Marlins Sign Jose Fernandez
The Marlins have signed first round pick Jose Fernandez for $2MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (Twitter links). Team One Management represents Fernandez, who was the 14th overall selection in the June draft. Earlier this month advisor Richard Arena told Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the sides were definitely going to agree to a deal.
You can keep track of which top picks have signed with MLBTR's list.
Twins Notes: Thome, Kubel, Young
MLBTR congratulates Jim Thome, who hit career home runs number 599 and 600 in Detroit tonight. Here are some links on Thome’s big night…
- Tim Kurkjian of ESPN the Magazine looks back on Thome's run to 600 home runs.
- The Twins are not averse to a shakeup, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Jason Kubel isn't on waivers yet, though other teams covet him.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says former Twins outfielder Delmon Young, the Tigers' most recent acquisition, is probably better than Magglio Ordonez even if he doesn't live up to his potential as a former top draft pick. Young homered in his first at bat for the Tigers today.
Rockies Designate Gonzalez, Sign Romero
The Rockies announced (on Twitter) that they have designated right-hander Edgar Gonzalez for assignment to create roster space for left-hander J.C. Romero, who will be available for tonight's game. The Rockies had been nearing a deal for Romero and have now completed one.
It's been a busy year for Romero, who started the season in Philadelphia. He posted a 3.86 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings and the Phillies released him in June. He signed with the Nationals within a week but Washington released him before long and the Yankees picked him up, only to release him last week.
Gonzalez appeared in one game for Colorado, allowing five hits and a walk in two innings of work yesterday. The 28-year-old has spend most of the season as a starter at Triple-A and has a 4.70 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 115 innings for the Rays' and Rockies' top affiliates this year.
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An explanation of the many ways to enjoy MLB Trade Rumors:
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Draft Signings: D’Backs, Indians, Blue Jays, A’s
The latest draft signings from around MLB…
- The Diamondbacks have signed tenth rounder Kyle Winkler for $240K, tweets Callis. Winkler, a right-hander out of TCU, was expected to be drafted in the supplemental first round before suffering a stress fracture in his elbow the weekend before the draft.
- The Indians have signed seventh rounder Eric Haase for $580K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The high school catcher obtained the highest bonus of any player selected after the fifth round so far this year. He's more athletic than most catchers and was the best high school position prospect in Michigan this spring, according to Callis. Tripper Johnson of Sosnick Cobbe Sports represents Haase.
- The Blue Jays announced that they have signed 17th round right-hander Brady Dragmire and 27th round outfielder Derrick Loveless. They also confirmed the signings of 35th overall pick Jacob Anderson and fourth rounder Tom Robson.
- The A's formally announced that they have agreed to terms with third round selection B.A. Vollmuth (Baseball America heard about the $304K agreement last night). The third baseman earned First Team All-Conference USA honors for the second consecutive season at Southern Mississippi this year.
Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics
The A's announced that they have hired former MLB player and manager Phil Garner as a special advisor. The 62-year-old played for 16 seasons and managed for another 15. Here are the latest links from around MLB…
- Arthur Rhodes told B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies all had interest in signing with him before he joined the Cardinals (Twitter link). The Phillies wanted the veteran lefty to pitch in the minors before adding him to the big league roster.
- "What you see is what you’re gonna get," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman to Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Cashman doesn't expect to make any waiver trades this month.
- The Associated Press (via ESPN Deportes) reports that former Giants prospect Angel Villalona is suing the team for $5MM, citing unlawful termination of his contract. Villalona, once ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the game by Baseball America, has not played since 2009 after being charged with murder in the Dominican Republic.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that MLB needs a salary floor (a minimum payroll) because certain teams aren't going to spend any more than they have to. However, the players' union has traditionally opposed salary caps and floors.
- Ian Kennedy told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he would listen if the D’Backs approached him about a long-term deal.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn't know Ron Roenicke before interviewing him for Milwaukee's managerial opening last fall. The new skipper has the Brewers in first place, four games ahead of the Cardinals.
- Joey Votto told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that superstars can be overrated in MLB, since they don't impact the game the way great players do in other sports. I highly recommend Daugherty's piece, in which Votto shows a strong understanding of the business of baseball.
- Tampa Bay, Arizona, Oakland, Miami and Washington are the five worst markets in MLB for Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Kyle Davies Clears Waivers, Becomes Free Agent
FRIDAY, 5:32pm: Davies has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Dutton.
WEDNESDAY, 11:00am: The Royals are asking for release waivers for right-hander Kyle Davies to create roster space for catcher Salvador Perez, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Davies posted a 6.75 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 38.5% ground ball rate in 61 1/3 innings this year (for what it's worth, Davies' xFIP this season is just 4.42 and his SIERA is just 4.21). In seven seasons with the Royals and Braves, the 27-year-old has a 5.59 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9. He earns $3.2MM this year and was headed for free agency after the season.
Phillies Sign Jack Cust
The Phillies have agreed to terms on a minor league deal with Jack Cust, the team announced. He will report to Triple-A. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com first reported the move.
The Mariners, who signed Cust to a $2.5MM deal over the winter, released him earlier this month. The 32-year-old posted a .213/.344/.329 line with three homers in 270 plate appearances this year. After averaging 28 homers and 103 walks with the A's from 2007-09, Cust's power numbers have fallen off in 2010-11.
Cardinals Designate Raul Valdes For Assignment
The Cardinals designated Raul Valdes for assignment to create 40-man roster space for Arthur Rhodes, according to B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (on Twitter). They optioned Tony Cruz to Triple-A Memphis to create room for Rhodes on the active roster.
Valdes appeared in seven big league games for St. Louis this year, mostly in July. The 33-year-old also has a 4.73 ERA with impressive rates of 9.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 59 innings at Triple-A Memphis.
Pirates Designate Tim Wood For Assignment
The Pirates announced that they designated right-hander Tim Wood for assignment to create space for Ross Ohlendorf on the 40-man roster. The Pirates recalled Ohlendorf from rehab, reinstated him from the 60-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A.
Wood, 28, has appeared in 13 games for the Pirates this year. He has spent most of the season with Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate, where he has a 2.84 ERA with 23 saves, 6.5 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 44 1/3 innings. The former Marlin has a 4.50 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in nine minor league seasons. It won't be surprising if he gets claimed within ten days.