Yankees Sign J.C. Romero
The Yankees signed J.C. Romero to a minor league deal, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The left-hander, who obtained his release from the Nationals mere minutes ago, could pitch for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate tonight, Olney reports.
The Yankees will be Romero's third organization of the year. He started the season in Philadelphia, where he posted a 3.86 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings. The Phillies released him in June and he signed with the Nationals within a week, only to obtain his release today.
Nationals Release J.C. Romero
The Nationals released J.C. Romero, according to Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported yesterday that the Yankees would likely sign the left-hander to a minor league deal if the Nationals granted him his release.
Romero, who signed with Washington at the end of June, had a clause in his contract that enabled him to opt out if he wasn't in the Major Leagues by July 15th. Before signing with the Nationals, the 35-year-old posted a 3.86 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 6.6 BB/9 in 16 1/3 innings for the Phillies, who released him last month. Romero missed time with a calf injury earlier this season.
Kevin Youkilis Talks Future In Boston
Kevin Youkilis doesn’t expect to play until he’s 40, but he’ll “definitely” play on another contract for “a few more years” when his current deal expires. The 32-year-old infielder told Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he would like to reach ten years of service as a Major Leaguer and assure himself of a full pension.
Youkilis, who will have over seven years of service after the 2011 season, is under contract through 2012 and the Red Sox have a $13MM team option for 2013 ($1MM buyout). He has spent most of his career at first and third and would prefer to remain a position player as long as possible.
“I wouldn’t want to DH until I had to DH,” Youkilis said, before explaining that he’s open to another role. "If that’s the role that I have to play to help the team win, I’ll do it.”
Youkilis made his third All-Star team in four seasons this year after posting a .285/.399/.512 line with 13 home runs in the first half.
Olney On Market For Carlos Beltran
The Mets have indicated that they will hold onto Carlos Beltran until they get exactly what they want for him, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. They believe that a team in need of offense will give in to their demands and surrender a top prospect for Beltran, who earns $18.5MM this year.
Mets GM Sandy Alderson traded Francisco Rodriguez to Milwaukee this week, partly because they wanted to move before the market for relief pitching developed further. But the Mets believe Beltran is the best available outfielder, so they’re not in a hurry to trade him.
The Indians aren’t limiting themselves to small-budget options, according to Olney. Beltran would fit on the Pirates, the Tigers could be interested and the Giants would love to acquire him. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently named those teams, plus the Red Sox, Rays, White Sox and Reds as contenders that could use a corner outfield boost. Here's a look at what Beltran was traded for seven years ago.
Rays, Cards Had ‘Serious Talks’ About Rasmus In 2010
The Rays and Cardinals had serious talks about a trade that would have sent Colby Rasmus to Tampa Bay last year, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). The center fielder appeared to request a trade last summer, though he later denied doing so.
The Cardinals might be willing to move Rasmus now, though Strauss and colleague Bernie Miklasz suggest a deal is unlikely. Rasmus is the most attractive trade chip GM John Mozeliak has, but Miklasz expects the Cardinals and their center fielder to be “stuck with each other” for a while.
The Cardinals would most covet Jeremy Hellickson in a trade, according to Strauss. However, Tampa Bay doesn't necessarily covet Rasmus, especially at that price. Rays center fielder B.J. Upton homered in three of five games leading up to the All-Star break and his .239/.325/.427 line resembles Rasmus' .246/.329/.413 line.
Quick Hits: Iwakuma, Draft, Mariners
On this date in 2009, the Nationals fired manager Manny Acta and replaced him with Jim Riggleman. A lot has changed in two years – Riggleman resigned as the Nationals' skipper over a contract dispute last month and Acta, now the Indians' manager, is a leading candidate for AL Manager of the Year. Here's the latest from around MLB…
- The Rays, Indians, Astros and Angels scouted Hisashi Iwakuma's recent rehab start, according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 2.72 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 from 2007-10 in Japan.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America explains the give and take between the commissioner's office and the players' union when it comes to the double standard between draft-eligible amateurs and international free agents.
- One NL executive told ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick that we should expect an intense week leading up to the trade deadline, since teams will wait until the last possible moment before becoming ‘sellers.’
- GM Jack Zduriencik told Greg Johns of MLB.com that he has discussed possible moves, but doesn’t want to get caught up in whether the Mariners will be buyers or a sellers this summer.
What The Royals Got For Carlos Beltran
Carlos Beltran is now one of the hottest names on the trade market, and it's not the first time he has been on the block. Back in 2004, Beltran was approaching free agency when Allard Baird, Kansas City's GM at the time, sent him to Houston in a complicated three-team trade. The deal worked out tremendously for the Astros, who enjoyed 23 regular season home runs from Beltran plus a record eight home runs in the postseason.
The Royals didn't get similarly explosive performances from the trio of players they acquired: Mark Teahen, John Buck and Mike Wood. Teahen spent five season in Kansas City, where he posted a .269/.331/.419 line with 59 home runs. Buck combined steady power with a characteristically low batting average for a .235/.298/.407 line and 70 home runs in six seasons. Wood posted a below-average 5.28 ERA with 4.6 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 279 2/3 innings for Kansas City as a reliever and occasional starter.
The Royals lost Wood to the Rangers on waivers in 2006 and non-tendered Buck in 2009, a month after they traded Teahen for Josh Fields, who is now playing in Japan, and Chris Getz. That makes Getz the lone remnant of the Beltran deal on the Royals' active roster.
The 27-year-old infielder has appeared in 78 games for the Royals this year and has a .259/.320/.291 line with 17 stolen bases. Getz's numbers don't compare to Beltran's production and the '04 deal didn't produce a star for Kansas City, but it's somewhat surprising that the Royals have something to show for the switch-hitting outfielder, seven years after he was expected to leave as a free agent.
Yankees Notes: Romero, Jimenez, Clippard
If you're wondering which Yankee has impressed his teammates with his sense of style or which Yankee would be valuable in a brawl, check out Daniel Barbarisi's piece at the Wall Street Journal. If you're interested in the latest rumors surrounding the team, keep reading – you're in the right place…
- J.C. Romero intends to opt out of his deal with the Nationals and sign a minor league deal with the Yankees if Washington doesn't promote him to the Major Leagues by Friday, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Romero, who hasn't yet been promoted, wants to secure his release and sign with the Yankees, according to Olney.
- Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues guesses that the Yankees would have to surrender at least four young players to acquire Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado. The Rockies will discuss the right-hander, so there's no harm in inquiring.
- Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues explains how Yankee prospect turned All-Star reliever Tyler Clippard ended up in Washington.
Soria Can Block Trades To Dodgers, Rockies, Braves
The Dodgers, Rockies and Braves have replaced the Tigers, Cubs and Cardinals on Joakim Soria's no-trade list, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.com (on Twitter). The reliever can still block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies with his no-trade clause, which would provide him with leverage in the unlikely event of a proposed deal.
The asking price for Soria is "exorbitant," according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, who hears that Royals officials have never had upper-level talks about the closer with the Yankees.
Soria, 27, has a 4.03 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 38 innings this year. He had a difficult May during which he briefly lost the closer's job, but has recovered to post a 14K/2BB ratio since with just one earned run allowed in 16 innings in June and July.
The reliever’s 2012 option vests at $6MM if he finishes 55 games this year (he has finished 26 games so far). The Royals also have an $8MM option for Soria in 2013 ($750K buyout) and an $8.75MM option for 2014 ($750K buyout). Keep up with Soria and every other MLB closer at closernews.com.
Brewers Seek Boost On Left Side Of Infield
The Brewers aren't done trading yet. They're working to improve the left side of their infield, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Brewers want a definite upgrade over shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt or third baseman Casey McGehee, but they aren’t close to making a deal, since few quality infielders are available in trades.
Jamey Carroll isn’t available now and J.J. Hardy will likely sign an extension with the Orioles, according to Rosenthal. The Brewers would like to obtain a player with a good glove and they can consider adding payroll on a case-by-case basis.
Brewers shortstops (Betancourt, Craig Counsell and Josh Wilson) have combined to rank 28th in MLB with a .267 OBP. Brewers third basemen (mostly McGehee and Counsell) rank 28th in MLB with a .206 average, a .264 OBP and a .277 slugging percentage. Betancourt has a .237/.255/.342 line while McGehee checks in at .223/.279/.315.