Update On This Year’s Rule 5 Picks
Many Rule 5 picks ultimately return to their original organizations, because it's not easy to keep inexperienced players in the Major Leagues all season long. Only five of the 19 players selected in the Major League phase of last offseason's Rule 5 draft remain on active MLB rosters midway through the season. Here’s another update on the draftees:
On Active Rosters (5)
- Pedro Beato, 24, continues to impress for the Mets. He has a 3.38 ERA with 5.2 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 48.1% ground ball rate in 45 1/3 innings this year. He may be the beneficiary of some luck (.228 opponents' batting average on balls in play, 4.1% home run/fly ball rate, 4.45 xFIP).
- Aneury Rodriguez of the Astros has a 4.79 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings. He started eight games for the Astros, but has been back in the bullpen for two months.
- Nathan Adcock of the Royals has a 5.36 ERA with 5.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 42 innings this year, though he has appeared in just seven contests since May.
- Joe Paterson has a 3.33 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 24 1/3 innings this year. D'Backs manager Kirk Gibson mostly uses the southpaw against left-handed hitters (69 plate appearances vs. left-handed hitters, 37 plate appearances vs. right-handed hitters).
- Michael Martinez of the Phillies picked up some big hits for the Phillies last month and has appeared at second, short, third, left and center. His season batting line is improving, but sits at just .219/.264/.314.
Traded (4)
The Mets returned Brad Emaus to the Blue Jays, who traded the infielder to Colorado; the Twins retained Scott Diamond in a trade with the Braves; the Red Sox sent Daniel Turpen to the Rockies; the Indians recently sent Josh Rodriguez to the Pirates. Rule 5 restrictions no longer apply to these four players.
Injured (2)
Elvin Ramirez (Nationals) and Mason Tobin (Rangers) have been on the 60-day DL for over three months. They have to spend 90 non-September days on the active roster to become official property of their new teams. Otherwise, their Rule 5 status carries forward until the players spend 90 non-September days on the active roster.
Back Where They Started (8)
Brian Broderick, Jose Flores, Adrian Rosario, Pat Egan, Lance Pendleton, George Kontos, Robert Fish and Cesar Cabral are back with their original organizations.
D’Backs Notes: Towers, Marquis, Giants
Paul Goldschmidt's first MLB home run came at the perfect time for the Diamondbacks, who defeated Tim Lincecum and the Giants behind the bat of their 23-year-old first base prospect last night. Here's the latest on the D'Backs, who are tied for the NL West lead with the Giants…
- Giants manager Bruce Bochy told Jon Star of MLB.com that the biggest difference with the Diamondbacks is the back end of their bullpen. "They've got two new guys down there [J.J. Putz and David Hernandez] that made a huge difference, but also some other good arms. The pitching is much better."
- GM Kevin Towers, who acquired Putz and Hernandez over the winter, told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he acquired Jason Marquis for the stretch run because he was reluctant to call minor leaguers like Jarrod Parker, Pat Corbin, Wade Miley and Tyler Skaggs up into the heat of a pennant race.
- Towers says he initially hoped to add a couple relievers at the trade deadline, but changed course when other teams decided to keep their relievers. Instead, Towers acquired Marquis and Brad Ziegler.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explains that the current series between San Francisco and Arizona has the makings of a pennant race precursor, though it's still early to be thinking in those terms.
Orioles Notes: Bundy, Reynolds, Pitching
The Orioles shook things up yesterday, releasing Justin Duchscherer, who never appeared in a game for Baltimore, and claiming Jo-Jo Reyes, who is now a member of Buck Showalter's bullpen. Here's the latest on the Orioles…
- Baseball America's Jim Callis told Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com that he doesn't believe Trevor Bauer's deal with Arizona wil impact the Orioles' discussions with top pick Dylan Bundy. As a high schooler, Bundy has more leverage than Bauer, who wanted to get on the field and kick-start his career.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains that while Mark Reynolds may be better than advertised at the plate, his defense is hard to watch at times. Reynolds, who will earn $7.5MM next year, has 24 homers and a .224/.337/.486 line this year.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter explained to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that developing pitching takes time and patience. "If you’ve got six or seven guys with a chance to be pretty good and two, three or four hit, you’re lucky,” Showalter said. As Rosenthal shows, Baltimore's pitching has faltered since pitching coach Mark Connor resigned in June.
Minor Moves: Fien, Bocock
The latest minor moves…
- The Astros have released right-hander Casey Fien, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (Twitter link). Fien had a 4.81 ERA and an 8.9 K/9 ratio in 21 relief appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. The 27-year-old righty last pitched in the Majors in 2010 as a member of the Tigers.
- The Phillies traded shortstop Brian Bocock from their Triple-A team to the Pirates' Triple-A team, according to the transactions page for the International League. Bocock, 26, has MLB experience with the Giants and Phillies. In 2107 minor league plate appearances over the course of six seasons, he has a .227/.302/.307 line.
Brewers To Sign Randy Flores
6:03pm: The Brewers are still finalizing details of Flores' contract, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.
4:24pm: The Brewers will sign left-hander Randy Flores to a minor league deal, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The Yankees agreed to release the reliever over the weekend, and the Brewers, who don't have a left-handed reliever on their 25-man roster, picked him up without any delay.
The 36-year-old posted a 3.07 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 29 1/3 innings for New York's Triple-A affiliate after signing with the Yankees in May. Before joining the Yankees, Flores appeared in 19 games for San Diego's top affiliate then opted out of his contract. The eight-year veteran posted a 3.19 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 for the Rockies and Twins last year.
Quick Hits: Orioles, Beane, Bourn, Beltran
The Cardinals acquired Woody Williams from San Diego on this date ten years ago. The right-hander pitched 75 innings of 2.28 ERA ball and helped the Cardinals reach the postseason, where they lost to the eventual World Champion Diamondbacks. Here's the latest from around MLB…
- As Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun points out, Buck Showalter took over the Orioles one year ago today. In 162 games under Showalter, the Orioles are 76-86. The honeymoon is over, but Showalter is "the most prepared and observant person [Connolly has] been around in this game."
- The Phillies may tinker with their roster in August by calling up a reliever or acquiring a bat in a minor trade, Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.
- Yahoo's Steve Henson looks back at the 13 most lopsided trades in baseball history. If you guessed that Jeff Bagwell, Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek would appear on the list, you're right.
- Moneyball has become a "period piece," Tom Verducci writes at SI.com. The advantages Billy Beane once had in Oakland have been neutralized by stadium revenue for other clubs and savvy front offices around baseball. "The biggest problem we have is that until we get a stadium it's going to be treading water for us," Beane said. "There cannot be any long-term planning. It's likely to get worse before it gets any better. It's going to be more than challenging."
- GM Jon Daniels says the Rangers checked in on Michael Bourn without pursuing him seriously, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter).
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick examines the Giants' feeble offense and the impact that Carlos Beltran will have on it.
- As Scott Miller of CBSSports.com shows, the Diamondbacks have once again become relevant in the NL West thanks, in large part, to an improved pitching staff.
Tigers Designate David Purcey For Assignment
The Tigers announced on Twitter that they have designated David Purcey for assignment. The move will create roster space for newly-acquired reliever David Pauley.
It's the second time this season that Purcey has been designated for assignment. The Blue Jays cut him in April, then sent him to the Athletics for Danny Farquhar. The next month, the Tigers acquired Purcey, sending Scott Sizemore to the A's.
In total, the 29-year-old has a 5.61 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 7.2 BB/9 in 33 2/3 innings this year. Last year, he posted a career-best 3.71 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 34 innings out of Toronto's 'pen.
Rangers Designate Arthur Rhodes For Assignment
The Rangers designated Arthur Rhodes for assignment, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter). The move creates roster space for newly-acquired right-hander Mike Adams.
Rhodes, 41, has a 4.81 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 24 1/3 innings this year. He earns $3.9MM in 2011 and the Rangers have a $4MM option for 2012. If he appears in 62 games this year – he has 32 appearances so far – and is not on the disabled list at the end of the season, the club option will vest. Rhodes could draw interest from teams looking for lefty relief help despite his so-so 2011 stats.
Orioles Release Justin Duchscherer
The Orioles have released Justin Duchscherer, who never appeared in a game for Baltimore, MLBTR has confirmed. The Orioles have since announced the move with a press release.
The 33-year-old right-hander spent the entire season on the disabled list with a strained left hip after signing a one-year deal in February that paid him $700K plus incentives. He made five starts for the 2010 A's, posting a 2.89 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 28 innings, but didn't pitch at all in 2009. The two-time All-Star has a 3.13 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 454 2/3 career innings.
Duchscherer will have hip surgery Thursday and intends to continue his career, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
Orioles Claim Jo-Jo Reyes
The Orioles claimed Jo-Jo Reyes, MLBTR has learned. The Orioles have since confirmed the claim and announced that they transferred Luke Scott to the 60-day disabled list to create 40-man roster space for Reyes. The Blue Jays had designated the left-hander for assignment last week.
Reyes, 26, made the Blue Jays' rotation out of Spring Training and posted a 5.40 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 110 innings of work. Reyes appears to have been the victim of bad luck, based on his 4.59 xFIP. Acquired in the trade that sent Yunel Escobar to Toronto, Reyes should provide the Orioles with a swingman with experience in the tough AL East.