Rosenthal On Phillies, Dempster, Soriano, Chavez
Phillies general partner David Montgomery told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he’s not thinking about trading away established players since opportunity still exists for his 29-33 club. “Come August or something, maybe we feel differently,” Montgomery acknowledged, noting that the team’s current goal is to re-enter the playoff picture.
Here are more rumors and notes from Rosenthal…
- Though the Cubs want to add talent, they are reluctant to start a long rebuilding process. Of all the Cubs, Ryan Dempster is most likely to be traded, according to Rosenthal. One general manager said the right-hander seems like a “classic Ned Colletti buy,” so don’t be surprised if the Dodgers show some interest in Dempster.
- Rosenthal speculates that the Indians could be a fit for Alfonso Soriano. Though the Cubs would be paying most of the outfielder’s salary in any trade, Soriano can still hit, especially against left-handers. Rival teams expect the Indians to be aggressive this summer, and they could use a right-handed bat like Soriano.
- Teams aren’t sure that Wandy Rodriguez would succeed in the American League.
- One person said there’s “no chance” the Red Sox could obtain prospects for Kevin Youkilis without paying most of his salary.
- The Reds want to add a left-handed hitter, Rosenthal reports.
- Though Eric Chavez can still play, preparing for games has become “a huge hurdle to climb physically.” The Yankees and White Sox were the only teams to show interest in the 34-year-old this past offseason, and he would have been content to retire if necessary.
- Don’t be surprised if the Giants look to acquire a reliever, Rosenthal writes.
- One executive wonders if the Orioles could trade Brian Matusz in a deal for a more established starter.
Rockies To Sign David Dahl
The Rockies have agreed to sign first round draft pick David Dahl, Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA reports (on Twitter). Dahl, the 10th overall selection, will obtain a $2.6MM bonus, according to Rogers. Dahl flew to Denver Monday and an announcement can be expected later today, Tracy Ringolsby of ROOT Sports reports (on Twitter).
MLB recommends a bonus of $2.7MM for the 10th overall selection, according to Baseball America. Dahl, a high school outfielder, bats left-handed and has plus speed, a strong arm, and power potential, according to BA.
Minor Moves: Eyre, Palmer
The latest minor transactions from around MLB…
- The Orioles have released right-hander Willie Eyre from Triple-A Norfolk, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports. The 33-year-old was drafted by Minnesota in the 23rd round in 1999 and has a 4.95 ERA across parts of four seasons with the Twins, Rangers, and Orioles. This season, he'd pitched to a 7.92 ERA in 25 innings for Norfolk.
- The Padres outrighted right-hander Matt Palmer to Triple-A, Tucson, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. San Diego had designated Palmer for assignment last week in order to clear roster space for Huston Street. Palmer appeared in three games for the Padres after being called up from Tucson, where he had a 4.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 34 innings.
Blue Jays Sign Davis, Nay, Gonzales
9:30pm: Callis tweets that Gonzales received a $750K bonus — $107,200 below the recommended slot bonus of $857,200.
3:12pm: The Blue Jays announced that they signed first round draft pick D.J. Davis. The team also announced the signing of supplementary first round selections Mitchell Nay and Tyler Gonzales. Davis obtained a $1.75MM bonus, Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (Twitter links). Nay obtained a bonus of $1MM, Callis reports.
The Blue Jays chose Davis, a high school outfielder, with the 17th overall selection. They chose Nay, a high school third baseman, with the 58th overall selection as compensation for losing Jon Rauch then, two picks later, chose Gonzales, a high school right-hander, as compensation for losing Jose Molina.
MLB recommends a bonus of $2MM for the 17th overall selection, and recommends bonuses of $884K and $857K for the 58th and 60th selections, respectively. The Blue Jays have now signed 22 of their 44 selections plus seven non-drafted free agents.
Cubs Win Bidding For Jorge Soler
5:30pm: Heyman adds another caveat to Soler's deal (Twitter link). Soler will be allowed to opt out of the agreed-upon salaries and go to arbitration once he is eligible. That scenario would likely push the total value of the deal beyond $30MM.
1:48pm: Soler and the Cubs agreed to a nine-year deal worth approximately $30MM, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. At least three or four teams placed bids of $20MM plus, according to Heyman. Depending on how long Soler spends at the minor league level, the deal could cover all of his arbitration seasons and multiple free agent years.
Soler can opt out of his yearly salaries and file for arbitration once eligible, ESPN.com's Keith Law reports. As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explains, this means Soler could earn more than $30MM with the Cubs.
1:15pm: The Cubs won the bidding for Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Many teams appeared to have interest in Soler, a top international prospect.
Soler has to sign by July 2 if he aims to maximize his earning potential and avoid spending restrictions imposed under baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement. It's not clear what kind of bonus the Praver Shapiro Sports Management client will obtain from the Cubs, but a sum in excess of $15MM would not be surprising.
MLB declared Soler a free agent earlier this month after verifying his paperwork. The Phillies have since offered him a contract and the Astros, Pirates, Indians, Red Sox, Yankees and Blue Jays also appeared to have some level of interest in the 20-year-old.
Soler was an up-and-coming power hitter in Cuba before leaving the country, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. His calling card is right-handed power, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America, who considers him a top-50 prospect in MLB.
Quick Hits: LaRoche, Lee, Cubs
Let’s not let the day’s biggest story — that the Cubs will sign Jorge Soler to a nine-year deal worth $30MM — overshadow some other notes and rumors from around MLB. Here are the latest links…
- Yahoo’s Jeff Passan checks in on the players heading toward free agency, noting that the stock for players such as Adam LaRoche, Melky Cabrera and Andre Ethier is way up.
- Derrek Lee would be open to returning for the “right opportunity,” Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Pirates could be interested in re-signing Lee, who joined the team in a midseason trade last year.
- Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster and Bryan LaHair are all in play as the trade deadline nears, Rosenthal notes (on Twitter). The Cubs could look to supplement their core of young players by dealing established Major Leaguers for controllable players this summer.
Brewers To Sign Mitch Haniger
4:39pm: Haniger will obtain a $1.2MM bonus, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets.
4:01pm: Supplemental first round draft pick Mitch Haniger tweeted that he's set to sign with the Brewers this Thursday (Twitter links). "Can't wait to be a Brewer!" the outfielder wrote (via MLB.com's Adam McCalvy and Brewer Nation).
The Brewers drafted Haniger with the 38th overall selection as compensation for losing Prince Fielder to free agency. MLB recommends a bonus of $1.36MM for the 38th overall selection, according to Baseball America.
Twins To Sign J.O. Berrios
The Twins have agreed to sign supplemental first round draft pick J.O. Berrios, Jim Callis of Baseball America tweets. Berrios, the 32nd overall selection, obtains a $1.55MM bonus.
Berrios, a high school right-hander, has a fastball that sits in the 93-95 mph range, a changeup and a sharp slider, according to Baseball America. MLB recommends a bonus of $1.55MM for the 32nd overall selection, which the Twins obtained as compensation for losing free agent Michael Cuddyer.
Draft Signings: Orioles, Angels, Tigers
Some significant signings from the second round and on…
- Elliott Waterman, Washington’s 13th round selection, agreed to sign with the Nationals for $100K, MLBTR has learned.
- The Orioles signed third round pick Adrian Marin for $481K, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (all Twitter links). That’s precisely the bonus MLB recommends for the 99th overall selection. Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich said "significant number" of picks have signed and are undergoing physicals, Connolly reports.
- The Angels announced they have agreed to sign 11 draft picks, including four of their first five selections. Right-hander R.J. Alvarez, the club’s third round selection, is one of the players to agree to terms. All of the 11 players are "at or very close to" their slotted amounts, Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times reports (on Twitter).
- Right-hander Jake Thompson told James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press that he expects to sign with the Tigers tomorrow. The Tigers selected the high schooler with the 91st overall selection last week.
Jorge Soler Rumors: Monday
Cuban outfield prospect Jorge Soler could sign any day now. A number of teams have been linked to Soler, who must sign by July 2 if he aims to maximize his earning potential and avoid the spending restrictions that will soon take effect. Here’s the latest on Soler:
- The Phillies have maintained a stealth pursuit of Soler and have made him an offer, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports (on Twitter).
- Some competing executives see the Cubs as the favorite for Soler, Heyman tweets.
- The Dodgers are no longer engaged on Soler, Yahoo’s Tim Brown reports (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported late last week that the Dodgers were among his most aggressive suitors.
- The Blue Jays are said to be in the mix for Soler, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Heyman notes that the Cubs and Yankees also appear to be involved.