Diamondbacks Considering Lyle Overbay
The Diamondbacks lost first baseman Xavier Nady for four-to-six weeks with a broken hand last night, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says (on Twitter) the team is considering signing Lyle Overbay. Nady suffered the injury on a hit-by-pitch.
The 34-year-old Overbay became a free agent earlier this week when the Pirates cut him loose. He hit just .227/.300/.349 in 391 plate appearances for Pittsburgh, but that's better than what Nady was doing for Arizona: .248/.287/.359 in 223 plate appearances. The D'Backs could also turn to Juan Miranda, who is hitting .268/.387/.500 in Triple-A after being outrighted last month.
Overbay started his career with the D'Backs after they took him in the 18th round of the 1999 draft. He hit .271/.357/.391 in parts of three seasons with Arizona before being one of six players they sent to the Brewers for Richie Sexson after the 2003 season. The Diamondbacks would only have to pay Overbay the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, with the Pirates being on the hook for the rest of his $5MM salary.
This post was originally published on August 12th.
Draft Notes: Meo, Braves, Blue Jays
The latest draft signings, with the deadline for deals just four days away…
- Lou Nero of Octagon Sports reports that second rounder Anthony Meo has signed with the D'Backs (Twitter link). Meo obtained an above-slot bonus of $625K, according to Callis, who notes that MLB's recommended bonus was 580K (Twitter link).
- The Marlins have signed second rounder Adam Conley, a left-handed pitcher out of Washington State, for $625K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter).
- The Athletics have signed third rounder B.A. Vollmuth, a third baseman out of Southern Miss, for $304.2K, according to Callis (via Twitter).
- The Royals have signed fifth rounder Patrick Leonard, a high school outfielder from Texas, for $600K, writes Callis. It's the highest bonus awarded to a player outside the first four rounds this year, according to Callis. The MLB commissioner's office slot recommendation for that selection, No. 156 overall, is $161K.
- The Cubs have signed seventh-rounder Trevor Gretzky, a high school first baseman out of California, for $375K, according to Callis (on Twitter). Trevor is the son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky and was a San Diego State recruit.
- The Yankees have officially signed 25th round pick Adam Smith for $157.5K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The third baseman will be converted into a right-handed pitcher.
- The Braves signed 14th round pick Navery Moore for $400K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Vanderbilt right-hander can throw 92-96 mph and has now obtained the second-highest known bonus after the second round so far this year.
- The Blue Jays signed 17th rounder Brady Dragmire, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
Diamondbacks Claim Tommy Manzella
The Diamondbacks claimed Tommy Manzella off of irrevocable waivers from the Astros, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com (on Twitter). The Astros had designated the infielder for assignment yesterday.
The Diamondbacks restore some of the shortstop depth they lost when Stephen Drew hit the disabled list with a season-ending ankle injury last month. Manzella has a .230/.319/.360 line in 417 plate appearances at Triple-A this year. He had a .225/.267/.264 line in 282 plate appearances with Houston last year, but hasn't appeared in the Major Leagues since.
Draft Notes: Cubs, Giants, Indians, Capps, Winkler, O’s
For the latest on which top picks have signed, check out this post on MLBTR's sidebar. Here's the latest on this year's draftees…
- The Cubs have signed fifth rounder Tayler Scott for just under $280K, tweets Callis. The high school right-hander from Arizona was committed to attend the University of Arizona, and is said to throw in the low-90's with a good breaking ball. MLB's slot recommendation was approximately $158K.
- Callis reports (on Twitter) that the Giants have signed fifth rounder Chris Marlowe for $145K, just above MLB's slot recommendation of $134K. He's a righty reliever from Oklahoma State with a big fastball.
- The Indians signed 43rd round pick Geoff Davenport for $100K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The left-hander is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
- Mariners draft pick Carter Capps, who signed yesterday, obtained a $500K bonus, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The recommended bonus for the third rounder was $243K.
- The D'Backs have agreed to terms with tenth rounder Kyle Winkler, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
- The Orioles agreed to terms with 42nd round right-hander Jason McCracken, according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The O's continue talking with their top picks, but nothing has changed regarding their status, according to scouting director Joe Jordan.
Draft Notes: Mariners, D’Backs, Jays, Marlins, Tigers
We're less than a week away from the draft signing deadline, so here's the latest news on that front…
- The Mariners have signed third rounder Carter Capps according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Capps, a right-hander from Mount Olive, was taken with the compensation pick the Mariners received for failing to sign 2010 third rounder Ryne Stanek, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 121st overall pick is $243K.
- The Mariners have also signed 19th rounder Luke Guarnaccia, reports Baker (Twitter links). Baker notes that Seattle has not yet signed their first, second, third, or fifth round picks.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks and seventh rounder Ben Roberts are currently "miles apart" in negotiations. Roberts is a high school outfielder from the baseball hotbed known as Missoula, Montana.
- The Blue Jays have signed fourth rounder Tom Robson for $325K accoridng to ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). Baseball America's Jim Callis says he received a $325K bonus (on Twitter). Robson is a high school right-hander from British Columbia, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 139th pick is $189K.
- Aaron Fitt and Jim Callis of Baseball America report that the Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh rounder Ryan Rieger on a $200K bonus (Twitter links). Rieger, a first baseman, was committed to Long Beach State after attending the Junior College of the Sequoias.
- The Tigers announced on their Twitter feed that they have agreed to terms with second round pick James McCann. The catcher from the University of Arkansas was Detroit's top selection after they surrendered their first rounder to sign Victor Martinez. MLB's slot recommendation for the 76th overall pick is about $478K, but Baseball America's Jim Callis says he signed for approximately $558K (Twitter link).
- The Yankees have agreed to terms on a $157K bonus with 25th rounder Adam Smith reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). Smith played third base and pitched at Texas A&M, and Rogers describes him as "hard-throwing, but raw." He will sign tomorrow.
- The Indians have signed 41st rounder Brian Ruiz, they announced in a press release. Ruiz is a hometown kid, a high school outfielder from Cleveland.
- The Nationals are not expected to sign 15th round pick Zach Houchins according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Houchins, a junior college shortstop from North Carolina, says the team has not contacted him since June, after he posted what were considered racist and homophobic remarks on Twitter.
Draft Links: Dodgers, Springer, Boras, Fisher
We're a week away from the August 15 deadline for MLB teams to sign their 2011 draft picks. Here's the latest on a few signings, a few players still in negotiations and a few players who are going to college…
- The Dodgers have agreed to terms with sixth-rounder Scott Barlow and 10th-rounder Tyler Ogle, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America. (Twitter links) Barlow, a right-hander who had committed to Fresno State, will earn a $150K bonus. Ogle, a product of the University of Oklahoma, received a $100K bonus.
- George Springer is expected to sign the Astros, tweets Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner. Goff said he would be surprised if the Astros didn't ink their first-round pick, selected 11th overall.
- Right-hander Jack Armstrong, Houston's third-round selection, talks to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart about his elbow problems and how he isn't worried about the signing deadline. The piece also notes that Springer passed his physical with the team last week. Springer and Armstrong are the only two unsigned players among the Astros' first 13 draft picks.
- "The Royals will be offering the biggest bonus in franchise history" to Bubba Starling, writes Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star, and while "most observers expect a contract to be signed…there is just enough in [agent Scott] Boras’ history and confidence to make everyone unsure." Mellinger also briefly details Boras' background and his dealings with the Royals over the last several years.
- Rangers officials tell MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan that they don't expect sixth-round pick Derek Fisher to sign a contract. Fisher, the Pennsylvania high school player of the year, has a commitment to the University of Virginia and "his asking price exceeds what the Rangers are willing to pay."
- The Brewers officially announced the signing of second-rounder Jorge Lopez, reports MLB.com's Audrey Snyder. We heard last week that Milwaukee had agreed to terms with Lopez and fifth-rounder Michael Reed, though no final word has yet come on Reed's deal.
- The Phillies have signed seventh-round pick Kenny Giles to a contract with a $250K bonus, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis (Twitter link). Giles, a high-schooler who had committed to the University of Arizona, "has touched 99 mph with his fastball."
- Marlins second-round pick Adam Conley and Diamondbacks seventh-rounder Ben Roberts will "definitely sign," reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA, while Yankees sixth-round selection Jake Cave is "about 95 percent" signed. (Twitter links)
- Rogers also tweets that Taylor Ard (a 25th-round pick for the Red Sox) and Derek Jones (the Orioles' 13th-rounder) will not sign. Both players have committed to attend Washington State.
- WEEI.com's Alex Speier has an update on the status of every Red Sox pick from the first 10 rounds of the draft, including both signed and unsigned players.
Quick Hits: Nationals, Reyes, Red Sox, Upton
Sunday night linkage..
- With the August 15th deadline a week away, the Nationals have yet to make any real progress in reaching agreements with their top four draft picks, GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Nats are satisfied that infielder Anthony Rendon, pitcher Alex Meyer, supplemental round pick outfielder Brian Goodwin and third round pick Matt Purke are all in good health.
- One Mets official last week told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) that he expects the Red Sox, Angels, and Nationals to be the top competition for Jose Reyes this winter.
- Back in November when the Diamondbacks were shopping Justin Upton, it was rumored that they would likely request Daniel Bard and Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox in a deal. Today, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that it looks like a good no-deal for Arizona.
- It took a little bit of time, but outfielder Kosuke Fukudome appears to be getting used to life with the Indians, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The Tribe acquired Fukudome and roughly $3.9MM from the Cubs for minor leaguer outfielder Abner Abreu and reliever Carlton Smith.
Olney On Bell, Goldschmidt, Cuddyer
The latest MLB news and rumors from ESPN.com’s Buster Olney…
- Rival evaluators believe the Padres made a major mistake in not trading Heath Bell at the deadline, according to Olney. If the closer accepts arbitration, as he says he would, the small market Padres will be burdened with a big contract. And if they don’t offer arbitration, the Padres won’t get anything for losing Bell.
- The Twins want to keep hot-hitting Michael Cuddyer after the season, according to Olney (on Twitter). The versatile Cuddyer hits free agency this winter.
- Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Olney that he was impressed by Paul Goldschmidt's power and work ethic in Spring Training. The rookie first baseman homered against Tim Lincecum Tuesday and Towers says he'll be able to cope when things aren't going so well. "He's not a kid who's going to start hanging his head if he gets a couple of oh-fers," Towers said.
D’Backs Notes: Towers, Marquis, Giants
Paul Goldschmidt's first MLB home run came at the perfect time for the Diamondbacks, who defeated Tim Lincecum and the Giants behind the bat of their 23-year-old first base prospect last night. Here's the latest on the D'Backs, who are tied for the NL West lead with the Giants…
- Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Jon Star of MLB.com that the biggest difference with the Diamondbacks is the back end of their bullpen. "They've got two new guys down there [J.J. Putz and David Hernandez] that made a huge difference, but also some other good arms. The pitching is much better."
- GM Kevin Towers, who acquired Putz and Hernandez over the winter, told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he acquired Jason Marquis for the stretch run because he was reluctant to call minor leaguers like Jarrod Parker, Pat Corbin, Wade Miley and Tyler Skaggs up into the heat of a pennant race.
- Towers says he initially hoped to add a couple relievers at the trade deadline, but changed course when other teams decided to keep their relievers. Instead, Towers acquired Marquis and Brad Ziegler.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explains that the current series between San Francisco and Arizona has the makings of a pennant race precursor, though it's still early to be thinking in those terms.
Quick Hits: Orioles, Beane, Bourn, Beltran
The Cardinals acquired Woody Williams from San Diego on this date ten years ago. The right-hander pitched 75 innings of 2.28 ERA ball and helped the Cardinals reach the postseason, where they lost to the eventual World Champion Diamondbacks. Here's the latest from around MLB…
- As Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun points out, Buck Showalter took over the Orioles one year ago today. In 162 games under Showalter, the Orioles are 76-86. The honeymoon is over, but Showalter is "the most prepared and observant person [Connolly has] been around in this game."
- The Phillies may tinker with their roster in August by calling up a reliever or acquiring a bat in a minor trade, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- Yahoo's Steve Henson looks back at the 13 most lopsided trades in baseball history. If you guessed that Jeff Bagwell, Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek would appear on the list, you're right.
- Moneyball has become a "period piece," Tom Verducci writes at SI.com. The advantages Billy Beane once had in Oakland have been neutralized by stadium revenue for other clubs and savvy front offices around baseball. "The biggest problem we have is that until we get a stadium it's going to be treading water for us," Beane said. "There cannot be any long-term planning. It's likely to get worse before it gets any better. It's going to be more than challenging."
- GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers checked in on Michael Bourn without pursuing him seriously, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the Giants' feeble offense and the impact that Carlos Beltran will have on it.
- As Scott Miller of CBSSports.com shows, the Diamondbacks have once again become relevant in the NL West thanks, in large part, to an improved pitching staff.