Diamondbacks Release Russell Branyan
The Diamondbacks have released Russell Branyan according to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic. The move makes room on both the 25-man and 40-man rosters for Micah Owings.
Branyan, 35, was stuck in a three-way platoon with Juan Miranda and Xavier Nady at first base. He hit just .210/.290/.339 with one homer in 69 plate appearances, 17 of which came as a pinch-hitter. Dan Mennella looked at Branyan as a potential trade candidate last month, but now any club could pick him up for nothing but the minimum salary.
The 28-year-old Owings has a 4.85 ERA in seven Triple-A starts this year, and he's hit .250/.357/.500 in 14 plate appearances. The D'Backs indicated that they hoped to use Owings on the mound and occasionally at first base when they signed him to a minor league deal back in January.
Draft Rumors: Pirates, Bundy, Royals, D’Backs
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo posted his first mock draft today, and within it he provides some info about what players are being targeted by what teams…
- The Pirates are still looking at Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Danny Hultzen, Dylan Bundy, Bubba Starling, and perhaps even Archie Bradley.
- Most believe that Bundy wants to turn pro despite his reported six-year, $30MM contract demand.
- The Royals continue to look hard at college arms, but "there's a lot of chatter" about Starling, a semi-local kid.
- The Diamondbacks will get a "bounty of college pitching" with the third and seventh overall picks.
- The Cubs would love Starling if he is still on the board when their ninth overall pick comes around.
- It's unclear if the Astros are leaning towards a college or high school player, but Texas native Taylor Jungmann could be too good for them to pass up at pick number 11.
Quick Hits: D’Backs, Young, Astros
Links for Wednesday night after a pair of vintage performances from two former Cy Young Award winners who are on the way back from injuries: Bartolo Colon and Jake Peavy…
- D'Backs manager Kirk Gibson told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that the organization is considering internal and external candidates to start Saturday (Twitter link). Piecoro suggests the D'Backs could cut Josh Wilson to create roster space.
- As Piecoro notes, former Padres GM Kevin Towers has infused the D'Backs' bench with lots of San Diego flavor. Wilson, Sean Burroughs, Xavier Nady, Henry Blanco and Russell Branyan have all played for the Padres (Twitter link).
- Michael Young told Jim Rome that he was pleased to pick up ten and five rights because the rights reflect extended MLB service (video at ESPNDallas.com). Young, the subject of many an offseason trade rumor, says he isn't worried about deals. That makes sense, since he now has the power to veto any move the Rangers propose.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Stephen Goff of the Houston Astros Examiner that he's encouraged by the organization's minor league prospects, though some are "still on the far horizon." Wade says he doesn't anticipate that the team’s upcoming ownership transfer will affect his staff’s approach to the upcoming draft.
Quick Hits: D’Backs, Martinez, Killebrew
Links for Tuesday night, after a memorable two-homer day for Brian McCann…
- Former D'Backs manager Bob Melvin has returned to the organization as a special baseball advisor, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert.
- Patrick Newman of FanGraphs checks in on some former Major Leaguers who are now playing in Japan.
- Victor Martinez told MLB.com's Jason Beck that he has no hard feelings toward his former team, the Red Sox. "I have nothing but great things to say about the organization, the city, the fans," Martinez said. "It was one of my great experiences in my big league career." Tomorrow Martinez returns to Boston for the first time since signing with the Tigers.
- Paul Molitor told Jim Caple of ESPN.com that he grew up idolizing fellow Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, who passed away today. For more reflections on the popular "lumberjack type" slugger, check out Caple's piece.
Keith Law’s First Mock Draft
There is still a lot that can and will change between now and the amateur draft in three weeks, but that didn't stop ESPN's Keith Law from posting his first mock draft today. It's an Insider-only piece, but here are the important points…
- The Pirates are considering Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, and have "done their due diligence" on Dylan Bundy. Law notes that "under Neal Huntington the Pirates have long considered value relative to cost in their drafts, sometimes preferring to spend less in the first round when they see opportunities to spend their savings on other appealing prospects in later rounds." He has them taking Danny Hultzen first overall.
- Everyone Law has spoken to says the Mariners will take Rendon as long as the medicals check out, and he hears from the very good source that there is nothing structural wrong with the Rice third baseman's shoulder.
- The Diamondbacks will take Hultzen third overall if he's available, and they're hoping for Bundy or Trevor Bauer with the seventh overall pick. That pick is compensation for failing to sign Barret Loux last year.
- The Orioles have interest in Bundy, Bauer, and Jed Bradley with the fourth pick. Law emphasizes that everyone has told him the Royals want a college pitcher with the fifth pick. The Indians have their eyes on Bauer for eighth overall.
- High school outfielder Brandon Nimmo is looking for $2MM, and Law has him going to the Rays with the 32nd pick.
If The Diamondbacks Become Sellers
The Diamondbacks currently sit at 17-22, in fourth place in the NL West and five games back of the Giants. The deficit doesn't seem insurmountable, but the Baseball Prospectus playoff odds report assigns the team a meager 0.8% chance. If GM Kevin Towers commits to selling in a couple of months, who might be available?
- Second baseman Kelly Johnson belongs at the top of the list, given his $5.85MM salary and impending free agency. However, Johnson is hitting .185/.256/.308 in 162 plate appearances and leads the NL in strikeouts. Even if he starts hitting, this will probably be a salary dump for Arizona at best.
- 29-year-old southpaw Joe Saunders is having a rough year, with a well-deserved 5.48 ERA through eight starts. There's a good chance he's non-tendered after the season. If he can put up a sub-5.00 ERA over the next two months the Diamondbacks might be able to save a few million on the contract. Lefty Zach Duke, recovering from a broken hand, may not make his season debut until late May or early June. If he pitches well in June, he could be a more affordable alternative to Saunders.
- There's an argument for trading shortstop Stephen Drew this summer. It'd probably make the team worse in 2012, but Drew's trade value could be higher than Jose Reyes' since the Arizona shortstop is under control for next season. Towers was willing to listen on Justin Upton during the offseason, and I think he'll field calls on Drew in the coming months. If Drew can be had, Towers would have to listen on catcher Miguel Montero as well, as Montero is also under team control through '12.
- Closer J.J. Putz is another solid player the D'Backs have to consider moving even if it hurts in the short-term. Putz is under contract for '12 and possibly '13. He's nine for nine in save opportunities in a world where Matt Capps can net a team Wilson Ramos.
- The Diamondbacks have a slew of additional veterans who wouldn't net more than salary relief in trade, assuming they're even around in July: Melvin Mora, Armando Galarraga, Aaron Heilman, Xavier Nady, Geoff Blum, Henry Blanco, Russell Branyan, and Willie Bloomquist.
Draft Links: Mock Draft, Hultzen, Slotting System
The amateur draft is now three weeks and two days away, and we're going to start hearing some more rumblings about teams targetting maybe not specific players, but a group of three or four players. Here's the latest…
- Baseball America's Jim Callis posted his first mock draft, and has the Pirates taking UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole first overall. That link is free for all, but subscribers can see an in-depth analysis of each pick.
- Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (on Twitter) that Pirates' GM Neil Huntingon was on hand to scout Virginia RHP Danny Hultzen last night. Click here for Ben Nicholson-Smith's interview with Hultzen, and here for a little more about the team's draft strategy.
- ESPN's Keith Law says (on Twitter) that Diamondbacks senior vice president of scouting and player development Jerry Dipoto was scouting Hultzen as well. The D'Backs hold the third and seventh overall picks. Click here for the full draft order.
- Sources tell Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports that an international draft "remains extremely unlikely for the next collective-bargaining agreement," but a hard slotting system that assigns fixed bonuses to each pick is something "MLB will not concede without a fight."
D’Backs Release Ron Mahay
The D'Backs released veteran left-handed reliever Ron Mahay, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. They signed him to a minor league deal last month.
Mahay posted a 9.58 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 6.1 BB/9 in 10 1/3 innings at Triple-A Reno this year. The emergence of Rule 5 pick Joe Paterson lessened the D'Backs' need for left-handed relief. Paterson, the lone southpaw in Arizona's 'pen, has yet to allow a run in 15 appearances and has struck out 9 batters in 7 2/3 innings. Click here for more analysis of Arizona's remade 'pen.
Mahay, 39, appeared in 41 games for the Twins last year and posted a 3.44 ERA with a 42.5% ground ball rate, 6.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. In 14 big league seasons, Mahay has posted 7.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 against left-handed hitters.
NL West Notes: Dodgers, Starling, Jimenez
The Padres (127 runs scored), Giants (128) and Dodgers (140) are all among the four most feeble offenses in the National League so far. Here's the latest on the NL West…
- Despite a weakened bullpen and a thin lineup, the Dodgers are within 3.5 games of the division lead. The team's rotation is the reason things aren't worse, manager Don Mattingly told Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times.
- D'Backs GM Kevin Towers and vice president Jerry Dipoto scouted high schooler Bubba Starling in person, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The two-sport star is athletic enough to make Bryce Harper take note; some say he can hit the ball a mile, throw 95 mph as a pitcher and toss a football 50 yards from his knees.
- It should come as no surprise that the Scott Boras client will be an expensive sign, Piecoro explains. Nebraska wants Starling to play quarterback and center field on a scholarship, so he has leverage. Arizona has the #3 and #7 selections in the first round this June.
- The Rockies "no longer have an ace," according to Tom Verducci of SI.com, who hears from one scout that Ubaldo Jimenez is pitching like he's hurt. His fastball has slowed down, but the Rockies say Jimenez is healthy and dealing with mechanical and command issues.
D’Backs Open To Acquiring Pitching, Moving Reserves
The Diamondbacks prefer to look within the organization to solve their starting pitching problems, but if a quality external option was available, D'Backs GM Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he would move one of the club's "logjam" of bench players in return.
"Are there clubs that have some depths at Triple-A?" Towers said. "Maybe back-of-the-rotation-type starters that are a fit for us and maybe one of our bench guys is a fit for them. Those are the things we're looking at externally, but nothing's hot right now."
Barry Enright, Armando Galarraga and Joe Saunders have all struggled this season, with Josh Collmenter slated to take Enright's spot in the rotation this weekend and Zach Duke still a few weeks away from joining the team after fracturing his throwing hand during Spring Training. On the bench player front, Willie Bloomquist and Geoff Blum will soon be eliglble to come off the DL, leaving the D'Backs with those two plus Melvin Mora and Josh Wilson as reserve infield options. There's also Tony Abreu, hitting .303/.331/.417 at Triple-A Reno this season, who Arizona put on the market in March.
Towers mentioned that the team doesn't want to rush minor leaguers Jarrod Parker or Tyler Skaggs, so neither hurler is an option to join the rotation. It doesn't make sense for Arizona to call up either pitcher anyway — Parker has a 6.11 ERA in Double-A this season and 19-year-old Skaggs is only pitching in high Class-A ball right now. Odds are that the D'Backs won't make a move, but if they do add another arm, expect them to target expendable, inning-eating veterans that could be had at a cheap price.