Casey Fossum Becomes A Free Agent
Casey Fossum has opted out of his contract to become a free agent, according to The Scranton Times-Tribune. He was pitching for Triple A Scranton in the Yankees organization after the Mets designated him for assignment in April.
Fossum, 31, has good numbers in ten starts for Scranton. He's averaging just five innings per start, but has allowed less than a hit per inning with 43 strikeouts and 16 walks. Fossum also pitched briefly for the Mets and their Triple A affiliate.
Odds And Ends: Belliard, Atkins, Ayala
Some links to peruse as we await the baseball equivalent of the Shaq trade…
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that Ronnie Belliard isn't sure if he'll play another season.
- Mark DeRosa tops the list of infielders most likely to be traded, if you ask Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports.
- Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post says the Rockies shouldn't deal anyone but Garrett Atkins.
- Huston Street believes getting traded led to a "good opportunity," according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer says Luis Ayala is far from irreplaceable.
- I'll be talking rumors on the TEAM 1380 in St. Louis at around 6:20 CST tonight, so tune in if you get the chance.
Marlins Looking For Relievers
According to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, Matt Lindstrom's injury has prompted the Marlins to start shopping for relievers. Lindstrom will miss at least six weeks and the Marlins, who are a mere 2.0 games behind the division-leading Phillies, don't want to go that long without another arm.
Spencer mentions LaTroy Hawkins and George Sherrill as possible solutions, but says the Marlins wouldn't likely want to give up the players required to land Sherrill. I'll add Luis Ayala and Jon Switzer to the list, as both were just designated for assignment and could be acquired more easily.
Astros Agree To Terms With Jiovanni Mier
THURSDAY, 9:05am: Richard Justice of the Chronicle reports that the deal is for $1.358MM, which is slightly over slot.
3:35pm: Mier told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that he reached a deal with the Astros, pending a physical later in the week.
2:55pm: Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reports that Astros scouting director Bobby Heck says "talks are still ongoing" with Mier.
WEDNESDAY, 12:10pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law reports that the Astros agreed to terms with first round pick Jiovanni Mier. As Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle reported after the draft, Mier is an 18-year-old shortstop with good field awareness and a good bat.
Last month, ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill said Mier has the potential to add power, but really excites scouts because of his defense.
Click here to see which first rounders have signed so far.
Pirates Interested In Luis Ayala
9:28pm: John Perrotto has another article up, saying the Pirates are only interested in Ayala at a "greatly reduced cost," i.e. the "vast majority" of the $700k still owed to him would need to be picked up by the Twins.
8:22am: The Pirates are interested in trading for reliever Luis Ayala, according to Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com confirms the Pirates' interest in the 31-year-old righty, who was designated for assignment by the Twins on Monday.
Odds And Ends: Rockies, Spilborghs, Harper
More links for Wednesday evening…
- In this SI.com article, Joel Sherman reports that Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd isn't sure what to think about his team just yet. "The next five weeks will determine who we really are," he said.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer believe the Rockies are for real.
- ESPN.com's Peter Gammons says the Rangers, Red Sox, Mets, Rays and Tigers are among the teams that could be interested in Ryan Spilborghs.
- David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Brian McCann and Joe Mauer are two of the best hitting catchers of his lifetime.
- Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News reports the Giants signed third rounder Chris Dominguez.
- Keith Law of ESPN.com says Bryce Harper needs a challenge, so enrolling in junior college was the right call. Here's a video clip (insider only) of Harper taking some cuts.
- East Windup Chronicle says the Cubs signed a Taiwanese high schooler, Chen Pin-chie, to a minor league deal.
- This year's rookies haven't overwhelmed as a group, but that doesn't stop ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick from highlighting nine of the game's most impressive first year players.
Knobler On Cardinals, Phillies, Giants
Danny Knobler of CBS Sports identifies the five neediest teams in baseball. No team will be able to acquire big names easily, however, as officials around the league agree that impact arms and bats aren't available with so many teams in the race. Here's a closer look at Knobler's rumors:
- The Cardinals have had less production out of the cleanup spot than just about any NL team and GM John Mozeliak says he's "not ignoring" the issue.
- As one official points out, "thirty teams in baseball could use Mark DeRosa" and the Cardinals could use him most of all.
- Knobler expects the Phillies to continue looking for a starting pitcher. He doesn't rule out Erik Bedard and says the Phils have considered Zach Duke and Paul Maholm.
- The Giants could use a hitter and Knobler hears that Brian Sabean's facing pressure from his superiors to make a move.
- The Brewers could use an arm, as we know.
- Omar Minaya seems more intense than usual, but the many injuries to his players could make it harder for him to justify making one big move. As one Mets official said, the team is in a "bad position."
Heyman On Strasburg, Pedro, DeRosa
Jon Heyman of SI.com lists some of the best and worst starts to the season. Justin Upton and Marco Scutaro are two of the players to make the first list. Heyman's also got some rumors to pass along; here they are:
- It is believed that Stephen Strasburg's people don't want him to pitch in the majors this year.
- Strasburg's agent, Scott Boras, is believed to have mentioned Jose Contreras, who signed for $32MM, and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who signed for $52MM, as comparable players.
- It doesn't sound like former Astros GM Gerry Hunsicker will end up as the Nationals' next GM, though the Nats are said to be considering names other than Mike Rizzo's for the permanent job.
- Heyman says a Doug Davis return to Milwaukee could make sense.
- The Rays would like to add a closer without adding payroll, which will be a challenge.
- Rays GM Andrew Friedman hasn't ruled out Pedro Martinez, but says he's a long shot.
- Heyman hears that the Cardinals and Mets are two of the teams calling the Indians about Mark DeRosa.
Nationals DFA Kip Wells, Call On Clippard
MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that the Nationals designated reliever Kip Wells for assignment to make room for Tyler Clippard. Wells, a 32-year-old righty, has an ERA of 6.49 in just over 26 innings, with 18 strikeouts and as many walks.
Free Agent Update
June isn't typically a big month for free agency, but few teams seem willing to make their players available, so we could see clubs turn to the free agent market to add depth for the stretch run. Here are updates on a few of the players who could help contending teams the most:
- Pedro Martinez – We heard all about Pedro last week and now we have a list of teams that won't sign him. The Angels, Dodgers and Yankees aren't interested, the Nats and Brewers didn't see him throw, the Rangers think he's too pricey and the Rays only have interest in him as a starter. Could the Cubs or Cardinals offer him a deal?
- Ben Sheets – He's not far enough along to be talking contract, but the Rangers have maintained contact with him. The Dodgers, Tigers, Angels and, ironically, the Brewers are among the teams that could use another starter.
- Paul Byrd – There's been little reported interest in Byrd, but he says he's ready to go and waiting for calls. Last year he averaged six innings for 30 starts and kept his walk rate under two per nine, so he could be a solid pickup.
- Wily Mo Pena – Not the difference maker teams dream about adding, but he has pop and is still just 27. We haven't heard anything since the Mets released him the other day.
- Javier Valentin – Valentin, who was released along with Pena, played respectably in a part time role as a catcher in Cincinnati for the past five seasons, posting a .755 OPS in over 400 games.