Quick Hits: Rivera, Wheeler, Braves
A number of agents told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that they expect teams to spend more in the 2013-14 offseason than they did this past winter. "Some clubs held off spending in advance of their new national TV money last winter, knowing that payments would not start until April 2014," writes Rosenthal. Here's more from around the league…
- ESPN's Buster Olney writes that Mariano Rivera will not reconsider retiring under any circumstances (ESPN Insider required). "I don't care if I get 100 saves," Rivera told Olney. "I don't care if they offer me $50 million. That's it." Rivera picked up his 20th save tonight and has stated on multiple occasions that this will be his final season.
- Mets assistant GM John Ricco told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that Zack Wheeler's Major League debut isn't far off. Ricco said the front office met following Wheeler's strong outing on Saturday and discussed several possible dates. When pressed by Ackert, he wouldn't rule out Wheeler arriving within two weeks.
- Braves GM Frank Wren told Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio that he will be on the lookout for bullpen help between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline (Twitter link).
- Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets that Jay-Z and other Roc Nation Sports executives met with the MLB Players Association today in New York.
Minor Moves: Mitch Atkins, Alex Burnett
Today's minor moves…
- The Braves have signed right-hander Mitch Atkins, who had been pitching for the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League, according to Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirmed the move (on Twitter). Atkins, 27, has had brief Major League experience with both the Cubs and Orioles. He had a 3.98 ERA in 43 innings for Somerset and has a 5.16 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 520 Triple-A innings. He will be assigned to Double-A Mississippi.
- Reliever Alex Burnett has cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A, according to the Cubs via Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. Burnett had been designated for assignment Saturday to open a spot for Blake Parker. Burnett made only one appearance for the Cubs, after making just two for the Orioles.
- Seven players currently reside in DFA limbo: Ben Francisco of the Yankees, Edinson Rincon of the Padres, Mark Lowe of the Angels, Tyler Greene of the White Sox, Vinnie Catricala of the Mariners, Tyler Robertson of the Twins, and Quintin Berry of the Tigers.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Brewers Acquire Juan Francisco; Release Alex Gonzalez
The Brewers acquired third baseman Juan Francisco from the Braves for minor league lefty reliever Tom Keeling, announced the teams. Additionally, the Brewers announced they've asked for waivers for the unconditional release of infielder Alex Gonzalez, while recalling second baseman Scooter Gennett and optioning Mike Fiers.
The Braves designated Francisco for assignment last Thursday to open a roster spot for Alex Wood. Francisco, 25, hit .237/.281/.420 in 320 plate appearances spanning 2012-13 for Atlanta. They had acquired him in an April 2012 trade with the Reds for reliever J.J. Hoover. Signed out of the Dominican Republic by Cincinnati in 2004, Francisco hit the prospect radar a few years later. Baseball America praised his arm and big raw power, questioning his aggressive approach at the plate. Francisco has played only third base in the Majors, and has played a handful of minor league games at the outfield corners and at first. In the short-term, though, GM Doug Melvin indicated on WSSP SportsRadio 1250 that Francisco will play first for the Brewers. Looking ahead, Francisco could be a viable replacement at the hot corner if the Brewers trade Aramis Ramirez this summer.
Keeling, 25, was drafted out of Oklahoma State by the Brewers in the 18th round in 2010. In 17 relief frames at Double-A this year, he has a 3.18 ERA, 10.1 K/9, and 5.3 BB/9, with one home run allowed. According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, "Keeling is a future bullpen piece who could get to Atlanta in 2014. He's hit 93 on the gun and occasionally uses a sideam delivery." Baseball America's J.J. Cooper paints a less rosy picture, tweeting, "Keeling is a fringy potential left-handed reliever with a below average fastball, OK slider."
Gonzalez, 36, signed a Major League deal worth $1.45MM in February. His release came after a .177/.203/.230 line in 118 plate appearances. A shortstop by trade, Gonzalez spent more time this year at the infield corners due to injuries to Corey Hart and Ramirez. Gonzalez had ACL surgery on his knee a year ago and battled a hamstring injury about a month ago. He lost playing time to Yuniesky Betancourt, who hit six home runs in April. The Brewers will be on the hook for Gonzalez's salary this year, less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum should he sign elsewhere.
Gennett, 23, was added to the Brewers' 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The 5'9" second baseman was ranked eighth among Brewers prospects by Baseball America prior to the season. He's a free-swinging line drive hitter with some surprising doubles power, wrote BA. They added that he has some rough edges to smooth out defensively, with an average arm and range. Gennett was hitting .297/.342/.376 in 221 plate appearances at Triple-A, and MLB.com's Adam McCalvy suggests he will push Rickie Weeks for the team's starting job at second base. At the least, some kind of platoon situation is possible, since Gennett bats left-handed and Weeks right-handed.
Minor Moves: Kila Ka’aihue, Erik Hamren
We'll keep track of today's minor moves here..
- The Braves have traded minor league right-hander Erik Hamren to the Rays and he will report to Double-A Montgomery, tweeted the Mississippi Braves (Atlanta's Double-A affiliate). The Rays will give up future considerations, tweets Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune. Hamren has 14 MLB appearances to his credit, all with the Padres in 2011, good for a 4.38 ERA, 7.3K/9, and 6.6 BB/9 in 12 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old has made 13 relief appearances for Double-A Mississippi this year with a line of 2.55 ERA, 9.2 K/9, and 4.1 BB/9 in 17 2/3 innings.
- The Diamondbacks announced that they have released Kila Ka'aihue from Triple-A Reno. The first baseman had an out clause in his minor league deal with the club, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic (via Twitter). The Hawaiian has spent parts of four seasons at the big league level – most recently with the A's last year – with a slash line of .221/.305/.382. Ka'aihue did quite well at Reno this year, hitting .313/.426/.620 with 16 homers in 235 plate appearances.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Ramirez, Brewers, Upton, Red Sox
Here's tonight's look around baseball..
- Aramis Ramirez may be a popular name in trade rumors this deadline, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. The Brewers may look to move the veteran third baseman, with the club struggling in last place in the NL Central. Ramirez understands the speculation, saying "It’s part of baseball. When teams don’t perform, you see changes." The 34-year-old is signed through 2014, and has played well despite injuries this season, slashing .305/.387/.512 in 93 plate appearances.
- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told reporters that he has discussed sending major offseason acquisition B.J. Upton to Triple-A to work out if his current struggles, according to an Associated Press report. Gonzalez acknowledges that there may be some obstacles involved, "I think there's some logistics — contractual things and that sort of stuff — that they might not be able to do it that easy."
- In his latest mailbag, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe answered questions about possible trade deadline targets for the Red Sox, as well as Jacoby Ellsbury. Cafardo doesn't feel the club needs to make a deal to improve its pitching, but he did state that Jonathan Papelbon continues to be a likely target. Meanwhile, Cafardo thinks that it would still take a major contract to keep Ellsbury in Boston past this season.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com looks back at the Nationals' decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg in light of the young starter’s latest injury scare. Morosi feels that last season may have been the Nationals best shot at a World Series, and wonders what could have been done to best utilize Strasburg’s prized arm.
Minor Moves: Ortiz, Robinson, Pirates, Green, Wimberly
Here are your minor moves from around the league for Friday…
- The Blue Jays have announced that Ramon Ortiz and Clint Robinson cleared waivers and were outrighted off the 40-man roster, per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson Smith (on Twitter). Ortiz was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo, while Robinson was outrighted to Double-A New Hampshire. Both were designated for assignment earlier this week.
- Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets that the Pirates have acquired Triple-A right-hander Graham Godfrey from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. The 28-year-old Godfrey has amassed 46 Major League innings — all with the Athletics – and posted a 5.09 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
- The Pirates have acquired Triple-A lefty Atahualpa Severino from the Royals in exchange for cash considerations, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Severino, 28, has a 3.40 ERA, 7.9 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 156 1/3 career innings at Triple-A. He received a brief taste of the Major Leagues with the Nationals back in 2011, totaling 4 2/3 innings of relief.
- The Marlins have outrighted infielder Nick Green to Triple-A New Orleans, according to the PCL's Transactions page, meaning that he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment Wednesday.
- The Braves released minor league outfielder Corey Wimberly, according to the International League Transaction log. The 29-year-old hit .234/.268/.351 in 25 games (83 plate appearances) for Triple-A Gwinnett this season.
- The Indians announced (via Twitter) that they have signed right-hander Chris Jakubauskas and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old has a 5.58 ERA in 166 big league innings and last saw the Majors with the Orioles in 2011. Jakubauskas spent 2012 in the D-backs and Blue Jays organizations, and he appeared in eight Triple-A games for the Brewers this season. He has a 3.75 ERA in 175 career innings at Triple-A.
Rosenthal On Fregosi, Upton, Indians, Rockies
The hiring of Royals legend George Brett as the team's new hitting coach could buy manager Ned Yost some extra time, a rival executive tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, as Royals executives will want to see how Yost adjusts to such a notable change to his coaching staff. If the Royals do fire their manager, however, scouts have rumored that Jim Fregosi could be Yost's replacement. Fregosi's son is a special assistant to Royals GM Dayton Moore.
Here's more from Rosenthal, via his latest Hot Corner video…
- In the wake of B.J. Upton's five-year, $75.25MM deal with the Braves last November, Rosenthal said a number of veteran players expressed surprise about the deal. The general consensus was summed up as, "How can that guy get this much money? He really hasn't proven all that much." Upton's .146/.232/.247 line makes him Rosenthal's biggest disappointment thus far in the 2013 season.
- Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, meanwhile, is the most improved player of the 2013 season. Dan Duquette attributes Davis' success to his swinging at more strikes and being more selective at the plate.
- The Indians and Rockies are somewhat surprising contenders and the big question for both clubs is if they'll have the pitching to stay in their respective pennant races. Rosenthal figures Cleveland is the slightly more likely of the two to acquire another starter, as Colorado has Roy Oswalt and Double-A right-hander Chad Bettis as possible internal reinforcements.
- The Indians' and Rockies' ability to add players and payroll at the trade deadline will mostly be determined by how much revenue they can generate through attendance in the next two months.
Braves Designate Juan Francisco For Assignment
The Braves announced they have designated third baseman Juan Francisco to open a roster spot for southpaw Alex Wood, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Francisco began the season in a third base platoon with Chris Johnson, and even started three of the last five games at the hot corner.
Francisco, 25, hit .237/.281/.420 in 320 plate appearances spanning 2012-13 for the Braves. They had acquired him in an April 2012 trade with the Reds, for reliever J.J. Hoover. Signed out of the Dominican Republic by the Reds in 2004, Francisco hit the prospect radar a few years later. Baseball America praised his arm and big raw power, questioning his aggressive approach at the plate. The Braves are talking multiple clubs about potential Francisco trades, notes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, which was later confirmed by manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Wood, 22, was the Braves' second round pick last year. He'll be the fifth player from the 2012 draft to reach the Majors, along with pitchers Michael Wacha of the Cardinals (who debuts tonight), Kevin Gausman of the Orioles, Paco Rodriguez of the Dodgers, and Michael Roth of the Angels. Wood, ranked seventh among Braves prospects by Baseball America prior to the season, made ten strong starts at Double-A but will work out of the big club's bullpen on what Danny Knobler of CBS Sports calls the "Chris Sale plan." If Wood succeeds in the relief role, it may lessen the Braves' need for outside relief help in the wake of the loss of lefty relievers Eric O'Flaherty and Jonny Venters to Tommy John surgery. Before the season, BA wrote of Wood, "With a better breaking ball, he could become a solid No. 3 starter."
Quick Hits: O’Day, Pedroia, Royals, Upton
On this date seven years ago, the Angels signed an undrafted amateur free agent named Darren O'Day. Such transactions typically don't amount to much, but like his delivery, O'Day's story is anything but typical. He began his career as a 23-year-old at the Rookie-level Pioneer League but quickly ascended to Triple-A. By age 25, O'Day was in the Angels' bullpen but didn't replicate his minor league success. One Rule 5 selection and two waiver claims later, O'Day finds himself as a mainstay in the Orioles' bullpen. The 30-year-old signed a two-year, $5.8MM extension with a club option for 2015 in the offseason, which is probably exactly how he envisioned his life after he graduated from Florida with a degree in agricultural and life sciences and took the MCAT with hopes of becoming a plastic surgeon.
Here's more from around the league…
- Dustin Pedroia has been playing the entire season with a torn UCL in his left thumb, reports Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Pedroia learned of the injury after jamming his hand in a head-first slide on Opening Day, but has elected to play "nicked up" (as he termed it). There's a possibility that the injury will require surgery following the season, but Pedroia chose not to elaborate on that scenario or on how the injury has affected his swing. “It’s a player’s decision to shut it down or play,’’ Pedroia said. “Players play."
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Royals need to stop living in denial. Manager Ned Yost recently said the team wasn't going to panic, but Rosenthal feels it's time to make some drastic changes and wonders if firing Yost could be one of them. He also speculates about the possibility of releasing Jeff Francoeur, demoting Mike Moustakas and firing a hitting coach.
- Justin Upton spoke with Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith about the honor of being selected No. 1 overall in a draft class that included Ryan Braun, Ryan Zimmerman, Troy Tulowitzki, Andrew McCutchen, Matt Garza, Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Gordon and Jay Bruce.
East Links: Braves, Nolin, Wheeler, Wada
There were plenty of headlines made in both the AL East and NL East last night, with Kevin Gausman making his Major League debut and Chase Utley hitting the 15-day disabled list. More news and rumors from baseball's Eastern divisions…
- The addition of a second wild card team in each league hurts teams such as the Braves that have early-season needs, writes ESPN's Buster Olney. Few teams are ready to pack it in and declare themselves sellers at this stage, but Atlanta could use some left-handed relief help with Eric O'Flaherty and Jonny Venters out for the season. Olney's Insider-only piece runs down some potentially available lefties.
- The Blue Jays have selected the contract of Sean Nolin from Double-A New Hampshire and transferred J.A. Happ to the 60-day DL to clear a 40-man roster space, tweets Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Darren Oliver hit the 15-day DL to clear a 25-man roster spot.
- The New York Post's Mike Puma cites a "high-ranking club official" as he reports that Mets top prospect Zack Wheeler should join the club in two to three weeks, barring any injury setbacks. Puma's source told him that were it not for a minor shoulder injury that caused Wheeler to miss a start, he might already be with the big league club. Jeremy Hefner is the most likely rotation casualty, Puma adds.
- The Orioles have about three weeks to make a decision on what to do with rehabbing lefty Tsuyoshi Wada, writes Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore. The Japanese lefty has yet to throw a pitch for the O's since signing a two-year, $8.15MM contract thanks to Tommy John surgery.