NL West Notes: Brazoban, Castillo, Tate, Sanchez
Though the Dodgers' bankruptcy has been the biggest news to emerge from the NL West this week, there's plenty going on with the division's other teams. Here's the latest:
- The D'Backs announced that they called up right-hander Yhency Brazoban and left-hander Alberto Castillo from Triple-A Reno and optioned right-handers Esmerling Vasquez and Bryan Shaw to Reno.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, who first reported the Brazoban callup, notes that the reliever last pitched in the Major Leagues as a member of the 2008 Dodgers. Meanwhile, Castillo had a 1.83 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A this year.
- Padres prospect Donavan Tate received a 50-game suspension for violating MLB's drug prevention and treatment program, according to John Manuel of Baseball America. It's the second time that Tate, the third overall selection in 2009, has tested positive for a drug of abuse. The 20-year-old has a .294/.368/.471 line through 76 plate appearances in the lower minors this year.
- Triple-A manager Steve Decker told Chris Haft and Adam Berry of MLB.com that 21-year-old catching prospect Hector Sanchez probably needs more seasoning before he can contribute in San Francisco. The Giants recently promoted Sanchez from Class A to Triple-A, but would like to see him improve his plate discipline. They're searching for big league catchers in the meantime.
Quick Hits: Twins, Ellis, Cole, Hultzen
The Mets released Wily Mo Pena on this date two years ago. The slugger resurfaced with the D'Backs yesterday, when he homered in his first MLB game since 2008. Here are some links for Wednesday night as Pena attempts to hit another homer or two…
- A scout tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Twins seem less likely to become sellers than they were a few weeks ago (Twitter link). Minnesota has re-entered the playoff race thanks to a 14-3 tear.
- Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group hears that the Giants are not one of the six teams on Mark Ellis’ no-trade list (Twitter link). Ellis has lost his starting second base job in Oakland and the Giants have had internal talks about obtaining him.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that top draft choices Gerrit Cole (Pirates) and Danny Hultzen (Mariners) will sign for roughly $10MM or so. Two high school arms, Archie Bradley (D’Backs) and Dylan Bundy (Orioles), will likely obtain $6-7MM and some executives see high school outfielder Bubba Starling (Royals) signing for more than Cole or Hultzen.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the case for expanding active rosters to 26 players. Teams now have sprawling bullpens and demanding travel schedules, so there's support for bigger rosters from Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, Marlins infielder Wes Helms and others.
Outrighted To Triple-A: Sean Burroughs
Here are the latest players to clear waivers and be outrighted to Triple-A…
- The Diamondbacks have outrighted Sean Burroughs to Triple-A Reno according to Pacific Coast League transactions page. Arizona placed him on waivers earlier this week after he hit .250/.250/.292 in 24 plate appearances.
Diamondbacks Waive Sean Burroughs
The Diamondbacks have waived infielder Sean Burroughs, according to Jack Magruder of FOXSportsArizona.com (via Twitter).
Burroughs, once a touted prospect with the Padres, had left baseball before joining Arizona, last appearing in the big leagues with the Rays in 2006. He signed with the D'Backs in November, rejoining GM Kevin Towers, who drafted Burroughs into San Diego's organization in 1998. Burroughs, 30, was recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 18 but was hitting just .261/.261/.304 in 23 plate appearances entering Sunday's action.
Arizona is expected to promote Wily Mo Pena, another former top prospect, to serve as its DH for its upcoming interleague series in Kansas City and Detroit, per Magruder. Pena, 29, was hitting .362/.440/.733 in 62 games with Reno entering play on Sunday.
Minor Deals: Castillo, Vazquez, Gotay, Carter
We'll keep track of all of the day's minor deals right here:
- The Diamondbacks have signed left-handed pitcher Alberto Castillo, according to CBSSports.com. Castillo, 35, was designated for assignment by the Orioles on June 10th. The veteran has a 2.89 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 across four seasons of play at the Triple-A level.
- The Blue Jays signed infielder Ramon Vazquez to a minor league deal, according to the CBSSports.com transactions page. The 35-year-old last appeared in the majors in 2009 when he spent the year with the Pirates. Vazquez has experience playing shortstop, second base, and third base.
- The Braves signed infielder Ruben Gotay and outfielder Chris Carter to minor league deals and assigned them to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Gotay last appeared in the bigs with Atlanta in 2008, while Carter played in 100 games with the Mets last season.
Cafardo On Kazmir, Upton, Broxton, Ramirez
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders if roster manipulation is rampant in baseball. Cafardo points to the pulled quad muscle injury of Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald as a possible example. McDonald wasn't showing any signs of injury and when asked about it, he gave a "no comment". It's possible that Boston simply wanted to get McDonald more playing time with Mike Cameron eating up the lion's share of the reps. Things such as this, Cafardo writes, are happening all around baseball. Let's see what else is happening around the majors:
- As poorly as left-hander Scott Kazmir has pitched in the last two seasons, there are at least five teams looking at him in the Rockies, Marlins, Padres, Rangers, and Diamondbacks. It also wouldn't be a surprise if the Yankees jump into the mix considering their pitching needs.
- There always seems to be a should-we-or-shouldn’t-we-trade B.J. Upton dilemma for the Rays. The Nationals could be a fit as they'd like a young center fielder they can grow with. The question is: is he available? All signs point to yes.
- Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton has been on the shelf since May with an elbow injury, but the club could move him if they're lagging in the standings.
- The Marlins' recent slide has skipper Edwin Rodriguez on the hot seat and it's no secret that the club has been keeping an eye on Ozzie Guillen for quite some time. Guillen has one year remaining on his deal with the White Sox.
- The Dodgers owe Manny Ramirez more than $8MM in deferred payments but the charismatic twelve-time All-Star is collecting a lot more than that. The BoSox owe him quite a bit of money too, roughly $32MM over 16 years. Boston will pay Ramirez through 2026, when he’ll be 54-years-old.
Minor Moves: Wade, Thomas, Diamond
Minor moves for Wednesday…
- The Yankees have signed right-hander Cory Wade to a Major League contract and called him up to the Major League roster, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Wade signed a minor league deal with New York on Monday. To make room, Hoch reports that Rafael Soriano was moved to the 60-day DL and Kevin Whelan was optioned to Triple-A.
- The Rangers have released catcher Michael Thomas, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Thomas was the player to be named later in the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade last July. Eddy notes the Rangers considered converting Thomas to pitching.
- The Cubs released righty Thomas Diamond from their Triple-A club, tweets Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. He'd been outrighted in May to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Doug Davis.
- The Diamondbacks purchased the contract of righty reliever Jeff Bennett from the Lancaster Barnstormers. It appears that Bennett will join Arizona's Triple-A club. The 31-year-old last pitched in the Majors with the Rays in '09.
Contenders In Need Of First Base Help
As many as six contenders might aim to improve at first base as we approach the trade deadline: the Rays, Angels, Braves, Pirates, Giants, and Diamondbacks. Let's take a closer look.
- The Rays have used Casey Kotchman at first lately, and with a .335/.392/.445 line he has not disappointed. Kotchman has scuffled in 39 June plate appearances, however, and if that is a sign that he's back to the level of his previous few seasons, the Rays will need to upgrade.
- Rookie Mark Trumbo is the Angels' first baseman. He's shown some power, but a .248/.294/.454 line is subpar at the position. Russell Branyan is also in the mix.
- The Braves are using rookie Freddie Freeman, who has played fairly close to expectations at .268/.335/.416. You'd like to see more power, but the Braves might be content here.
- Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay is hitting just .236/.305/.369. Typically the Bucs are not mentioned in posts about contenders, but at five games back they could be more buyers than sellers.
- Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff has struggled to a .234/.288/.393 line, though he's been better in June. Given his contract, the Giants will probably stick with him. Top prospect Brandon Belt could be Plan B if Huff is struggling when the rookie recovers from a broken wrist.
- The Diamondbacks have been using Juan Miranda and Xavier Nady at first base. Miranda has been solid overall, though not in June. Nady hasn't done much. Brandon Allen is an option at Triple-A.
That makes six contenders that might consider a first base upgrade, though all of them could easily stand pat. Who's available? Carlos Pena, Michael Cuddyer, Wilson Betemit, Yonder Alonso, Brad Hawpe, Juan Rivera, James Loney, Derrek Lee, Chris Davis, and Kila Ka'aihue can probably be had, but they're not clear upgrades for anyone. The best bet to be dealt might be Pena, who is hitting .250/.388/.492 since May 1st. Loney has also been better lately.
Realignment Links: D’Backs, Balanced Schedule
Buster Olney's report that Major League Baseball and the Players' Association was discussing eliminating divisions and realigning the leagues has generated quite a bit of discussion, even though as Olney heard from a source, there is a "less than 50-50" chance of this plan actually happening. Still, here are a few items concerning how this proposal could work, including which NL team might make the jump to the Junior Circuit.
- The Diamondbacks may be the most likely candidate to join the American League, reports USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Olney mentioned the Astros and Marlins in his initial story, but Drayton McLane doesn't want his club to move. Houston would still be affected by this proposal, since the Astros would likely replace Arizona in the NL West while the Snakes jumped to the AL West, giving every division an even five teams.
- Derrick Hall, Arizona's president and CEO, said the D'Backs would consider switching leagues if asked, reports MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. "I personally am a National League fan — from the pace of the game and from the strategy that is involved without the designated hitter," Hall said. "However, we would certainly gauge the interest of our fans, our season-ticket holders, to see if this is something that we should look into if asked."
- Fangraphs' Dave Cameron is a big fan of the realignment plan but points out the logistical problems of having a balanced schedule, such as TV networks having lessened ratings due to teams playing more games outside their time zones and the toll that increased travel could take on the players.
Diamondbacks Acquire Gaby Hernandez
The D'Backs have acquired right-hander Gaby Hernandez from the White Sox, reports the official Twitter feed of the Reno Aces, Arizona's Triple-A affiliate. Hernandez had a 7.69 ERA in 11 starts at Triple-A Charlotte this season and he has a career ERA of 5.76 in 81 Triple-A games.
Arizona is Hernandez's fifth organization in 17 months. He was a Mariner, a Red Sock, and a Royal within a little over a month's time in early 2010, and then he was dealt to the White Sox last March. Hernandez was originally taken in the third round of the 2004 amateur draft by the Mets.