Red Sox Sign Ryan Shealy
The Red Sox signed Ryan Shealy to a minor league deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Rays granted Shealy his release yesterday after he exercised a June 15th opt-out clause in his contract.
Shealy, 30, last played in the majors in 2008, but was hitting well at Triple A this year. He had ten homers to go along with a .238/.354/.512 line. Rosenthal suggests (via Twitter) that Shealy, a right-handed hitting first baseman, could provide the Red Sox with depth in case they trade Mike Lowell. Shealy's career .271/.335/.429 line shows that he can hit major league pitching.
Angels May Need A Shortstop
Injuries to Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar could force the Angels to trade for or sign a shortstop. For now, GM Tony Reagins tells Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that he’s hoping Aybar’s left knee and Izturis’ left forearm heal on schedule.
"Hopefully, our injury situation isn't long-term," Reagins said. "If it is, you'd probably have to look outside the organization."
The Angels are aware of available shortstops. Adam Everett is a free agent; Maicer’s half-brother Cesar Izturis could become a trade target; the Rays have shortstop depth; Stephen Drew, Ryan Theriot, Omar Vizquel and others could also be available. But the Angels aren’t pursuing any of them.
"We're not at that point," Reagins said.
It’s not a good year to be an Angels infielder. Kendry Morales is out for the season after breaking his leg, so the Angels have been linked to available first basemen for weeks. Despite these injuries, the Angels are just 2.0 games out of first place in the AL West.
Angels Designate Michael Ryan For Assignment
The Angels designated Michael Ryan for assignment after last night's game, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Ryan said he had "a blast" with the Angels, but the club had to make room for Jeff Mathis, who is coming off of the disabled list.
If Ryan clears waivers, the Angels would assign him to Triple A, but the utilityman hasn't decided whether he would accept the assignment. In 41 plate appearances, the 32-year-old hit .205/.220/.308. It was Ryan's first stint in the majors since 2005, when he played for the Twins.
Teams Are Calling About Cliff Lee
GM Jack Zduriencik told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that teams are calling the Mariners to see if Cliff Lee is available. Those clubs see the Mariners’ 25-41 record and hope that they’re ready to sell, but that’s not how Zduriencik sees it.
“I say, ‘Look, I appreciate the phone call, but what we’re trying to do is get back in this thing,’” Zduriencik said.
The M’s are in last place in the AL West, 12.5 games out of a playoff spot, but Zduriencik has not taken names of potential trade targets from other teams. He says he’s not going to “wave the white flag just yet,” but knows that a number of teams will want to chat if that changes.
Lee, 32 in August, has a 2.88 ERA in nine starts since returning from an abdominal injury. He has 7.9 K/9 and a stingy 0.5 BB/9 in 68.2 innings. His $9MM salary is a bargain and he projects as a Type A free agent after the season. That means his team will get two top picks if Lee turns down arbitration to sign elsewhere. Offering arbitration is risky in some cases, but Lee will almost certainly turn it down.
Pedro Plans To Pitch In 2010
THURSDAY, 9:05am: Amaro told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that he hasn't spoken to Pedro's representatives in three weeks to a month, though the club would have some interest if Pedro intends to pitch. A source tells Salisbury that Martinez wants significantly more money than the Phillies would be willing to offer.
WEDNESDAY, 11:48am: Pedro Martinez plans to pitch in the second half of the season, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is training in the Dominican Republic and Miami in preparation for a second consecutive second-half return.
Pedro, now 38, pitched to a 3.63 ERA in 44.2 innings last year with 7.5 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9. It wasn’t until August 12th that Pedro made his 2009 debut and the rest seemed to help. His average fastball was 89 mph, higher than any year since 2004.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. was in touch with Pedro last month and confirmed that the dialogue continues.
"We are not negotiating, but we've been talking to him,” Amaro said. “It all depends on whether he wants to play or not."
The Rangers, Cardinals, Tigers, Reds and Mets are among the contenders that could look to add starters. However, a return to Queens seems unlikely, since the Mets appear to have little interest.
Poll: Mike Lowell’s Next Team
Ever since the Rangers nearly acquired him over the winer, Mike Lowell has been in trade rumors non-stop. The Rangers, Angels and Twins have seemed like fits at times, but Lowell remains in a Red Sox uniform even though it's been apparent for a while that he doesn't have a role in Boston. He has batted just 25 times in the last month and barely starts anymore. Some teams could use corner infield help – does that mean Lowell will be traded?
Where will the Red Sox trade Mike Lowell?
Click here to vote and here to view the results.
Dodgers Sign Claudio Vargas
The Dodgers signed Claudio Vargas, according to the transactions page for the team's Triple A affiliate. The Brewers released the 31-year-old pitcher last week after designating him for assignment.
Vargas has a 7.32 ERA in 17 appearances this year with 8.2 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. The fastball-slider pitcher has allowed 28 hits, including three home runs in 19.2 innings.
Amateur Draft Signings: Wednesday
It's only been ten days since the draft, but teams are quickly coming to terms with their picks. Here are the latest updates on the deals you need to know about. You can track first rounders and their bonuses right here:
- The Red Sox made ten draft pick signings official, according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier.
- John Lowe of The Detroit Free Press reports that the Tigers have signed eighth round pick Pat Leyland, the son of manager Jim Leyland.
- The Padres signed 20 players, including second rounder Jedd Gyorko, according to the team.
- The White Sox signed second rounder Jacob Petricka, third rounders Addison Reed and Thomas Royse and 19 others, according to the team.
- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch lists the 33 picks the Cardinals have signed.
- The D'Backs signed 15 picks, including ninth rounder Zachary Walters, according to the Arizona Republic.
- The A's signed fifth rounder Tyler Vail and five others, according to the team.
- James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press reports that ninth rounder Tony Plagman and 15 other picks agreed to terms with the Tigers today.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (via Twitter) that the Indians signed their 40th rounder and three undrafted free agents.
Royals Release John Parrish
The Royals released John Parrish, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The lefty has been sidelined with shoulder problems and last pitched on April 24th.
The Royals signed Parrish to a minor league deal in January and got six relatively productive innings out of the him. He struck out four and allowed as many hits in six innings, walking five. The 32-year-old has big league experience with the Orioles, Mariners and Blue Jays; until he joins his next franchise he's a free agent.
The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Anthony Lerew, who has been recalled from Triple-A according to Daniel Paulling of The Kansas City Star.
Third Base Options For The Twins
The Twins are a good team, but it's in spite of the production they're getting at the hot corner. Ron Gardenhire's third baseman have combined to hit just .213/.283/.280 with a pair of home runs. Nick Punto and Brendan Harris each have slugging percentages below .300, so the Twins recently called on top prospect Danny Valencia. That move gives the Twins more power than the Punto-Harris combination, but it doesn't assure them of anything. Let's take a look at the Twins' options as they try to get some offense from their third basemen:
- Hope that Valencia hits - Baseball America named Valencia an untouchable before last year's trade deadline, and ranked him sixth among Twins prospects heading into the year. At that point, Valencia had a promising bat, but was an inconsistent defender because of "subpar concentration and footwork." Valencia, 25, has hit .323/.364/.323 since arriving in the majors in early June, so his bat is no sure thing either.
- Call up the Red Sox - Ken Rosenthal reported over the weekend that the Twins' field staff would like to add Mike Lowell, though the front office has concerns about his durability. The $7.1MM remaining on Lowell's 2010 salary would also be an obstacle.
- Trade for an Oriole – The Twins could call the Orioles about Miguel Tejada (.676 OPS, $6MM salary) or Ty Wigginton (.854 OPS, $3.5MM salary). Tejada is playing third for the O's and Wigginton has spent most of his career at the hot corner and has recent experience there.
- Ask about LaRoche – There's no room for Andy LaRoche in Pittsburgh, now that the Pedro Alvarez era has begun. LaRoche has just a .232/.295/.316 line, but the 26-year-old posted a .731 OPS and played solid defense last year.
- Turn to the free agent market - Joe Crede defended well and hit 15 homers for the Twins in 2009. However, he had back, shoulder, hand, knee and hamstring issues last year and hasn't faced MLB pitching since.
- Hope that the Blue Jays keep slumping – There's no guarantee that the Blue Jays keep slumping or that they'll have interest in moving Jose Bautista if they do fall out of contention. Those 18 homers and the fact that Bautista doesn't become a free agent until after 2011 mean the Jays could ask for a highly-touted prospect or two. It wouldn't be the first time the Twins picked up a former Blue Jay with power to play third; the club added Tony Batista back in 2006.