Odds & Ends: Bettis, Royals, Astros, Pierzynski
Links for Friday, as interleague play resumes…
- Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies tweets that Colorado signed second round pick Chad Bettis after he passed his physical.
- The Royals signed seven draft picks according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel, and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports that the Astros have done the same.
- Ozzie Guillen said bluntly "A.J. [Pierzynski] isn't getting traded," according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times. Said the ChiSox manager: "I talked to A.J. a couple of days ago and said 'Listen man, you're not going to get traded." (Twitter links).
- Meanwhile, Pierzynski can't wait for his 10-and-5 rights to kick in this weekend, says Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune.
- Pirates' GM Neal Huntington chatted with fans about this week's amateur draft at MLB.com.
- The Athletics have signed 17 draft picks according to a team press release, including sixth rounder Tony Thompson and ninth rounder A.J. Kirby-Jones.
- Jeff Wilson of The Star-Telegram reports that the Rangers have signed 19 draft picks, highlighted by eighth rounder Jonathan Roof.
- The Braves have agreed to terms with second round pick Andrelton Simmons, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (via Twitter).
- A team source told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times that White Sox GM Kenny Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen almost came to blows yesterday.
- Guillen downplayed the tension between him and Williams and told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune that he wants to stay in Chicago (Twitter link).
- You can now go back further than ever through MLBTR's recent posts by clicking "Previous" at the bottom of the site.
- The Reds are expected to sign their second rounder as early as tonight, according to Mike Pryson of the Jackson Citizen Patriot. Ryan LaMarre told Pryson that he has come to terms with the Reds.
- If you're a Mariners fan, I don't recommend reading this: Tom Verducci of SI.com explains how Yuniesky Betancourt may have cost the Mariners the chance to draft Stephen Strasburg.
- Carlos Santana got the call from the Indians and will debut tonight, writes Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (link in Spanish). Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer confirms the move via Twitter.
- Dan Connolly and Don Markus of the Baltimore Sun report that the Orioles will interview Bobby Valentine for their managerial job today.
- Connolly notes that the Orioles interviewed Eric Wedge Wednesday.
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears that the Orioles are also considering Buck Showalter for the job.
- Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox should release Mike Lowell instead of playing with what is essentially a 24-man roster.
Rays To Sign First Rounder, Close To Deal With Second Rounder
9:43pm: Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that O'Conner will receive $1.025MM, making him the first 2010 draftee to sign for more money than the corresponding pick in 2009. Brett Jackson signed with the Cubs for $970K last year as the 31st overall pick.
FRIDAY, 4:53pm: O'Conner told Smith that he will sign tonight.
THURSDAY, 4:43pm: Smith also reports that second-rounder Derek Dietrich, taken 79th overall by the Rays, is at Tropicana Field. Smith writes that "a deal could be finalized today" and Dietrich could be playing in the Tampa Bay system as soon as the weekend.
10:38am: The Rays will sign first round pick Justin O'Conner for an unknown amount tonight, according to Thomas St. Myer of the Muncie Star Press. The deal, which is pending a physical, comes as no surprise since Joe Smith of the St. Petersburg Times reported earlier in the week that the team had the framework of a deal in place with O'Conner.
The 18-year-old catcher had committed to playing at the University of Arkansas, but will instead begin his pro career. MLB.com's scouting report says that going into the draft, some teams liked O'Conner as a pitcher who throws a mid-90s fastball. Josh Sale, the other player the team selected in the first round, could soon join O’Conner. Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison told Smith that the team plans to start contract talks with Sale.
Recommended Bonuses
Top draft picks can ask for however much they like each summer because nothing officially limits the amount teams spend on their draft picks. Bud Selig presents each team with a recommendation for its slot, but the clubs don't have to stick to it. Here's a quick explanation of slotting:
- Selig recommends a limit to keep bonuses down.
- There are no direct consequences for a club that awards a big bonus.
- Teams aren't supposed to know what the recommended bonuses are for other slots.
Thanks to Murray Chass's recent article on the subject. This post was originally published June 9th, 2009.
D’Backs Meeting To Consider Major Moves
The D’Backs will consider trading anyone but Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, as they evaluate the best way to turn the team around, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. Heyman hears that owner Ken Kendrick, president Derrick Hall and GM Josh Byrnes are in the midst of meetings to determine the best course of action for the 24-37 team. Last week, Hall told the Arizona Republic that he was open to changes given the club’s disappointing start.
Upton and Kennedy will not be dealt, and Mark Reynolds is likely to stay, but the D’Backs would consider moving others. They would listen on Dan Haren, though the club might prefer to keep him if they believe they can contend in the near future. Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson are possible trade candidates for GM Josh Byrnes, who admits he has to consider trades.
Byrnes has been fighting hard to keep manager A.J. Hinch around, according to Heyman. Hinch, who had never managed before taking over the club last year, does not make a seven-figure salary, so the D’Backs could fire him without having to absorb too much money. And the man who hired Hinch? Heyman reports that no one realistically expects Byrnes to be in the line of fire.
Blue Jays Sign Noah Syndergaard
The Blue Jays signed supplementary rounder Noah Syndergaard, according to Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Syndergaard, a high school right-hander from Texas, was selected 38th overall and signed for an unknown amount.
The 17-year-old was one of four right-handed pitchers the Blue Jays selected in the first 41 picks of the draft. Syndergaard throw 92-93 mph and has a "solid delivery," according to Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star. The Blue Jays, who would not have obtained compensation in the 2011 draft if they had failed to sign Syndergaard, can now focus on reaching agreements with right-handers Deck McGuire, Aaron Sanchez and Asher Wojciechowski.
Anticipating Chris Resop’s Next Team
Chris Resop should be in the major leagues before long, it’s just a question of where. The right-hander has pitched to a 1.84 ERA in 13 Triple A starts this year, striking out more than a batter per inning, and he has a clause in his contract that forces the Braves to expose him to the 29 other clubs if he's not on Atlanta's 25-man roster by June 15th.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports that the trade market has yet to develop for Resop, who pitched a one-hitter last night. MLB.com's Mark Bowman agrees and notes that no MLB scouts watched Resop last night. Morosi reports that the Braves will trade Resop if they see a good offer, but they’ll promote him if they don’t see a proposal they like. Resop could replace struggling reliever Jesse Chavez in the team’s bullpen.
It’s hard to pinpoint Resop’s value, but as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs points out, pitchers with 9.9 K/9 with ground ball rates approaching 50% open some eyes. Plus, since he doesn’t have much big league experience, Resop would be more than a rental. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Tigers or Mets pursue the 27-year-old.
Yankees, Mets Will Have Interest In Cliff Lee
The Yankees haven’t started talking with the Mariners about Cliff Lee yet, but they will have interest if Jack Zduriencik makes him available and so will the Mets. Several executives tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mariners have pro scouts eyeing rival teams’ minor league prospects, even though they haven’t decided to deal Lee at this point. But unless the M's go on a major hot streak, it looks like Lee will be traded for the third time since last summer.
"I would expect to see Lee traded barring a 20 out of the next 30 run by the Mariners,” an AL personnel man told Sherman. “I would not think he'd be traded this month, but if Seattle wants the best return, it would be better off doing it now."
Many teams will have interest in Lee, including the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees believe the Mariners would ask for Jesus Montero or Austin Romine in a trade for Lee and they would prefer to hold onto their top prospects as long as the price is that steep. Mets officials tell Sherman that they’ll acquire a starter, possibly Lee, if they remain contenders.
Lee currently ranks as a Type A free agent, so his team will have the chance to obtain two top draft picks for him by offering arbitration this winter. Barring the unexpected, Lee's team will offer arbitration and he will turn it down.
Regular MLBTR Features
If you're a regular MLBTR reader, you'll be familiar with our chats, our Week In Review posts and Mike Axisa's Baseball Blogs Weigh In feature. Here's some more detail on when you'll see our weekly features and exactly what to expect from them:
- Radio Appearances – Tim appears on 590 KFNS in St. Louis every Tuesday at 1:25pm CST. You can always listen live here.
- MLBTR Chats – Come by every Wednesday at 2pm CST to chat with Tim Dierkes or me about the latest trades, signings and rumblings around the major leagues.
- Baseball Blogs Weigh In – Every Friday morning, Mike Axisa directs you to some of the best writing on baseball blogs around the web. Whether it's opinion, stats or something else entirely, you can connect to the best of the blogosphere once a week on MLBTR. If you want to send Mike a post of yours, reach him at: mike@riveraveblues.com.
- Week In Review – It's amazing how much happens in seven days. Every Sunday night, we summarize the week's biggest stories and link to some of our original content in our Week In Review posts.
Angels Sign Daniel Cabrera
The Angels signed Daniel Cabrera, according to the transactions page of the team's AA affiliate. Cabrera, who was released by the White Sox in March, will begin his 2010 season with the Arkansas Travelers. Though it seems like Cabrera has been around for ages, he just turned 29.
The 6'9" right-hander spent parts of five seasons in Baltimore, where he became known for his high walk rates, mid-90s fastball and ability to induce ground balls. As a member of the Orioles' rotation, Cabrera never posted an ERA below 4.50 and he led the league in walks twice, wild pitches twice and hit batsmen once.
Last year, Cabrera posted a 6.00 ERA in 15 games for the Nationals and Diamondbacks. He had career-worst rates of 7.4 BB/9 and 4.1 K/9 and saw his average fastball velocity dip to 91 mph. The Angels may not get any production from Cabrera, but it's not hard to see why they're intrigued.
Dodgers Sign Kiko Calero
The Dodgers signed Kiko Calero, according to the transactions page of the team's Triple A affiliate. Calero didn't draw much attention as a free agent last winter, but the Mets eventually signed him. The 35-year-old right-hander didn't make the Mets and struggled at Triple A Buffalo before getting his release last month.
In 17 minor league innings this year, Calero posted a 10.59 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9. He was easier to hit than he was last year, when he allowed just 36 hits in 60 innings. Calero pitched to a 1.95 ERA in 67 games in 2009, but teams worried about his health after the season. That didn't stop eight clubs from offering minor league deals this winter, however.