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Braves Acquire McCurry From Orioles

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Today's minor moves..

East Notes: Blue Jays, Phillies, Braves, Soler

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Earlier today we learned that Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos asked the Twins about Justin Morneau.  However, one exec noted that Anthopoulos seems to "[call] about everyone."  Here's more on the Blue Jays and the rest of the division..

  • Anthopoulos isn't worried about any criticism that may come his way, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.  Even though the GM knows that the club has to show progress on the field, he insists that he won't be swayed by popular opinion and won't rush into making a move.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) spoke to a scout who didn't have a very high opinion of where the Phillies stand or what they can offer in a trade.  “They’re not young. They’re not healthy. And their system is thin," the scout said.
  • The Braves were right there with the Cubs and willing to spend $30MM on Jorge Soler, tweets Peter Gammons of MLB.com.  The White Sox and Yankees, meanwhile, had bids that fell between $25MM and $30MM.

Braves Designate Livan Hernandez For Assignment

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The Braves designated right-hander Livan Hernandez for assignment, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Braves called Kris Medlen up from Triple-A in a related move.

The Braves now have ten days to trade Hernandez, release him, or, if he consents, assign him to the minor leagues. The team had been calling around trying to move Hernandez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Hernandez, 37, signed a Major League deal with the Braves in March, not long after the Astros released him. He posted a 4.94 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 31 innings out of the bullpen for Atlanta.

Ben Sheets Throws For Teams

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Righty Ben Sheets threw for scouts today in Monroe, Louisiana, MLBTR has learned.  Scouts from the Phillies, Braves, Yankees, and Angels were in attendance.

Sheets, 33, signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Athletics in January 2010 despite missing all of the '09 season due to a partial tear in the flexor tendon near his right elbow.  He made 20 middling starts for the A's in 2010 before going down for a second flexor tendon procedure in August.  At the time, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Sheets actually had three procedures done on his elbow, including Tommy John surgery.  

Word is that Sheets didn't want to return to baseball unless he felt 100%, and he'd like to help a team down the stretch.  Assuming he flashes his old form in throwing sessions, Sheets will be a popular free agent this summer.

Cubs Notes: Jaramillo, LaHair, Dempster

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The Cubs, who rank 14th out of 16 NL teams in runs scored, announced that they replaced hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo with minor league hitting coordinator James Rowson. Here are some more Cubs-related notes and rumors…

  • President of baseball operations Theo Epstein confirmed that the Cubs are ready to start trading players to improve the organization's future, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports (on Twitter).
  • Jim Bowden of ESPN.com examines the rosters of potential sellers, including the Cubs. Most scouts believe Bryan LaHair has legitimate late-blooming power like Nelson Cruz and Jose Bautista, according to Bowden.
  • Some executives believe Ryan Dempster could be traded early, perhaps even before the All-Star break, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Dodgers are interested in Dempster, who is in the last year of his contract.
  • An American League exec likes the looks of Dempster, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter). "He's pitching well and he'd give you a good character guy/leader," the person said.
  • David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lists off a number of reasons why the Braves may not pursue trades for veteran pitchers like Dempster this summer. The new collective bargaining agreement could impact the Braves’ interest in making a deal, and Kris Medlen gives them an additional internal candidate for the rotation.

Draft Signings: Wood, Perez, Diamondbacks, Reds

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Here are Sunday's notable non-first round draft pick signings…

  • The Braves have agreed to terms with second rounder Alex Wood for $700K, tweets Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA. The left-hander from the University of Georgia was the 85th overall pick, which carries a slot value of $583K.
  • The Padres have signed third rounder Fernando Perez for a below slot $400K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Selected 102nd overall, the third baseman from Central Arizona Junior College was slotted for $467K.
  • The Diamondbacks have signed 11th round selection Ben Eckels for $125K, tweets Callis. Arizona's draft budget will be reduced by $25K after giving the high school right-hander from California a bonus over $100K.
  • The Reds have signed 18th round pick Jackson Stephens for $100K, reports Callis (on Twitter). The high school right-hander and third baseman hails from Alabama.

Jorge Soler Rumors: Friday

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The Astros, Cubs, Pirates, Indians, Red Sox, Phillies, Yankees and Blue Jays appear to have some interest in Jorge Soler, while the Marlins and Mets are not pursuing him. The Cuban outfield prospect must sign by July 2nd if he aims to avoid spending restrictions imposed under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. Here’s the latest:

  • Angels GM Jerry Dipoto confirmed to Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times that they "won't be a player" for Soler (Twitter link). "I don't know who his agent is. Tells you how involved we are," added Dipoto.
  • The next round of bids for Soler are due this weekend, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The Cubs, Yankees, Braves and Dodgers have been the most aggressive teams so far, Olney reports.
  • Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that Soler may be trying to establish his residency paperwork through Haiti, instead of the Dominican Republic, where he has been living and working out. Some agents say they would never consider trying to establish a Cuban player's residency through Haiti, which is not known for accurate record keeping.
  • However, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com hears that MLB verified Soler's residency in Haiti before granting him free agency (Twitter link). It's not an issue, according to Crasnick's source.

Mike Axisa contributed to this post.

NL East Notes: Soler, Egbert, Braves

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R.A. Dickey was masterful again today, throwing 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball in the Mets' 3-1 victory over the Nationals.  Dickey has now thrown 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings and is approaching Jerry Koosman's club record scoreless inning streak of 31 2/3 innings.

Here's the latest from around the NL East…

  • The Marlins are not pursuing Jorge Soler, reports Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).  The Marlins didn't submit an offer by Thursday, the deadline set by Soler's representatives for teams to propose a contract for the Cuban outfielder.
  • Mets right-hander Jack Egbert has cleared waivers and will go to Triple-A Buffalo, reports ESPN New York's Adam Rubin.  Egbert was designated for assignment on Tuesday.
  • The Braves signed third-round draft pick Bryan De La Rosa, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America.  De La Rosa, a high school catcher, signed for his exact slot value of $408.3K.
  • In NL East news from earlier today, the Nationals signed several draft picks and outlined their draft day strategy, while the Braves and Mets each reached agreements with their first-round picks.

Braves Sign Lucas Sims

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THURSDAY: Sims will obtain a bonus of $1.65MM, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). The Braves announced that they have signed Sims (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY: Braves scouting director Tony DeMacio revealed that the club agreed to sign first round pick Lucas Sims, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  The right-hander from Georgia's Brookwood High School was tabbed with the 21st overall pick.  Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed but the pick has a suggested bonus of $1.825MM.

In addition to Sims, the Braves also reached agreement with their other top five selections.  That includes second round pick Alex Wood (left-handed pitcher), third round pick Bryan De La Rosa (catcher), fourth round selection Justin Black (center fielder, already signed), fifth rounder Blake Brown (right fielder), and sixth round pick Josh Elander (catcher).

Minor Moves: Gotay, Henn

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Keeping track of the day’s minor moves…

  • The Braves acquired utility player Ruben Gotay from the Blue Jays for cash considerations, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. Gotay, 29, posted a .346/.435/.385 line at Triple-A Las Vegas before the trade. He played for Atlanta's top affiliate last year and has MLB experience with the Braves, Mets and Royals.
  • Left-hander Sean Henn signed with Korea’s Hanwha Eagles, Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto reported (on Twitter via Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). The Mariners signed Henn in December and assigned him to Triple-A Tacoma, where he posted a 3.64 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 29 2/3 innings of relief. The 31-year-old has MLB experience with the Yankees, Twins, Padres and Orioles.
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