Angels Designate Paul McAnulty For Assignment
The Angels have designated Paul McAnulty for assignment, tweets Larry Stone of The Seattle Times. The move clears a roster spot for Maicer Izturis, who was activated off the disabled list following a month-long hiatus due to a forearm issue.
McAnulty, 29, hit just .136/.174/.273 in 23 plate appearances for the Angels, his first big league action since 2008. He certainly impressed in the minors this year, posting a .344/.412/.610 batting line in 294 plate appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A.
Week In Review: 7/12/10 – 7/18/10
Baseball lost George Steinbrenner this week, easily its most recognizable owner, and the National League won its first All Star Game in what feels like an eternity (actually 13 years). Let's look back at the week that was…
- This week's big trade featured the Blue Jays and Braves swapping shortstops. Toronto received Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes, Atlanta Alex Gonzalez, Tim Collins, and Tyler Pastornicky. Clearly, one team was looking ahead while the other was looking at the present. Reactions to the deal were pretty split.
- The Cardinals gave GM John Mozeliak a three-year contract extension, while Cubs' GM Jim Hendry got a vote of confidence from his team's chairman.
- Several teams are interested in Corey Hart, including the Giants, Rays, and Padres.The Brewers asked San Francisco for Jonathan Sanchez or Madison Bumgarner in exchange for the slugger. The Braves are interested in another righty hitting outfielder, Cody Ross of the Marlins.
- The Padres might need some pitching in addition to an outfielder, and they do not want any rental players. San Diego has not yet had any contract talks with Adrian Gonzalez, and unsurprisingly the Red Sox maintain interest in the star first baseman.
- The Blue Jays made Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, and Kevin Gregg available, and should certainly get some bites. The Reds were looking for some right-handed relief help, so they signed Russ Springer. The Giants and Mariners went to the scrap heap for pitching help, signing Dontrelle Willis and Jamey Wright, respectively.
- The Rockies are looking to add several pieces before the deadline, and have interest in Dan Uggla. The Marlins are likely to keep their second baseman, however. The Dodgers have no intentions of trading Matt Kemp, and Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo doesn't like the offers he's received for Adam Dunn.
- The Orioles are close to hiring Buck Showalter to manage the team, but no official announcement has been made. Orioles' executive Andy MacPhail said that he would be willing to trade his young players, but it would be hard to give them up. Talks with the Phillies about Ty Wigginton and Miguel Tejada are dead.
- The Red Sox have in fact exceeded the luxury tax threshold, which may impact their willingness to take on money at the deadline. They were discussing David DeJesus with the Royals before the news broke, however. David Ortiz is looking for a contract extension.
- The Yankees have their eye on Marlins' utility man Wes Helms, but their crosstown rivals might not make a move to add a pitcher after all. They did try to swap Oliver Perez for Gil Meche, however.
- Philadelphia doesn't expect to add any pitching, and a reunion with Pedro Martinez appears unlikely.
- The Mariners signed a trio of international prospects, while the Blue Jays signed a pair of their own.
- Here's the crop of players that were removed from their team's roster in some way: Dane Sardinha by the Phillies, George Sherrill by the Dodgers, Nelson Figueroa by the Phillies, Armando Benitez by the Marlins, Mike Redmond by the Indians, Fernando Cabrera by the Red Sox, Juan Castro by the Phillies, Mike Lamb by the Marlins, Nick Green by the Blue Jays, Anderson Hernandez by the Indians, Gustavo Molina by the Red Sox, and Casey Daigle by the Astros.
- Ben Nicholson-Smith wrapped up our series on The 2010 Trade Market.
Nothing Imminent For The Diamondbacks
The non-waiver trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and the Diamondbacks figure to be one of the game's biggest sellers given their position at the bottom of the NL West. Despite that, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert says no moves are imminent for the D-Backs, but that doesn't mean interim GM Jerry Dipoto isn't trying.
"It's been a canvassing, finding out where other teams are at," said Dipoto. "Obviously, we've exchanged a lot of rhetoric. I don't think anybody is really in a deal-making mode yet. We've been very open in discussing with teams what we'd be interested in doing."
Dipoto added that the he believes the Cliff Lee trade was the first domino, and expects there to be a flurry of moves over the next 13 days. Arizona has already traded away Conor Jackson and Billy Buckner, and they're sure to find plenty of interest in Kelly Johnson, Adam LaRoche, Edwin Jackson, and Mark Reynolds if they make them available.
Dan Haren's name is out there, but Dipoto is asking for a substantial return: two starters and a reliever. They have no motivation to trade him though, since he's signed through 2012 at a below market rate.
Odds & Ends: Parker, Hawpe, Loux, Giants, Orioles
Saturday night links as Livan Hernandez takes the loss against the Marlins, his first team…
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post spoke to Clemson reporters, who indicated that Rockies' first round pick Kyle Parker could decide on his future by Monday or Tuesday (four different Twitter links). Parker is choosing between baseball and football, and it's a matter of how much Colorado is willing to exceed MLB's recommended slot bonus of $1.5MM to sign him. The Rockies would be able to pay out his bonus over five years thanks to MLB's provision for two-spot athletes.
- Meanwhile, Brad Hawpe is making his first career start at first base tonight, and Renck says proving he can play the position would go a long way towards keeping him in Colorado beyond this season (Twitter links). The Rockies won't pick up his $10MM option for next season, but they do value his bat and his leadership.
- Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic sees the Diamondbacks either signing Barret Loux at a discount or not signing him at all, and using the savings on some tough-to-sign players they drafted in the lower rounds. Loux, the sixth overall pick in last month's draft, recently failed his physical due to a shoulder issue.
- Giants' manager Bruce Bochy indicated that he'd rather not sacrifice a starting pitcher in a trade for a bat, according to John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle.
- Peter Schmuck of The Baltimore Sun wonders when the trade deadline will be something more than a time when the Orioles just sell off veterans.
- The Marlins have signed second round pick Rob Rasmussen, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Terms of the deal are unknown, but MLB's recommended slot bonus for the 73rd overall pick is estimated at $500K. Florida has now signed nine of their top 15 picks, though first rounder Christian Yelich remains unsigned.
Blue Jays Designate Nick Green For Assignment
The Blue Jays have designated utility infielder Nick Green for assignment, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The move frees up a roster spot for Shaun Marcum, who is coming off the disabled list.
The 31-year-old Green hit .154/.214/.154 in 14 plate appearances with Toronto. They signed him last month after he opted out of his minor league contract with the Dodgers.
Rizzo Doesn’t Like Offers For Dunn
Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo doesn't like the offers he's received for Adam Dunn, a person close to the team told MLB.com's Bill Ladson and Faran Fagen. As a result, the source doesn't believe the team will trade the first baseman before the July 31st non-waiver trade deadline. It is unclear exactly which teams have approached Rizzo and made an offer for the lefty power threat.
Dunn has said he is frustrated by not having a contract extension already in place, but as far as we know he hasn't asked for any kind of trade. The Yankees and White Sox are among the teams known to covet him, but there are certainly plenty more out there given the decrease in homeruns and offense in general around the league. Dunn is on pace for 39 bombs this year, which would make this the sixth consecutive year he's hit between 38 and 40.
The Latest On Mike Lowell
The Red Sox have close to a full lineup of players on the disabled list, but the forgotten man in that group seems to be third baseman Mike Lowell. Prior to hitting the shelf with soreness in his surgically repaired hip, the 36-year-old Lowell hit just .213/.308/.350 in very sporadic playing time due to the presence of Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis, plus David Ortiz's resurgence.
Lowell told ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes he has given up hope that the team will release him so he can find work elsewhere.
"I don’t know if it’s specifically because I might beat them, I just don’t think they want me to go to another team while they pay my salary,’’ Lowell said. “At this point, they’re not going to get anything [in a trade]. You’re going to get a subpar prospect at best. There’s too much time left in the season, they’re not going to get money."
There is still $5.3MM left on Lowell's contract this season, after which he'll be a free agent. In his own words, Lowell will "clear waivers in two seconds" because of that salary, so the July 31st trade deadline doesn't really apply to him. The Red Sox can let his market develop in August if they want.
Lowell did back off when asked about retirement, telling WEEI.com's DJ Bean that he's "thinking short term" for the time being. Back in April he indicated that he'd almost certainly call it a career after this season.
The immediate plan is for Lowell to get a cortisone shot in his hip on Monday, then head to Triple-A Pawtucket for a rehab assignment beginning Thursday. He expects the shot to help with flexibility, and Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal says it could even allow him to play in 2011.
Despite his injury and ineffectiveness, several teams remain interested in acquiring the former World Series MVP. The Rangers have been connected to Lowell more than any other team, but the Twins, Angels, Mariners, and White Sox have also popped up as potential suitors this season. Regardless of who acquires him, the Red Sox will almost certainly have to pick up most of his salary.
MacPhail: No Young Player Is Untouchable
Orioles' president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail spoke to reporters today, and MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli says he indicated that no young player on the team's roster is untouchable (Twitter link). He did, however, say that it would be hard to give up a young guy, even for a big bat.
Even with the majors' worst record at 29-60, the Orioles do have a promising young core to build around, led by Brian Matusz and Matt Wieters. Others like Chris Tillman, Adam Jones, Jake Arrieta, Josh Bell, and Felix Pie also fit into that fix. Nick Markakis remains extremely productive, though the big money in his contract kicks in next season, when he'll earn $10.25MM. Baltimore would find plenty of interest in the 26-year-old if they were to make him available.
Understandably, most of the trade rumors involving Orioles' players this summer have been about veterans, namely Ty Wigginton. The team would receive a better return if they moved younger players for obvious reasons, and I suppose it's not crazy to think MacPhail could deal a youngster for a package that could potentially address multiple needs.
Red Sox Are Over Luxury Tax Threshold
4:48pm: The Red Sox are operating under the same parameters that they always have and will make an acquisition if they feel that it could help them make the postseason, according to these tweets from ESPN's Buster Olney.
12:34pm: Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox have learned within the last few hours that they have indeed exceeded the 2010 threshold for the competitive balance tax, better known as the luxury tax. They will be taxed at a 22.5% rate for every dollar spent over $170MM this year, and those figures will increase to 30% and $178MM next year, respectively.
Cot's Baseball Contracts, an unofficial source of salary and payroll data, has Boston's payroll at just under $168.11MM this season, though they obviously closed the gap at some point. Josh Beckett's extension was completed after the start of the season in an effort to save against the luxury tax.
It was reported earlier this week that the Red Sox weren't willing to spend significant money this July in an effort to avoid the tax. Whether or not the team is willing to dip further into their pockets to add pieces at the trade deadline remains to be seen, though they have indicated that they prefer to wait until their injured players return before targeting high-priced players.
The Yankees are the only other team in baseball over the threshold, and they are taxed at a 40% rate because of past payrolls.
Odds & Ends: Molina, Machado, Wood, Montero
Saturday afternoon linkage…
- Bengie Molina has had an immediate impact in Texas, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.
- The Orioles won't sign Manny Machado before August 1st, Baltimore's director of scouting told Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com (via Twitter).
- The Indians placed closer Kerry Wood on the disabled list with a blister on his right index finger according to MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince. The move is retroactive to July 12th, so unless he needs more than the 15 days off, Wood will be back just before the trade deadline.
- Meanwhile, ESPN's Buster Olney says Wood's actual trade deadline is August 31st, because he will clear waivers next month given the $4MM still owed to him this season (Twitter links).
- White Sox GM Kenny Williams often approaches his veteran players to get their opinions about potential moves, but he has not yet pulled Paul Konerko aside to discuss scenarios according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun Times.
- Bernie Miklasz of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that Cardinals' GM John Mozeliak was well-deserving of his contract extension.
- In a video on ESPN, Olney says the Yankees have determined that they would not trade catching prospect Jesus Montero for any player available on the trade market. They were willing to move him for Cliff Lee because it was a special case.