Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Mora, Halladay
Some links to pore over as we just miss another no-hitter:
- Alex Speier at WEEI reports that the Red Sox won't give 16-year-old Dominican hurler Victor Payano a contract, despite being rumored as favorites to sign him. Payano, in line for a bonus around $900k, had failed his physical.
- Peter Schmuck at the Baltimore Sun notes that top prospect Brian Matusz was called up to start tonight for the O's and they in turn optioned Kam Mickolio to Triple-A. After Melvin Mora's recent spat with manager Dave Trembley, there was speculation Mora would be gone, but he is starting tonight. He still could be moved.
- Scott Podsednik's improved play has increased his value, but he wants to stay with the White Sox in 2010, says Scott Merkin at MLB.com.
- Rangers GM Jon Daniels said in an e-mail to Yahoo's Gordon Edes that there was no effort by J.P. Ricciardi to mislead the Rangers in Roy Halladay talks, and Ricciardi was "upfront" about what he wanted.
- The Padres officially released Mark Prior today, says CBS Sports. The move was reported to be on the horizon by Corey Brock at MLB.com Saturday.
Callis On Draft Signings
Jim Callis at Baseball America notes that 20 of 32 first-rounders remain unsigned, and the last one was almost a month ago. He's got some very helpful news to expand upon our update on unsigned draft picks from last night. Check out his post for more specifics on names, but here's a quick rundown:
- MLB seems very keen on their push to keep draft pick signings at their recommended slot price tags. They've gone so far as to essentially re-calculate the contract given to Jiovanni Mier, the only first-rounder signed above slot, by saying that a part of his bonus is deferred, thus making his bonus officially below slot.
- Stephen Strasburg will likely have to settle somewhere in between the record $10.5MM bonus awarded to Mark Prior and the $50MM figure Scott Boras has previously suggested.
- Five of the top high school players had "alarmed clubs" with high bonus demands, some likely due to the fallout of Rick Porcello's record-setting $7MM figure from '07.
- High-school arm Zack Wheeler didn't demand nearly as much as his peers, but still figures to sign above slot.
- Aaron Crow, Grant Green and Alex White, all once highly-touted as top-five talent, are seeking a payout more in line with such touting despite their mid-round draft spots.
- In general, high-schoolers have been asking for more slot money than their draft positions called for even last year, where slot recommendations were higher.
Odds & Ends: Glaus, Prospects, Mariners
Some evening appetizers as (most) games commence this evening:
- Marc Hulet at Fangraphs gives part two of his rankings of the prospects moved this past deadline.
- A "back issue" has sidelined Troy Glaus yet again, reports Joe Strauss at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This would seem to lessen the chances he gets traded this month even further.
- Matt Eddy at Baseball America has a comprehensive list of the most recent minor league transactions.
- Ben Badler at Baseball America gets official confirmation on all the Mariners' international signings, including the highly-touted Guillermo Pimentel, who received a $2MM bonus. In all, they signed ten amateurs, eight from Latin America and two from Korea.
- Impending free agent Adrian Beltre is back in the Mariners' lineup, says Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times, and says he's not concerned about his contract going forward.
- The Cubs signed their sixth-round pick, LHP Brooks Raley, for $750k, reports Jim Callis at Baseball America. That's a notable figure, as it's $600k more than the recommended slot and the highest figure above-slot we've seen before the deadline, Callis says.
Reds Rumors: Rolen, Harang, Arroyo
John Fay at the Cincinnati Enquirer caught up with Reds GM Walt Jocketty and got him to spill out some fairly interesting hot stove info. Let's dig in:
- From Jocketty's words, Fay believes that the Blue Jays may have kicked in more money to the Scott Rolen deal than originally thought. Fay was told it was $3MM for this year and next. The Cardinals are already on the hook for a $4MM signing bonus in 2010. The deal has been oft-maligned, but extra cash involved might make it slightly more palatable.
- With Edinson Volquez likely on the shelf for a large chunk of next season, Jocketty indicates that a trade to beef up the pitching staff could be on the horizon this offseason.
- Jocketty claims he's "not soliciting offers" for Bronson Arroyo or Aaron Harang, whose names have come up as potential waiver trade targets.
- Fay notes that the Reds have little wiggle room as far as payroll goes next year–more than $57MM is committed to six players.
Odds & Ends: Yankees, Pirates, Rays
Some links on this not-necessarily-manic Monday:
- Jen Langosch at MLB.com has a nice scorecard put together of the Pirates' recent acquisitions and how they've performed so far, as well as a rundown of the players they were dealt for.
- Fred Mitchell at the Chicago Tribune has an amusing piece about the lengths what MLB general managers go to keep their stress levels low this time of year.
- MLB.com beat reporter Lyle Spencer answers fan questions, including why they let Roy Halladay get away.
- Jim Callis at Baseball America re-ranks the Pirates' and Indians' systems after their major prospect acquisitions.
- Brian Hoch at MLB.com answers Yankees fans' questions, specifically about the trade deadline and why the team was mostly inactive.
- R.J. Anderson at Fangraphs re-visits the circumstances that led to the Rays obtaining Wade Townsend, who was released today.
Diamondbacks Sign Daniel Cabrera
MONDAY 7:07pm: The riveting saga has come to a close, as Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks have come to terms with Cabrera on a minor-league deal. He'll work his way to a pitch count of 90-100 and the team will decide whether or not to promote him to the majors. His agent indicates there could be an out clause in the contract that would grant Cabrera his release if he isn't called up.
SUNDAY 3:01pm: Steve Gilbert has an update. As of right now, no deal has been reached. Diamondbacks scouts watched Cabrera throw yesterday in the Dominican Republic. Gilbert believes the D'Backs are looking to add pitching depth to the organization, and is unsure whether they envision Cabrera as a starter or reliever.
12:41pm: According to Mario Rojas at Candela Deportiva, the Diamondbacks have signed pitcher Daniel Cabrera to a minor-league deal. Nick Piecoro at the Arizona Republic talked to Cabrera's agent, who said that there are "active discussions" going on, with both sides trying to hammer down whether it's a major-league or minor-league deal, and that nothing is official just yet.
Cabrera had been designated for assignment by the Nationals in May after posting a 5.85 ERA and 16/35 K/BB ratio in 40 innings. He had signed a one-year, $2.6MM deal with the Nationals before the season.
Unsigned Draft Picks Update
There's a two-week window remaining for teams to sign their draft picks. Once August 17th passes without a negotiation, these players will be eligible for next year's draft and the selecting team receives a compensatory pick in next year's draft. For a full list of signees and terms, visit our handy 2009 Draft scorecard here.
1. Nationals – Stephen Strasburg. All eyes will be on these negotiations, as Strasburg is a Scott Boras client. The range for his bonus has varied wildly, and talks are said to not be close, according to ESPN. This one will go down to the wire, and the Nationals probably can't afford another Aaron Crow situation.
2. Mariners – Dustin Ackley. Ackley is a Boras client, and supposedly talks aren't close. He's reported to desire a bonus similar to the one Mark Teixeira received, which was $9.5MM.
3. Padres – Donavan Tate. Tate's a Boras client as well, and talks aren't close. He has a two-sport scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill.
6. Giants – Zack Wheeler. With the departure of Scott Barnes and Tim Alderson in trades, it'd make sense for the two sides to come to a deal.
7. Braves – Mike Minor. There is word that talks are progressing between the Braves and Minor, and his not signing has reportedly held up negotiations with the college pitchers below him, as his slot will likely determine their contract figures.
8. Reds – Mike Leake. He was recently named College Pitcher of the Year, and last we heard he's nearing a deal says Mark Sheldon at MLB.com.
9. Tigers – Jacob Turner. Scott Boras client whom Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus believes "sure to sign," perhaps for an above-slot deal around $5MM.
11. Rockies – Tyler Matzek. Matzek could be one of the hardest to sign, and supposedly he has already been assigned a dorm room at University of Oregon, where he's committed to play. The Rockies aren't believed to be able to reach Matzek's bonus demands.
12. Royals – Aaron Crow. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out, as Crow didn't come to terms with the Nationals last year. Chico Harlan at the Washington Post thinks he'll receive $1.5-$2MM.
13. A's – Grant Green. Another Boras client, likely to sign for above slot.
14. Rangers – Matt Purke. He's reportedly got high bonus demands, and some believe he's likely headed to school instead.
15. Indians – Alex White.
16. Diamondbacks – Bobby Borchering. Last we heard the two sides were in a "holding pattern."
18. Marlins – Chad James.
19. Cardinals – Shelby Miller. The Cardinals got $1.5MM from the A's for Matt Holliday, which would be well-spent on Miller, who could take the default title as their number one prospect.
20. Blue Jays – Chad Jenkins.
22. Twins – Kyle Gibson. Gibson was hurt recently, which in turn hurt his chances at an above-slot deal. Goldstein believes he was in line for double his $1.3MM slot, but now might settle somewhere in between.
27. Mariners – Nick Franklin.
29. Yankees – Slade Heathcott.
30. Rays – Levon Washington. Scott Boras client.
Odds & Ends: O’s, Halladay, Pirates
Some links as we ponder what team might be desperate enough to pick up Sidney Ponson:
- Peter Schmuck at the Baltimore Sun notes that the George Sherrill trade sends mixed signals about whether the Orioles believe they can contend in 2010.
- Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe has a lot of interesting stuff from Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi in the aftermath of the Roy Halladay talks.
- Pirates owner Bob Nutting was "emphatic" in saying that ownership would not change for the near future, says Dejan Kovacevic at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kovacevic also talked with general manager Neal Huntington, and has the highlights of that interview.
- Recently dealt Orlando Cabrera says he'd be interested in returning to the A's as a free agent this offseason, says Susan Slusser at the San Francisco Chronicle.
- Bill Madden at the New York Daily News calls the Indians' and Pirates' trade deadline "a disgrace."
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro is "not looking for applause now" for the Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez deals, says Bud Shaw at the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
- Bob Klapisch from FOX Sports looks at how each divisional race is impacted by the flurry of deals made at the end of July.
Royals DFA Sidney Ponson
Like so many before them, the Royals have designated starter Sidney Ponson for assignment, says Bob Dutton at the Kansas City Star via Twitter. His departure will make room for the incoming Kyle Davies. Sir Sid put up a sparkling 7.36 ERA and 32/25 K/BB ratio in 58.2 innings for the Royals this season.
Red Sox To Listen On Matsuzaka?
According to Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe, you can expect the Red Sox to listen to offers for Daisuke Matsuzaka this offseason. There's a hope Matsuzaka will right the ship and return to success after injuries this season to help his trade value.
Matsuzaka's recent comments criticizing the team's rehab process might have been too much for him to have a place on the organization. Cafardo wonders if the team underestimated "the cultural and philosophical differences that would lead to a constant butting of heads." Matsuzaka would have to sign off on any deal, but indications are that he would okay a trade.
Cafardo also talked to a GM who said that Matsuzaka should draw interest from teams, as the Red Sox have already paid the enormous posting fee (over $51MM), his contract is otherwise reasonable, and because the Sox have a good history of taking care of their pitchers.