Morosi On Nationals, Angels, Pirates, White Sox
The Nationals will win the NL East this year, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Bryce Harper appears to have solved the team's center field dilemma in the short term and the team's run prevention has been tremendous. General manager Mike Rizzo says his team's first half success isn't a fluke. “I’m very pleased with it — don’t get me wrong — but I’m not shocked by it," he told Morosi. Here are more of Morosi’s notes from around MLB:
- Peter Bourjos would likely intrigue the Phillies if the Angels ask about Cole Hamels, Morosi tweets. The Angels could explore the market for starting pitching depth given Ervin Santana’s first half struggles.
- There was once talk of the Pirates listening to offers on Kevin Correia, but it’s hard to see that happening now that Pittsburgh leads the NL Central, Morosi tweets.
- The Cubs will listen on Bryan LaHair, but their asking price remains high at the moment, Morosi tweets. Here’s more detail on LaHair and other potentially available first basemen.
- A rival executive expects the White Sox to look hard at possible relief help, Morosi tweets. Deunte Heath, Brian Omogrosso, Leyson Septimo, Hector Santiago, Nate Jones and Addison Reed join Matt Thornton in Chicago’s relatively inexperienced ‘pen.
NL East Notes: Cole Hamels, Scott Hairston
The Marlins acquired Carlos Lee from the Astros for Matt Dominguez and Rob Rasmussen earlier tonight in a trade that shows Miami's leadership still intends to win this year. The Marlins should obtain some additional offense from Lee at first base, while the Astros acquire a pair of intriguing prospects for their minor league system. Here are today’s NL East links…
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. met privately with Cole Hamels yesterday, but the left-hander said the meeting didn’t have to do with his contract status, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Hamels, who’s set to hit free agency this coming offseason, isn't intent on leaving the Phillies because of the team's disappointing 2012 season. He understands that the Phillies are talking to other clubs about him and remains optimistic that he and Amaro can reach a long-term agreement, Zolecki reports.
- Lefty masher Scott Hairston would be the most in-demand player on the Mets if New York were selling, a scout told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). However, the 44-37 Mets are looking to add to the big league team this summer.
Marlins Acquire Carlos Lee
The Marlins have played to a 38-42 record since changing their name and logo, moving to a new stadium and spending aggressively on free agents, but the slow start will not stop them from adding midseason reinforcements before this year's trade deadline. The Marlins have acquired Carlos Lee from the Astros for Matt Dominguez and Rob Rasmussen, the teams announced. The move should provide Miami with some much-needed offense at first base and add depth to the Astros' minor league system.
“Carlos has been an important part of our team and our community in Houston for almost six seasons and he will be missed,” GM Jeff Luhnow said. “We made this move with an eye towards the future, and are very excited about adding Dominguez and Rasmussen to our talent base. Both players have a bright future.”
Lee, 36, is earning $18.5MM in the final season of a six-year, $100MM contract. The Astros are covering all but the pro-rated minimum of Lee's salary, Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Though Lee didn't enjoy no-trade protection in the form of ten and five rights, his contract allowed him to block trades to 14 clubs. The Marlins weren't on Lee's 14-team no-trade list.
Lee has five homers and a .286/.336/.412 batting line in 274 plate appearances so far in 2012. He has slowed down in recent years, but his bat will still represent an upgrade over Gaby Sanchez's .194/.240/.283 batting line.
Dominguez, 22, has a reputation as a strong defensive third baseman, but he projects as a below-average hitter. The 2007 first round selection posted a .234/.291/.357 batting line at Triple-A this year and he has a .252/.321/.410 batting line in six minor league seasons. Dominguez, who appeared in 17 games on last year's Marlins team, ranked fourth on Baseball America's list of top Marlins prospects following the 2011 season.
Rasmussen, 23, entered the season as Miami's seventh-best prospect, according to Baseball America. The 5'9" left-hander has a 3.90 ERA with 7.7 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 87 2/3 innings as a starter at Class A Jupiter this year. The Marlins selected him in the second round of the 2010 draft.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney first reported the deal. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Braves Release D.J. Carrasco
We'll track the day's minor moves here…
- The Braves released right-hander D.J. Carrasco, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (on Twitter). The Mets released the 35-year-old in May after he appeared in four games and the Braves picked him up on a minor league contract. Carrasco appeared in five games for the Braves' top affiliate before losing his roster spot.
International Notes: White Sox, Blue Jays
Teams have been working aggressively to lock up the best available international prospects since this year’s July 2 signing period opened earlier this week. We’ll track all the noteworthy deals at MLBTR as the action continues today. The latest updates are up top:
- The White Sox agreed to sign Dominican shortstop Johan Cruz, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports. The 6'1" right-handed hitter has good hands, footwork and arm strength, Badler writes.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com introduces readers to the international prospects who have agreed to reported bonuses of $1MM-plus.
- There's no deal between the Blue Jays and Venezuelan left-hander Jose Castillo, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter links). Rojas reported earlier that Toronto signed the prospect for $800K. Ben Badler of Baseball America placed Castillo sixth on this year's list of top international prospects.
- The Astros, Blue Jays, Pirates, Twins and Indians were among the teams to complete deals yesterday.
Potentially Available First Basemen
The Marlins traded for Carlos Lee this afternoon and more first basemen could be dealt within the next four weeks. The Dodgers, who attempted to acquire Lee from Houston, are one team that figures to explore the first base market. Here are some of the options they could consider:
- Ty Wigginton, Phillies – Though Wigginton isn't exactly your prototypical slugging first baseman, he can play the position and hit lefties. Wigginton's availability presumably depends on the health of teammates such as Ryan Howard as much as anything. He earns $4MM this year ($2MM from both the Rockies and Phillies) and his contract includes a club option for the same $4MM salary in 2013.
- Bryan LaHair, Cubs – LaHair has trouble hitting left-handers and he's mired in a six-week slump. Yet he has power and will remain under team control for years to come. Anthony Rizzo's promotion bumped LaHair to the outfield, but he has spent most of his short MLB career at first base.
- Justin Morneau, Twins – Morneau's production has been passable, but unimpressive: ten homers and a .238/.307/.434 batting line. Add his contract — $14MM per season through 2013 — and concussion issues to the mix, and you have a trade candidate who will scare away some potential suitors.
- Adam Lind, Blue Jays – Though Lind has hit well since returning from the minor leagues, his place in the Blue Jays organization seems far from secure. The team exposed him to waivers earlier this season then removed him from the 40-man roster, strong indications that he'd be available in the right deal. Edwin Encarnacion could be available if the Blue Jays fall far out of contention in July.
- Corey Hart, Brewers – At the moment it doesn’t appear that the Brewers will listen on Hart. Perhaps the left-handed hitting Travis Ishikawa will draw trade interest.
- Mark Kotsay, Padres – Kotsay hasn't played much first base since 2010, but he has a .790 OPS and a salary of just $1.25MM.
- Jason Giambi, Rockies – Giambi's more of a pinch hitter and designated hitter than he is a first baseman at this point. He's earning just $1MM this year so, like Kotsay, he's an affordable option.
The Cardinals could be positioned to make a buyer-buyer deal once Lance Berkman returns from the disabled list. Alternatively, the Cardinals could keep Matt Carpenter, Matt Adams and Allen Craig to preserve their offensive depth for 2012 and beyond.
MLBTR started previewing the trade market yesterday with a look at potentially available catchers.
Royals Designate Mitch Maier For Assignment
The Royals announced that they designated outfielder Mitch Maier for assignment (Twitter link). They recalled Nathan Adcock and Louis Coleman from Triple-A and optioned Vin Mazzaro to the minor leagues in corresponding moves. Kansas City now has two open spots on its 40-man roster.
Maier, 30, appeared in 32 games for the Royals this year, playing right and center field and pitching one scoreless inning. He posted a .172/.260/.313 batting line in 74 plate appearances. Maier's earning $865K as a first-time arbitration eligible player in 2012.
Yankees Claim McDonald, Designate Schwinden
The Yankees acquired Darnell McDonald from the Red Sox, the outfielder announced on his personal Twitter account. The Yankees claimed McDonald off of waivers, Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger tweets. The team designated Chris Schwinden for assignment in a related move, Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets.
The Red Sox designated McDonald for assignment after he posted a .214/.309/.369 batting line in 99 plate appearances this year. The 33-year-old can play all three outfield positions and has a .248/.313/.396 batting line in parts of six seasons with the Orioles, Twins, Reds and Red Sox. McDonald joins a Yankees outfield that includes, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, Dewayne Wise and the injured Brett Gardner.
It's been a busy month for the 25-year-old Schwinden. The Blue Jays claimed him off of waivers from the Mets on June 2nd and the Indians claimed him off of waivers from Toronto four days later. Schwinden has a 4.31 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 14 starts for four Triple-A teams this year. He also appeared in three games for the Mets.
White Sox Release Will Ohman
The White Sox released Will Ohman, according to the transactions page at CBSSports.com. They had designated the left-hander for assignment late last month.
Ohman, 34, posted a 6.41 ERA with 4.4 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 26 2/3 innings out of Chicago's bullpen this year. The Beverly Hills Sports Council client now earns $2.5MM in the second year of the two-year, $4MM contract he obtained before the 2011 season. He can now sign with any team for a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum salary.
Red Sox Release Bobby Jenks
9:46pm: The Sox agreed to pay $4.5MM of the $6MM owed to Jenks for the 2012 season, writes Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
3:36pm: The Red Sox announced that they reached a contract termination settlement with Bobby Jenks and placed the right-hander on unconditional release waivers. Jenks has spent the 2012 season on the 60-day disabled list recovering from offseason back surgery.
Jenks signed a two-year, $12MM deal in December of 2010, not long after being non-tendered by the White Sox. Biceps and back injuries limited him to just 15 2/3 innings last year, when he walked nearly one batter per inning. The 31-year-old Legacy Sports Group client underwent two back surgeries this past offseason, and was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident this March.