Padres Take Cash For Gaudin
Corey Brock at MLB.com reports that the Padres will receive cash in return for pitcher Chad Gaudin, who was traded to the Yankees August 7. The sum the Padres will receive is "believed to be" $100,000, according to Brock.
The deal was initially reported to be for a player to be named later. As it turns out, the Padres had until September 1 to decide between a PTBNL and cash considerations.
Odds & Ends: Rizzo, A’s, Draft, Williams
Some tidbits from around the league on Thursday evening…
- ESPN's Peter Gammons outlines the methods Nationals GM Mike Rizzo used to land Stephen Strasburg. He also discusses the long road Rizzo has ahead of him.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban writes that the Athletics are enjoying success despite trading Matt Holliday and Orlando Cabrera.
- Dave Cameron at Fangraphs argues that the draft should be "abolished" and offers a creative suggestion for how to replace it.
- MLB.com's Scott Merkin talks to White Sox GM Kenny Williams, who is happy with the team he has constructed. In fact, Williams says that he "would love to bring back this whole darn team."
Padres Send Patterson to Athletics
According to Corey Brock of MLB.com, via Twitter, the Padres are sending reliever Scott Patterson to the A's for cash. Patterson, who turned 30 this year, was pitching for the Padres AAA affiliate. He pitched 4.2 innings for the Yankees and the Padres last year.
Brock also notes that the Padres have signed reliever Rocky Cherry and sent him to Portland. Cherry most recently pitched in the Red Sox minor league system.
Nationals Tab Rizzo As GM
8:55pm: We can close the books on this one for now: Bill Ladson at MLB.com reports that Mike Rizzo will be named the permanent general manager of the Nationals at a news conference on Thursday. The decision was apparently made earlier this week, probably in the thick of the Strasburg negotiations.
Rizzo has made some pretty sage moves for the Nationals so far, and it looks like he's taking the beleaguered franchise in a good direction. It's unclear how long he's been signed for or why previous news had suggested the complete opposite.
8:16pm: This story looks more and more dubious as the hours pass. Chico Harlan at the Post reports that Rizzo was seen loose and joking with Nationals president Stan Kasten pre-game today, and he's currently scheduled for a Friday fan Q&A on the Strasburg signing. Harlan also says that Rizzo was the sole negotiator of the Strasburg deal in its final minutes and that, at this point, "[Rizzo's] stock has never been higher." When reached for comment, Rizzo was "mum" on the current situation, Bill Ladson at MLB.com says.
3:04pm: Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports hears that though the Nats have not yet decided on a permanent GM, they will decide on one this week. The team will introduce Stephen Strasburg at a Friday press conference, so an announcement before then would be a surprise.
2:53pm: A source tells Chico Harlan of the Washington Post that the reports saying the Nats have decided to replace Rizzo with DiPoto are false.
"The decision has already been made," the source said. "And the best I can tell you- what's been written is 100% wrong."
The Nats have not told DiPoto or Red Sox exec Jed Hoyer of their decision, according to Harlan's source.
2:22pm: ESPN.com's Keith Law hears that the Nationals are not about to award Jerry DiPoto the GM job.
WEDNESDAY, 11:02am: Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that D'Backs exec Jerry DiPoto has told friends he will accept the Nats GM job.
TUESDAY, 9:43pm: According to Gordon Edes of Yahoo.com, "multiple sources insisted" today that the Nationals are about to replace interim GM Mike Rizzo with Diamondbacks vice president Jerry DiPoto.
Rizzo has been busy since replacing Jim Bowden as GM earlier this year. He brought in Nyjer Morgan and fired Manny Acta. Most notably, perhaps, he has been given credit for engineering the signing of pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg.
DiPoto, who has been in charge of the Diamondbacks' pro scouting for four years, denied any knowledge that such a job change was imminent.
Odds and Ends: Pudge, Reds, Boras, Gordon
Links from around the league on Tuesday evening…
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle writes that the Astros got good value in return for Pudge Rodriguez.
- John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer talks to Reds GM Walt Jocketty about the plan for his team's future.
- Kevin Kaduk at Yahoo.com argues that Scott Boras neither won nor lost the Strasburg contract negotiations.
- Matthew Pouliot at NBCSports.com writes that the Royals "hit a new low" by demoting Alex Gordon.
- And Baseball America breaks down each team's total spending on the first ten rounds of the draft.
Discussion: Is The Draft Broken?
Jayson Stark at ESPN argues that the draft "will never be the same" in the wake of the Stephen Strasburg signing. He quotes club officials who tell him that the draft is "broken" and that the system "needs to be blown up."
Among potential changes that should be discussed, Stark lists a formal slotting system, the ability to trade draft picks, a worldwide draft, and a hockey-style system wherein draft picks would be controlled through their college years.
What do you think? Are bonuses for top picks out of control? Should teams be able to trade picks? Should the way international players are signed change? Is everything just fine the way it is? Let's figure it all out in the comments section.
Yanks Acquire Chad Gaudin
11:27pm: Peter Abraham of the LoHud Journal reminds us that the Cubs released Gaudin in April, so they're on the hook for all but the pro-rated league minimum. Surely the Cubs wish they'd non-tendered Gaudin, but perhaps they needed the spring to decide. – Tim Dierkes
9:31: Kepner tweets that the "plan is for Gaudin to start off in the bullpen."
9:17: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Yankees "owe roughly $650K to Gaudin the rest of the year."
9:07: Tyler Kepner of the New York Times is reporting on Twitter that the Yankees have acquired RHP Chad Gaudin from the Padres for a player to be named later.
Gaudin signed a minor league deal with the Padres in April. He is 4-10 this year with a 5.13 ERA, but he is averaging a strikeout per inning and his FIP is at 3.68.
Odds & Ends: Sandberg, Indians, Red Sox, Yankees, McCoy
A few links for Thursday evening.
- Ryne Sandberg, the only Hall of Famer currently managing in the minors, wants to make it back to The Show, according to the Associated Press.
- Chris Shelton cleared waivers and reported to AAA Tacoma Rainiers, according to Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune. The first baseman was designated for assignment by the Mariners to make room for pitcher Luke French.
- Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes that the Indians have used 28 different pitchers this year, the most of any team in the majors.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Red Sox have a thin lead over the Yankees in July trades in the AL from 2000 to 2009. The score stands at 26 to 25.
- And on a sad note, Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy announced today that he will retire from the Dayton Daily News, which has decided to stop covering the Reds.
Odds and Ends: White Sox, Correia, Ordonez, DNA Tests
A final batch of links for the night owls:
- Ozzie Guillen does not expect any trades before the deadline, according to the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales. But Scott Merkin of MLB.com talks to GM Ken Williams, who doesn't rule out the possibility.
- MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that starter Kevin Correia could be the next Padre to be traded, though no significant interest has bubbled up yet.
- On the same day that Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com asks if it's time for the Tigers to cut Magglio Ordonez, the former All-Star seems to answer by hitting a grand slam.
- And The New York Times reports that Major League Baseball is using DNA tests to determine the age of some Latin American prospects.
Jays-Indians Series Attracts Red Sox Scouts
Earlier tonight, we heard from Bob Elliott that a number of teams have scouts on hand to watch the Indians play the Blue Jays in Toronto. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe elaborates on this from the Red Sox's perspective, reporting that they "have one of their top pro scouts on hand."
We learned today that Sox All-Star Tim Wakefield was moved to the DL with a back strain. Cafardo mentions this and adds that "John Smoltz and Brad Penny haven't pitched at a high level." The implication seems to be that the Sox are kicking the tires on Toronto's Roy Halladay and Cleveland's Cliff Lee.
Cafardo lists a number of hitters that the Jays and Indians might make available as well, noting the the Red Sox "certainly have an interest in [Cleveland's Victor] Martinez."