Mariners Sign Humberto Quintero
The Mariners have signed catcher Humberto Quintero, Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish tweets. Quintero has taken the 25-man roster spot formerly occupied by Mike Zunino, who is currently on the disabled list with a fractured hamate bone after being struck on the hand by a foul ball yesterday.
Quintero recently became a free agent after the Phillies designated him for assignment and he cleared waivers. He has a career .238/.268/.327 line in 11 seasons with the Padres, Astros, Royals and Phillies.
Quick Hits: Soriano, Nationals, Angels, K-Rod
Alfonso Soriano of the Cubs is on the Yankees' radar as a possible trade target, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. If any deal were to take place, though, it might not happen in July, since the $25MM remaining on Soriano's contract means he's sure to pass through waivers in August. Soriano has a full no-trade clause, but says he will consider a trade to a contending team. Wittenmyer writes that the Yankees view another Cubs outfielder, Nate Schierholtz, as more of a platoon type.
- The Nationals shouldn't be buyers at the trade deadline, the Washington Post's Thomas Boswell writes. The Nats are now 48-50, and are now seven games back of the Braves in the NL East, as well as seven games back of the Reds for the second Wild Card. Boswell points out that their chance of making the playoffs is less than 20 percent, and for a team in that position, the value of a rental player like Matt Garza or Ervin Santana is questionable. Boswell argues that even if the Nats acquire a player who is also under contract for 2014, like Jake Peavy or Yovani Gallardo, they need to do so mostly because those players can help next year, not because they can help down the stretch this season.
- The Angels are now ten games back of the Athletics in the AL West, and it looks like they should sell at the trade deadline, FOX Sports' Jon Morosi tweets. (Note that Morosi isn't predicting the Angels will sell, only saying that they should.) If the Angels were to sell, Erick Aybar and Scott Downs are two players they could trade, Morosi writes. Aybar is in the first year of a four-year, $35MM deal, and he's hitting .287/.305/.388 as the Angels' starting shortstop. Downs, who is in the last year of a three-year, $15MM contract, has a 1.32 ERA, albeit with a more pedestrian 6.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
- The Dodgers have heavily scouted Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez recently, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports. Milwaukee also has two other veteran relievers in Mike Gonzalez and John Axford, and Knobler notes that the Tigers and Red Sox have also been scouting the Brewers. Still, the Brewers might opt not to trade any of their relievers before the deadline.
- The Yankees have signed left-handed pitcher Artur Strzalka, Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues notes (via Baseball America's Matt Eddy). Strzalka is the first born-and-raised Polish player ever to sign with a Major League team. As Axisa notes, one likely purpose of this signing is to help the Yankees establish themselves as bidders for talent in a new part of the world.
Phillies Notes: Amaro, Papelbon
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. still isn't sure whether his team will buy or sell at the trade deadline, Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports. "It’s an important time for everybody in Major League Baseball trying to figure out what they’re going to do," says Amaro. "We’re one of them." Amaro does say, however, that he has been exploring the trade market for outfielders and relievers, although one problem he's encountered while trying to trade for bullpen help is that teams are asking for big-league players in return. At 49-50, the Phillies are currently 6.5 games back in the NL East. Here's more on the Phillies.
- The Phils need to stop using fans' identification with their current stars as an excuse not to look toward the future, argues FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal stops short of saying that the Phillies should be sellers at the deadline, but points out that the Phillies are already overpaying for some veteran players, and have kept some past their sell-by date. Many of their best-known players (such as Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jonathan Papelbon) are about to enter or have entered their mid-30s, and are showing signs of decline.
- Papelbon's enormous contract has made the Phillies' bullpen an unbalanced one, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer argues. The $50MM the Phillies are spending on Papelbon forces them to skimp on the rest of their bullpen, and Gelb argues that the Phillies would have been better served to spend that money on four relievers, rather than on just one. Another reason Papelbon's contract is problematic, he says, is because long-term contracts for closers are a bad idea in general — he cites research from ESPN indicating that only three teams have the same closer in 2013 as they did just two seasons before.
Red Sox Notes: Buchholz, Pedroia
Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox has an appointment with Dr. James Andrews Monday that will help determine Boston's level of interest in trading for a starting pitcher at the deadline, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Buchholz, who has bursitis in his right shoulder, has not pitched since June 8. If Andrews says Buchholz can start throwing again, the Red Sox will be less likely to trade for a starting pitcher like Bud Norris or Jake Peavy this month. Here's more out of Boston.
- Another factor in the Red Sox's decision about whether to add pitching is the "readiness" of younger pitchers Drake Britton, Brandon Workman, Rubby De La Rosa and Allen Webster, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Red Sox must weigh their goal of being competitive in the future against their goal of competing in the present, and are unlikely to blow up their farm system, particularly not for a rental. Rosenthal also mentions Peavy, who is under contract through next season, as a possible choice for the Sox.
- The Sox are targeting bullpen help at the trade deadline, although they also could pursue a starter or third baseman, Evan Drellich of MassLive.com reports. The Sox have scouted Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez, but Drellich suggests that the price may be too high.
- Fear of Robinson Cano's next contract could motivate the Red Sox to sign Dustin Pedroia to an extension, Rosenthal reports. Pedroia is under contract for $10MM in 2014, and the Sox have an $11MM option on him for 2015. Cano is, of course, a free agent after this season, and should command a huge contract that could raise the bar for Pedroia. If Pedroia agrees a new deal with the Sox before Cano signs his next contract, Rosenthal says, that will prove that Pedroia "is not all about the money." The Red Sox recently offered Pedroia an extension.
- Tim Britton of the Providence Journal makes a similar argument (that Cano's potentially enormous extension could increase the price on a potential Pedroia contract), and also notes that Pedroia's leadership could further motivate the Red Sox to strike a deal. "Last year, we had a real lesson on what chemistry can do to a club," says Sox principal owner John Henry. "What’s happened this year is further indication. I just don’t think we appreciated how much chemistry can mean to a baseball team." Also, Britton argues that, in addition to a Pedroia deal making sense for the Red Sox, it's also in Pedroia's best interest to do a deal now at age 29, rather than waiting to hit the free agent market when he's 32.
Week In Review: 7/14/13 – 7/20/13
Here's a look back at this week at MLBTR.
- The Padres hired Mike Dee as their new CEO.
- Pitcher Derek Lowe, who most recently pitched for the Rangers, retired.
- The Royals claimed infielder Pedro Ciriaco off waivers from the Padres, then outrighted him to Triple-A Omaha.
- The Astros designated first baseman Carlos Pena and shortstop Ronny Cedeno for assignment.
- The Angels designated infielder Brendan Harris for assignment.
- The Yankees designated infielder Alberto Gonzalez for assignment.
- The Orioles designated outfielder Chris Dickerson for assignment.
- The Cubs outrighted pitcher Henry Rodriguez to Triple-A Iowa.
- The Red Sox outrighted pitcher Alfredo Aceves.
- The Yankees released outfielder Brennan Boesch.
- Pitcher Jair Jurrjens became a free agent after declining an outright assignment from the Orioles.
- The Astros signed Dominican shortstop Wander Franco for $575K.
- The Dodgers signed Dominican infielder Alberto Estrella for $600K.
- The Rockies acquired pitcher Armando Galarraga from the Reds for minor-leaguer Parker Frazier.
- The Red Sox signed pitchers Jose Contreras and Brandon Lyon to minor-league deals. The Pirates released Contreras earlier in the week.
- The Diamondbacks signed reliever Shawn Camp to a minor-league deal.
- The Padres signed pitcher Jason Lane out of independent ball.
- The Athletics released infielder Scott Moore.
- The Diamondbacks released veteran hitter Eric Hinske, who appears likely to retire.
- The White Sox released first baseman Lars Anderson and pitcher Jeff Gray. Anderson's departure clears the way for fellow first baseman Travis Ishikawa, who recently signed with the organization.
- Second baseman Matt Antonelli retired.
- Pitcher Danny Herrera signed with the Long Island Ducks.
- Pitcher Brad Mills signed with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan.
Minor Moves: Jason Lane
We'll keep track of today's minor moves here.
- Lefty pitcher Jason Lane, recently of the independent Sugar Land Skeeters, has signed with the Padres and has been assigned to Triple-A Tucson, the Skeeters announce (via the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith on Twitter). This is the same Jason Lane who played outfield for the Astros (and, briefly, the Padres) from 2002 through 2007. Since then, he's bounced around Triple-A and independent baseball, both as a hitter and as a pitcher. He posted a 2.79 ERA in 99 2/3 innings with Sugar Land in 2013, with 4.3 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9.
Indians Close To Signing Cuban RHP Leandro Linares
The Indians are close to signing Cuban pitcher Leandro Linares for about $1MM, MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports. Linares, now 19, previously pitched for the Cuban 16-and-under national team, and for Villa Clara in the Cuban 16-and-under and 18-and-under national championships, Sanchez notes. Linares is 6'3 and 205 pounds.
Since Linares is just 19 and has not played in a Cuban professional league for at least three years, his signing will have to come out of the Indians' international bonus pool. The Indians began the 2013-14 signing season with a bonus pool of $3.64MM. The Indians previously signed Dominican shortstop Willy Castro for $850K and outfielder Junior Soto for $600K.
Quick Hits: Shortstops, Indians, Hart, Papelbon
The All-Star Futures Game demonstrated how strong the future of the shortstop position can be, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The World roster alone featured Xander Bogaerts of the Red Sox, Francisco Lindor of the Indians and Carlos Correa of the Astros, leaving the Cubs' Javier Baez out in the cold. (Addison Russell of the Athletics started for the U.S. team.) There has been a bit of a void at the position since the heyday of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra in the 1990s, Castrovince says. It's unclear whether the new group is good enough to yet again raise the bar for the position. "The more competition I have, the better it's going to make me," says Lindor. "I see Bogaerts got called up [to Triple-A], I see Correa's doing great, I see [Jurickson] Profar is in the big leagues, I see what Baez is doing, and I think that's awesome." Here are more notes from around baseball.
- The Indians are 51-44 through the first half of the season, and their best path to improving at the trade deadline and staying near the top in the AL Central is improving their bullpen, Bud Shaw of the Plain Dealer writes. Upgrading their shaky rotation will be tricky, since they can't justify trading a top-notch prospect like Lindor, particularly not for a rental player. Upgrading their bullpen, rather than their rotation, would allow them to keep Lindor and pitching prospect Danny Salazar.
- After having knee surgery, Corey Hart is now out for the season, and it's unclear what his future holds, reports Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel. He's a free agent this offseason, and he'd like to stay with the Brewers. Due to the injury, it likely won't take a large financial commitment for Milwaukee to keep him. "I’ve talked to my agent. This is my home – I’ve been them almost half my life," says Hart. "I’d like to continue as long as they’ll let me. This might have been the silver lining to let me stay here – maybe a lower salary with incentives helps my case."
- The Red Sox appear unlikely to pursue Jonathan Papelbon of the Phillies as the trade deadline approaches, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. Abraham cites both Papelbon's recent performance and his salary. Papelbon has a 2.33 ERA, but his strikeout rate (8.0 K/9) has dipped substantially this year, and his velocity is down a bit as well. He's still an effective reliever overall, but there's little doubt that his contract, which will earn him $13MM per year through 2015 with a vesting option for 2016, is worrisome.
Los Angeles Notes: Mattingly, Dodgers, Cron, Angels
Here are some items from the City of Angels…
- The Dodgers' decision not to fire Don Mattingly was "the best no-decision of the first half," CBS Sports' Scott Miller writes. After months of speculation about Mattingly's job security, the Dodgers finished their first half by winning 17 of their last 22 games, and although they're only 47-47, they're just 2 1/2 games back of the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
- In first baseman C.J. Cron, the Angels have a "legitimate trade piece," ESPN.com's Jim Bowden tweets. He also describes Cron as a "future middle of the order impact bat," which may be a stretch at this stage — Cron is already 23 and is hitting .287/.332/.440 at Double-A Arkansas, which is decent but hardly revelatory. There's little doubt, however, that many organizations would love to take a chance on Cron, who was the No. 17 overall pick in the 2011 Draft.
- Cron is currently blocked by Albert Pujols and Mark Trumbo at first base and designated hitter. But Cron, who played catcher in college before suffering a shoulder injury, feels he could handle the position at the big-league level, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports. A move to catcher might clear a path for him within the organization and keep his name out of trade rumors. GM Jerry DiPoto says, however, that the Angels have no plans to ask Cron to switch positions.
Red Sox Outright Alfredo Aceves
The Red Sox have outrighted pitcher Alfredo Aceves to Triple-A Pawtucket, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. Aceves is no longer on the Sox's 40-man roster. This means he cleared waivers.
Evan Drellich of MassLive.com reports that Aceves and the Red Sox disagreed last week about whether Aceves was healthy, with the pitcher claiming that he had an oblique injury that might keep him out as long as the rest of the season, and the Red Sox denying Aceves had any serious injury trouble.
Aceves has a 4.86 ERA in 37 innings with Boston this season, with 5.8 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9. He has made six starts, with the last of those coming June 18. He is earning $2.65MM in his second year of arbitration eligibility.
Aceves was not eligible for free agency until after the 2014 season, so any team that claimed him on waivers would have had the option of taking him to arbitration in the fall. Also, any team that claimed Aceves would have been able to option him to the minors while keeping him on their 40-man roster. Despite Aceves' ability to start and the roster flexibility he would have offered, no one claimed him. As Britton notes, that suggests that other teams don't think particularly highly of Aceves, who has struggled with poor peripherals and reduced velocity this season and who has clashed with his managers in the past.