By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Orioles left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada requires Tommy John surgery, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. The Japanese starter has yet to appear in a game for the Orioles, who signed him to a two-year, $8.15MM contract this offseason.
Wada posted a 1.51 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in 2011, but has been sidelined so far this year. The Orioles have a 2014 club option for Wada, who's now 31.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Red Sox plan to promote right-hander Aaron Cook to their active roster, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The Red Sox didn't call Cook up last night, which triggered an opt-out clause in his contract and pressed the team into action.
Cook, 33, drew trade interest from multiple teams, according to Bradford. Instead of trading him, the Red Sox will use him out of the bullpen. Cook posted a 1.89 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 11 walks in 33 1/3 innings over the course of five Triple-A starts this year.
The Red Sox will have to remove someone from their 40-man roster to create space for Cook, who signed a minor league deal in January. They could create space by moving an injured player such as Carl Crawford to the 60-day disabled list.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Dodgers should have the financial flexibility to pursue trades aggressively this summer, and there’s an expectation that the team’s payroll will rise next offseason, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The Dodgers’ new owners could pursue free agents such as Josh Hamilton, Miguel Montero and Mike Napoli next winter, assuming they’re willing to spend more than $90MM on payroll. Here’s more from Olney:
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
10:16pm: Ethier has let the new ownership group know that he's willing to discuss a contract extension during the season rather than wait until the winter, writes Heyman. Industry chatter says the outfielder could command a contract in the six-year, $90MM range.
3:01pm: The Dodgers’ new ownership group has been in place for a matter of hours, and they aren’t close to signing their right fielder to a long-term deal. But Andre Ethier could be in line for a contract extension before long.
The chances of a deal “improve drastically” with Guggenheim Baseball Management in place, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Bill Shaikin of the LA Times points out that Dodgers GM Ned Colletti met with Ethier’s agent Friday and suggests a contract could be the new owners’ first order of business (Twitter link).
Ethier, 30, is a client of Nez Balelo of CAA Sports. He earns $10.95MM in 2012 and is on track for free agency this offseason. In seven MLB seasons, he has a .291/.363/.481 batting line with 114 home runs. MLBTR's Dan Mennella examined Ethier's free agent stock last month.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
Former first overall draft pick Tim Beckham has been suspended for 50 games, MLB announced. The shortstop, who had reached Triple-A in the Rays' system, is in violation of MLB's drug policy for the second time. "I take full responsibility for my actions and I will use this experience to refocus my commitment to baseball," he said in a statement released by the team. Here are more links from around the league…
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Giants designated outfielder Tyler Graham for assignment, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. The club placed left-hander Jeremy Affeldt on the disabled list and purchased the contract of left-hander Travis Blackley in corresponding moves.
Graham, 28, has yet to appear in the Major Leagues, but the Giants needed his 40-man roster spot to make room for Blackley. In seven minor league seasons, Graham has a .281/.341/.361 batting line with 222 stolen bases. He has spent most of the past four seasons at Triple-A Fresno.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Indians designated infielder Jose Lopez for assignment, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. The move creates roster space for Johnny Damon.
Lopez played in five games for the Indians this year, appearing at both corner infield positions. The 28-year-old has a lifetime .262/.293/.398 line in nine MLB seasons with the Mariners, Rockies, Marlins and Indians. The Indians signed Lopez to a minor league contract in December.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Rays formally introduced Hideki Matsui today, but they face the possibility that their best player will hit the disabled list. The details…
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
The Cardinals designated outfielder Erik Komatsu for assignment, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch reports. The move creates 25-man roster space for Allen Craig, who's returning from the disabled list.
The Cardinals selected Komatsu from the Nationals in last winter's Rule 5 draft. St. Louis now has ten days to determine the 24-year-old's fate. The Cardinals could work out a trade with the Nationals that would allow them to keep Komatsu, they could return him to Washington, or he could be claimed by a third team. Komatsu appeared in 15 games for the Cardinals, playing all three outfield positions. He has a .302/.389/.434 line in four seasons as a minor leaguer.
By Ben Nicholson-Smith | at
TUESDAY, 12:09pm: The Dodgers' sale has closed, Shaikin tweets. The team announced the sale and listed the official sale price at $2 billion.
MONDAY, 7:51pm: The sale will not close today, reports Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The sale is not in danger and is expected to close early tomorrow.
9:23am: Frank McCourt is out and Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten are in. The sale of the Dodgers will close today, as expected, Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets. Lawyers from MLB and the incoming ownership group worked through the weekend to resolve outstanding issues.
Guggenheim Baseball Management agreed to buy the Dodgers for $2.15 billion last month, but the team has technically been McCourt's ever since. Dodgers fans can look forward to a return to prominence under Johnson, an NBA Hall of Famer, and Kasten, the former president of the Braves and Nationals. It's unclear whether the Dodgers will have payroll flexibility at the upcoming trade deadline.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
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