Odds & Ends: Bumgarner, Tracy, Oswalt, Atkins
Links for Friday night, as Edwin Jackson tosses a 149-pitch no-hitter against his former team….
- Madison Bumgarner was scratched from tonight's Triple-A start, fueling speculation that the Giants would call him up to start tomorrow's game. However, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets that the team still plans to start Joe Martinez tomorrow, with Bumgarner as the backup option.
- In his weekly appearance on WEEI's Big Show, Peter Gammons discusses the Red Sox' bullpen issues and the best one-year signing of this past offseason.
- Bill Ladson of MLB.com wonders if the Nationals will be interested in the recently DFA'd Chad Tracy, given Tracy's connection to Nats GM Mike Rizzo.
- Although it looks as if the Rangers won't be able to afford Roy Oswalt, you can add Texas to the list of teams the pitcher would be willing to play for, according to the Dallas Morning News. Oswalt has previously said he'd accept a trade to anywhere he could contend.
- Garrett Atkins tells MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli (Twitter link) that being released by the Orioles would be a "welcome opportunity." It appears as though Atkins will soon be designated for assignment.
- Following a blow-up during today's game, Carlos Zambrano has been suspended indefinitely by the Cubs, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. When Zambrano returned to the Cubs' rotation, we discussed Tom Gorzelanny as a trade chip, but as long as Zambrano remains suspended, that possibility looks less likely.
- The Astros signed their second-round pick, right-hander Vincent Velasquez, per a team release.
- Dusty Baker says Gary Matthews Jr. "has got to get his act together" before the outfielder earns a shot at the Reds' big league lineup, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
Rangers Have Room For Rental Player
According to GM Jon Daniels, the Rangers have room in their budget to trade for a player whose contract expires at season's end, tweets Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio. However, in a second tweet, Bowden notes that the club would require the court's permission to acquire a player whose contract runs past 2010.
The news is a mixed bag for Rangers fans who are curious to know how the team's sale and a recent judge's ruling will affect the club's ability to make trades. On one hand, Daniels makes it clear that acquiring an impact pitcher like Cliff Lee is still a possibility. Conversely, trading for a player with a multi-year contract like Roy Oswalt's would be more difficult to pull off. On top of that, if the Rangers were to trade for Lee or another player whose contract expires this year, they'd essentially be renters, as signing anyone to an extension seems unlikely at the moment.
Ted Lilly, Kevin Millwood, Ben Sheets, and Jake Westbrook are a few other potentially available arms who aren't under contract past this season.
Odds & Ends: Hall, Lowell, Myers, Valentine, Lee
Some links for Thursday as Rangers GM Jon Daniels decides exactly how he wants to dye his hair…
- The Rangers released Toby Hall, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). The catcher, who last played in the majors in 2008, was in extended spring training.
- Peter Gammons wouldn't be surprised to see Bobby Valentine managing the Marlins by this weekend (Twitter link).
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince explains that big league players such as Rod Barajas, Daniel Nava and Frank Herrmann were not drafted at all.
- The Red Sox are expected to put Mike Lowell on the DL to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Red Sox have not used Lowell much, leading to trade speculation, but the DL stint won't do much for his value.
- One GM tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that he finds D'Backs hitters hard to evaluate because Chase Field is so hitter-friendly.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders if Brett Myers might be a better trade chip than Roy Oswalt.
- Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News hears from a source who believes that there's a 95% chance Valentine becomes the Marlins' next manager.
- Larry Stone of the Seattle Times says Cliff Lee is becoming the "rock-solid, no-questions-asked, No. 1 trade target in baseball."
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times says the Mets and Twins are frontrunners for Lee right now.
- Michael Cuddyer expressed confidence in Minnesota's front office and said Lee would look good in a Twins uniform, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Olney On Rangers, Sheets, Gonzalez, Orioles
Lawyers in the game say the Rangers don’t have a good chance of completing their ownership transfer by the July 31st trade deadline, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. That means Roy Oswalt won’t likely play for the Rangers this year. But GM Jon Daniels, who would like to add a veteran starter, could acquire Cliff Lee if he gets creative. Taking on salary would be a challenge, since the Rangers have borrowed $20MM or more from MLB to operate. Here are the rest of Olney’s rumors:
- The A’s can afford to cover some of the $5.5MM remaining on Ben Sheets’ contract in a trade if it means they acquire better prospects. Since few teams want to take on payroll, the A’s, who paid part of Matt Holliday’s salary after trading him to the Cardinals last year, could improve the return they get for Sheets by absorbing money again.
- Olney says recently-fired manager Fredi Gonzalez has been “a dead man walking” since the end of the 2009 season.
- The Orioles aren’t in a rush to trade their veterans, partly because the team is struggling so much.
Poll: Do The Rangers Need To Make A Trade?
A federal judge's ruling could limit the Rangers' ability to make major moves this summer, but the team is playing so well that a big acquisition hardly seems necessary. Rangers GM Jon Daniels will explore the starting pitching market regardless of how quickly his team's sale goes through. Rich Harden and Derek Holland are recovering from injuries, so the Rangers will consider adding pitching reinforcements, though their chances of getting a star like Roy Oswalt seem to be shrinking.
The Rangers have won nine consecutive games and are tied with the Rays for the second-best record in the game. Are the Rangers a good team? Yes. The answer to today's poll question isn't as obvious.
Do the Rangers need to make a trade?
Click here to take the survey and here to view the results.
Amateur Draft Signings: Tuesday
Here's the round-up of today's mass signings and individual agreements between teams and players from the 2010 Amateur Draft. The list of first-rounders and supplemental round picks to sign can be found here.
- Pittsburgh has signed 14th-rounder Bryce Weidman and 22nd-rounder Adalberto Santos, reports Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Reds have signed two more of their picks.
- Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times tweets that the Dodgers signed their second and seventh round selections — namely, right-hander Ralston Cash and right-hander Ryan Christenson.
- The Cubs agreed to terms with five draft picks today, according to a team press release. Third-rounder Micah Gibbs was the highest-drafted player amongst the new Cubs.
- Corey Brock of MLB.com tweets that the Padres signed fifth-round pick Rico Noel and eleventh-rounder Brian Guinn.
- A Padres team press release confirmed the signings of Noel and Guinn, and also announced that the club had agreed to terms with six other draft picks.
- Anthony Andro of the Dallas Morning News reports that Texas agreed to terms with sixth-rounder Brett Nicholas.
- According to an Angels press release, the team has signed second-rounder (81st overall) Daniel Tillman, a right-handed pitcher from Florida Southern College.
- Chris Sale passed his team physical and thus his contract with the White Sox was officially announced by the club today, via press release.
Judge’s Ruling Could Limit Rangers’ Summer Moves
5:25pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com tweets that the Rangers are "not totally discouraged by [the] judge's ruling." In that tweet and a follow-up, Rosenthal said the judge noted the importance of the trade deadline and doesn't want the situation "to drag past [July 31]." The ruling was intended to get both sides back into negotiations and a "mediator-type could be appointed."
2:51pm: A federal judge ruled that Tom Hicks can't sell the Rangers without satisfying his creditors, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. That could slow down the team's sale and prevent the Rangers from adding significant salary this summer. The Rangers should be able to add some payroll even if the judge's ruling slows down the ownership transfer, but the club may be unable to add expensive players.
Baseball executives believe the judge's decision will limit the Rangers' trade options this summer, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (all Twitter links). One executive told Olney that "the Rangers can forget about Roy Oswalt, and maybe just about any other major player." Jon Heyman of SI.com agrees, saying (via Twitter) that Oswalt is not going to Texas. Rival teams bristle at the idea of the Rangers spending big while under MLB support.
Odds & Ends: D’Backs, Manny, Mets, Silva, Rangers
Links for Tuesday before the Angels and Dodgers face off in Anaheim…
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports breaks down the trade candidates on the D'Backs. How many of these players will be moved? One person in the D'Backs organization put the over-under at two.
- In an appearance on WEEI, Peter Gammons suggested Manny Ramirez will be earning $5-6MM in the American League next year. Click here for more on Ramirez's free agent stock.
- Mets starters Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana told Peter Botte of the New York Daily News that they would be pleased if the Mets added an ace like Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt, even though R.A. Dickey, Jon Niese and Hisanori Takahashi have pitched well.
- As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, the disappointing Cubs would be doing much worse if not for their acquisition of Carlos Silva.
- Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News says the Rangers wouldn't have to fear the Yankees, Red Sox or Twins if they add an ace pitcher.
- Woody Paige of the Denver Post suggests a number of paths the Rockies could choose if their next nine games don't go well. Among the many options Paige suggests: trade for Dan Uggla.
Rangers Can Add Some Salary Regardless Of Sale
Rangers GM Jon Daniels told Ed Price of AOL FanHouse that his team could add a small amount of payroll even if its sale isn’t complete by the July 31st trade deadline. If new ownership takes over soon, Daniels says the Rangers will “try to add to the club,” but they will have room to add a limited amount of payroll regardless.
A scout who recently watched the Rangers’ Triple A affiliate told Price that the Rangers have some “big arms” and “OK” position players that could become trade bait. Daniels says he’d rather keep his prospects than trade them, but realistically, the Rangers will have to give something up.
The Astros are open to absorbing salary in trades, so Roy Oswalt is almost certainly on the Rangers’ radar. Daniels said earlier in the week that he is open to trading within the division, which means Cliff Lee could be an option for the Rangers if the Mariners make him available.
For now, Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson, Scott Feldman, Tommy Hunter and Dustin Nippert are starting while Rich Harden and Derek Holland recover from injuries.
Odds & Ends: Sheets, Matthews Jr., Cubs, Red Sox
A few more links for Monday night….
- A scout tells John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) that he didn't know of any teams scouting Ben Sheets this past weekend.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets that there's no risk to the Reds signing Gary Matthews Jr., but that he still wouldn't do it.
- Jack Moore of Fangraphs explains how he thinks the Cubs should approach the trading deadline.
- The Red Sox will have the financial flexibility to make a move or two this summer in part because of their abundance of homegrown pitching talent, according to MLB.com's Peter Gammons.
- Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies may need to acquire an arm for the back of their bullpen.
- With July 31st fast approaching, MLB.com's beat writers are fielding a slew of questions about possible trades. Check out mailbags from Anthony Castrovince (Indians), T.R. Sullivan (Rangers), Joe Frisaro (Marlins), and Chris Haft (Giants) for their thoughts on the trade market.