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West Notes: Felix, Drew, Giants

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The Mariners have the best record in the American League since the All-Star break (23-13) after winning six consecutive games, as Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times writes. Here’s the latest from baseball’s two West divisions… 

  • In an appearance on on Sports Radio KJR this morning Felix Hernandez gave Mitch Levy a "promise" that there's nothing to worry about regarding a possible change in teams (quote via Baker). Hernandez is under contract through 2014 and Baker says the Mariners should extend him beyond that and build a better team around him.
  • The Athletics and Diamondbacks extensively discussed a possible Stephen Drew trade leading up to the non-waiver trade deadline, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. The Athletics acquired Drew last night in a move that will reduce Arizona's payroll and provide Oakland with a shortstop who should hit.
  • Manager Bruce Bochy said on MLB Network Radio that it's fair to say the Giants are looking for left field help, according to Jim Bowden (on Twitter). GM Brian Sabean is "working on it now," Bochy said, according to Bowden. Gregor Blanco is the Giants' left fielder for the time being. Sabean says all is quiet for now, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter).

Athletics Acquire Stephen Drew

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10:56am: The Athletics are also responsible for the $1.35MM buyout on Drew's mutual option for 2013, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).

TUESDAY, 7:30am: The Athletics will pay the rest of Drew's 2012 salary, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (on Twitter). Assistant GM David Forst says the A's haven't yet decided whether to pick up their side of Drew's 2013 mutual option. "Let's see how the next six weeks go," Forst told Casey Pratt of CSN Bay Area (on Twitter).

MONDAY: The Diamondbacks have traded Stephen Drew to the Athletics for minor league infielder Sean Jamieson, the team announced (on Twitter).

The Athletics were linked heavily to the 29-year-old Drew at this year's non-waiver trade deadline, but no deal was reached. Drew suffered a massive ankle injury last July that ended his season and cost him the first three months of this year's campaign. Batting just .193/.290/.311, Drew has yet to rediscover his stroke at the plate. That line is remarkably similar to the .191/.260/.304 batting line produced by Oakland shortstops as a whole this season, however. And, as a career .270/.330/.442 hitter entering this season, Drew presents considerably more upside.

It became apparent that Drew would be a trade candidate earlier this season when Diamondbacks managing partner Ken Kendrick openly expressed his disappointment with Drew's lengthy recovery time in the media. Drew has roughly $1.9MM of his $7.75MM salary remaining this season. His contract contains a $10MM mutual option for 2013, though Oakland will presumably opt for the $1.35MM buyout instead.

Jamieson, 23, was Oakland's 17th-round selection in the 2011 draft. The Ontario native is batting .234/.343/.379 in 540 plate appearances for Class-A Burlington this season, appearing almost exclusively at shortstop.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Rodriguez, Hamilton, Tomko, D’Backs

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Today's minor moves, courtesy of Baseball America's Matt Eddy..

  • The Braves have signed left-hander Daniel Rodriguez out of the Mexican League, reports Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 27-year-old owns a 2.54 ERA in 117 innings this season, and has led the league in strikeouts in each of the past three years.
  • The Cardinals have released Mark Hamilton, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (on Twitter). The 28-year-old put up a .231/.340/.419 line with 15 homers in 359 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
  • The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Brett Tomko.  The 39-year-old was released by the Reds earlier this month after posting a 3.78 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 12 Triple-A starts.
  • The Diamondbacks also signed third baseman Matt Mangini, who was recently released by the Rays.  Mangini was with Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate but has been assigned to Double-A Mobile.  The 26-year-old had a cup of coffee in the majors with the Mariners in 2010.
  • Tigers outfielder Don Kelly cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo.  Kelly was outrighted after being DFA'd on August 3rd.
  • The Twins released right-hander Eric Hurley, who elected free agency from the Angels last month.  The 2004 first-round pick was once viewed as a high-ceiling prospect but has yet to appear in the majors since a five-game stint with the Rangers in 2008.

Minor Moves: Daniel Cabrera, Dallas McPherson

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Let's keep track of the day's minor moves right here…

  • The Diamondbacks have acquired Daniel Cabrera from the Pirates according to the MLB.com transactions page. Cabrera, 31, has pitched to a 4.58 ERA in 108 innings for Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate after not playing at all in 2011 due to Tommy John surgery. The 6-foot-7 right-hander owns a 5.10 ERA in 892 1/3 big league innings with the Orioles, Nationals, and D'Backs.
  • The Pirates have signed Dallas McPherson, also according to MLB.com. The 32-year-old infielder hit .253/.335/.463 with 12 homers in 264 plate appearances in the White Sox's farm system earlier this year. McPherson is a .241/.292/.446 career hitter with 18 homers in the show. He's suited up for the Angels, Marlins, and ChiSox.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Chavez, Richmond, Zagurski

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Here are Wednesday's outright assignments, courtesy of the MLB.com transactions page…

  • The Orioles have outrighted Endy Chavez to Triple-A. The 34-year-old outfielder hit .190/.222/.281 in 129 plate appearances for Baltimore this season before being designated for assignment earlier this month.
  • The Blue Jays have outrighted right-hander Scott Richmond to Triple-A. Toronto designated the 32-year-old for assignment last week after allowing two runs in three relief innings. Richmond pitched to a 5.89 in 117 2/3 Triple-A innings this year.
  • The Diamondbacks have outrighted Mike Zagurski to Triple-A. The 29-year-old southpaw pitched to a 6.18 ERA in 27 2/3 relief innings this year, and left-handed hitters tagged him for a .256/.320/.395 batting line. Arizona designated Zagurski for assignment this past weekend.

International Signings: White Sox, Mariners, D’Backs

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A couple of notable international free-agent deals to pass along …

  • The White Sox have agreed to terms with Dominican right-hander Victor Done, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 16-year-old Done has a good delivery and throws a hard fastball and sharp curveball, reports Badler, who adds that the South Siders have "significantly increased" their international presence over the past year.
  • The Mariners have signed 16-year-old Brazilian left-hander Luiz Gohara, whom many teams regarded as the best pitcher in this year's international signing class, according to Badler. Gohara's fastball already touches 94 mph, reports Badler, and he throws a good slider. (h/t to Andy Loretta of Baseball Latin America, who first passed along a link to a Portuguese-language report of Gohara's signing).
  • The Diamondbacks have signed Venezuelan outfielder Jose Ordaz, according to Badler. Ordaz, who turned 16 on Saturday, is a left-handed hitter with a "broad skill set" and a chance to stay in center field. 

Cafardo On Damon, Braves, Youkilis, Saunders

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Dan Duquette was out of baseball for ten years and wasn’t sure if he’d find his way back, but the Orioles GM has surprised many by putting together a strong club for 2012, writes Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.  The GM was quick to credit the work of manager Buck Showalter for the team’s success and also pointed to some good breaks for the club as they dealt with a young and oft-injured rotation.  Here’s more from Cafardo..

  • Johnny Damon could be a fit for the Braves as they are in need of a lefthanded pinch hitter. Atlanta is looking all around for a part-time lefthanded bat and they are scouting almost every team out of the race.  Damon posted a posted a .222/.281/.329 batting line with four home runs in 224 plate appearances for the Tribe this year.
  • The Braves aren’t optimistic that they can re-sign Michael Bourn when he becomes a free agent, in part because they don’t seem to do well with Scott Boras clients.  Given that, it also seems unlikely that they’ll aggressively pursue Jacoby Ellsbury this offseason. 
  • Atlanta will have to replace both Bourn and Chipper Jones, and one Braves official didn’t rule out Kevin Youkilis if the White Sox don’t pick up his $13MM option.  Of course, the Braves would be looking to spend considerably less than that to sign him.
  • D’Backs pitcher Joe Saunders would be an interesting trade piece if they feel they can’t make the playoffs.  The left-hander has looked strong as of late and is headed towards free agency, but Arizona doesn’t expect to resign him.  With Patrick Corbin, Tyler Skaggs, and Trevor Bauer all in the fold, Kevin Towers & Co. could easily part with him.  

D’Backs Designate Mike Zagurski For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced that they have designated pitcher Mike Zagurski for assignment.  The left-hander was the last southpaw in the Arizona bullpen after trading Craig Breslow to the Red Sox.

Zagurski had a 6.18 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 27.2 innings of work this season.  The 29-year-old has 69 career big league games to his credit and 111 Triple-A outings.  At the Triple-A level, Zagurski owns a 2.82 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9.

Players Who Cleared Waivers

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This is a running list of players who have cleared waivers, based on published reports. Once a player clears waivers, he can be traded to any team (barring a no-trade clause). This list can always be found in the sidebar under MLBTR Features. Player names are linked to the source articles.

Updated 8-31-12

Infielders

Nick Punto, Red Sox - Punto earns $1.5MM this year and will earn the same amount in 2013.

Outfielders

Carl Crawford, Red Sox - Crawford has $102.5MM remaining on his contract after 2012, so he was expected to clear waivers. Crawford can block trades to two clubs, but no team can flip him to the Yankees after acquiring him from Boston.

Alfonso Soriano, Cubs – Soriano can block any trade. He earns $18MM per season through 2014.

Juan Pierre, Phillies – Pierre earns $800K in 2012 and he'll hit free agency after the season.

Catchers

Joe Mauer, Twins – Mauer earns $23MM per season through 2018.

Starting Pitchers

Joe Saunders, Diamondbacks – Saunders earns $6MM in 2012 and will hit free agency after the season.

Roy Oswalt, Rangers – Oswalt earns $5MM in 2012 and will hit free agency after the season.

Kevin Millwood, Mariners – Millwood earns $1MM in 2012 and will hit free agency after the season.

Relief Pitchers

Carlos Marmol, Cubs - Marmol will earn $9.8MM in 2013 before hitting free agency.

Diamondbacks Sign Felipe Perez

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The Diamondbacks agreed to sign high school right-hander Felipe Perez for a reported bonus of $400K, Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times reports. Perez, who was about to start his college career at UCLA, went undrafted this year, so he became eligible to sign as a professional on the first day of school.

The Diamondbacks could have spent over $404K without losing a 2013 first round pick, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (Twitter links). Perez was the top undrafted player from Baseball America’s pre-draft list of the 500 best prospects available, Callis notes. The publication ranked him 129th, noting his projectable three-pitch mix and 88-91 mph fastball. ESPN.com’s Keith Law suggests Perez went undrafted because of signability questions (Twitter link).

First round draft picks Max Fried and Lucas Giolito were also headed to UCLA until they signed professional contracts.

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