Braves Unlikely To Trade Chris Resop
The Braves aren't going to trade righty Chris Resop before his Tuesday opt-out date unless they get an "amazing return," tweets Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. They will instead call him up to work out of the bullpen, maintaining their depth.
Resop, 27, has been a revelation as a starter in Triple-A this year, posting a 1.84 ERA and 9.9 K/9 in 13 starts (73.1 innings). He spent last season pitching in Japan, and prior to that he was strictly a reliever in his pro career, which included stints with the Marlins, Angels, and Braves. Resop would have been able to opt out of his contract tomorrow if he had not been called up the bigs, and interest would have been plentiful if he hit the open market.
Oswalt Would Accept Trade To The Mets
Roy Oswalt would accept a trade to the Mets according to a "player who is friendly" with the Astros' ace, reports Mike Puma of The New York Post. The Mets' "veteran fiber" appeals to Oswalt according to Puma's source, however his hefty price tag makes it extremely unlikely the team will be able to pursue him.
Oswalt has indicated that he'll accept a trade anywhere he could contend, and the Mets are currently a game and a half back in the NL East. FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal indicated that the Amazin's would be reluctant to part with infield prospect Ruben Tejada in a trade, though it's still unclear what exactly the Astros are looking for in return.
The 32-year-old Oswalt is enjoying one of the finest seasons of his career, with a 3.16 ERA and 8.6 K/9, his highest mark since his rookie season. He's owed just a touch over $9M for the remainder of this season, plus $16M next year with an option for 2012.
Morimoto And Iwakuma Qualify For Free Agency
Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker passes along a pair of reports indicating that Hichori Morimoto and Hisashi Iwakuma have accrued enough service time in Japan to qualify for domestic free agency.
Morimoto, a 29-year-old center fielder for the Nippon Ham Fighters, said “I’m interested, you know, in America”, before adding, “I care about how other teams evaluate me, but playing for the Fighters is the best.” A winner of multiple Gold Gloves, the speedy Morimoto is hitting .301/.348/.406 with just three steals this year, but he's a .275 hitter with a .327 OBP with 65 steals in his four seasons as a full-time player.
Iwakuma is a 29-year-old starting pitcher that opened eyes with three dominant starts (and one relief appearance) in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. The righthander has posted a 2.72 ERA in 102.2 innings for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles this year, and he owns a 3.36 ERA in more than eight years of NPB experience.
Newman mentions that Iwakuma is under contract for next season, but expects him to make the move to MLB following the 2011 season as long as he remains healthy and effective. He is represented by IMG.
Pierzynski’s Ten And Five Rights Kick In
A.J. Pierzynski's ten and five rights kicked in at 11pm CT last night, giving the White Sox catcher the ability to veto any trade. Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune mentions that Pierzynski was happy for his family since he can now control his own destiny, though he indicated last week that he would still be open to a trade.
The 33-year-old Pierzynski is in the final year of his contract and is owed approximately $3.85MM for the remainder of this season. His offense has suffered in 2010, with his triple-slash line sitting at .236/.277/.372 in 204 plate appearances. Never a great thrower, Pierzynski's caught stealing rate sits at 28%, his highest mark since 2003.
Quality catchers are always in demand, and rumors of a Chicago sell-off have been circulating. The White Sox have already been gauging interest in their catcher, with the Rangers reportedly showing interest.
Here is our list of players whose ten and five rights kick in in the near future.
Odds & Ends: Bell, Giants, Lowell, Maine, Indians
Sunday linkage..
- Heath Bell told Ephraim Fischbein of New York Baseball Digest that he's happy in San Diego, but would like to return to the Mets if the Padres decide to go in a different direction.
- Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News (via Twitter) applauds the Giants' signings of Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff, who cost the club roughly $3MM each.
- Mark Tracy is excited to be a part of the Rockies along with his father, manager Jim Tracy, writes MLB.com's Thomas Harding. Colorado selected the skipper's son in the 22nd round of the 2010 Draft.
- Contrary to a report late last night, the Angels and Red Sox did not agree to a swap of Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Lowell over the winter, a major league source told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- David Lennon of Newsday (via Twitter) writes that it's an 80% possibility that the Mets non-tender John Maine after this season.
- ESPN's Buster Olney says that the Indians are likely to move some veterans in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, but they could be a dangerous team to face until then because of Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, and Jake Westbrook (Insider req'd).
- MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch says to expect negotiations between the Pirates and their top draft picks Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie to go right down to the August 16th signing deadline.
- The Pirates had a long debate about who to take with the second overall pick in last week's draft according to Chuck Finder of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and it wasn't until last weekend that they decided on Jameson over Manny Machado.
- Meanwhile Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says the Pirates won't rush their top prospects. Once those prospects are promoted to the big league team, their minor league roster spots will be filled by players currently on ML roster (after they're optioned down) or by "signing low-cost, minor league free agents."
- Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer doesn't see the Indians offering anyone but Shin-Soo Choo a multi-year deal, including the resurgent Austin Kearns.
- Newsday's David Lennon thinks it might make sense for the Mets to "consider opening extension talks" with catcher Rod Barajas before the season ends and he hits the free agent market.
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Brewers, Mariners, Oswalt
In today's notes column, Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe wonders if the Red Sox would move closer Jonathan Papelbon after the season to open up the closer's role for Daniel Bard. He speculates that the Brewers, Twins, Rays, Braves, and Phillies could be in the market for a closer this winter. Papelbon is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season.
Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…
- Scott Boras said he undervalued Stephen Strasburg last year, even though he eventually signed the largest contract in draft history. Boras added that being around San Diego State coach Tony Gwynn helped Strasburg become prepared for what lied ahead.
- Cafardo says that New England isn't a high priority area for scouts before the draft because by time they can get out to see the players in the region, it's too late in the game for a cross-checker to confirm anything.
- Cafardo predicts that Jacoby Ellsbury will be traded this offseason. He'll arbitration eligible for the first time after 2010, though he's been battling rib issues basically all season.
- He also remarks that the Red Sox would have to play Mike Lowell if they want to showcase him for a trade. Lowell has received just 50 plate appearances since the end of April.
- Kevin Millwood should become major trade bait as the deadline approaches because he's pitched well and is in the final year of his contract.
- The Brewers would love to make Randy Wolf available, but no one would take him on with more than two years and $24MM left on his deal. Meanwhile, Milwaukee still isn't sure if they'll try to improve their catching situation or become sellers and look towards next season.
- The feeling is that once Seattle trades Cliff Lee, pretty much everyone on their roster not named Ichiro and Felix Hernandez will be available as well.
- Diamondbacks' CEO Derrick Hall isn't happy with his team's performance and has talked about re-evaluating his management staff. They could be major players at the deadline, with Justin Upton representing the only untouchable.
- Cafardo says that the feeling among big league executives is that the Dodgers will not give up the prospects necessary to acquire Roy Oswalt, but they would be okay taking on the money.
- Adam Dunn would be a perfect fit for the Red Sox if they let David Ortiz go after the season, assuming the Nationals don't re-sign him.
Astros Sign Brad Thompson
The Astros have signed righthander Brad Thompson to a minor league deal according to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League transactions. Thompson elected to become a free agent last week after the Royals designated him for assignment.
The 28-year-old posted a 6.41 ERA in 19.2 innings for Kansas City this year, though his strikeout rate was an unimpressive 4.6 K/9. Thompson spent the first five years of his career with the Cardinals, throwing 385.2 innings with a respectable 4.36 ERA.
Red Sox In Talks With Twins, Rangers About Lowell
SATURDAY, 1:11pm: The Twins' field staff is lobbying for Lowell as their need for that type of player is obvious, tweets Rosenthal. However, the front office has concerns about his salary and durability.
FRIDAY, 5:26pm: The Red Sox are in trade talks with the Twins and Rangers about third baseman Mike Lowell, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com. The Angels, who recently learned that Kendry Morales will definitely miss the remainder of the season with a fractured leg, are said to be "hovering."
With the strong play of Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis, plus David Ortiz's May resurgence, the 36-year-old Lowell has become a sparsely used and expensive bench player. He's in the lineup tonight, but overall he's received just 25 plate appearances over the last month and is hitting .225/.313/.338 on the season.
The Rangers have been connected to Lowell dating back to the offseason, when they had a deal in place to acquire him. Minnesota third basemen are hitting just .211/.281/.281 on the year, so it's a clear position of upgrade. The Mariners and White Sox have also expressed interest in Lowell this month, who is still owed approximately $7.4MM through the end of the season.
In a second tweet, Rosenthal mentions that Boston will likely explore the market for an outfielder, which could tie into a potential Lowell deal. Both Jeremy Hermida and Jacoby Ellsbury are on the disabled list, and Mike Cameron is playing with an abdominal tear.
Cardinals Outright Tyler Norrick
The Cardinals have outrighted lefty Tyler Norrick off the 40-man roster, tweets Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The move frees up a roster spot for the recently re-signed Jeff Suppan.
The 26-year-old Norrick was St. Louis' sixth round pick in the 2006 draft, though he has yet to reach the big leagues. He posted a 7.71 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 15 walks in 16.1 innings split between the Cardinals' High-A and Triple-A affiliates this year, with a disabled list stint in-between. The lefty reliever owns an impressive 8.9 career K/9, but the walks are too high at an even 5.0 BB/9.
Astros Agree To Deal With Mike Foltynewicz
The Astros have reached an agreement with first round pick Mike Foltynewicz on a deal that includes a $1.3MM signing bonus, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
The 19-year-old Foltynewicz was the 19th overall pick in Monday's draft after posting a 0.38 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 72.2 innings for Minooka Community High School near Chicago this spring. MLB.com's scouting report says the 6-foot-4, 190 lb. righty can run his fastball up to 96 mph with a sinking changeup and a slurvy breaking ball.
Houston can now focus on signing Delino DeShields Jr. and Michael Kvasnicka, their other two first round picks. Both have indicated that they expect to sign.