Nationals To Sign Jake Johansen
The Nationals have agreed to terms with Jake Johansen, the last pick in the second round of the 2013 Draft (No. 68 overall). The Nats did not have a first-round pick due to their signing of Rafael Soriano, so Johansen was their first selection of the draft. The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore tweets that Johansen signed for "slot." The bonus pool value for the No. 68 overall pick is $820K.
Johansen, a college senior, was the Friday-night starter for Dallas Baptist. Keith Law ranked Johansen the No. 63 prospect in the draft, while Baseball America ranked him No. 182. MLB.com notes Johansen's four-pitch mix but says he's currently "more of a thrower," and his future might be in the bullpen.
White Sox Outright Tyler Greene
WEDNESDAY: Greene cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com (on Twitter).
SUNDAY: The White Sox have designated infielder Tyler Greene for assignment, Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). The move clears space for Gordon Beckham, who is returning from the disabled list.
The White Sox acquired Greene near the start of the season, shortly after he was released by the Astros. In 54 plate appearances with Chicago, Greene hit .235/.278/.373. In 743 career plate appearances with the White Sox, Astros and Cardinals, Greene has hit .225/.291/.357.
Quick Hits: Profar, Rodriguez, Kawasaki, Cubs
The Rangers should seriously consider trading Jurickson Profar, Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. Galloway argues that, despite Davis' strong 2012 and brilliant start in 2013, he won't criticize Jon Daniels' 2011 trade of Chris Davis (and Tommy Hunter) for Koji Uehara, because the trade was intended to position Texas for a World Series run, and the Rangers did in fact make it to the World Series. If the Rangers can arrange a Profar trade that sets them up for another run at a title, Galloway argues that they should make the deal and live with the results. Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine, however, tells ESPN's Jim Bowden that, while the Rangers will likely be active at this year's trade deadline, they plan to keep Profar, Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler, rather than dealing one of them (both links via Twitter).
As a side note, Galloway calls the Davis/Uehara deal "the worst MLB trade of this decade," even though he refrains from criticizing Daniels for it. Uehara was excellent for the Rangers, particularly in 2012, but he's since moved on, and Davis is currently hitting .357/.440/.754 with 20 home runs for the Orioles. Here are more notes from around baseball.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman discusses Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM contract in an interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. Rodriguez and the Yankees are currently in the sixth year of the deal, and Rodriguez will make $86MM from 2014 through 2017. Rodriguez has not yet played in 2013. "Alex would even tell you he couldn't live up to [the contract]," Cashman says. "Hopefully he can return to being, at the very least, an above-average player at that position."
- When Jose Reyes returns, the Blue Jays will have to decide what to do with Munenori Kawasaki, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star writes. Due to the Jays' contractual obligations to Maicer Izturis and the presence of Emilio Bonifacio and Mark DeRosa, there would appear to be no space for Kawasaki once Reyes returns. Griffin suggests that the trade market for Izturis could be better than that of Kawasaki, though the Jays might have to pay some of the approximately $9MM remaining on Izturis' contract.
- Cubs manager Dale Sveum is hoping for an infusion of arms in this week's draft, Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune reports. "Obviously pitching is what you want to get in the organization as much as you possibly can," says Sveum. When the Cubs make the No. 2 overall selection, either Oklahoma's Jonathan Gray or Stanford's Mark Appel, or perhaps both, will still be on the board.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan discusses the role of general managers in the draft in an interview with 1500ESPN's Phil Mackey. GMs generally get credit or blame for their draft picks, but other front office personnel may be more responsible for those picks. "My role would be to take the blame when we don't do well, but I also get the praise when we do well. That's not fair," says Ryan. For example, Ryan discusses his role in the selection of Ben Revere, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2007 Draft. "That's a pick that I got praise for I think at the time. I didn't have anything to do with Ben Revere. (Our scouts) did. They all had seen him a lot. I get the praise. 'Good pick, there you go Terry.' Hell, I never even saw (Revere)."
- Quintin Berry, who was recently designated for assignment by the Tigers, could make it through waivers and wind up back with Triple-A Toledo, MLB.com's Jason Beck tweets. Given that Berry is 28 and has hit just .168/.278/.234 so far for Toledo this season, that seems to be a fairly likely scenario.
- When the Blue Jays begin a series in San Francisco Tuesday night, Melky Cabrera will face Giants fans for the first time since being suspended last August for failing a PED test, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm reports. Cabrera vanished after receiving word of the suspension, not talking to the San Francisco media. He then signed a two-year, $16MM contract with the Jays in the offseason. Cabrera says he isn't concerned with how the fans will react to his return. "I don't worry about that, it's up to the fans. It's nothing I have control of," Cabrera explains. "I'm just going to play the game. If they decide to boo, that's fine. If they decide to cheer, that's fine with me, too. But, I'm not going to worry about that."
Week In Review: 5/26/13 – 6/1/13
Here's a look back at the week that was here at MLBTR.
- The Tigers acquired third baseman / outfielder Francisco Martinez from the Mariners for a PTBNL or cash and designated Quintin Berry for assignment.
- The Phillies released reliever Chad Durbin.
- The Marlins will designate pitcher Wade LeBlanc for assignment.
- The Mariners designated third baseman Vinnie Catricala for assignment.
- The Cubs designated pitcher Alex Burnett for assignment shortly after claiming him from the Orioles.
- The Angels designated pitcher Mark Lowe for assignment.
- The Braves designated third baseman Juan Francisco for assignment.
- The Padres designated third baseman Edinson Rincon for assignment.
- The Blue Jays outrighted pitcher Ricky Romero, as well as pitcher Ramon Ortiz and first baseman Clint Robinson.
- The Marlins outrighted infielder Nick Green.
- The Mariners outrighted infielder Robert Andino.
- The Cubs outrighted reliever Michael Bowden.
- The Angels outrighted pitcher Billy Buckner.
- The Nationals outrighted pitcher Yunesky Maya.
- Pitcher David Huff cleared waivers, and the Yankees sent him to Triple-A Scranton. The Yankees also outrighted pitcher Francisco Rondon.
- The Orioles signed pitcher Jon Rauch to a minor-league deal.
- The Indians signed pitcher Chris Jakubauskas to a minor-league deal.
- The Royals signed infielder Chase Lambin to a minor-league deal.
- The Dodgers signed catcher J.R. Towles to a minor-league deal.
- The Brewers signed pitcher Clay Hensley to a minor-league deal.
- The Rays acquired pitcher Erik Hamren from the Braves for future considerations.
- The Pirates acquired pitchers Atahualpa Severino (from the Royals) and Graham Godfrey (from the Red Sox), both for cash considerations.
- The Diamondbacks released first baseman Kila Ka'aihue.
- The Braves released minor-league utilityman Corey Wimberly.
- The Angels released pitcher Kip Wells.
- The Reds purchased the contract of outfielder Sebastian Elizalde from the Mexican League.
- Third baseman Dallas McPherson signed with the independent York Revolution.
Dodgers To Promote Yasiel Puig
The Dodgers tweet that they will promote outfielder Yasiel Puig, also noting that they have optioned pitcher Matt Magill to Triple-A Albuquerque make room. Puig, 22, was hitting .313/.383/.599 for Double-A Chattanooga. With Matt Kemp (hamstring) on the disabled list, Puig could appear in center field, although the Dodgers can use help throughout the outfield — left fielder Carl Crawford left Saturday's game, also with a hamstring injury. FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal notes (via Twitter) that the Dodgers think Puig profiles best as a right fielder, but suggests that they could use him at all three outfield spots.
Puig was the object of plenty of Spring Training hype when he batted .517/.500/.828 before being sent to the minors. He was listed at No. 47 in Baseball America's preseason list of the top 100 prospects in the game, and No. 70 on MLB.com's list. Baseball America's Prospect Handbook ranked Puig the Dodgers' No. 2 prospect (behind Hyun-Jin Ryu) and praised Puig's bat speed and raw power.
In 2012, the Dodgers signed the Cuban outfielder to a seven-year, $42MM deal that included a $12MM signing bonus. He is set to make $2MM this year and next, and $4.5MM in 2015, although he can opt into the arbitration process once he becomes eligible. If Puig were to stick in the big leagues, it's unclear at this point whether he might be eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player after the 2015 season. (Here's more about Super Two eligibility.)
Quick Hits: Boras, Draft, Cubs, Dietrich
Scott Boras isn't generally in favor of pre-free agency extensions, but he ultimately lets his players decide for themselves, he tells Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. "I don’t think there’s any question that the reason a club offers a player guarantees when they don’t have to is they deem it to be beneficial to them — just by the nature that they offer them," says Boras. "So if the club is doing something beneficial for the club, obviously most likely it’s not beneficial to the player." Regardless, Boras' general stance doesn't mean he's not open to pre-free agency deals in certain situations — he himself cites the Carlos Gonzalez and Elvis Andrus deals, both of which he negotiated. The discussion comes in the context of questions about a potential extension for the Mets' Matt Harvey, but that doesn't sound particularly likely, given that Boras represents him and he turned down a substantial bonus offer after being drafted out of high school by the Angels. Here are more notes from around the majors.
- The Cubs, who have the second overall pick in the upcoming draft, will choose between four players: Oklahoma pitcher Jonathan Gray, Stanford pitcher Mark Appel, San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant, and UNC third baseman Colin Moran. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat notes that they'll get another chance to watch all except Appel, since Oklahoma, USD and UNC are all in the field of 64 for the NCAA Division I baseball championship. Just over 50% of you predict that Astros will select Gray with the first overall pick, which would leave the Cubs to choose from Appel, Bryant and Moran.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos characterizes this year's draft as "a down year" in a podcast interview with ESPN's Buster Olney. "It's just not nearly as deep. That being said, there's going to be a bunch of really good big-league players that come out of this draft," just as is the case every year, Anthopoulos says. Anthopoulos also notes the Blue Jays have had a difficult time figuring out who might fall to them with the No. 10 overall pick and who to select when the time comes. "There's really no clear-cut player with the players who are going to be remaining," he says.
- Cubs reliever Kevin Gregg isn't interested in talking about the trade deadline, Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reports. "I almost look at it as a little disrespectful to the guys on the team that are here because this is a good product," says Gregg. "This isn’t like we’re getting our butts kicked on a daily basis and they’re looking to clean house. … To be looking at what the future holds in June or July is worthless to me." Gregg says he still hopes the Cubs will wind up in contention, although that possibility seems remote, given that the team is 13 games back in the NL Central and that the three teams ahead of them all have one of the best records in baseball so far this year.
- Second baseman Derek Dietrich, who was traded from the Rays to the Marlins last December for Yunel Escobar, is finding it strange to be at Tropicana Field as a visiting player, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports. "It is a little weird being in this side of the clubhouse," says Dietrich. "The Rays do a great job in raising their players. They really prepare you to be a successful big leaguer. I definitely got better in their organization. I appreciate everything they did for me, giving me that first opportunity. But I'm happy to be here, and be with the Marlins." The Rays picked Dietrich in the second round of the 2010 Draft. He's hitting .237/.308/.424 in 59 at bats in his rookie season with Miami.
AL Notes: Blanton, Rangers, Indians
Joe Blanton will start for the Angels against the Dodgers Tuesday night, and with the imminent returns of Jered Weaver and Tommy Hanson, it would appear to be a crucial start. But that's not how Blanton sees it, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports. "I don't have anything to prove," says Blanton. "This is my ninth [full season]. If I have to prove something my ninth year … you know, obviously I want to throw the ball well." Blanton has a 6.19 ERA with 5.7 K/9 in 56 2/3 innings, although he has only walked 2.1 batters per nine. "I feel like I've pretty much thrown the ball the way I want to throw. Stuff's been fine, and they've just hit balls where people aren't," Blanton says. Here are more notes from the American League.
- Shohei Otani made his NPB debut as a starting pitcher last Thursday, and a member of the Rangers' front office was in attendance, Sponichi reports. "I was aware of him, but his pitching really left an impression," Scott Littlefield, a special assistant to Rangers GM Jon Daniels, said. "I think he's got a bright future ahead of him if he can stay healthy." Otani, who at one point seemed likely to sign with an MLB team directly out of high school, gave up two earned runs over five innings in his debut, striking out two and walking three. Sponichi also notes that Littlefield was on hand to watch Masahiro Tanaka's start on Wednesday. Tanaka, 24, has a career 2.47 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in seven seasons for Rakuten.
- The Indians' bullpen is a bit banged-up right now, but with the trade deadline still two months away, GM Chris Antonetti is optimistic about the relievers he has, the Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes reports. Closer Chris Perez headed to the disabled list Monday with a shoulder injury. "Losing your closer is never easy, but we still feel the solutions are in our clubhouse," says Antonetti. Perez's replacement, Vinnie Pestano, has had lower velocity since his own return from the disabled list two weeks ago. Still, trading for a reliever at this early point in the season would be a little unusual. Hoynes mentions signing Brian Wilson as a possibility, but Wilson had Tommy John surgery last year and hasn't pitched in 2013.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Cardinals Notes: Pujols, Wacha, Taveras
The Cardinals' selection of Albert Pujols (13th round, 1999) is the best draft pick in MLB history, says Dan Szymborski of ESPN (Insider-only). Szymborski uses a non-linear model to assess the WAR value of each draft pick, then compares actual picks to their expected value over nine years to create a list of the top 100 picks in draft history. Szymborski notes that the fact that Pujols was so good from the very beginning of his career made him particularly valuable as a draft pick, since the Cards didn't have to wait for a few years after his debut for him to become a superstar. Here are more notes on the Redbirds.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak isn't certain how long Michael Wacha, who will make his big-league debut on Thursday, will be with the team, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Sulia). Also, Mozeliak wants to make sure the Cardinals protect Wacha's health. "We are going to be very cognizant of pitch counts and innings," Mozeliak says. "When we think about total innings we want to make sure we’re careful of his usage. If there are times when we can protect him, we will do so." Wacha, 21, has thrown 52 2/3 innings in nine minor-league starts so far this year.
- Oscar Taveras of the Cardinals tops Keith Law of ESPN's new list of baseball's top 25 prospects (Insider-only). Wacha is also present at No. 24, and Law notes that Wacha's breaking ball has improved. Jurickson Profar of the Rangers' recent promotion removed him from the list. The Twins, with Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, are the only team with two players in the top ten; the Pirates, with Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Gregory Polanco, are the only team with three players in the top 25. Be sure to check out the full list.
East Notes: Mets, Yankees, Papelbon
Even though the Mets aren't contending, GM Sandy Alderson says they could be buyers at the trade deadline, Andy Martino of the New York Daily News reports. "It’s a possibility. It depends on what is available," says Alderson. "I have been involved in deals in the past whose first consideration was not the current season but the following season…The possibility of making an acquisition that has implications not just for the second half of this season? Yes." It sounds like we shouldn't expect the Mets to pursue rentals, but they might be open to a splashy acquisition of a veteran who is under team control through at least 2014. Martino notes that the Mets could look for outfielders in particular. Here are more notes from the East divisions.
- Lots of former Yankees and Mets are doing well with other teams, Joel Sherman of the New York Post notes. Sherman singles out former Yankees Russell Martin (Pirates), Nick Swisher (Indians) and Eric Chavez (Diamondbacks) in particular.
- The Red Sox are one of eight teams to which Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon can refuse a trade, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. That Papelbon would have his old team on his no-trade list initially seems strange, but Bradford notes that it's not uncommon for a player to put a large-payroll team on his no-trade list, reasoning that he might be able to use his ability to nix a trade as leverage to negotiate an extension if a large-payroll team wants him. When asked, Papelbon said he could see himself playing for the Red Sox again.
Yankees Designate David Huff For Assignment
The Yankees have designated David Huff for assignment, Jack Curry of the YES Network tweets. The Yankees needed to clear roster space for Joba Chamberlain, who has been activated from the disabled list.
New York claimed Huff three days ago after he had been designated for assignment by the Indians. The Indians had also designated Huff for assignment in late March, so Huff has now been designated three times in the past two months.
Huff has pitched one innings for the Yankees and three for the Indians this season. In 289 1/3 career innings, Huff has a 5.41 ERA, with 5.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.