allowing 12 runs in 13 1/3 innings (8.10 ERA). He whiffed 14 hitters in that time, displaying his typically strong strikeout rate, but he also displayed his typical erratic nature by walking 10 batters, hitting a batter and throwing two wild pitches. His average fastball velocity of 93.7 mph was nearly as strong as it’s ever been, as at his peak he averaged 94.1 mph.
Marmol was an All-Star for the Cubs back in 2008 and saved 114 games for the team from 2008-12, but his command deteriorated after his first two full seasons in the Majors. He averaged a manageable 4.4 walks per nine innings in that time but has walked 6.8 hitters per nine innings since. His solid velocity and power slider have always allowed him to miss bats at an elite rate, but the Reds will need to do wonders with his command for him to reestablish himself as a reliable late-inning reliever.
Red Sox Exploring Trade Market For Center Field Help
While nothing appears imminent at this time, an industry source tells WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that the Red Sox are exploring the trade market for outfielders — particularly those that can provide some help in center field to remove some pressure from the struggling Jackie Bradley Jr.
One name that often surfaces on the rumor circuit when mentioning outfield trade candidates is the Dodgers’ Andre Ethier, but Bradford reports that he is not someone the Red Sox are interested in at this time. Including the remainder of the 2014 season and the $2.5MM buyout on his vesting option for the 2018 campaign, Ethier is still owed more than $66MM total.
Publicly, as Bradford notes, Cherington said to media members yesterday that it’s “a little bit early to think about trades because teams are not really of that mindset yet,” but that doesn’t mean the team is stating the same thing behind closed doors, of course. Bradley is batting just .193/.280/.283 and has fanned in 30 percent of his plate appearances. Shane Victorino, one logical alternative, is on the disabled list for the second time in 2014 already. And Grady Sizemore, who has played left field more than center field, is hitting just .221/.291/.353.
Cherington touched on the topic of Mookie Betts in the outfield during yesterday’s media session but said the top second base prospect is merely “starting to be exposed to the outfield,” and the GM doesn’t think that will be an option for the team at this point of the season. Betts is hitting .363/.451/.568 with six homers and 22 steals through 48 games at Double-A Portland, but he’s played just seven games in center field this season — the first seven of his pro career.
Rosenthal’s Latest: Royals, Collins, Padres, Rangers, Hardy, Amaro
In his latest notes column for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal wonders just how long the Royals can stand behind GM Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost given the team’s struggles to this point in the season. Moore called Yost a “consistent leader” when he spoke with Rosenthal and added that the team is only a hot streak or two away from a turnaround. Rosenthal writes that the entire team seems “too comfortable, waiting for a surge that might never come.” More from his column below…
- On the other hand, Rosenthal doesn’t feel it’d be justified for the Mets to fire manager Terry Collins. Collins hasn’t been afforded the same talent that Yost has, he opines, and his front office has made some questionable decisions behind him regarding the bullpen and the underperforming crop of free agents the team brought in. He notes the team’s sparse spending despite their market, adding that it seems unlikely that Bud Selig would ever confront owner Fred Wilpon, with whom he is close friends.
- Similarly, the Padres should hang onto skipper Bud Black, Rosenthal proclaims. Recent reports have indicated that he may be on the hot seat. Padres ownership too often has worried about alienating fans with personnel decisions, as they did when they neglected to trade Chase Headley after his 2012 season. Black is a highly regarded manager who has seen six of his pitchers hit the disabled list this season, though even Rosenthal admits that the offense’s follies have been virtually inexplicable.
- The Rangers‘ glut of middle infield depth could lead them to field trade offers for Elvis Andrus this summer. With Jurickson Profar, Rougned Odor and Luis Sardinas all representing possible starting-caliber infielders, Texas does appear to have a surplus. I, personally, would imagine that each of those players could hear his name circulating on the rumor mill in two months’ time.
- One agent who isn’t affiliated with J.J. Hardy or Derek Jeter suggested to Rosenthal recently that he thought the former would be the latter’s successor with the Yankees. Hardy has a low-maintenance personality, steady glove and experience in the AL East.
- As has been reported previously, the Astros tried to acquire Collin McHugh last summer when the Mets dealt him to the Rockies, but Rosenthal adds more light on the situation. The team’s scouting department felt McHugh was little more than a long reliever, but the team’s statistical analysts pushed hard for McHugh based on trends they’d seen dating all the way back to his minor league days in 2011. The Astros, of course, claimed McHugh off waivers from Colorado, and he’s cemented himself in their rotation. GM Jeff Luhnow said over the weekend he has no plans to trade McHugh or breakout lefty Dallas Keuchel.
- Though Kendrys Morales could be a perfect fit for the Mariners‘ offensive woes, rival executives say that the team is still showing the same payroll concerns that caused them to largely shut down spending after the signing of Robinson Cano this winter.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. called the possibility of trading Chase Utley a “moot point,” noting Utley’s no-trade protection and desire to remain in Philadelphia. Perhaps of greater interest (and perhaps to the dismay) of Phillies fans, is the following quote from Amaro: “I don’t know if we’ll completely ‘sell’ ever. We can revamp, but we can’t completely sell out. We have to have a contending team in 2015 or ’16 — or at least a competitive team.”
NL Notes: Ryu, Alderson, Ramirez
Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett threw the season’s first no-hitter on Sunday, an act that must have seemed hard to follow. But fellow Dodgers hurler Hyun-Jin Ryu did his best on Monday, pitching seven perfect innings before allowing a double to the Reds’ Todd Frazier to lead off the eighth inning. Including a hitless inning by Paul Maholm against the Phillies in the eighth inning Saturday, the Dodgers pitched 17 straight no-hit innings this weekend. Here are more notes from around the National League.
- It was a hard day for Mets GM Sandy Alderson, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. He only reluctantly fired hitting coach Dave Hudgens, with whom he also worked in Oakland. “This is a very difficult decision to have to make,” said Alderson. “I’ve known Dave for many years — decades. I have tremendous respect for him, his expertise, his work ethic, his personal relationships with players.” Alderson says the Mets’ approach to hitting will not change dramatically under new hitting coach Lamar Johnson. Martino suggests that Hudgens was merely “the fall guy” for the performance of the team Alderson assembled.
- David Ortiz believes the Cubs‘ decision to hire his former Red Sox teammate Manny Ramirez as a Triple-A player/coach was a good one, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe writes. Ortiz believes Ramirez has changed since he and the Red Sox parted company in 2008. “It’s a different guy. He’s been doing different things for the past couple of years,” says Ortiz. “I’ve been talking to him a lot on the phone and sometimes I get confused because I don’t know if I’m talking to him or not. This is legit.”
Poll: Who Should The Astros Take With The First Pick?
We’re less than two weeks away from the June amateur draft, and there still isn’t consensus about who the Astros will take with the first overall pick. That’s not surprising, since there isn’t a clear No. 1 overall talent. “There’s not a [Gerrit] Cole, in our minds. There’s not a [Stephen] Strasburg, in our minds,” as Pirates GM Neal Huntington put it yesterday. John Manuel of Baseball America recently quoted an executive saying, “It just seems like there isn’t a $6 million player in this draft,” which means the Astros’ task will be a tricky one.
It’s always better to have an earlier pick than a later one, of course. But compared to, say, 2010, when the Nationals took Bryce Harper first overall, 2014 seems to be a worse year to have the top pick, and a better year to have a lower pick.
Many recent mock drafts have suggested the Astros will take either California high school lefty Brady Aiken or NC State lefty Carlos Rodon first overall, but the Astros also invited Texas high school righty Tyler Kolek to a pre-draft workout.
Aiken has added velocity and now throws in the mid-90s. He also has an outstanding curveball and could have excellent control, and he has an easy delivery. Kolek can throw 100 MPH and potentially has a good slider, although his command lags behind Aiken’s. In the cases of both Aiken and Kolek, stock disclaimers about high school pitchers apply.
Rodon entered the college season as the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick, but he has not been as dominant as expected this season for NC State. Manuel quotes an executive even wondering whether Rodon will be a starter in the long term. There is, perhaps, a comparison to be made to Cole, who also failed to dominate in the season before he was drafted No. 1 overall, but Manuel points out that Cole’s stuff was outstanding that year, whereas Rodon’s hasn’t been consistent. Rodon does, however, still have an outstanding slider.
Earlier today, Peter Gammons quoted an executive guessing that the Astros could also consider California high school C/OF Alex Jackson. “Many of the Astros’ people believe that picking a pitcher at the top is a gamble because of the historical predictability of pitchers,” the executive said. Gammons notes that the Astros did pick Mark Appel with the top spot last year. But if there’s ever a year to question gambling on pitchers, this might be it — not only is there not a consensus No. 1, but it’s also been a rough year for big-league pitchers and for former top draftees in the minors, like Appel and Jameson Taillon. Jackson is the consensus top hitting prospect in the draft.
In a draft where little is certain, LSU righty Aaron Nola could represent another possibility. Unlike some of the other top pitching prospects, he doesn’t look like a prototypical ace — he’s just a little bit undersized, and his stuff isn’t as outstanding. But he’s performed very well this year and he should get to the majors relatively quickly, and he might be a good candidate to take first overall if the Astros decide to save a bit of money against their bonus pool to spend on later picks. That’s what they did in 2012, when Appel and Byron Buxton were the consensus top picks, and the Astros instead took Carlos Correa, then used the savings to sign Lance McCullers Jr. and Rio Ruiz later in the draft.
With all that in mind, who do you think the Astros should take with the first overall pick?
Quick Hits: Blanks, Despaigne, Collins, Syndergaard
Monday was Kyle Blanks‘ first home game as a member of the Athletics, perhaps finally ending a very long stretch of suitcase living, Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com writes. When Blanks was playing for Triple-A El Paso at the start of the season, there was construction at El Paso’s stadium, so the team played on the road. Then he got promoted to the Padres, where he lived in a hotel. Then he got traded to the A’s right at the beginning of a road trip to Cleveland, Tampa and Toronto. “In El Paso, we were on the road for 25 days and then came home,” Blanks says. “Then I went up to San Diego, so I’ve been everywhere. I’m just trying to decompress and take a deep breath.” Here are more notes from around the big leagues.
- The Padres have promoted Cuban pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne, who they signed in early May, to Triple-A El Paso, according to MiLB.com. Despaigne was impressive in two starts for Double-A San Antonio, posting a 1.17 ERA while striking out 12 batters and walking five in 7 2/3 innings.
- Despite the Mets‘ recent release of Jose Valverde and firing of hitting coach Dave Hudgens, manager Terry Collins is “in no danger,” Andy Martino of the New York Daily News tweets. Collins received a two-year extension at the end of last season.
- Mets top prospect Noah Syndergaard has been placed on the disabled list with an elbow injury, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York notes. The Mets say they believe the injury is “mild,” but Syndergaard is headed to New York for further examination. Syndergaard, 21, was a key part of the R.A. Dickey trade following the 2012 season. He currently has a 4.02 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings for Triple-A Las Vegas.
Minor Moves: Loe, Dolis, Rodriguez, Williams
Here are today’s minor transactions, with the newest moves at the top of the post…
- The Braves have signed pitcher Kameron Loe to a minor-league deal, MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo tweets. The Royals released Loe late last week. He had pitched 11 innings for Triple-A Omaha, whiffing four batters and walking seven. The former Rangers, Brewers, Mariners, Cubs and Braves pitcher threw 76 2/3 innings for the Braves’ Triple-A team in Gwinnett in 2013, posting a 3.07 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9.
- The Giants released right-hander Rafael Dolis, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. Dolis was a non-roster invitee to San Francisco’s Spring Training camp and he badly struggled (8 ER in 4 1/3 IP) in a brief stint with Triple-A Fresno. The 26-year-old righty posted a 5.48 ERA and recorded more walks (26) than strikeouts (25) over 44 1/3 relief innings with the Cubs from 2011-13.
- Veteran catcher Eddy Rodriguez signed a coaching contract in the Red Sox organization, Rodriguez announced himself earlier this week via Twitter. The University of Miami product spent nine years in pro baseball with the Reds, Padres and Rays, slashing .235/.286/.386 in 2271 minor league PA. He appeared in two Major League games with San Diego in 2012 and his only big league hit (in seven PA) was a solo home run. Rodriguez was released by the Rays earlier this month.
- The Phillies acquired outfielder Everett Williams from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations earlier this week, Eddy reports. Williams was picked by San Diego in the second round of the 2009 draft and has a .249/.314/.356 line over 1322 minor league PA, none higher than the Double-A level.
- The Rays signed righty Casey Weathers to a minor league contract, Eddy reports. The eighth overall pick of the 2007 draft, Weathers was once considered to be a strong prospect in the Rockies’ system before he missed the entire 2009 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He has struggled to regain his form since, and didn’t pitch at any level in 2013. Weathers signed a minors deal with the Giants last December but was released in March.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.