Tigers Acquire Brandon Jones
The Tigers acquired Brandon Jones from the Pirates for a player to be named later, according to MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (Twitter link). Detroit assigned the minor league veteran to AA Erie, so he won't be an immediate addition to the Tigers' injury-depleted lineup.
Back in January, the Pirates claimed Jones from Atlanta, where he spent parts of three seasons. Jones picked up 166 plate appearances with the Braves, hitting one homer and posting a .257/.313/.365 line. In seven minor league seasons, the 26-year-old has shown more power and patience, as his .276/.353/.435 line shows. Jones has spent most of his time in left field, though he can also play right.
Nationals Rumors: Ramos, Capps, Dunn
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo explained to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com that he asked for specific players in potential deals and refused to make trades when clubs kept offering different combinations of players that didn't include the Nats' target. Here are other trade-related notes from Rizzo’s exchange with Goessling:
- The Nationals believe Wilson Ramos will be an everyday catcher in the near future and have confidence that he could be a regular MLB catcher right now.
- Matt Capps, the player the Nationals traded to obtain Ramos, will get a raise through arbitration next year, but the upcoming pay hike did not compel the Nats to move their former closer.
- Rizzo says the club wasn’t looking to trade Adam Dunn, and “didn't find the value for him.”
- The Nationals were not looking to make “a quantity deal” for multiple so-so prospects. Instead, Rizzo wanted impact players.
- The deadline is fun for fans, but what about executives? Rizzo says he enjoys the trade deadline, since it’s “kind of fantasy baseball in the real world.”
Braves Request Outright Waivers For Chris Resop
The Braves requested outright waivers for Chris Resop, according to Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Outright waivers are not revocable, so the Braves won't be able to pull Resop back if a rival team claims him. If Resop clears waivers, the Braves will open up a 40-man roster spot and Resop will choose between a Triple A assignment or free agency. He is out of options, so the Braves can't send him to the minors without exposing him to other teams.
The Braves called Resop up on June 15th, partly because he had a clause in his contract that would have forced the club to make him available to its rivals if he wasn't in the majors by that date. He missed time with an oblique injury and only pitched two innings for Atlanta. Resop allowed five earned runs and walked three of the 14 batters he faced.
His MLB numbers are disappointing, especially considering how well he pitched in the minors this season. Resop posted a 1.84 ERA in 73.1 innings with 9.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 before getting the call to the majors.
Cardinals Sign Nate Robertson
The Cardinals signed Nate Robertson to a minor league deal, according to B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com (via Twitter). The Marlins released the left-hander last month after an extended stint in Florida's rotation. Now, Robertson will report to Triple A Memphis, though it's not clear what his role will be with the Redbirds.
Robertson struggled through 18 starts with the Marlins, posting a 5.47 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. The Cardinals will have considerable rotation depth if and when Kyle Lohse (forearm) and Brad Penny (shoulder) return from the injuries that have sidelined them. The Cards recently acquired starter Jake Westbrook, so they could consider using Robertson as a reliever.
Nationals Sign Yunesky Maya
AUGUST 1st: The Nationals have confirmed the signing, via a team press release. Maya's major league contract is for four years, though the salary is still unconfirmed. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post hears the deal is worth $6MM, while El Nuevo Herald's Jorge Ebro tweets a figure of $8MM, so it's safe to say that Maya will earn somewhere in that range.
JULY 20th: The Nationals reached a preliminary agreement with Cuban right-hander Yunesky Maya for an undisclosed amount, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes (Spanish link). Rojas' source says Maya will undergo a physical next week in Washington. The 28-year-old also drew interest from the Red Sox, Indians, Phillies, Blue Jays, Mets, Yankees and others.
Maya had been eligible to sign with big league teams for the last month and he was unblocked two months ago. He has considerable experience as a starter in Cuba. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo did not confirm or deny the signing, but he did rave about the pitcher to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
Quiet Deadline For Blue Jays
Many of the best trade chips in baseball play for the Toronto Blue Jays, but the team held onto all of them when their rivals didn’t meet the club’s asking price. Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Kevin Gregg, Jose Bautista and John Buck remain in Toronto for one simple reason: in the end, no team presented GM Alex Anthopoulos with an overwhelming offer.
“I don’t think we were that close today,” Anthopoulos said. “There were things we had on the table that were available to us, but not enough to make us make a trade.”
A year ago today, the Jays held onto the biggest trade chip in baseball: Roy Halladay. This season Anthopoulos targeted the same kinds of players that his predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi did.
“The greatest challenge we have is getting those elite players,” Anthopoulos said. “We’re always going to continue to shoot high and try to get those impact players.”
Multiple teams considered Scott Downs an impact reliever. The 34-year-old may have been the best left-handed reliever available, but he remains a Blue Jay. After a few months, the rumors and speculation became a bigger part of everyday life for Blue Jays relievers.
“It started to,” Downs said. “I can’t lie, it started to a little bit, but it’s a business.”
Downs, Frasor, Gregg and Buck could potentially bring the Blue Jays draft picks in the 2011 draft. If the four players maintain their current standings in the Elias rankings and all turn down offers of arbitration from the Blue Jays, the team could be working with as many as six extra picks in next year’s draft. It’s a big ‘if,’ but one the Blue Jays were keenly aware of.
“It’s absolutely part of the criteria,” Anthopoulos said. “You look at players that are free agents that could have compensation attached to them and you have a lot of options.”
Many teams liked Jose Bautista, but the MLB home run leader is still in Toronto. As far as he’s concerned, that’s a good thing.
“There were a lot of rumors out there,” Bautista said. “But the end result is I’m still here and this is where I wanted to be.”
The July 31st deadline means the end of non-waiver trades, but there’s still the potential for deals. Anthopoulos expects to explore trade possibilities next month, but most of his trade chips wouldn’t clear waivers. August will likely be quieter than July, but the Blue Jays are open to making deals.
“I’d say we’d be active in terms of exploring the waiver wire, talking to clubs, but in terms of actually getting a deal done, impossible to say,” Anthopoulos said.
Multiple Teams Eyeing Brandon League
2:06pm: Aside from the Dodgers and Rays, add the Marlins to the mix for League according to Stark. Not a big surprise.
1:51pm: The Rays are unlikely to make a deal today, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
1:41pm: The Dodgers are also in on League, tweets Ken Rosenthal.
1:13pm: The Rays are interested in Scott Downs and Brandon League, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links). Tampa Bay added Chad Qualls this morning, but lost Grant Balfour to the DL for 4-6 weeks with an intercostal strain (Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times reporting on Twitter).
Downs and his former teammate, League, will not come cheap, according to Sherman, but the Rays continue looking for relief help despite a thin, highly-priced market. The Giants may be in serious talks with the Blue Jays regarding Downs and reportedly have interest in League, too.
Cardinals, Padres, Indians Complete Deal Involving Westbrook, Ludwick
The Cardinals, Padres, and Indians completed a complicated three-team deal today. Starter Jake Westbrook and Padres prospect Nick Greenwood go to the Cardinals, the Padres get Ryan Ludwick, and the Indians get prospect Corey Kluber. The Indians will send cash to the Cardinals and some cash to the Padres, but they still save money in the deal, according to Indians vice president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. The trade needed union approval, as Westbrook reduced the $2MM trade bonus in his contract. Westbrook has yet to pocket about $3.9MM of his $11MM salary for 2010.
The Cardinals' interest in Westbrook had been known for a while, as they've been dealing with injuries to Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse. Westbrook has a 4.65 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 53.3% groundball rate this season. He had Tommy John surgery in June of '08, and wasn't healthy until this year.
The Indians discussed the deal late into the night, partly because of Westbrook’s trade assignment bonus. The right-hander co-operated with the Indians when it came to the bonus, partly because he missed time with injuries.
“I didn’t really feel like I honored the contract as much as I would have liked to have,” Westbrook said.
The Cardinals should have their new starter in short order, as Westbrook will now head to St. Louis. He would be open to returning to the Indians after the season, when he becomes a free agent. For now, he says he’s looking forward to joining a team in the pennant race.
“I’m excited to go to a club contending for a playoff spot and pitch in some meaningful ballgames,” Westbrook said.
Ludwick was not known to be available, but perhaps the strong play of Jon Jay swayed the Cardinals. The 32-year-old Ludwick has settled at a level between his stellar '08 and disappointing '09 seasons. He's under team control for next year, so the Padres will step up and pay his potential $8MM salary for 2011. The Padres designated recently-acquired Quintin Berry for assignment to make room for Ludwick.
Kluber, 24, has a 3.45 ERA in AA with 10.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. The Padres selected the right-hander in the fourth round of the 2007 draft and have eased him through the minor leagues. In 122.2 innings this season, the 6'4" starter has allowed just 121 hits. Antonetti says the Indians like Kluber's four pitch mix and low-90s fastball, but he doesn't like trading away veteran players.
“We don’t like doing these deals," Antonetti said. "We want to be on the other end of them.”
The Padres selected Greenwood in the 14th round of last year's draft and he's now pitching at A ball. The 22-year-old lefty has a 4.15 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 as a starter in the Midwest League.
Tom Krasovic of AOLFanHouse, Joel Sherman of the New York Post, ESPN.com's Buster Olney, Dan Hayes of the North County Times, Jon Heyman of SI.com and Bob Nightengale of USA Today all contributed to the story as it broke on Twitter. MLBTR gathered all the above quotes.
Blue Jays Haven’t Approached Overbay About Deals
The Blue Jays are considering many deals, but as of 10am CST, they have not approached Lyle Overbay about any trades. The first baseman points out that the Brett Wallace trade changed the landscape for the Jays, but realizes he’s not the hottest commodity at this year’s deadline.
“The market for a first baseman hitting .250 is not out there,” Overbay told MLBTR. “It just seems like the teams that need them haven’t really done anything or they’ve gone a different way."
The 34-year-old is hitting .251/.326/.421 with 12 homers this season and has a no-trade clause, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. It seemed likely that Wallace would play first for Toronto in 2011. With the prospect now in the Astros organization, Overbay won’t rule out a return to the Blue Jays.
“That’s something I’m open to,” Overbay said. “I’m open to anything. Being a free agent is for me and my family so I can make the decision according to that.”
But that decision is months away. For now, Overbay is looking ahead to game time.
“After the game starts you don’t really think about [trades] unless you get a guy coming in for you for pinch running like Austin Kearns,” he said.
Cody Ross Unlikely To Be Traded
SATURDAY, 9:21am: The Marlins are unlikely to trade Ross, reports Rosenthal, as they can't find the right deal.
FRIDAY, 5:05pm: Executives of one team heard that they could acquire Ross for the right offer, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Braves and Red Sox have interest in Ross and could acquire the outfielder for the right price, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
3:39pm: Cody Ross is "off the table," according to Frankie Piliere of AOL FanHouse (on Twitter). The Braves and other clubs are now looking in different directions. It appears that Chris Coghlan's injury made the Marlins more inclined to keep Ross, though MLB.com's Joe Frisaro says Ross was off the table before Coghlan's ill-fated celebration (Twitter link).
Earlier today, it appeared that the Braves were one of three teams “coming hard” after Ross, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. ESPN.com’s Buster Olney and Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that a number of teams were pursuing Ross (Twitter links only).