Jim Riggleman Resigns
In a surprising move, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman has resigned, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (Twitter link). Riggleman stepped down after his club beat the Mariners this afternoon and improved to 38-37 thanks to an impressive stretch over the course of which they've won 11 of 12 games.
The manager, who was in the final year of his contract, told GM Mike Rizzo that he would resign if his contract situation wasn't resolved, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (Twitter link). Riggleman's agent, Burton Rocks, told Jon Heyman of SI.com that "they should have picked up the option" and that "it wore on Jim." Riggleman will manage again, according to his agent (Twitter link).
Rizzo had discussed picking up Riggleman's 2012 option, but felt the time wasn't right, according to Ben Goessling of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). The GM called Riggleman's decision "very disappointing to the players, fanbase, city and [himself]."
It's the second time this week that an NL East manager has resigned; Edwin Rodriguez of the Marlins stepped down over the weekend.
NL Central Notes: Pujols, Valdes, Pirates
On this date in 1984, Ryne Sandberg hit game-tying home runs off Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter in the 9th and 10th innings as the Cubs beat the Cardinals 12-11. Willie McGee hit for the cycle in the memorable contest between the rival clubs. Here's the latest from their division…
- Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols doesn't want to discuss the impact his fractured arm will have on his free agent value, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes.
- The Cardinals promoted Raul Valdes to the Majors, optioned Maikel Cleto to Double-A and replaced minor leaguer David Kopp on the 40-man roster with Bryan Augenstein, according to the Post-Dispatch (the Cards still have one open spot on their 40-man roster). The bullpen changes started yesterday when the Cardinals released Miguel Batista after Tuesday's bullpen implosion.
- The Pirates announced that they expect to add Chase d'Arnaud to the 25-man roster tomorrow. They optioned Josh Harrison to Triple-A to create room on the active roster and will make a 40-man move tomorrow. D'Arnaud, 24, has a .280/.347/.418 line at Triple-A this year.
NL East Notes: Harper, Zimmerman, Reyes, Phillies
The Nationals announced that Bryce Harper, last year's first overall pick, and right-hander Brad Peacock will represent Washington at the All-Star Futures Game (Twitter link). Here are some more notes from the NL East…
- Ryan Zimmerman tells Tim Kurkjian of ESPN The Magazine that he still hopes to play his entire career for the Nationals. "I think it would be really cool to play 15 or 20 years in the same place and say that I was there when things were not so great," Zimmerman said. As Kurkjian shows, the Nationals have turned into a respectable team after struggling for years.
- Mets shortstop Jose Reyes told Aaron Taube of MLB.com that he isn't concerned about the fact that the Yankees aren't expecting to acquire him. "I don't worry about that. I play for the New York Mets," Reyes said.
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel would like to see his team add a right-handed hitter with some pop, according to David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News. Manuel’s wish may come true, as the Phillies are looking for just that and have checked in on the likes of Ryan Ludwick, Josh Willingham and Michael Cuddyer.
AL West Notes: Figgins, Angels, Willingham
No American League West team is truly out of contention. The Rangers lead the way with a 40-36 record, the Mariners and Angels are hovering around .500 and the A's are back within 5.5 games of the division lead after a recent six-game winning streak. Here's the latest on the AL West:
- The Mariners still owe Chone Figgins over $20MM between now and the end of the 2013 season, but the infielder is playing poorly, so Larry Stone of the Seattle Times runs through the team's options. Stone concludes that the Mariners probably have to cut down on Figgins’ playing time and hope he finally heats up so that they can get some value from him, either in a trade or on the field.
- Angels GM Tony Reagins told Kevin Baxter of the LA Times that international free agency is an increasingly important and challenging source of talent for MLB teams. This year's international signing period begins July 2nd (link via the Baltimore Sun).
- One scout for a contending team told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that Josh Willingham's Achilles injury could scare teams considering the outfielder as a possible trade target. The A's put Willingham on the disabled list, but he could return in early July, in time to reestablish his trade value.
Cubs To Determine Deadline Approach
Members of the Cubs' front office will meet early next week to determine their approach for this summer’s trade deadline, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The team intends to pursue top prospects and young players, but the details have yet to be determined, according to Levine.
It appears likely that the 30-44 Cubs will become sellers, in which case some pricey veterans could become trade bait. Aramis Ramirez won’t be one of them, since he won’t approve a trade, but Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome may find themselves on the trade market. Zambrano and Soriano have said they wouldn’t block trades.
GM Jim Hendry and assistant GM Randy Bush will direct top Cubs scouts during the meetings. Hendry will advise the scouts to monitor the clubs he believes match up best as possible trade partners for Chicago.
Tigers Notes: Leyland, Inge, Perry, Alburquerque
The Tigers are 9th in MLB with 330 runs scored, but they haven't been as successful at preventing their opponents from scoring. Though they have a pitcher-friendly park and arguably the best starter in the American League, the Tigers are 19th in MLB with 321 runs allowed. Here's the latest on the 40-35 club…
- Manager Jim Leyland tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he wants to manage, but understands if the Tigers decide to hire someone else after the season, when his contract expires. "I’ve always been a believer in this: If somebody thinks that they can get somebody better, they should get him," Leyland said. "That’s what an owner should do.” Wins are the bottom line, even for an accomplished manager like Leyland, as Rosenthal explains
- The Tigers announced that they optioned Adam Wilk and Danny Worth to Triple-A to create 25-man roster space for Brandon Inge, who is now healthy, and right-hander Ryan Perry. The moves didn't impact Detroit's 40-man roster, which is currently full.
- Earlier in the week, John Autin of Baseball-Reference pointed out that Al Alburquerque is on a pace to challenge some historic marks this season. The Tigers signed the right-hander last November after the Rockies cut him loose. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes recently checked in on Alburquerque and other prospects who were dealt in July of 2009.
Olney On Hanley, Phillies, Ellis
Some people in the Marlins organization believe new manager Jack McKeon has exactly what it takes to deal with Hanley Ramirez, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest on the Marlins’ shortstop, who is having the worst offensive season of his career:
- Ramirez’s stock “has dropped to Enron levels.” Some rival evaluators say that his poor start is more than a slump and that the shortstop needs to improve his physical condition.
- “If he doesn't change his body,” one scout said. “He's going to have to move [to a different position] sooner rather than later."
- Click here to check out Olney’s analysis of Ramirez from yesterday.
- No one believes the Phillies when they say they have limited financial flexibility for possible trades, Olney writes.
- The Orioles are another possible fit for Mark Ellis of the A’s. The Giants, one team with some interest in Ellis, have been considering other possible infielders, according to Olney.
Poll: Are The Twins A Legitimate Playoff Threat?
By the time the Twins emerged from May with a 17-36 record, most people had written them off. They were a flawed team with serious injuries, hopelessly far behind the Indians and Tigers in the American League Central.
But since the beginning of June, no team has been playing better than the Twins, who have won 14 of their last 18 games. All of a sudden, they’re 7.5 games out of first place and it seems possible that they’ll be buyers at the trade deadline, rather than sellers.
The Twins still have their issues – Justin Morneau, Jim Thome, Denard Span, Jason Kubel, Kevin Slowey and Joe Nathan are on the DL and Delmon Young hasn't hit - but their strengths have started to carry them. It now seems possible that the Twins could be contenders again. What do you think?
Are the Twins a legitimate playoff threat?
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Yes - they're playing as well as anyone 56% (3,861)
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No - their slow start buried them 44% (3,040)
Total votes: 6,901
Cashman: Reyes To Yankees ‘Not Going To Happen’
GM Brian Cashman told Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News that the Yankees are not going to acquire Jose Reyes any time in the foreseeable future. Cashman said a move for Reyes is “just not going to happen" and explained that he believes in his club’s current shortstops.
"We have an everyday shortstop in Derek Jeter," Cashman said. "And I think we have an everyday shortstop that would be playing for a lot of clubs in Eduardo Nunez. The Yankees don't have a need now or in the future for a shortstop."
Jeter is on the disabled list with an injured right calf and should be ready to return before long. The 17-year veteran is under contract through 2013 and the 24-year-old Nunez won’t even be arbitration eligible until after ’13.
Cashman said he’s “not afraid” to deal with the Mets, but admitted that there’s added pressure when making a crosstown trade. The Yankees need a setup man, so Cashman has been making calls to determine who’s available.
Reyes has told the Mets that he does not want to negotiate an extension during the season. The 28-year-old will hit free agency for the first time this fall.
Red Sox Notes: Cameron, Navarro, Miller
Despite today’s loss, the 44-30 Red Sox have proven that they’re one of baseball’s top teams. Here’s the latest on the Red Sox from Peter Gammons of MLB Network, who joined WEEI’s Mut & Merloni show today (Audio here, Ryan Hannable has the highlights):
- The Red Sox may consider pursuing a right-handed hitting outfielder, since there’s some concern about Mike Cameron. Gammons mentions Jeff Baker of the Cubs and Ryan Spilborghs of the Rockies as possible targets for Boston.
- Minor league infielder Yamaico Navarro is recovering from an oblique injury, but the Red Sox could call on the versatile prospect if they need depth later in the summer. "I know they think that he’s going to be a really important guy to this team, because he’s got so much versatility,” Gammons said. “He’s so young. And he’s grown up a lot in the last year.” Navarro has a .283/.387/.538 line at Triple-A this year.
- The Red Sox envision Andrew Miller as someone who has “the potential of being a big-time power starter” rather than a reliever, Gammons said. The left-hander made his Red Sox debut this week, tossing 5 2/3 innings and allowing seven hits, three walks and three runs while stiking out six.