D’Backs Acquire Ryan Langerhans
The Mariners announced that they traded Ryan Langerhans to the Diamondbacks for cash considerations. The move clears a roster spot for former Diamondbacks outfielder Wily Mo Pena at Triple-A Tacoma. Langerhans will report to the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate in Reno.
Langerhans, a nine-year Major League veteran, hit .173/.317/.346 in 64 plate appearances with the Mariners this year and has a .226/.333/.372 line over the course of his career. The 31-year-old was hitting well in Tacoma, where he had a .313/.416/.584 line in 255 plate appearances.
Blue Jays Notes: Rauch, Francisco, Rasmus
Colby Rasmus is making his Blue Jays debut in Toronto, where he’s batting second and starting in center field tonight. Here’s the latest on a Blue Jays team that could make another move or two before Sunday afternoon…
- Though the Blue Jays have said they're likely done making deals, other teams believe they may still trade Jon Rauch and/or Frank Francisco, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
- The Diamondbacks, who had interest in some of the relievers the Blue Jays traded, aren't willing to mortgage the future for middle relief, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter). Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor and Marc Rzepczynski were dealt yesterday.
- Rasmus' father, Tony, says Cardinals manager Tony La Russa pushed his son out of town. “Tony needed pitching and wanted to force the GM into making a trade, so he belittled Colby to the fans,” the elder Rasmus told Bob Eilliott of the Toronto Sun.
- One MLB executive told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the only thing he's sure of is that Toronto GM "Alex Anthopoulos is the smartest dude in the game." Rosenthal warns his readers that forming snap judgments about trades is dangerous, but most of his sources like the deal for the Blue Jays.
Multiple Teams Interested In Jamey Carroll
4:40pm: The D'Backs and Pirates are also looking at Carroll, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
11:48am: The Brewers would like to acquire Dodgers infielder Jamey Carroll more than ever with Rickie Weeks hitting the DL for an ankle sprain, tweets Bob Nightengale of USA Today. However, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Indians are continuing to show interest in Carroll.
Though they acquired outfielder Kosuke Fukudome earlier today, Indians president Mark Shapiro tweeted that the front office is "still working to improve the team with other additions." Potential targets vary from Ryan Ludwick to Ubaldo Jimenez, based on tweets from Jon Heyman and Troy Renck.
Minor Moves: Evans, Restovich
The Mariners signed Wily Mo Pena to a minor league pact earlier today and we'll keep track of any other minor moves here…
- Nick Evans has cleared waivers and is headed back to Triple-A, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). The Mets designated Evans for assignment late last week after he hit .148/.343/.333 through 35 plate appearances as a first baseman, third baseman and left fielder.
- The Diamondbacks have acquired outfielder Michael Restovich from the White Sox and assigned him to Triple-A, reports Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (on Twitter). The 32-year-old Restovich was hitting .229/.282/.365 in 103 plate appearances for Chicago's Triple-A squad. He hasn't played in the big leagues since 2007.
Quick Hits: Rangers, Quentin, Gomes, Bauer
The Red Sox and Rangers rank first and second in the majors, respectively, in runs scored. Yet one night after Michael Cuddyer prevented the Rangers from scoring, another position player, Mitch Maier, shut down the Red Sox. Here's the latest from around MLB…
- The Rangers agreed to sign 11th round pick Connor Sadzeck for an over-slot bonus of $350K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The right-hander tops out at 95 mph and projects as a reliever.
- The Phillies are among the teams scouting Carlos Quentin in case the White Sox decide to move him, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter).
- The Nationals like the fact that they could obtain a draft pick for newly-acquired outfielder Jonny Gomes after the season, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter).
- Arizona GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that Trevor Bauer, who signed yesterday, "possibly could" help the bullpen in September (Twitter links). The D'Backs "fully envision" Bauer competing for a rotation spot next spring.
- The D'Backs continue looking for pitching, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
D’Backs To Sign Trevor Bauer
11:04pm: Bauer's deal includes a $3.4MM bonus, $4.45MM in guaranteed money and the potential for $7MM in earnings, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
10:47pm: Bauer obtains a bonus of around $3.5MM and the overall package is worth $7.4MM or so, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
7:19pm: Jack Magruder of FoxSportsArizona.com reports (on Twitter) that Bauer's deal is worth about $7MM over four years, including bonus and salary. Depending on the exact amount, it could be one of the ten richest contracts in draft history.
5:22pm: The D'Backs announced that they have signed Bauer to a Major League contract. Arizona's 40-man roster now has 39 players.
4:56pm: Trevor Bauer, the third overall pick in this year's draft, has passed his physical with Arizona for his first big league contract, according to Peter Gammons of MLB Network (on Twitter).
Bauer, 20, had “the deepest repertoire of any pitcher in the draft,” according to Baseball America. He can reach 96 mph with his fastball and has “top-of-the-rotation upside,” according to BA. Bauer's extensive repertoire worked at the collegiate level this season, as he posted a 1.25 ERA with 203 strikeouts and 36 walks in 136 2/3 innings for UCLA.
After selecting Bauer with Arizona's top pick, D’Backs’ amateur scouting director Ray Montgomery suggested he can be a difference-making starter.
“We see him as a potential rotational guy for us and I think his talent gives him a chance to make an impact on us sooner rather than later,” Montgomery said in June.
Bauer explained last month that Arizona's philosophy about scouting and player development matches up with his own somewhat unorthodox workout regimen. Since Bauer has already worked so many innings, Arizona could choose to shut him down for 2011 if they complete a deal.
NL Central Rumors: Volquez, Iannetta, Bourn
The NL Central has four buyers and two sellers. The latest:
- The Reds are drawing interest from multiple teams on righty Edinson Volquez, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 28-year-old has a 5.93 ERA on the season and spent time at Triple-A. Still, he throws hard and is under team control through 2013.
- The Pirates and Rockies have yet to exchange names on Chris Iannetta, tweets Jon Paul Morosi. The Pirates added one bat today, promoting Pedro Alvarez.
- Interest in Astros center fielder Michael Bourn is still not high, writes Stephen Goff of Examiner.com. He says the Braves are not a good fit and the Nationals are highly unlikely.
- The Astros had scouts watching the Triple-A clubs of the Diamondbacks and Braves recently, writes Rosenthal.
Carlos Pena Likely To Be Traded?
Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena "will almost surely be moved," tweets SI's Jon Heyman. Heyman adds that the Diamondbacks "could be in play there."
There is the possibility that the Cubs want to re-sign Pena for 2012, but otherwise trading him now would be wise. Typically trading a player at the deadline clears a third of his salary, but as I mentioned earlier this month, the Cubs could clear two-thirds of Pena's due to the structure of his contract. I've noted that the Pirates and Diamondbacks might be the only contenders in need of a first baseman, so even though the market for bats overall is weak, those teams have leverage. The 33-year-old Pena is hitting .221/.334/.445 with 20 home runs in 378 plate appearances this year for the Cubs.
Diamondbacks Sign Angel Berroa
The Diamondbacks have signed Angel Berroa to a minor league deal, the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League announced. The shortstop will report to Triple-A Reno tomorrow.
Berroa, 31, spent this season with the Bluefish, appearing in 64 games for the club. The 2003 AL Rookie of the Year last appeared in the majors in 2009, playing in 35 total games for the Mets and Yankees.
Diamondbacks Release Wily Mo Pena
The Diamondbacks have released Wily Mo Pena, according to the team's official Twitter feed. The club designated the 29-year-old for assignment ten days ago.
Pena's all-or-nothing approach at the plate resulted in no walks, 19 strikeouts, and five homers in his 46 plate appearances for the D'Backs this season. Pena, who is now free to sign with any club, drew interest from the Tigers, White Sox, Orioles, and Astros this past winter before he agreed to a minor league deal with Arizona.