Padres Receiving Strong Interest In Street, Benoit
The Padres have received a significant number of trade inquiries on late-inning relievers Huston Street and Joaquin Benoit, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Sitting ten games under .500 and having recently dismissed GM Josh Byrnes, San Diego certainly figures to be a seller.
As Heyman writes, Street and Benoit could be the team’s best trade deadline pieces. (It is worth noting that starter Ian Kennedy and third baseman Chase Headley might also bring strong returns.) The pair of righties has been outstanding: Street, 30, has let in less than one earned run per nine with 9.6 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9, while Benoit, 36, has a 1.42 ERA and an even more-sterling 10.5 K/9 versus 2.9 BB/9. And Street, in particular, has a fairly attractive contract, as he is owed $7MM this year and comes with a $7MM club option for 2015. (Neither player has no-trade protection, Heyman notes.)
All things considered, teams looking to bolster the back end of their bullpens may not find better options elsewhere. Clubs presently checking the market for late-inning relief, according to Heyman, include the Tigers, Angels, Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers, and Marlins, with the Yankees, Twins, and Indians also potentially joining the mix.
AL East Notes: Red Sox Rotation, Bogaerts, Yankees
Let’s have a quick look in at the American League East to start the day:
- The Red Sox rotation is now facing questions on several fronts. Clay Buchholz is set to return this week to see if he can salvage his season, but it is unclear whose place he will take with youngsters Brandon Workman and Rubby De La Rosa throwing well in their recent stints. Meanwhile, Jake Peavy is struggling, and as Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports, manager John Farrell did not dismiss out of hand the idea that Peavy could lose his turn.
- Then, there is Felix Doubront, who has scuffled to a 4.99 ERA but could be a trade chip, according to the Globe’s Nick Cafardo. A front office source recently told Cafardo that Doubront would draw interest if dangled because he is left-handed, has excellent pure stuff, and is affordable (he makes just $586K this year in his final pre-arbitration season).
- Scott Boras, who represents young Red Sox infielder Xander Bogaerts, discussed the future for the top young talent in an interesting chat with Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com. No extension talks have taken place for the 21-year-old, said Boras, who indicated that he believes most early-career extensions do not provide sufficient value to the player (while noting that he is willing to negotiate such contracts when it makes sense or when directed by a player). When asked if he had thought about the possibility of a pre-arb deal for Bogaerts, Boras said with a laugh that he is “usually not the one that raises these subjects.” He went on to explain that most of his attention goes toward helping his clients stay focused and improving as ballplayers, not on making deals.
- It is still early in the span of some of the large free agent contracts doled out last winter, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post says that there is enough information to begin seriously assessing whether the Yankees erred in letting Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson walk while spending big on Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Brian McCann. The total commitment in dollars and years was very nearly identical between each group of players — albeit distributed quite differently — but Sherman says he believes the Yanks could have saved a fairly significant amount of money had the club aggressively pursued its own free agents. Meanwhile, the early returns on the field suggest to Sherman that New York would be better off with its departed pairing.
Draft Signings: Bryan Dobzanski, Spencer Moran
Here are the day’s notable draft signings:
- The Cardinals have signed 29th-round choice Bryan Dobzanski with a $700K bonus, reports Scott Chappelear of NJ.com (h/t to Jim Callis of MLB.com). The righty, who had been committed to Louisville, fell down the board because of signability issues. $600K of his bonus will count against the total allocation for the Cardinals.
- Righty Spencer Moran, the 11th-round pick of the Rays, has agreed to a $390K bonus, according to John Manuel of Baseball America (via Twitter). As above, the amount over $100K will run against Tampa Bay’s tab. Moran was rated the draft’s 152nd-best prospect by Baseball America.
Padres Notes: Headley, GM Search
Here’s the latest out of San Diego:
- Third baseman Chase Headley will be coping with a herniated disc for the rest of the season, reports Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). Sanders says it will take six to eight weeks to know whether the issue will resolve itself. It remains to be seen what impact the news will have on efforts to trade Headley, if he is shopped. In my view, to bring back anything close to the value he once seemed to hold, the veteran will need to turn around his lagging play and show that his back is not a problem. (An earlier version of this bullet incorrectly suggested that Sanders had reported that surgery was a possibility.)
- San Diego is moving ahead with interviews for its newly-created GM opening, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports in a series of tweets (1; 2; 3; 4). Among the candidates are current Padres front office members A.J. Hinch and Omar Minaya, as well as former Marlins president Larry Beinfest. The Friars have asked permission to interview candidates from other clubs, including Billy Eppler (Yankees), Mike Hazen (Red Sox), Thad Levine (Rangers), Jason McLeod (Cubs), David Forst (Athletics), and Michael Girsch (Cardinals). It is highly unlikely, says Rosenthal, that the club will have a new GM installed before the trade deadline, though it is possible that the new top baseball decisionmaker will have been chosen at that point.
- Club president Mike Dee created the list of candidates by “talking to people the last two months to identify the bright general managers, assistant general managers and directors of player personnel and others,” club executive chairman Ron Fowler tells MLB.com’s Corey Brock. The club has already received permission to meet with at least two of the candidates noted above, says Brock, and could consider other candidates like John Coppolella of the Braves and Damon Oppenheimer of the Yankees.
- Longtime executive Andy MacPhail is hoping to make a return to the game, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, and would have interest in the Padres GM role.
NL East Notes: Murphy, Lee, Marlins
Here’s the latest from the National League East …
- In his latest Mets inbox, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes that he can’t envision the club trading Daniel Murphy this summer due to Sandy Alderson’s precedent for not wanting to deal proven commodities. He does provide a list of reasons to back up his belief that the Mets should be shopping Murphy, and he notes that Alderson has wavered at times, dealing Carlos Beltran and Marlon Byrd.
- Cliff Lee remains on track to return by the All-Star break, reports Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com. That would presumably give him at least a few starts to establish his value before the trade deadline (though it is fair to note that Lee could be a plausible August trade candidate). Seidman looks at the market for Lee from the Phils’ perspective, breaking down four possible trade partners (Yankees, Blue Jays, Angels, and Orioles) and what they might be willing and able to offer if Lee is made available.
- The Marlins will base their buy/sell stance in part upon whether the team is within striking distance not only of the wild card, but also the division, reports the Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer. “Just looking right now, I would tell you the best shot may be the division,” said GM Dan Jennings. Indeed, the NL East remains largely wide open. If the club does buy, Jennings confirmed prior reports that starting pitching appears a likely target. “Our starting pitching needs to step up a notch,” said Jennings, who explained that the club “loves” recent call-ups Andrew Heaney and Anthony DeSclafani but must assess how they perform at the MLB level at this early stage of their careers.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Phillies Sign Grady Sizemore
5:26pm: Sizemore’s deal calls for him to make the MLB minimum if he is called up, tweets ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick. Of course, the Red Sox are already obligated to pay Sizemore $1.25MM.
5:02pm: Sizemore’s opt-out can be exercised if he is not in the majors by the All-Star break, tweets Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com.
4:25pm: The Phillies have signed Grady Sizemore to a minor league deal, the club announced. He will join the club’s Triple-A affiliate, and will have an opt-out opportunity in July, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
After coming on strong in the spring and early portion of the season, the 31-year-old faded for the Red Sox before being released. Through 205 plate appearances with Boston — his first since 2011 — Sizemore posted a .216/.288/.324 line. Once an above-average baserunner and center fielder, Sizemore’s marks in those areas were at or below average.
Nevertheless, the former All-Star did show flashes of his former excellence and managed to stay on the field. For a Phillies club that has received average-to-awful performances from its current outfield alignment, the move provides another option moving forward.
Royals Designate Donnie Joseph For Assignment
The Royals have designated lefty Donnie Joseph for assignment, tweets Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. In a series of corresponding moves, the club has also activated swingman Bruce Chen and optioned reliever Tim Collins to Triple-A.
Joseph had one regrettable appearance this year, allowing six earned in just two thirds of an inning, but did make six scoreless outings last year. Through 25 2/3 frames at Triple-A in 2014, Joseph owns a 3.86 ERA with 10.5 K/9 against 7.0 BB/9.
Rangers Designate Brad Snyder For Assignment
The Rangers have designated outfielder/first baseman Brad Snyder for assignment, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). His roster spot will be taken by Carlos Pena, whose contract was purchased.
Snyder, 32, has only seen 71 MLB plate appearances in his career, just under half of which came this year with the Rangers. He was a first-round pick of the Indians back in 2003, and once figured as a top-100 prospect, but has largely stalled out at the upper minors. In parts of eight seasons at Triple-A, he owns a .288/.351/.507 triple-slash.
Pena, meanwhile, makes an interesting return to the club with which he debuted back in 2001. The first baseman, now 36, was dealt away to Oakland after just 72 plate appearances with the Rangers and ultimately played 12 seasons with numerous other clubs before making his return. His career line stands at .233/.348/.465.
Angels Seek To Add Pen Lefty And Perhaps Closer
JUNE 24: Obtaining bullpen help in advance of the trade deadline is a top priority, GM Jerry Dipoto told Jim Bowden in an an appearance on Sirius XM MLB Network Radio (Twitter link).
In addition to indicating that a left-handed reliever is a definite need, Dipoto suggested that the Halos may be interested in adding a new 9th inning option as well. Incumbent closer Ernesto Frieri owns a 5.83 ERA on the year, though he has registered 11.0 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9, leading to mixed views from other metrics (5.00 FIP, 3.08 xFIP, 2.42 SIERA).
MAY 29: With the loss of southpaw Sean Burnett fresh on the heels of his return to the MLB roster, the Angels may explore the trade market for alternatives, according to a report from MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter). “If the chance at acquiring somebody is there, we’re certainly going to be open to the idea,” GM Jerry Dipoto said of the possibility of adding a southpaw via trade.
The need is exacerbated, Gonzalez notes, by the fact that the team’s lone current left-hander — Wade LeBlanc — “needs to be stretched out” as a starter, according to manager Mike Scioscia. Temporarily, at least, the club could give another chance to Nick Maronde, who has been hit hard at all levels this year, or go to one of its marginal minor league options: Buddy Boshers, Brandon Sisk, and Dustin Richardson. Alternatively, says Gonzalez, demoted starter Hector Santiago could be a hypothetical possibility, or the team could choose to lean on righties Michael Kohn and Ernesto Frieri, who have reverse platoon splits over their career.
Even if the Halos look internally at present, though, the club seems a good bet to look to add another left-handed pen piece over the summer. Looking ahead, Gonzalez notes that several arms could become available. He lists Antonio Bastardo of the Phillies, the recently-acquired Troy Patton of the Padres, and the Reds’ Sean Marshall as names to watch.
Minor Moves: Scott McGregor
Here are the day’s notable minor moves:
- After being released by the Cardinals, righty Scott McGregor has caught on with the Nationals on a minor league deal, reports Chris Cotillo of MLBDailyDish.com (via Twitter). The 27-year-old had spent his entire career in the St. Louis organization, but owned a 6.34 ERA through 61 Triple-A frames on the year (with both 33 strikeouts and walks).
- As MLBTR’s DFA Tracker shows, the following players sit in DFA limbo: Roger Bernadina (Reds), Jake Dunning (Giants), J.J. Putz (Diamondbacks), Evan Reed (Tigers), Josh Outman (Indians), and Kevin Slowey (Marlins).