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Minors Moves: Montanez, Van Mil, Layne

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Today's minor moves..

  • The Phillies have released outfielder Luis Montanez from their Triple-A affiliate, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).  Montanez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the club in December after appearing in 36 games for the Cubs in 2011.  The outfielder has struggled in 17 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, hitting just .136/.264/.159 in 53 plate appearances.
  • The Indians have acquired minor league reliever Loek Van Mil from the Angels for future considerations, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter). Van Mil, best known for his 7-foot-1 stature, also played previously in the Twins organization, by whom he was originally signed. 
  • The Padres have acquired minor league left-hander Tom Layne from the Diamondbacks and assigned him to Triple-A Tucson, according to MiLB.com's transactions page. Arizona drafted the 27-year-old left-hander in 2007, but he has not appeared in the Majors to date.

Rosenthal On Montero, Pirates, Rays, Lee

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Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..

  • Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero could be the next to end up in a tug of war between the Angels and Rangers.  Angels GM Jerry Dipoto, of course, used to be with Arizona and the Rangers could lose Mike Napoli on the open market.  Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are looking for a young catcher as insurance if they lose Montero.
  • The Pirates should be in position to trade Alex Presley or Jose Tabata once Starling Marte refines his strike zone judgement in Triple-A.  Presley will increase his value if he can prove that he is a solid leadoff option.  As for Tabata, he is under a club-friendly deal through 2016 with club options through 2019.
  • The addition of a second wild card in each league could reduce the number of sellers at the deadline which could put the Rays in position to extract maximum value for one of their starters such as Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, or Alex Cobb.  The Rays will be more willing to part with rotation depth when they're looking at the final few months of the season.
  • Derrek Lee has continued working out and is said to be in excellent shape.  Rosenthal wonders if he would want to play for the Brewers after they lost Mat Gamel to injury as he turned down offers from the Pirates and several other teams last offseason.  Lee would probably need to be convinced that Milwaukee is ready to win and will likely seek a contract similar to what Johnny Damon got from the Indians – $1.25MM plus $1.4MM in incentives.

Quick Hits: Vlad, Lee, Hunter, Crawford

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Here's the latest from around the majors…

  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers thought Vladimir Guerrero performed well in his tryout with the team but will have to consult with team management before deciding whether to offer Guerrero a contract, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  Towers speculated that Guerrero's only possible role with the club could be as a DH during interleague games, a role that Wily Mo Pena filled for the Snakes last season.
  • The Brewers may check in with Derrek Lee in regards to their hole at first base, GM Doug Melvin told reporters (including Scott Miller of CBS Sports) earlier this week.  Lee said he didn't plan to officially retire despite a lack of interest this offseason, though he seemed to be holding out for "a perfect situation."  The Pirates, Lee's last team, would receive a compensatory draft pick if Lee were to sign a Major League deal, though it's likely that Lee would only be offered a minor league contract, if anything, by the Brewers or another club.
  • Torii Hunter tells Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he would consider returning to the Twins next season if he doesn't re-sign with the Angels.  Given that Hunter's stated goal is to play for a contender in 2013, it's hard to see him returning to Minnesota unless he gets no other offers (and, of course, presuming that the Twins would be interested).
  • Carl Crawford has been moved to the 60-day DL to create a 40-man roster spot for the called-up Aaron Cook, the Red Sox announced tonight.  In a corresponding move, Jose Iglesias was sent down to create space for Cook on the 25-man roster.
  • Right-hander Carlos Torres has been called up by the Rockies and filled the last spot on their 40-man roster, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post.  Jhoulys Chacin has been sent down to Triple-A in a corresponding move that opens a spot for Torres on the 25-man roster.  Torres last pitched in the majors in 2010 as a member of the White Sox.
  • Major League Baseball and the NCAA are in talks regarding increased partnership between the two entities, such as MLB providing funding for scholarships, reports Bryan Fischer of CBS Sports.
  • White Sox starter John Danks told reporters (including MLB.com's Scott Merkin) that he isn't feeling any additional pressure from his offseason contract extension.  After allowing six earned runs in seven innings against Cleveland tonight, Danks' ERA stands at 6.51 through six starts.

Quick Hits: Abreu, Cespedes, Young, Phillies, Cook

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Former first overall draft pick Tim Beckham has been suspended for 50 games, MLB announced. The shortstop, who had reached Triple-A in the Rays' system, is in violation of MLB's drug policy for the second time. "I take full responsibility for my actions and I will use this experience to refocus my commitment to baseball," he said in a statement released by the team. Here are more links from around the league…

  • Bobby Abreu could make sense for the Orioles, opines Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Nick Johnson remains hitless on the season and Nolan Reimold recently left the team to have numbness and tingling in his fingers examined.
  • An arbitration claim for breach of contract has been filed against Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. Edgar Mercedes, who helped represent Cespedes during his free agency, is owed 17% of the outfielder's earnings but has not yet been paid.
  • It's encouraging that MLB suspended Tigers outfielder Delmon Young following last week's incident in New York City, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Young's actions will cost him millions, Morosi explains. Before the incident I suggested a multiyear deal was within reach for Young if he had a strong season. It's definitely harder to imagine any team making a multiyear commitment today.
  • The Phillies announced that they selected the contract of right-hander Brian Sanches from Lehigh Valley. Sanches takes the place of David Herndon on the team’s active roster.
  • One agent suggested to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Yankees might have interest in Aaron Cook if the Red Sox don’t make room for the right-hander on their roster by today (Twitter link). Cook can opt out of his deal with Boston if he’s not added to the roster today.
  • There haven’t been recent talks between Mike Napoli and the Rangers or Miguel Montero and the Diamondbacks, Heyman tweets. Montero is looking for a four-year deal in the $52MM range and Napoli seeks more than that. Heyman suggests Napoli is more likely than Montero to sign an extension.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Quick Hits: Gonzalez, Pujols, Young, Royals

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Vladimir Guerrero looked pretty good in his workout for the Diamondbacks, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). Arizona has some interest in signing the veteran DH, but he's still considered a long shot according to Heyman. Here links for Monday…

  • The Rays are a "possible fit" for Mike Gonzalez, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Last week we heard that the left-handed reliever could sign within ten days.
  • Albert Pujols told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he’s comfortable in Anaheim even though he hasn’t hit like a $240MM player since signing with the Angels.“Why not? This is my family,” he said. “These guys are my family. I feel pretty comfortable.”
  • Ken Davidoff of the New York Post suggests the Tigers could release Delmon Young to make a statement about the conduct they expect from their players without hurting their team in the standings.
  • Jim Callis of Baseball America will be very surprised if the Royals don't select a college pitcher with their top pick in the upcoming amateur draft. Callis suggests the Royals could take Louisiana State right-hander Kevin Gausman with the fifth overall selection.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

Vlad Guerrero Will Work Out For Diamondbacks

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Arizona general manager Kevin Towers said during today's game broadcast that Vladimir Guerrero will work out for the Diamondbacks, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

Guerrero's lack of defensive skills at this point in his career make him a curious fit for any National League team, but if his bat is up to the task he could be used as an effective late-game pinch hitter. Guerrero registered the weakest offensive season of his career with the Orioles in 2011 but still hit a respectable .290/.317/.416 with 13 home runs. He was used exclusively as a DH by the Orioles, however, and has just 20 appearances in the field during regular season play dating back to 2009.

Even late in the offseason, Guerrero was said to be seeking $5MM, but won't sniff that figure now. Johnny Damon, also said to be seeking $5MM, recently signed with the Indians for $1.25MM. Even that will likely be more than Guerrero can hope to obtain, as Damon will play the outfield regularly in Cleveland. Guerrero switched agents late in the offseason and is now represented by Proformance.

Diamondbacks Option Albaladejo To Triple-A

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The Diamondbacks have optioned Jonathan Albaladejo to Triple-A according to the team's transactions page. Arizona had designated the right-hander for assignment earlier this week, though his unique optional waivers situation keeps him on the 40-man roster. It's a procedural move similar to what the Athletics and Jerry Blevins went through multiple times last season.

Albaladejo, 29, allowed two hits in an inning of work last week, his only appearance of the season. He spent last season with the Yomiuri Giants and prior to that he had pitched for the Yankees and Nationals. Albaladejo owns a 4.10 ERA in 74 2/3 career innings and was part of the trade that sent Tyler Clippard to Washington five years ago.

Twins, Athletics, Orioles May Have Interest In Inge

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6:05pm: The Athletics have legitimate interest in Inge, according to Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group.  General Manager Billy Beane would not comment on Inge specifically, saying only that he is looking to "upgrade at third base, as well as all other positions." 

10:23am: Brandon Inge might not be on the free agent market for long despite his struggles at the plate. The Twins, Athletics, Orioles and Diamondbacks are among the teams that may have interest in the recently-released ACES client.

There are indications that the Twins will at least have a discussion about Inge, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Minnesota could demote Danny Valencia to Triple-A and rely on Inge and Sean Burroughs at the hot corner.

The Athletics are expected to have some interest in Inge, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. However, the 34-year-old must clear release waivers before becoming eligible to sign with a new team. Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group noted yesterday that he expects the Athletics to consider Inge.

The Orioles have some interest in Inge, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reported yesterday. Meanwhile, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com wouldn’t be surprised if the Diamondbacks take a look at the veteran third baseman (Twitter link).

Inge has just two hits in 20 trips to the plate so far this season and he posted a .548 OPS last year. The Tigers are responsible for his $5.5MM salary, so any team that signs him would only owe him a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum for the remainder of the season.

Diamondbacks Designate Albaladejo For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks have designated right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo for assignment, the team announced. The move creates 40-man roster space for left-hander Mike Zagurski, who was recalled from Triple-A.

Albaladejo, 29, allowed two hits in an inning of work last night, his only appearance of the season. He spent last season with the Yomiuri Giants and prior to that he had pitched for the Yankees and Nationals. Albaladejo owns a 4.10 ERA in 74 2/3 career innings and was part of the trade that sent Tyler Clippard to Washington five years ago.

Diamondbacks Acquire Josh Bell From O’s

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The Diamondbacks have acquired infielder Josh Bell from the Orioles, a source tells Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), and Arizona announced that Baltimore will receive a player to be named. The Orioles designated Bell for assignment earlier in the week.

Baltimore acquired Bell, 25, from the Dodgers shortly before the non-waiver trade deadline in 2009, in the deal that sent left-handed reliever George Sherrill to Los Angeles. Bell was a well-regarded prospect then but played poorly in two stints with the O's in 2010 and '11, hitting .200/.221/.264 in 226 Major League plate appearances.

Arizona was one of four teams interested in acquiring the 2005 fourth-round draft pick, according to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com, who adds that the Dodgers were in the mix, as well (Twitter links). Bell will be assigned to Triple-A Reno, Ghiroli writes.

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