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Cubs Rumors: Sale, Hendry, Piniella

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The Cubs' sale to the Ricketts family has been finalized, which should bring some shred of optimism amidst the already-defeatist tone some of these stories have taken during the Cubs' current slump:

  • Gordon Wittenmyer at the Chicago Sun-Times talked to 3B Aramis Ramirez, who gave the oft-maligned GM Jim Hendry a vote of confidence. "I hope he stays…He's done his job," Ramirez said.
  • In the same article, Hendry says he won't use the previously looming uncertainty of ownership as an excuse for the Cubs' problems, acknowledging the Cubs' high payroll of around $140MM in recent past.
  • Wittenmyer also heard that Lou Piniella intends to return to manage the Cubs in 2010, the final year of his contract, despite not giving hard answers on his return earlier this season. He cites the sale as a reason to stay.
  • Rick Morrissey at the Chicago Tribune says that there are "no quick fixes" with this Cubs team and that fans should temper their expectations with the new ownership group.

Brewers Not Prepared To Sell

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Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel got word from Brewers GM Doug Melvin that the team is not prepared to go into "selling mode" as the August 31 waiver deadline approaches. The Brewers have fallen to 10 1/2 games behind the first-place Cardinals in the NL Central. Says Melvin:

"Teams aren’t interested in giving up good players at this point on waiver claims…I don’t see getting anything back in return that would make it worth doing."

Haudricourt mentions Mike Cameron, Jason Kendall and Trevor Hoffman as pieces that could potentially attract teams. Cameron is the most expensive of the three, with a base salary of $10MM this season and a number of incentives that are likely to vest before he's a free agent after this year. He seems like a piece that could have some value to other teams as the deadline approaches and represents a solid chunk of salary that could ease up Melvin's payroll.

Odds & Ends: Tejada, Rays, Yankees

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A roundup of links before the evening comes to a close:

Wagner Placed On Waivers

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According to Jayson Stark at ESPN, the Mets have placed former closer Billy Wagner on waivers with the hopes that they can unload him to another team. Stark says Wagner's imminent return could be considered a "glorified audition."

If Wagner were to be claimed, that team would be on the hook for the roughly $2.7MM remaining on his contract this year as well as the $1MM buyout on his option for next year. So if Wagner clears, which he most likely will, it looks like the Mets will be forced to pay a good chunk of the money he's due if they're going to move him.

It'll be interesting to see how Wagner performs upon his return. Should he rebound, who does he make the most sense for?

Odds & Ends: Hall, Padres, Smoltz

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Some links to tide you over during the game — or lack thereof, if you're facing the dreaded rain delay:

  • Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times wonders if Josh Wilson will be DFA'd tomorrow to make way for Bill Hall.
  • Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash weighs in on the Bill Hall trade, admitting that the move was partially financially motivated, reports Adam McCalvy at MLB.com.
  • Tom Krasovic of Inside the Padres reports that the Padres are in serious talks with an unnamed, switch-hitting 16-year-old amateur for a bonus of $450k.
  • Krasovic also notes that the White Sox taking on Jake Peavy's contract made it a whole lot easier for the Friars to foot the bill for their top picks Donavan Tate, Everett Williams and Keyvius Sampson.
  • Dave Cameron at Fangraphs thinks the John Smoltz signing was a win for the Cardinals, saying that Smoltz's 40 inning sample size is far too small to judge his performance.
  • Israel Gutierrez at the Miami Herald has a list of reasons why John Smoltz would have been a great fit on the Marlins.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore says he expected a backlash when the team demoted Alex Gordon and defends the decision, reports Bob Dutton at the Kansas City Star. The move came just a day before the deadline that would have set Gordon as a free agent after 2012, and now his free agency is delayed until past 2013.

Mariners Acquire Bill Hall

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According to the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker, the Mariners have acquired Bill Hall from the Brewers. There's an announcement expected before game time. According to Baker's sources, the Brewers will receive minor-league pitcher Ruben "Buddy" Flores in return. The Brewers will reportedly pay the rest of the $6.8MM salary due Hall this year and a large portion of his $8.4MM he earns in 2010.

Hall, 29, has had a rough year, putting up a .606 OPS in 234 PA, but perhaps he'll be able to find his swing with a change of scenery. He could fit into a platoon role against lefties, where the Mariners have struggled this season, and can at least defensively fill in the vacancy at third left by the ailing Adrian Beltre.

Flores is a 25-year-old righty and put up a 2.30 ERA and a 53/28 K/BB ratio in 43 innings in Single-A this year but has been lit up to the tune of a 13.06 ERA since being moved to High-A ball. He's a little old to be considered a prospect, but he projects as a middle reliever if he can put it together.

Draft Updates: Brewers, Rays, Yankees

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Some more news on signings is trickling in — let's dig in:

  • Tom Haudricourt at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is hearing that the Brewers have essentially agreed to terms with 39th overall pick Kentrail Davis but aren't announcing it so as to not drive up the price of other picks before the deadline. There was a worry that the two sides weren't completely close earlier today. I understand the reasoning behind the secrecy, but doesn't this feel like something that needs to change? It's not like all of these contract figures have been on lockdown in the first place, and chances are they're not going to be in the future either.
  • Jim Callis at Baseball America reports that the Rays awarded fifth-round pick Jeff Malm a bonus of $680k, about five times the slot recommendation for that selection.
  • George A. King III at the New York Post says that the only obstacle in the way of Slade Heathcott and John Murphy becoming Yankees are their upcoming physicals. Heathcott and Murphy are the Yanks' first- and second-rounders, respectively.
  • We know that the Angels have come to terms with Jake Locker, their 10th-round pick, on a $150k bonus. Locker is a top football prospect too, though, and he will reportedly be given free reign to pursue that career, says Jim Callis. Sounds like a pretty nice deal.

Smoltz To Be Released Monday?

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8:38pm: Mark Bowman at MLB.com says the Braves appear to have no interest in bringing back Smoltz and discusses the dubious relationship between the righty and the Braves. A source acknowledges "there would have to be some people saying they're sorry to each other" if any deal were to happen, but Bowman suggests that the Braves were more concerned about his durability than the emotions involved. Had Smoltz been willing to sharpen his mechanics in the minors, Bowman says the team would have been more willing to take another chance on him.

7:49pm: Jon Heyman at SI says (via Twitter) that the Red Sox may release the DFA'd John Smoltz tomorrow. As Heyman notes, it was probably difficult to find takers for Smoltz not only due to his questionable performance but also his built-in contract incentives that pay Smoltz for every day he's on the major-league roster.

As we pointed out yesterday, there are a number of teams that retain interest in Smoltz, and Ken Rosenthal at FOX Sports named the Marlins and Cardinals as suitors for Smoltz as a right-handed option out of the bullpen.

Odds & Ends: Webb, Feliz, Griffey

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A few links as the time ticks away before the August 17th signing deadline–just 30 hours left:

  • Steve Gilbert at MLB.com (via Twitter) heard this from Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes on a team broadcast about the possibility of picking up the injured Brandon Webb's $8.5MM option next year: "If it's close, he'll probably get the benefit of the doubt."
  • After watching the fireballing Neftali Feliz in person, John Beamer at the Hardball Times believes it's safe to declare the Mark Teixeira trade a victory for the Rangers.
  • Tyler Kepner at the New York Times has a neat historical piece about how the Mariners almost passed on Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1987 draft for pitcher Mike Harkey.
  • As the signing deadline approaches and the waiver deadline looms in just two weeks, be sure to keep up to speed by following MLB Trade Rumors on Twitter.

Odds & Ends: Draft Signings, Reds, Marlins

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News on draft signings is picking up–let's take a look:

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