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Blue Jays Do Not Expect To Sign First-Rounder Bickford

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3:30pm: Jim Callis of Baseball America spoke with a person who is "in the know" on the Bickford situation and confirmed that Bickford is likely to attend Cal State Fullerton. Callis adds that it's not a physical issue preventing Bickford from signing and reminds readers that Bickford's pre-draft asking price was $4.25MM (Twitter links).

Callis also tweets that it's starting to look like the Jays won't sign 11th-round pick Jake Brentz, who was regarded as a second- or third-round talent. Baseball America had ranked Brentz 80th among draft prospects, while ESPN's Keith Law ranked him 45th. Brentz is committed to the University of Missouri. As Callis notes, the Blue Jays may only spend about $2MM on this year's draft.

10:36am: The Blue Jays do not expect to sign first-round pick Phil Bickford, GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters including broadcaster Mike Wilner (Twitter link).  The issue is not money, adds Wilner.

The Blue Jays drafted Bickford, a hard-throwing prep righty, tenth overall.  He was a late riser on draft boards.  In their scouting report, Baseball America noted that Bickford "could be a tough sign away from Cal State Fullerton."  The Jays will receive the 11th overall pick as compensation next year if they fail to sign Bickford by tomorrow's 4pm central time deadline.  The Blue Jays are believed to have offered the slot value of $2,921,400, tweets Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  Toronto previously failed to sign their first-round pick in 2011, Tyler Beede, as well as supplemental round pick James Paxton in '09.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Minor Moves: Jeremy Bonderman, Aaron Laffey

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On this date ten years ago, the Marlins were making a surprising wild card push and traded for one of the best available relievers, Rangers closer Ugueth Urbina.  Double-A first baseman Adrian Gonzalez was part of the package going to Texas.  The first overall pick by the Marlins three years prior, Gonzalez began the year at Triple-A following offseason wrist surgery, but had been demoted to Double-A in May.  Said Marlins GM Larry Beinfest at the time, "In Adrian, we thought we were dealing in an area of strength, but we wanted to do something now."  Beinfest was referring to first basemen Derrek Lee and Jason Stokes.  The Marlins installed Urbina in a setup role and went on to win the World Series.  John Hart was the man behind the Urbina signing and trade as Rangers GM.  

Two years later, Hart stepped down to make way for the youngest GM in MLB history, 28-year-old Jon Daniels.  Daniels later admitted to WEEI's Alex Speier his new front office "tried to step on the gas before we were ready," and with Mark Teixeira entrenched at first base, Gonzalez, Terrmel Sledge, and Chris Young were traded to the Padres for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka.  Today's minor moves, as we ponder the status of Urbina's comeback attempt…

  • Jeremy Bonderman has refused an outright assignment from the Mariners and elected free agency, the team announced. He was designated for assignment on Monday. In 38 1/3 innings for Seattle this season, the 30-year-old posted a 4.93 ERA with more walks (17) than strikeouts (16). It was his first MLB action since 2010 and the only time he has pitched for a team other than the Tigers.
  • The Brewers signed lefty Aaron Laffey, announced the team's player development department on Twitter early today.  The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Mets in December, was designated for assignment in April, claimed by the Blue Jays, designated days later, elected free agency, was signed by the Dodgers, and opted out of his deal with that club earlier this month.  He made five big league appearances this year, and also tossed 61 Triple-A innings for the Dodgers, with much more success on the road than at Isotopes Park.  There is no opt-out in the Brewers deal, MLBTR has learned.
  • Five players currently reside in DFA limbo: Travis Ishikawa of the Yankees, Joe Gardner of the Rockies, Cole Gillespie of the Giants, Jeremy Bonderman of the Mariners, and Adam Rosales of the Athletics.  The Mets asked for unconditional release waivers for Brandon Lyon on Tuesday.

Marlins To Sign First-Rounder Colin Moran

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The Marlins and No. 6 overall draft pick Colin Moran have agreed to terms for the full slot bonus of $3,516,500, tweets Juan C. Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. MLB.com's Joe Frisaro adds that completion of a physical is the only step remaining in the signing process (Twitter link). Moran is advised by Excel Sports Management.  Moran

The 20-year-old Moran was one of the most highly touted prospects heading into this season's draft when he ranked sixth among draft prospects according to MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo, seventh according to Baseball America and ninth according to ESPN's Keith Law.

Aside from No. 2 overall selection Kris Bryant, Moran was thought to be the best college bat in the class. Mayo wrote that Moran is a polished hitter who should be able to stay at third base long-term and grow into some more power. Law praised his discipline, noting his "absurd" strikeout-to-walk ratio (he finished with 55 walks and just 20 strikeouts in 60 games), but raised some questions about his unorthodox swing.

Moran is the first college bat that the Marlins have taken with their top pick since they selected Mark Kotsay out of Cal State Fullerton in 1996 (they did select Chris Coghlan out of Ole Miss in the supplemental first round in 2006). Moran is just the eighth college player the Marlins have selected in the first round in franchise history, dating back to 1992.

Now that Moran has agreed to terms with the Marlins, the only question mark for tomorrow's 4pm central time signing deadline is Blue Jays pick Phil Bickford.

MLB.com's Joe Frisaro first reported that a deal was close and could be completed Thursday.

Steve Adams contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Reliever Trade Talk: Parnell, Red Sox, Giants

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The Twins and Mets "should learn from the mistake the Royals made with Joakim Soria," writes Dave Cameron of FanGraphs, and trade closers Glen Perkins and Bobby Parnell.  Cameron's argument is convincing: "Relievers, even really good young relievers, should be viewed as ripe fruit. They are great for a while, but you don’t store ripe fruit for the future planning on having a healthy snack later. You consume it now or waste it."  The latest from around the relief trade market:

Rangers Expressed Interest In Aoki

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The Rangers have expressed interest in Brewers outfielder Norichika Aoki during talks with the Brewers about starter Yovani Gallardo, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Aoki has a cheap $1.5MM club option for 2014, so it's unclear whether the Brewers will move him.

Aoki, 31, joined the Brewers in January 2012 after they won the rights to negotiate with him from Japan's Yakult Swallows for $2.5MM.  This year he's hitting .298/.366/.378 in 379 plate appearances, trading power for a slightly higher OBP as opposed to last year.  He's an underpaid high-contact player who can handle all three outfield positions.

Gallardo, meanwhile, takes on another team that covets him in the Diamondbacks tonight.  Some scouts see Gallardo as a No. 4 starter in the American League, maybe a 3 in the NL, writes Danny Knobler of CBS Sports.  The Rangers recently lost ace Yu Darvish to the DL for a strained trapezius muscle, which is currently considered a minor issue.

Michael Weiner Condemns Biogenesis Leaks

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Reporters continue to dig up details on the Biogenesis story, and MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner doesn't like it.  In a statement issue today, Weiner said, "The leaking of confidential information to members of the media interferes with the thoroughness and credibility of the Biogenesis investigation.  These repeated leaks threaten to harm the integrity of the Joint Drug Agreement and call into question the required level of confidentiality needed to operate a successful prevention program."

Weiner later added, "It would be unfortunate if anyone prejudged the results of the investigation based on unsubstantiated leaks that are a clear violation of the Joint Drug Agreement."  The latest report came from T.J. Quinn and Mike Fish of ESPN, who wrote, "Commissioner Bud Selig's office is expected to suspend Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez Rodriguez, along with as many as 20 players sometime after next week's All-Star break, for their roles in the Biogenesis case."

The big question: how will the inevitable appeals play out for those players?  FanGraphs' Wendy Thurm wondered today if Selig himself might be the only person hearing appeals and making the final decision, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes,"All would be heard by a single arbitrator, Fredric Horowitz."  Horowitz was appointed baseball's arbitrator last summer after Shyam Das was fired.  Rosenthal pictures a drawn-out appeals process.  Furthermore, Ronald Blum of the Associated Press wrote today, "Lengthy proceedings make it nearly a certainty most, if not all, suspensions would be served in 2014."

White Sox Notes: Hahn, Thornton

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With the second-worst record in the American League and plenty of useful veterans, the White Sox are a clear seller this month.  The team's prime trade chips are Alex Rios, Matt Thornton, Matt Lindstrom, and perhaps Jake Peavy and Jesse Crain when they return from the disabled list.  It's less clear whether the Sox would consider trading Alexei Ramirez, Paul Konerko, John Danks, and Alejandro De Aza.  The latest:

  • "The bulk of our struggles this year have been on the offensive side. That's something we are going to have to improve," GM Rick Hahn told reporters yesterday, including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.  Though Hahn wouldn't address trade rumors or the July 31st deadline, Gonzales takes this to mean Hahn will lean toward hitters in making deals this month.  Hahn has dispatched scouts to evaluate prospects from the Braves, Blue Jays, Rangers, and Red Sox, writes Gonzales.
  • The White Sox seek "high-end prospects" for Thornton, a source tells Dan Hayes of CSNChicago.com.  The 36-year-old is having his worst year in recent memory, with a 4.00 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 1.33 HR/9, and 44.3% groundball rate in 27 innings.  He's been better against left-handed hitters, though they've authored three of the four home runs he's surrendered.  With a $6MM club option for 2014, Thornton can be more than a rental.
  • Regarding the idea of trading ace Chris Sale, Jim Margalus of South Side Sox writes, "Hahn would pretty much have to get two stars back to justify it. Otherwise, it's getting way too cute."  Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports notes today that a large contingent of scouts are watching Sale.

Phillies Expressed Interest In Joba Chamberlain?

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WEDNESDAY, 1:27pm: A source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) that the Phillies are not among the clubs pursuing Chamberlain.

TUESDAY, 9:05am: The Phillies are amenable to trading infielder Michael Young and have expressed interest in Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain, writes Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News.  Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz may be available as well, since the 34-year-old is a free agent after the season.  He'd make sense for the Yankees, one of few contenders with a clear need behind the plate.

So what's getting in the way of a deal?  The Phillies' status as a team on the bubble is one factor, as they have three weeks remaining until the trade deadline to pull closer than their current 7.5 games out.  Lack of interest from the Yankees seems to be another — GM Brian Cashman's interest "has been lukewarm at best," writes Feinsand.     

The Chamberlain-Young-Ruiz trade scenario only makes sense if the Phillies are looking for a way to dump Young's salary, as Feinsand suggests, and/or if they also receive a prospect in return.  Otherwise, renting Chamberlain in his contract year only makes sense for the Phillies if they're making a push toward contention.  That's the general problem with the idea of Chamberlain and Phil Hughes as trade chips for the Yankees: non-contenders have little need for players in contract years.  A contender-to-contender deal could work; for example, the Braves were reportedly interested in Chamberlain earlier this month.

Blue Jays Release Ramon Hernandez

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The Blue Jays released catcher Ramon Hernandez, according to a Buffalo Bisons press release.

Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Rockies in March, then traded to the Dodgers, and then designated by the Dodgers and released in June.  The Blue Jays inked him to a minor league deal, but he appeared in only five games for the Bisons.

Hernandez, 37, was an All-Star with the Athletics in 2003.  With 169 career home runs, he ranks eighth all-time among Venezuelans.  Among those who have caught at least 1,000 games, Hernandez's home run total ranks 22nd all-time.

Minor Moves: Garcia, Carrasco, Gimenez

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A huge trade went down three years ago today, as the Rangers acquired Cliff Lee, Mark Lowe, and cash from the Mariners for Justin Smoak, Josh Lueke, and Blake Beavan.  Lueke eventually led to Mike Morse (a free agent after the season) via John Jaso.  Beavan is working in long relief for the Mariners.  Smoak may finally be reaching his potential in Seattle; he's hitting .308/.411/.533 in 141 plate appearances since April 29th.  Smoak's OBP in that period ranks 10th in the Majors among those with at least 100 plate appearances, right behind…John Jaso.  On to today's minor moves…

  • The Phillies announced they've selected the contract of righty Luis Garcia, clearing a spot on the 40-man roster by moving Mike Adams to the 60-day DL. Phillippe Aumont was optioned to Triple-A.  Garcia will be making his MLB debut.
  • Indians righty Carlos Carrasco has officially been optioned to Triple-A, tweets MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.  Carrasco being designated for assignment on Sunday was a paperwork move to secure optional waivers, he explains.
  • The White Sox outrighted catcher Hector Gimenez yesterday, according to the International League transactions page.  Gimenez was designated for assignment on Thursday to open a spot for fellow catcher Josh Phegley, who has two home runs in his first three games.  Gimenez, 30, is on his fifth organization.  At Triple-A last year he hit .259/.324/.440 in 418 plate appearances.
  • Three players currently reside in DFA limbo: Jeremy Bonderman of the Mariners, Adam Rosales of the Athletics, and Brandon Lyon of the Mets.

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