Heyman’s Latest: Lee, Oswalt, White Sox, Nady
Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…
- Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt are the two big name pitchers available on the trade market, but their value is very different because of the money owed to them. "At the end of the day," says one AL exec, "I don't think Houston will be able to move the entire (Oswalt) contract and get premium players back."
- Another AL executive noted that Lee has proven that he can be successful in the American League and will fetch two draft picks at the end of the season.
- The Red Sox turned down a straight up Lee for Clay Buchholz offer last year.
- The Yankees are happy with their rotation at the moment, but they plan on putting in a call in the coming days just in case they are "pleasantly surprised" by Seattle's asking price. Oswalt, meanwhile, isn't even on their radar.
- Some wonder if the Dodgers are saving money for a big score, but GM Ned Colletti will be hard pressed to acquire either Lee or Oswalt without ownership approval.
- The Cardinals might not be willing to take on Oswalt's deal with Albert Pujols' free agency rapidly approaching.
- The Mets might not want to give up the prospects to acquire another frontline pitcher, though the Rangers would be able to work Lee's salary into the budget.
- Heyman also goes through and offers some opinion on other teams that could use one of the two aces, including the Reds, Phillies, and Angels.
- Kenny Williams would like to fire Ozzie Guillen according to one person close to the team, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf is too loyal to let it happen.
- A trade of Xavier Nady to open up the Cubs' outfield logjam seems likely.
Red Sox In Talks With Twins, Rangers About Lowell
SATURDAY, 1:11pm: The Twins' field staff is lobbying for Lowell as their need for that type of player is obvious, tweets Rosenthal. However, the front office has concerns about his salary and durability.
FRIDAY, 5:26pm: The Red Sox are in trade talks with the Twins and Rangers about third baseman Mike Lowell, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. The Angels, who recently learned that Kendry Morales will definitely miss the remainder of the season with a fractured leg, are said to be "hovering."
With the strong play of Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis, plus David Ortiz's May resurgence, the 36-year-old Lowell has become a sparsely used and expensive bench player. He's in the lineup tonight, but overall he's received just 25 plate appearances over the last month and is hitting .225/.313/.338 on the season.
The Rangers have been connected to Lowell dating back to the offseason, when they had a deal in place to acquire him. Minnesota third basemen are hitting just .211/.281/.281 on the year, so it's a clear position of upgrade. The Mariners and White Sox have also expressed interest in Lowell this month, who is still owed approximately $7.4MM through the end of the season.
In a second tweet, Rosenthal mentions that Boston will likely explore the market for an outfielder, which could tie into a potential Lowell deal. Both Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury are on the disabled list, and Mike Cameron is playing with an abdominal tear.
Odds & Ends: Bettis, Royals, Astros, Pierzynski
Links for Friday, as interleague play resumes…
- Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies tweets that Colorado signed second round pick Chad Bettis after he passed his physical.
- The Royals signed seven draft picks according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the Astros have done the same.
- Ozzie Guillen said bluntly "A.J. [Pierzynski] isn't getting traded," according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times. Said the ChiSox manager: "I talked to A.J. a couple of days ago and said 'Listen man, you're not going to get traded." (Twitter links).
- Meanwhile, Pierzynski can't wait for his 10-and-5 rights to kick in this weekend, says Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune.
- Pirates' GM Neal Huntington chatted with fans about this week's amateur draft at MLB.com.
- The Athletics have signed 17 draft picks according to a team press release, including sixth rounder Tony Thompson and ninth rounder A.J. Kirby-Jones.
- Jeff Wilson of The Star-Telegram reports that the Rangers have signed 19 draft picks, highlighted by eighth rounder Jonathan Roof.
- The Braves have agreed to terms with second round pick Andrelton Simmons, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (via Twitter).
- A team source told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that White Sox GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen almost came to blows yesterday.
- Guillen downplayed the tension between him and Williams and told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he wants to stay in Chicago (Twitter link).
- You can now go back further than ever through MLBTR's recent posts by clicking "Previous" at the bottom of the site.
- The Reds are expected to sign their second rounder as early as tonight, according to Mike Pryson of the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Ryan LaMarre told Pryson that he has come to terms with the Reds.
- If you're a Mariners fan, I don't recommend reading this: Tom Verducci of SI.com explains how Yuniesky Betancourt may have cost the Mariners the chance to draft Stephen Strasburg.
- Carlos Santana got the call from the Indians and will debut tonight, writes Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (link in Spanish). Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer confirms the move via Twitter.
- Dan Connolly and Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun report that the Orioles will interview Bobby Valentine for their managerial job today.
- Connolly notes that the Orioles interviewed Eric Wedge Wednesday.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Orioles are also considering Buck Showalter for the job.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox should release Mike Lowell instead of playing with what is essentially a 24-man roster.
Odds & Ends: Strasburg, LaPorta, Lee, Padres
Some items from around the majors on Thursday…
- Minnesota has signed two draft picks, the highest of which is ninth-rounder Kyle Knudson, reports MLB.com's Kelly Thesier.
- Washington GM Mike Rizzo says that there are no written or handshake agreements with Scott Boras about how many innings Stephen Strasburg will pitch this season, reports MASN's Ben Goessling.
- Matt LaPorta, who hit three homers for Triple-A Columbus last night, won't be called back to the majors until the Indians can guarantee him regular playing time, reports Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. This may not happen until Russell Branyan or Austin Kearns is traded.
- If Derrek Lee is on the market, Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News suggests that the Giants should try to acquire the slugging first baseman. Baggarly mentions the rumors connecting Lee to the Angels, but thinks Lee might prefer to stay in the NL and play in his native Northern California.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock says (via Twitter) that in regards to any Padres trades for batting help, "there's nothing imminent in the works" at the moment.
- Texas has a "serious interest" in A.J. Pierzynski, reports Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com, but are hamstrung by their financial issues.
- The Royals have signed seven of their draft picks, according to a team press release. The highest of these picks is right-hander Eric Cantrell, taken in the seventh round.
- Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune reports that the White Sox have signed third-round compensation pick Thomas Royse, a right-handed starter from of the University of Louisville.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com tweets a scout's take on Seattle's possible trading stance: "Jack Z [Zduriencik] likes draft picks, so if the (trade) offers aren't great, they may not move."
- Tracy Ringolsby of FOXSports.com looks at how Houston's unwillingness to pay their draft picks has been a factor in the organization's barren minor league system.
- Tommy Rancel of DRaysBay.com thinks it's too early for Rays fans to panic about Wade Davis.
Minor League Transactions
Here are a few of the noteworthy names involved in this week's minor league transactions, as compiled by Baseball America's Matt Eddy…
- Fernando Cortez was signed to his second go-around with the White Sox organization. The utilityman last played in the majors in 2007 as a member of the Royals, and has a .665 OPS in 3948 career plate appearances in the minor leagues.
- The White Sox also released Justin Fuller, best known as the minor-leaguer acquired last summer from Los Angeles in the Jim Thome trade.
- John Koronka was released by the Dodgers. The veteran southpaw made two starts for Florida in 2009 before signing with L.A. in January.
- Jason Lane was released by the Marlins. Best known for his time with Houston from 2002 to 2007, Lane's finest year came in 2005 when he hit 26 homers and posted an .815 OPS in 561 plate appearances for the Astros. He last appeared in the majors in 2007 with San Diego.
- Texas dealt right-hander Jailen Peguero to the Astros for future considerations. Peguero posted a 7.50 ERA in 25 relief appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2007-08.
- Cleveland released Josh Phelps just a few weeks after signing him to a minor-league deal.
- The Mariners signed pitcher Billy Traber. The left-hander has a 5.65 ERA in 96 career major league appearances, 28 of them starts. He appeared in one game last season, allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings of mop-up duty for Boston.
Odds & Ends: Santana, Morales, Rangers, Mariners
Links for Thursday, as Omar Vizquel goes deep for the first time this year…
- Cleveland manager Manny Acta said Carlos Santana could join the Tribe before the All-Star break, reports Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The club wanted Santana to work on his game-calling and throwing before bringing him up to the majors, but Acta says the young catching prospect is progressing defensively.
- Kendry Morales will indeed miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, according to Mark DiGiovanna of the LA Times. There had been some hope that Morales could return in 2010.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin explained to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy that developing pitchers takes years. The former Rangers GM pointed to C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis, two strong starters who were drafted about ten years ago under Melvin.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times takes an in-depth look at what GM Jack Zduriencik has done with the Mariners.
- The Astros signed nine draft picks, including fourth rounder Robert Doran, according to a team press release. Doran is a 6'6" college right-hander.
- Ben Goessling of MASN.com says Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham are players the Nationals could someday win with, not players they should look to move.
- As Pat Andriola of FanGraphs shows, the Marlins have made some fantastic low-key acquisitions in recent years.
- Josh Beckett told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he hasn’t thought about the way his recent back injury may have affected his free agent value had he not signed a four-year extension this spring.
- Former Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey would like to manage the team, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Dempsey, a MASN broadcaster who happens to be Gregg Zaun's uncle, has been a candidate to manage the O's three times before.
- Canadian catcher Kellin Deglan, who agreed to a deal with the Rangers, would have liked to play for the Blue Jays, according to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.
- Jake Peavy told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that the Padres' decision to fire former GM Kevin Towers was an "absolute joke."
- Mike Lowell told Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe that he has though about how he would fit in Anaheim. Lowell also realizes he could be in line for a minor league deal after this season and that possibility does not appeal to him.
Odds & Ends: Mets, Orioles, Cliff Lee
Links for Wednesday, as the Pirates' Brad Lincoln hopes to capture just a small slice of Stephen Strasburg's success in his MLB debut…
- Joseph Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues is skeptical about today's rumors connecting the Yankees to Cliff Lee. Pawlikowski expects the Yanks to add complementary players this summer, rather than big names.
- Brewers catching prospect Angel Salome has requested a move to the outfield, reports Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- The Mets appear interested in Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, and Jake Westbrook, writes MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone.
- Vladimir Guerrero, Troy Glaus, and Jon Garland head up Jon Heyman's list of the top free agent bargains for SI.com.
- 39th overall pick Anthony Ranaudo chatted with WEEI's Alex Speier, explaining that the plan is for him to pitch in the Cape Cod League and then begin negotiations with the Red Sox.
- Cliff Lee would prefer cooler temperatures than he'd find in Arlington if traded, reports ESPN's Richard Durrett, but the lefty knows it's out of his control. Lee told Durrett he's not worrying about the trade deadline.
- White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was disappointed to see the team draft his son Ozney way down in the 22nd round, reports MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- Southpaw reliever George Sherrill would like to remain with the Dodgers beyond 2010, reports Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times. In my opinion, Sherrill will need to re-sign after being non-tendered for that to happen, much like Jonny Gomes did with the Reds.
Rangers Agree With First-Rounders Deglan, Skole
WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: The Rangers agreed to terms with both Deglan and Skole, tweets Wilson. We learned earlier that Deglan's deal is worth $1MM, while MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo tweets that Skole agreed to a $1.557MM deal.
TUESDAY, 7:58am: ESPN's Richard Durrett confirmed the Rangers' agreement with Deglan last night. He also noted that the team's #15 pick, high school outfielder Jake Skole, is close to signing. Skole already told Georgia Tech he won't be attending, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It's a pair of affordable first-rounders for Texas, though it should be noted that they had to be safe with #15 because they would not get a pick next year if the player doesn't sign.
MONDAY, 9:01pm: Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus hears that the Rangers have agreed to a $1MM deal with catcher Kellin Deglan (Twitter link). The Rangers selected the 18-year-old British Colombia native 22nd overall with their second pick of the first round.
2010 Draft Pick Gains And Losses
Using Mike Axisa's 2010 draft order, let's take a look at which teams gained and lost picks through free agent compensation during the offseason.
- Seven clubs added at least one pick without giving any up: the Angels, Blue Jays, Astros, Rangers, Cardinals, Rays, and Rockies.
- The Angels lost Chone Figgins and John Lackey, but they added the most and best picks: #18, #29, #37, and #40. This is a huge year for director of scouting Eddie Bane. The Blue Jays added three picks: #34, #41, and #80.
- The Astros, Rangers, and Cardinals each added two picks, with the Astros doing the best by snagging #19 and #33 for Jose Valverde.
- The Orioles and Mets were the only two teams to lose a pick without adding any; those are #53 and #57 respectively.
- The Mariners added #43 but gave up #18, while the Tigers added #44 and #48 while giving up #19.
- The Red Sox came out in pretty good shape despite signing a pair of Type As in John Lackey and Marco Scutaro. The Sox added #20, #36, #39, and #57 while losing #29 and #80. Losing a Type A who was offered arbitration brings in two picks, but signing such a player only costs one.
- The Braves added picks #35 and #53, but surrendered #20.
Originally published 3-29-10.
Draft Links: Cox, Nats, Tigers, White Sox, Mets
As Mike Rizzo recently suggested, for baseball's general managers and scouting directors, the Super Bowl isn't eight months away — it's tomorrow. Here are a few more links in anticipation of the 2010 draft….
- Zack Cox is looking for "[Pedro] Alvarez money" which could cause him to slip in the draft, multiple sources tell Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus (via Twitter). Alvarez, taken second overall by the Pirates in 2008, signed a four-year deal worth $6.355MM. On top of that, Cox is said to be seeking a major league deal, tweets ESPN's Keith Law.
- The Nats will take Bryce Harper No. 1, barring any drastic changes, GM Mike Rizzo told MASN's Debbi Taylor. If they do take Harper, Washington will move him to the outfield, according to a baseball source who spoke to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
- Despite not having a first round pick, the Tigers are confident they can find talent in the later rounds, writes MLive.com's Steve Kornacki.
- The Pirates have narrowed their choices to include Manny Machado, Jameson Taillon, or a college pitcher, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.
- Don't be surprised to see the White Sox draft a college pitcher with the 13th pick, writes MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson spoke with Rizzo, who once again said that they know who they'll select first overall. Rizzo says the player doesn't know he'll be selected, though it's tough to see them passing up consensus top pick Bryce Harper. Rizzo says the second through fifteenth rounds will determine the strength of a draft, and the Nats are "fired up" about it.
- The latest updates from Fanhouse's Frankie Piliere include the Mets' and Yankees' first-round targets, and more details on the deal the Royals are working toward with Yasmani Grandal. Industry sources tell Piliere it'll be worth "upwards of" $3MM.
- The Rangers own four of the top 50 picks in the draft, but they'll be on a budget, says Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
- With the sixth pick, the Diamondbacks could be the wild card of the draft, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider-only). Their top two choices appear to be Barrett Loux and Chris Sale, who MLBTR's Mike Axisa profiled last week.
- A potential first-round pick could have already been a Phillie, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Karen Smith of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review conducts a brief Q&A with Pirates director of scouting Greg Smith.