Odds & Ends: Bonds, Armas, Strasburg
Links for Wednesday…
- MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says the Royals received righty Eric Basurto as the player to be named later in the Ross Gload trade.
- Tom Glavine hopes to pitch in the Majors this month, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
- Back on May 3rd, Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times wrote about the possibility of Barry Bonds signing with the independent league Long Beach Armada (the team already employs Hideki Irabu and Jose Lima). But Bonds' agent Jeff Borris said, "He's not going to do that."
- It appears that Tony Armas Jr. signed a minor league deal with the Braves after the Mets released him.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News says Padres beat writer Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune will be out of a job come August. Sorry to hear it; Krasovic does excellent work.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo talked to Tony Gwynn about Stephen Strasburg.
- Johnny Damon talked about his future again, this time with MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- Jim Thome would like to return to the White Sox next year, based on his comments to MLB.com's Scott Merkin.
2010 Options: Atlanta Braves
Pitcher Tim Hudson is the only member of the Braves with a 2010 option. It's a $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout. Back in January, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said the Braves "fully intend to exercise it, barring some unexpected turn of events." Hudson hopes to return in August from Tommy John surgery, and even seems willing to come back as a reliever to help more quickly. In February, talking to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, Hudson expressed his desire for the Braves to pick up the option:
"If I'm healthy, I hope they like what they see enough to pick up the option. If not, I'm still young. If everything goes right with this elbow, I see myself pitching another seven or eight years. I've got a new elbow. I'm ready to go. There's no other place I'd rather be, that's for sure."
It's safe to assume that if the Braves exercise Hudson's option, he won't choose to void it in search of a bigger contract. The Braves' 2010 rotation would be deep, with Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez, Kenshin Kawakami, Hudson, and Tommy Hanson. Kawkami is off to a shaky start, but his $23MM contract runs through 2011.
Rosenthal On Ortiz, Braves, White Sox
The latest from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports…
- Rosenthal notes how easy it would be for the Red Sox to find a left-handed hitter to top David Ortiz's 2009 production – many such bats are impending free agents and could be available in July. A shortstop and young catcher also remain on Boston's wish list. Unfortunately, with no-trade protection and about $22.5MM remaining on his contract, Ortiz is pretty much immovable.
- Former D'Backs pitching coach Bryan Price resigned in part due to reservations about working for new manager A.J. Hinch.
- Rosenthal notes the Braves' surplus of quality minor league arms, and suggests they're well-equipped to trade for a bat. The Braves rank 11th in the NL with 4.41 runs scored per game.
- The White Sox's rotation is looking a bit shaky given the ineffectiveness of Jose Contreras. Rosenthal says "the team eventually figures to be in the market for a starter." The Sox are hanging in there at 3.5 games out with a 14-17 record.
- Aside from Cliff Lee, Rosenthal believes Indians infielder Mark DeRosa could draw attention closer to the trade deadline.
Odds & Ends: Glavine, Thorman, Sheffield
Links for Tuesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- ESPN's Buster Olney talked to Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi, who has no plans to pursue the available free agent pitchers.
- MLB.com's Mark Bowman has the latest on Tom Glavine's shoulder rehab. Glavine seems more optimistic than when he last addressed the media.
- Jamey Newberg says the Rangers released first baseman Scott Thorman after 32 Triple A at-bats.
- Steve Lombardi at WasWatching.com did a Q&A with Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
- Jorge Says No! creates a roster of the worst free agent contracts of 2000-04.
- Benjamin Kabak of River Ave. Blues says the Gary Sheffield-Tigers trade was still a win for the Yankees even though the prospects haven't panned out.
- Over at RotoAuthority, I talked about three pitchers I drafted but already gave up on.
Odds And Ends: Sanchez, Strasburg, Big Unit
Links for Saturday…
- Baseball America's John Manuel reports that 22-year-old Twins first base prospect Henry Sanchez has been suspended 50 games for violating minor league baseball's drug policy. Sanchez was the 39th overall pick in the 2005 draft.
- John Maffei of the North County Times reports on Stephen Strasburg's latest start, one in which the top prospect struck out 14, though he did allow a home run (hat tip to Buster Olney). His strikeout to walk ratio now exceeds 10-1.
- Ever wonder how much Japanese teams spend on their players? Ryo Shinkawa of NPB Tracker has the figures and their payrolls range from $18-45MM this year.
- ESPN.com's Gene Wojciechowski reviewed some old scouting reports on Randy Johnson with the Big Unit himself.
- And there are more injuries piling up: Chien-Ming Wang and Cody Ransom for the Yankees and Brian McCann and Garret Anderson for the Braves.
Cardinals Acquire Blaine Boyer For Brian Barton
According to a press release, the Cardinals acquired reliever Blaine Boyer from the Braves for outfielder Brian Barton.
Boyer, 27, was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for Jo-Jo Reyes. When he's right, Boyer is able to get strikeouts and groundballs. Last year he dealt with a sore knee.
Barton, 26, was taken by the Cardinals from the Indians in the 2007 Rule 5 draft. He hit .268/.354/.392 in 179 plate appearances last year while playing mostly left field. Barton, an aerospace engineering major in college, was a well-regarded five-tool player prior to a 2006 knee injury. Atlanta's less-crowded outfield should present a better opportunity than St. Louis, though Barton will initially head to Triple A.
Braves DFA Blaine Boyer
According to Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the Braves have designated Blaine Boyer for assignment. You can find O'Brien's update in the comments section of the article.
The righty had allowed six earned runs in an inning and a third of work so far in three relief appearances for the Braves.
Glavine At Crossroads With Shoulder Injury
Braves starter Tom Glavine had an MRI and examination with Dr. James Andrews recently. That shoulder exam did not reveal a tear, but Glavine now has a two-week timetable to determine whether he'll pitch again. If there is no progress after the two weeks, Glavine implied he'd consider retirement.
The Jason Bay Trade Revisited
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette recounts the details of the deadline deal that sent Jason Bay to Boston, specifically the final 7 minutes that reshaped the future of the Pirates organization. It's a really interesting read for any rumor-enthusiasts. Some points of interest:
- According to Kovacevic, before finally dealing Bay at the buzzer, Pittsburgh had been working on dealing Bay for over a year and a half.
- Before the 2008 season, the Bucs had come close to dealing Bay and catcher Ronny Paulino to Cleveland for Cliff Lee, Franklin Guttierez, and Kelly Shoppach. The Pirates did not feel it was enough and killed it.
- Just 20 minutes before the 4p.m. deadline, Kovacevic says the Braves and Rays were considered the primary trading partners, particularly the "prospect-rich Rays." But with only 15 minutes left, "the Pirates called each [team] to insist upon a specific prospect package and summarily were rejected," writes Kovacevic.
The Rays Index takes a look at this article from a Tampa Bay perspective.
Rosenthal On Sheffield, Repko, McPherson
A look at Ken Rosenthal's column from yesterday afternoon…
- The Marlins chose Ross Gload over Frank Catalanotto, but are still considering signing Cat for the minimum now that he's been released.
- The Braves are not interested in bringing back Gary Sheffield. Meanwhile, Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes the Mets (as well as the Phillies and Reds) have an eye on Sheffield.
- Sheffield is apparently the only right-handed hitter on the Phillies' radar. Rosenthal learned that the Rockies' asking price for Jeff Baker is high.
- The Braves almost made a deal for Dodgers outfielder Jason Repko, but backed off recently.
- The Yankees will pass on Dallas McPherson, but the Giants may consider him.
- The Yanks don't seem desperate to move Melky Cabrera. They've received multiple calls on him but Rosenthal says "the team will only move him for the right price."