Minor Moves: Cesar Valdez
Here's where we'll keep track of today's minor moves…
- The Pirates announced that they traded right-hander Cesar Valdez to the Marlins for cash or a player to be named later. It wasn't long ago that Valdez was a PTBNL himself. The D'Backs sent him to Pittsburgh in December to complete the deal that sent Zach Duke to Arizona. Valdez, who pitched 20 innings for the D'Backs last year, has spent this year at Triple-A. The 26-year-old has a 3.86 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 42 innings at Indianapolis.
Quick Hits: Hanrahan, Harden, Dodgers, Ring
Some links for Sunday afternoon…
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that All-Star Joel Hanrahan doesn't have a bonus for being selected to the All-Star Game built into this year's contract with the Pirates, but you can bet his 2012 contract will have one.
- ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that Rich Harden could make sense for the Rockies or Diamondbacks if he continues throwing well.
- Olney quotes ESPN's Evan Cohen in this tweet, pointing out that the Dodgers owe $74MM to 40 creditors, which is more than twice the $31MM they have committed to players for 2012.
- The New York Post's Joel Sherman spoke to a Yankees executive and says it's unlikely that they pursue Royce Ring (Twitter link), who opted out of his contract with the Mariners today. Ring had a solid 2010 season for the Yanks' Triple-A affiliate.
- The Indians could use an outfielder and Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer outlined some possible trade targets for the Tribe. Ryan Ludwick, Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur, and Jason Kubel are among the names suggested.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) expects Padres reliever Chad Qualls to be dealt.
- Between Latin American prospects Elier Hernandez and Nomar Mazara, Ben Badler of Baseball America (via Twitter) prefers the potential of Hernandez. Hernandez signed with the Royals yesterday for $3.05MM while Mazara agreed to a record setting deal worth more than $5MM with the Rangers.
Pirates Sign Elvis Escobar
The Pirates have signed Venezuelan center fielder Elvis Escobar for $570,000, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. This is yet another significant international signing by the Pirates who inked Colombian outfielder Harold Ramirez to a deal yesterday.
Escobar is a 5-foot-9, 165-pound lefty with advanced baseball instincts and feel for hitting, Badler writes. The 16-year-old is the son of Jose Escobar, who played ten games with the Indians as a middle infielder in 1991. His older brother, Giants lefthander Edwin Escobar, signed with the Rangers for $350K in 2008. Escobar is also a cousin of Kelvim Escobar and Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar.
Pirates Notes: Ramirez, Huntington, Trades
Let's check out some notes on the Pirates as they finish out the second act in their doubleheader against the Nationals..
- Rene Gayo, the Pirates' Director of Latin American scouting, had high praise for outfielder Harold Ramirez, tweets Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "He's a real exciting player. Plays like Willie Mays," said Gayo. Earlier today, the Bucs signed Ramirez for $1.05MM.
- Pirates president Frank Coonelly sounds as if he's ready to extend GM Neal Huntington's contract, writes Biertempfel. Huntington is signed through the end of this season.
- As the Bucs look to upgrade their offense this year and build for the future at the same time, Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that Huntington might want to consider standing pat.
Pirates Sign Harold Ramirez
The Pirates have agreed to terms with Colombian outfielder Harold Ramirez, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. Ramirez will reportedly receive a signing bonus of $1.05MM.
Ramirez, 16, is 5-foot-11, 175 pounds and has received high praise for his speed, instincts and feel for hitting from the right side of the plate, according to Badler. Even though he has plus-plus speed, Ramirez likely doesn't have the arm to play center field.
This deal ranks as the second biggest international bonus ever given out by the Pirates. The top honors belong to Luis Heredia, who signed for $2.6MM last August.
Potential Suitors For Mike Cameron
The Red Sox cut ties with veteran outfielder Mike Cameron yesterday, designating him for assignment after he hit just .149/.212/.266 in 105 plate appearances this year. "Rest assured I'll play again," said Cameron to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). "I'm not going out that way."
Despite his poor season and last year's injury riddled campaign (just 48 games), Cameron figures to draw interest based on his track record. He hit .250/.342/.452 with 24 homers as a full-time player just two seasons ago, and he went deep at least 20 times every year from 2006 through 2009. That power might be gone at 38 years old, but his three homers this year suggest that he might still be able to provide double digit long balls given enough playing time.
With approximately $3.625MM left on his contract this year, it's very likely that Cameron will clear waivers and hit the open market. Any team would then be able to sign him for the pro-rated league minimum, which is attractive to clubs on a budget. Let's look at some teams that could be potential suitors for Cameron…
- Braves – Martin Prado is dealing with a staph infection and temporary fill-in Jordan Schafer is hitting just .222/.295/.310. Wilkin Ramirez, Atlanta's current righty outfield bat off the bench, has been unimpressive in limited playing time.
- Cardinals – There's no way to replace Albert Pujols, but St. Louis was able to slide Lance Berkman over to first and stick Jon Jay in right field. The lefty bat is hitting .289/.340/.356 against southpaws, but Cameron could replenish some outfield depth.
- Giants – This one is probably a long shot because their outfield is already crowded, but the game's worst offense (just 285 runs) is in desperate need of help, particularly in the power department.
- Indians – Shin-Soo Choo will miss a substantial amount of time after having thumb surgery, and the incumbent righty hitting outfielder (Austin Kearns) has been ineffective both overall (.194/.282/.265) and against lefties (.244/.292/.267).
- Mariners – Jeff Sullivan of Lookout Landing tackled this one.
- Nationals – They've been looking for a center fielder basically all season, and if nothing else, Cameron would give them a platoon partner for Roger Bernadina (.208/.255/.271 vs. LHP).
- Phillies – Ben Francisco has been disappointing against lefties (.200/.317/.314) this year, plus Cameron could give them platoon partners for both Domonic Brown and Raul Ibanez.
- Pirates – It's strange to think of the Pirates as buyers, but they're over .500 and just two games back in the NL Central. Jose Tabata is on the DL and Matt Diaz has been a disappointment (.268/.297/.331).
- Rangers – Julio Borbon is back in Triple-A and David Murphy can't hit lefties (.177/.235/.194), plus they could probably use the depth since Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz are known to visit the DL from time to time.
- Rays – Matt Joyce and Sam Fuld have cooled off considerably, though the righty hitting Justin Ruggiano has done a swell job in limited playing time (.300/.328/.500). That might not last though.
- Tigers – Ryan Raburn (.207/.244/.348) and Magglio Ordonez (.200/.268/.279) have been big disappointments, and Austin Jackson isn't tearing the cover off the ball either (.248/.312/.364). All three are right-handed and could be replaced, though Jackson figures to keep the center field job.
- Twins – Injuries have decimated the Twins outfield, though at 8.5 games back of a playoff spot, they might be looking to sell off veterans rather than add one.
Jack Curry of the YES Network heard that the Yankees "probably" won't have interest in Cameron (Twitter link), but several other teams figure to come calling once he clears waivers and is available on the cheap. It's easy to see Cameron fitting on the 25-man roster of nearly even team, though the amount of playing time he'll receive is sure to factor into his decision.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.
Outrighted To The Minors: Thompson, Brown
Here's a list of the latest players to be outrighted to the minor leagues…
- Catcher Dusty Brown and left-hander Aaron Thompson of the Pirates have cleared waivers, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (on Twitter). Brown will head to Double-A and Thompson has been assigned to Triple-A. The Pirates had designated the two players for assignment earlier in the week.
Olney On Deadline Plans For NL Teams
The trade market is still developing at this point in the season, but it’s starting to take shape. Buster Olney outlines the plans for National League teams in a highly recommended insider-only piece at ESPN.com. Here are the details:
- The Dodgers can’t make long-term investments in young stars like Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Clayton Kershaw because of their uncertain financial status. The Los Angeles front office is now gathering information about some of their trade candidates and taking calls on some players. No teams have called on Jamey Carroll yet, though the Rockies are interested.
- James Loney and Casey Blake have next to no trade value, as Olney explains.
- No team has called about Jose Reyes, who won’t be traded for anything less than a top prospect and a solid secondary prospect.
- Rival executives expect the Phillies to acquire proven veterans this summer.
- Though the Astros will listen to offers on Hunter Pence and Wandy Rodriguez, they will be asking a lot for them.
- The Braves are checking out available hitters. Some rival executives have speculated on the possibility that the Braves will consider trading Jair Jurrjens, whose stock has never been higher.
- Some rival executives think B.J. Upton will be a borderline non-tender candidate this offseason. Upton will earn a raise from $4.825MM next year and he currently has a .223/.308/.396 line with 20 steals. I can’t envision the Rays non-tendering Upton, who would presumably have trade value if Tampa made him available.
- The Padres have told teams that they’re ready to take offers for Heath Bell and Mike Adams. Rival clubs believe Adams will be harder to obtain than Ryan Ludwick.
- The Rockies will wait a few weeks before deciding whether to buy or sell.
- The Giants are looking for catching help and Ramon Hernandez is a possible upgrade, as I explained earlier in the week.
- The Reds are concerned about starting pitching and will consider making moves for upgrades at left field or shortstop. Though rival teams don’t expect Reyes to end up in Cincinnati, GM Walt Jocketty may be aggressive enough to make a deal happen.
- GM Jim Hendry says there won’t be a fire sale, but the Cubs are “open for business,” Olney reports. Jeff Baker and Kerry Wood are “among the most coveted players in the trade market,” since they’re cheap and useful. Rival executives have mixed opinions about Carlos Pena, who is powerful but streaky.
- Wood is near the top of Arizona’s list of targets.
- The 40-39 Pirates will look for modest ways to improve and won’t be selling.
Contenders In Need Of A Right Field Upgrade
As many as eight contenders might try to improve their right field situation:
- Red Sox: They may just seek a right-handed hitter who can handle lefties, suggested WEEI's Alex Speier. Jeff Francoeur, Conor Jackson, Ryan Spilborghs, and Matt Diaz could be possibilities, or Michael Cuddyer if the team aims for a bigger name.
- Tigers: When Brennan Boesch plays left field, Casper Wells and Magglio Ordonez are options in right. Wells has shown pop in a limited sample, and Maggs has a big contract. The Tigers' offense isn't lacking overall, so this isn't an urgent need. The same could be said for the Red Sox.
- Indians: The Indians just announced that Shin-Soo Choo had thumb surgery today and recovery time is eight to ten weeks. That means a late August return in the best case, so the Tribe could look to upgrade on the Travis Buck/Austin Kearns platoon.
- Phillies: They've got Domonic Brown and Ben Francisco in the current mix. Francisco normally at least handles lefties, but not this year. Brown has star potential, but it's unclear how much leeway the Phillies want to give him this year to learn on the job. They've got a middle of the pack offense this year, and have been linked to Cuddyer, Ryan Ludwick, and Josh Willingham.
- Cardinals: Lance Berkman has taken over at first base in Albert Pujols' absence, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote yesterday that the Cards do not plan to pursue a hitter. Allen Craig could return from a fractured kneecap around the All-Star break and Jon Jay has done a nice job.
- Pirates: The Bucs have employed Garrett Jones, Xavier Paul, and Diaz this year. Jones takes care of righties, so if Diaz returns to his lefty-mashing ways they'll be fine.
- Giants: The Giants are using Nate Schierholtz in right, with Cody Ross also capable. Schierholtz has struggled against lefties.
- Athletics: At six games out the A's are fringe contenders. They could end up selling right field candidates in Willingham, Jackson, David DeJesus, and Ryan Sweeney. Even if they do stay in the race an outfield acquisition seems unlikely.
The Red Sox, Tigers, Indians, and Phillies seem most likely to pursue right field acquisitions. Andre Ethier and Hunter Pence are unlikely to be dealt, leaving names such as Carlos Beltran, Jason Kubel, Kosuke Fukudome, Ludwick, Willingham, Cuddyer, Ordonez, Francoeur, Jackson, Spilborghs, Diaz, and DeJesus on the Major League market.
Minor Moves: Hinckley, Scales, Perez
Here's a summary of the day's minor moves…
- The Blue Jays released former top prospect Mike Hinckley, MLBTR has confirmed. The 28-year-old left-hander posted a 5.68 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 4.7 BB.9 in the upper minors before the Blue Jays let him go. Hinckley made it to the Major Leagues in 2008 and 2009 with the Nationals. Dave Gershman first reported the move.
- Utility player Bobby Scales is leaving the Cubs for a Japanese team, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). Scales, a 33-year-old with two years of MLB experience with Chicago, has signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He had a .304/.424/.535 line in 283 plate appearances at Triple-A Iowa this year.
- The Pirates announced that they have acquired minor league catcher Miguel Perez from the Nationals for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Perez, 27, played for Pirates affiliates in 2008-09 and has two games of MLB experience with th '05 Reds. He has appeared in just two games this year and has a .270/.323/.343 line as a minor leaguer.