Mike Axisa | MLB Trade Rumors

Cubs, Hendry Links: Saturday

By Mike Axisa | August 20, 2011 at 3:32pm CDT

The Cubs dismissed long-time GM Jim Hendry yesterday, so let's round up the latest regarding the move…

SI.com's Jon Heyman tweets that Brian Cashman won't be a candidate for the Cubs' GM opening, but the position will be very coveted in the industry.
Manager Mike Quade isn't concerning himself with his future right now, writes Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. It's common for a new GM to appoint his own manager, raising plenty of questions about Quade's role with the team beyond the 2011 season.
MLB.com's Carrie Muskat provides a timeline of Hendry's tenure with the team, starting with his hiring in July 2002 and ended with his suspension of Carlos Zambrano last week.
Bruce Miles of The Daily Herald says Hendry's tenure was a mixed bag. He did well in trades (Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Kenny Lofton), but not so well on the free agent market (Milton Bradley, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome).
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports says whoever takes over as the permanent replacement for Hendry will "inherit a potential gold mine." Owner Tom Ricketts is willing to spend to win, and there's always "the promise of deification should the new GM actually win a World Series."

MLBTR's Steve Adams also contributed to this post.

Outrighted To Triple-A: Edgar Gonzalez, Reggie Willits

By Mike Axisa | August 20, 2011 at 10:39am CDT

Saturday's outright assignments…

The Rockies have outrighted Edgar Gonzalez to Triple-A according to Pacific Coast League transactions page. The 28-year-old righty appeared in just one game for Colorado before being designated for assignment to make room on the roster for J.C. Romero.
The Angels have outrighted Reggie Willits to Triple-A according to PCL transactions. He came to the plate just 28 times for the Halos this year, then was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Jerome Williams.

Minor Moves: Buddy Carlyle, Greg Smith

By Mike Axisa | August 20, 2011 at 8:48am CDT

Let's keep track of the day's minor moves right here…

The Yankees have released Buddy Carlyle, reports Donnie Collins of The Scranton Times-Tribune (on Twitter). The 33-year-old righty was with New York's Triple-A affiliate, but he did make it to the Bronx for 7 2/3 generally ineffective innings earlier this year. Carlyle had been designated for assignment and outrighted in June.
The Yankees have also released Greg Smith, tweets Collins. Smith, a 27-year-old southpaw, pitched to a 4.84 ERA in 57 2/3 innings for the team's Triple-A squad. He's been involved in trades for Dan Haren and Matt Holliday in the past, and his release opened up a roster spot for the recently signed Scott Proctor.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America has even more moves in this week's edition of minor league transactions.

Jim Hendry Firing Reactions

By Mike Axisa | August 19, 2011 at 10:08pm CDT

The Cubs dismissed GM Jim Hendry earlier today, cutting ties with the third longest tenured GM in the National League even though he's under contract through 2012. The team was one game better than .500 during his tenure, going 749-748. Let's round up the latest reactions, news, and notes surrounding the move…

A reminder of the criteria for the next GM as laid out by owner Tom Ricketts, who will conduct the search: a commitment to player development, a stronger analytical background, and someone who's been in a winning culture and has a track record of success.
"[Ricketts] told me he felt we needed a fresh start and he was going to look outside the organization," said interim GM Randy Bush to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "I really appreciated his honesty, to be honest."
Yankees GM Brian Cashman shot down speculation about his candidacy for the job, reports Jack Curry of the YES Network (Twitter links). Cashman said that New York "has been home for quite some time," and he'd like that relationship to continue when his contract is up after the season.
White Sox GM Kenny Williams said he would give assistant GM Rick Hahn the highest level of recommendation if asked about him by Ricketts, reports Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Hahn was one of MLBTR's top 20 GM candidates.
ESPN's Jim Bowden put together a list of potential GM replacements, including several names that appear on our list.
Hendry admitted to reporters, including David Kaplan, that he was actually fired on July 22nd. He stayed on to help the team get all of their draft picks signed before the August 15th deadline because owner Tom Ricketts asked him to (Twitter links). Ricketts told Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune that "[Hendry's] been terrific, [it's] a credit to his character."
In a video for FOX Sports, Ken Rosenthal says that Hendry was done in by the bad contracts given to players like Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, and Milton Bradley even though he had to spend the money at behest of the team's previous owner, the Tribune Company.
The Chicago Sun-Times listed Hendry's highs and lows, a collection of the best and worst moments during his tenure as GM.

Chipper Jones Will Play In 2012

By Mike Axisa | August 19, 2011 at 8:26pm CDT

We can put the speculation to rest, Chipper Jones has told Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution that he will play in 2012. There had been some belief that Jones would walk away after another injury interrupted year.

"I'm playing next year," said Chipper. "I still feel like I can go out there and play a good third base and be a threat, at least, at the plate. I'm having a good defensive year and the average is on the rise."

Jones, 39, is under contract for $13MM next season. The team holds a $7MM club option for his services in 2013, though that can vest and/or increase in value based on various games played incentives. Chipper did not rule out playing in 2013, but did say he'll wait until next year to make that decision. He's hitting .271/.345/.455 with 11 homers in 374 plate appearances this year.

NL Central Notes: McCutchen, Astros, Berkman

By Mike Axisa | August 19, 2011 at 7:46pm CDT

Tom Haudricourt of The Journal Sentinel reports that MLB has suspended Brewers right-hander Mark Rogers 25 games for a second positive test for a stimulant in violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rogers' season was already over due to carpal tunnel syndrome, however. Here's the latest from baseball's only six-team division. ..

The Pirates are working on a long-term extension for Neil Walker after locking up Jose Tabata, but Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that talks about a deal for Andrew McCutchen have stalled. Both sides are willing to continue negotiations, but they haven't made any progress in weeks.
The Astros put both Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers on waivers recently, and SI.com's Jon Heyman says he doesn't expect either player to be claimed (Twitter links). Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe disagrees though, saying claims should be made on both pitchers (Twitter link).
"At this stage of my career, it's safe to say that if I'm not thrilled with the opportunities out there for me after this season, this would be it," said Lance Berkman of the Cardinals to Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, hinting at retirement. "I'd love to come back but I also recognize they have some big decisions to make with some pretty big guys. Right now, I'm not assuming anything."
Roger Hensley of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch asked various scribes if they believe Tony LaRussa will come back to manage the Cardinals next season, and got mixed answers.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote about Francisco Rodriguez and the seamless transition he's made from Mets closer to Brewers setup man.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Thome, Draft, Angels

By Mike Axisa | August 19, 2011 at 2:26pm CDT

Four years ago today, John Smoltz struck out Mark Reynolds to become the Braves' all-time strikeout leader. His 2,913th whiff moved him past Phil Niekro. Smoltz finished his Braves' career with 3,011 strikeouts, and he is also the franchise's career leader in strikeout rate (7.98 K/9) and saves (154). He's in the top ten of almost every other significant pitching statistic as well.

Here is the best the blogosphere had to offer over the last seven days…

In the wake of his 600th homer, Brotherly Glove looks at Jim Thome's impact on the Phillies.
Infield Chatter broke down Thome's case for the Hall of Fame.
Replacement Level Baseball recapped the draft signing deadline.
MLB Reports recapped the big name draftees that did not sign this year.
FanSpeak says the Nationals' big draft class sets them up for the future.
Padres Prospects broke down the big money players the Padres signed before the deadline.
Bleacher Nation recapped the Cubs' entire draft haul.
River Ave. Blues thinks Gerrit Cole's rejection may have scared the Yankees.
True Grich wonders if the Angels are in trouble financially.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness picks apart a recent interview with Dodgers GM Ned Colletti.
The Friahood mused about a recent report of the Padres increasing payroll.
Rant Sports Indians looks at five contenders that could use Austin Kearns.
Yankees Fans Unite wonders who should play center field for the Yanks, Curtis Granderson or Brett Gardner.
Twinkie Town, meanwhile, provides the definitive guide to booing the Yankees.
Jays Journal thinks Jesse Litsch could be long-term bullpen option for the Blue Jays.
Rant Sports Red Sox tries to figure out what Jonathan Papelbon is worth on the free agent market.
Days of Yost looks at what has made Randy Wolf so effective this year.
Ol' Ball Game explains why Brandon Morrow is a top shelf starter.
Call to the Pen wonders if Roy Halladay already has the Cy Young Award locked up.
Cracked Bell Sports doesn't think the Phillies rotation has been overworked.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here. Only one email per week, please.

New York Notes: Isringhausen, Wilpons, A-Rod

By Mike Axisa | August 17, 2011 at 7:15pm CDT

The Mets are hopeful that first rounder Brandon Nimmo will be able to make his professional debut in the Gulf Coast League this Sunday, tweets MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Nimmo signed for $2.1MM earlier this week after being the 13th overall pick in the draft. Let's round up the latest from the Big Apple…

Jason Isringhausen picked up his 300th career save earlier this week, and the Mets closer told Mike Puma of The New York Post that he hasn't ruled out pitching in 2012 yet (Twitter link), "I'm not coming back for $500K again, I know that," said Izzy. Make sure you check out CloserNews.com for everything you need to know about fantasy closers.
Richard Sandomir and Ken Belson of the New York Times say that the latest decision in the Bernie Madoff case could be a significant financial blow to the Wilpons. The Mets owners might have to turnover $300MM to a trustee as a result.
Harvey Araton of the New York Times says that Alex Rodriguez's knee injury is a reminder that the 36-year-old is a DH-in-waiting with six more years left on his landmark contract.

Braves Sign Wes Helms

By Mike Axisa | August 17, 2011 at 6:35pm CDT

The Braves have signed Wes Helms to a minor league contract, reports Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). MLB.com's Mark Bowman says (on Twitter) that he will report to their Triple-A affiliate on Saturday and likely be called up when rosters expand on September 1st.

Helms, 35, was released by the Marlins earlier this week. He was hitting .191/.276/.236 in 124 plate appearances at the time, though the righty swinger is just a year removed from a .324/.420/.521 performance against lefties. Helms has spent the majority of his time at the corner infield spots over the last few years. The Braves will only have to pay him the pro-rated portion of the league minimum, the Marlins are on the hook for the rest of his $1MM salary.

Draft Links: Dunston, Hultzen, Red Sox

By Mike Axisa | August 16, 2011 at 6:51pm CDT

Earlier today we compiled draft reactions, now it's time to round up some miscellaneous links…

Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune wrote about Shawon Dunston Jr., who signed with the Cubs for $1.275MM as an 11th round pick yesterday. Junior said he came to the decision to sign on Sunday night, without being pushed his father.
Larry Stone of The Seattle Times spoke to Brodie Van Wagenen, advisor to second overall pick Danny Hultzen. Van Wagenen discussed the compromises made by both his side and the Mariners during the negotiations, which were impacted by both Trevor Bauer (the third overall pick) and Dustin Ackley (the second overall pick two years ago).
WEEI.com's Alex Speier broke down the Red Sox's draft spending, which totalled over $10MM.

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