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Central Notes: Zambrano, Francoeur, Astros, Pirates

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A few items of note coming out of the Central divisions as Carlos Carrasco loses his no-hit bid in the sixth in Cleveland:

  • Cubs righty Carlos Zambrano is trending in trade rumors recently, as he has already said that he would waive his no-trade clause. We've also learned that the Yankees have no interest in acquiring the hurler. However, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reminds us that no team has actually checked in with the North Siders on the hurler's availability (via Twitter).
  • Royals outfielder Jeff Francoeur could draw interest at the trade deadline as a fourth outfielder for a contending team, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. However, Francoeur has a strong relationship with GM Dayton Moore and isn't blocking the imminent arrival of any corner-outfield prospects, so the Royals probably aren't feeling any urgency to deal him, according to Dodd.
  • The Astros have signed Arizona State lefty Mitchell Lambson, their 19th-round pick, according to Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner (via Twitter). Houston has now signed 28 of its 50 selections, per Goff.
  • The Pirates have signed Louisiana Tech lefty Mike Jefferson, their 22nd-round pick, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter).

NL East Notes: Edwin Rodriguez, Uggla, Riggleman

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Here are a couple items of note out of the NL East, where the Phillies sit atop the division with a five-game lead over the Braves entering Saturday's games:

  • Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez is probably not in danger of losing his job, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com (via Twitter). Marlins brass relieved hitting coach John Mallee of his duties earlier this month in an effort to shake things up, leading to speculation that Rodriguez could be next if the Fish don't pick things up. Rodriguez was hired on a full-time basis in November; he finished 2010 as their interim skipper in the wake of Fredi Gonzalez's dismissal.
  • Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is unlikely to be demoted despite his offensive struggles, writes David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Uggla, who signed a five-year, $62MM extension after being acquired by Atlanta in a trade this offseason, can refuse a minor league assignment since he has five years' service time, according to O'Brien.
  • Nationals manager Jim Riggleman deserves to have his 2012 option picked up and an extension on top of that, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (via Twitter). The Nats sit at one game under .500 after Saturday's win over the O's, particularly impressive considering they've been without Stephen Strasburg and Ryan Zimmerman for much of the season, as Heyman notes.

Quick Hits: Miller, Dodgers, D’Backs, Rays, Trades

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Here are a few items of note as Justin Verlander narrowly misses his second no-hitter of the season:

  • Red Sox lefty Andrew Miller, currently in Triple-A, will remain with Boston and not opt out of his contract, as we inferred earlier today. Now, we know why: Miller will likely soon be called up and added to the rotation, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
  • With their financial future hazy, the Dodgers should take notes on how successful small-market teams like the Rays and Marlins operate, writes Tom Krasovic of West Coast Bias.
  • The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with seven more Draft picks — bringing their total up to 30 of the 52 players they selected — including third-rounder Justin Bianco, according to a club press release.
  • The Rays signed second-round pick Granden Goetzman, writes Anthony Chiang of MLB.com.
  • This season's relative league-wide parity has led to a slow-developing trade market, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter). An AL executive told Morosi, "Too many teams still in it."

Ronnie Belliard Retires

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Ronnie Belliard, currently with Lehigh Valley, the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate, is retiring, according to Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).

Belliard, primarily a second baseman, played in 13 Major League seasons, most recently with the Dodgers in 2010, when he posted a .216/.295/.327 line in 185 plate appearances. He began his career with the Brewers, by whom he was drafted in the eighth round in 1994, and was once traded for Hector Luna. He also spent time with the Rockies, Indians, Cardinals and Nationals.

Belliard signed a minor league deal with the Phils after being released by the Yankees toward the end of Spring Training but did not see a promotion. He calls it a career with a .273/.338/.415 line.

Yankees To Sign Brian Gordon

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Brian Gordon has opted out of his contract with the Phillies and will sign with the Yankees, according to to Ken Davidoff of Newsday (via Twitter, courtesy Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer). There is a condition in Gordon's contract that stipulated he be added to an acquiring team's Major League roster should he opt out, as Davidoff recently reported.

Gordon began his professional career as an outfielder with the Diamondbacks, by whom he was drafted in the seventh round in 1997, according to Brookover. Not progressing as a position player, Gordon made the conversion to pitching with the Rangers organization in 2007 and appeared in four games with Texas in 2008, but that was his only stint in the bigs. In 55 1/3 innings (12 outings, nine starts) with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, Gordon has a 1.14 ERA, 9.1 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9.

Felipe Lopez Clears Waivers

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TUESDAY: For the second time this season, Lopez has cleared waivers after being DFA'd and accepted his assignment to Triple-A Durham, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (via Twitter).

SATURDAY: The Rays have designated Felipe Lopez for assignment and activated Elliot Johnson from the disabled list in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).

It's been an interesting ride for Lopez and the Rays. He fell out of favor after not hustling and was DFA'd last month upon Evan Longoria's return from the DL. However, Lopez cleared waivers, accepted an assignment to Triple-A Durham and was later recalled. The Rays hope this DFA will play out similarly, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.

The well-travelled Lopez owns a .265/.334/.393 in 11 Major League seasons. He signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay prior to this season.

Dodgers Outright Hector Gimenez To Double-A

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The Dodgers have outrighted catcher Hector Gimenez to Double-A Chattanooga, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Gimenez had been on the 60-day disabled list, according to a team tweet.

The 28-year-old Gimenez appeared in just four games for the Dodgers in April before being shelved with a knee injury. Prior to that, he hadn't appeared in the big leagues since 2006, when he was with the Astros, with whom he signed as an amateur free agent in 1999.

Quick Hits: Guthrie, Giants, Brewers, Realignment

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Here are a few stray items of note as Mike Moustakas bashes the first homer of his career for the Royals:

Padres Agree To Terms With Jace Peterson

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The Padres have agreed to terms with Jace Peterson, whom they selected in the supplemetary round of Monday's Draft, reports Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter). Peterson will receive a bonus of $624,600, which matches MLB's recommended figure for his slot, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.

Peterson, a left-handed-hitting infielder out of McNeese State, was the 58th overall pick and the Padres' fifth selection.  The Padres gained the pick when Type B free agent Kevin Correia turned down their arbitration offer and signed with the Pirates.  On Friday, the Padres signed their first first-round pick, Corey Spangenberg, who was selected at No. 10 overall.

San Diego has now agreed to terms with 19 of its 53 picks, with first-rounder Joe Ross (25th overall) and supplementary picks Michael Kelly and Brett Austin (48th and 54th) among the notables who remain unsigned.

New York Notes: Minaya, Montero, Alderson

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Here are a few items of note coming out of the Big Apple as the Mets face the Pirates in Pittsburgh:

  • The Mets were just one game under .500 entering Saturday night's game, and the team has played surprisingly well with an unheralded cast largely assembled by former GM Omar Minaya, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
  • Jesus Montero, the Yankees' touted catching prospect, was out of the lineup for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight but not because he was called up to the big leagues, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (Twitter links).
  • In the wake of Phil Hughes' DL stint and Joba Chamberlain's season-ending injury, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes that the Yanks should handle top arms Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances differently.
  • Within the same piece, Madden writes that the Mets appear to be taking a long-term approach to restocking the organization under new GM Sandy Alderson, as evidenced by their selection of prep outfielder Brandon Nimmo with the No. 13 pick in the Draft.

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