Outrighted To Triple-A: Jose Yepez
Here's where we'll keep track of every player who gets outrighted to Triple-A…
- The Mariners outrighted catcher Jose Yepez to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com (on Twitter). The 30-year-old has a .276/.324/.347 line in 105 plate appearances at Triple-A Tacoma this year and a .268/.351/.381 line in 2,352 professional plate appearances, which have all come in the minor leagues.
Heyman On Jackson, Marlins, Brewers
Some teams are hoping that a top-of-the-rotation starter or two will appear on the trade market at some point this month, but those pitchers aren’t available now, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Here’s the latest on the starting pitching market and more of Heyman’s notes from around the league:
- The White Sox are fielding calls on Edwin Jackson, who is set to hit free agency after the season. I identified 2011 as a 'make or break' year for the right-hander before the season and he has a 4.30 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 106 2/3 innings so far.
- The Marlins want to be a contender when their new stadium opens next year, so they aren’t expected to seriously consider trading Ricky Nolasco or Anibal Sanchez.
- Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is happy in Milwaukee, according to Heyman’s sources. Attanasio has family connections in Milwaukee, but he lives in Los Angeles so he has been mentioned as a speculative owner for the Dodgers.
- Former agent Dennis Gilbert is a "logical candidate" to own the Dodgers at some point, Heyman writes.
Quick Hits: Phillies, Soria, Hardy, Braves
The Reds signed Pete Rose as an amateur free agent on this date in 1960 and it's safe to say their investment paid off. Rose collected 3,358 hits in 19 seasons with the Reds en route to becoming MLB's all-time hits leader with 4,256. Here are today's links…
- Phillies starter Cole Hamels is heading into his final season of arbitration eligibility and as David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News shows in a pair of pieces, starters with Hamels-like production have been extremely well-paid in recent years. Hamels is earning $9.5MM this year in his third season of arbitration eligibility.
- Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News explains that the Phillies might want to acquire a right-handed hitter for their lineup to avoid becoming a regular season success that fails in the playoffs, like the 2001 Mariners.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains that being selected to play in the All-Star Game has made a difference for players like Jose Bautista and Joe Nathan, who have obtained more endorsement offers and had more leverage in contract discussions since becoming All-Stars for the first time.
- The teams on Joakim Soria's no-trade list have changed since last season, according to Morosi (on Twitter). The Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies are on the list, just as they were last year. The Tigers, Cardinals and Cubs were previously on Soria's list, which is designed to provide the reliever with leverage.
- Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles are communicating semi-regularly with J.J. Hardy about a possible extension. The Orioles began extension talks with the shortstop last week.
- Atlanta GM Frank Wren told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that the pieces the Braves are looking for may already be on their roster.
New York Notes: Rodriguez, Burnett, Budgell
The latest from New York, where Derek Jeter will attempt to reach the 3,000 hit plateau against the Rays tonight. The Yankees' captain is two hits away from reaching the milestone…
- Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez met with Scott Boras and two of the agent’s associates both before and after yesterday’s game against the Dodgers, according to Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. Other agents have also contacted Rodriguez, who is currently represented by Paul Kinzer of Wasserman Media Group, as MLBTR’s Agency Database shows.
- Kinzer called Rodriguez's meetings with Boras "a sad part of the business," according to Costa (Twitter link).
- Rodriguez will not become a free agent if he completes 55 games and his $17.5MM option for 2012 vests. Otherwise, he’ll receive a $3.5MM buyout and hit the open market this offseason.
- The Yankees appear to have interest in Sean Burnett, but ESPN.com's Buster Olney cautions that the Yankees were simply doing their regular scouting when they saw the Nationals left-hander pitch recently (Twitter link).
- The Mets signed tenth round pick Matthew Budgell, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). Jim Callis of Baseball America notes that the high schooler obtained an over-slot bonus of $225K (Twitter link).
Cubs Release Fernando Perez
The Cubs released Fernando Perez, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). The Cubs acquired the 28-year-old in January the trade that brought Matt Garza to Chicago. By releasing Perez, Chicago opens up a spot on its 40-man roster.
Perez hit .206/.206/.206 in 35 plate appearances for the Cubs this year, playing all three outfield positions. The switch-hitter spent most of the season at Triple-A Iowa, where he posted a .238/.312/.337 line with 17 stolen bases.
Astros Claim Lucas Harrell
The Astros have claimed right-hander Lucas Harrell from the White Sox, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The move fills Houston's 40-man roster and creates a spot on Chicago's roster, which now stands at 37.
The White Sox selected Harrell in the fourth round of the 2004 draft and the 26-year-old has had brief stints in the majors in each of the past two seasons. In 29 big league innings, he has a 5.28 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 and over the course of seven minor league seasons, Harrell has a 3.79 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9.
Cardinals Continue To Search For Pitching
The Cardinals signed Blaine Boyer and Ron Mahay to minor league deals this week, but GM John Mozeliak told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he is still looking for pitching. Mozeliak says the Cardinals are in a position to make a move and could target starters or relievers.
St. Louis appears to have interest in Heath Bell, but there are indications that the Cardinals are unlikely to meet the Padres’ current asking price for their closer, according to Goold. Depending on what the Cardinals are getting and who they’re giving up, they could have payroll flexibility, but at this point, “that's a tough question to answer,” according to Mozeliak.
Baseball America’s Midseason Prospect List
Baseball America released its midseason list of the top 50 prospects in the game yesterday and Nationals outfield prospect Bryce Harper and Mike Trout, the recently-promoted Angels outfielder, remain the most highly-regarded prospects in baseball. Rays left-hander Matt Moore, Braves right-hander Julio Teheran and Orioles shortstop prospect Manny Machado round out the publication's top five (click here for a more detailed subscriber-only list).
The Rangers had four prospects in the top 50, more than any other club. The Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Royals, Braves, Diamondbacks and Dodgers all had three players on BA's list. Five teams didn't have a prospect on the list: the White Sox, Athletics, Marlins, Brewers and Astros.
Rockies Sign Supplemental Pick Story
July 8th: Story signed for a bonus of $915K, which is above the recommended bonus of $764K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
June 30th: The Rockies have agreed to terms with supplemental first round pick Trevor Story, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). Colorado selected the high school shortstop with the 45th overall pick earlier this month.
Baseball America ranked Story 40th among eligible prospects before the draft, calling him a quality, surefire shortstop. Some scouts believe he could be close to a five-tool player because he can reach 92 mph with his fastball and has good range, pop in his bat, speed and baserunning skills. He had committed to Louisiana State. Click here for a complete list of top draft picks to sign.
Service Time Breakdown For Mike Trout
It’s common for teams to time the debut of a top prospect carefully in order to delay his free agency or prevent him from going to arbitration an extra time. But such precise timing isn’t always possible, especially for short-handed teams in the middle of a pennant race.
The Angels, who trail the Rangers by one game in the American League West, lost no time in calling up top prospect Mike Trout to replace injured center fielder Peter Bourjos and the move doesn’t appear to have anything to do with service time.
Trout, 19, entered the season as baseball’s second-best prospect (behind only Bryce Harper), according to Baseball America. So far this year, the 2009 first round pick has solidified his place as one of the game's elite prospects. He has a .324/.415/.534 line with nine homers and 28 stolen bases in his first season at Double-A.
There’s definitely a chance that Trout returns to the minors this season (he could be demoted when Bourjos’ hamstring heals), or later on in his pro career, like so many other prospects. But let’s take a look at what lies ahead for the 19-year-old if he never returns to the minors. It’s admittedly a lot to ask of a player who was in high school a couple years ago, but Trout is no ordinary prospect.
He can pick up as many as 83 days of service time this year, which would put him on track for arbitration eligibility after the 2014 season and free agency after the 2017 season (it’s the same timetable that he would have been on if the Angels had called him up this September or added him to their Opening Day roster in 2012). In other words, there’s a chance Trout will hit free agency just a few months after his 26th birthday.
Photo courtesy Icon SMI.