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Orix Buffaloes To Sign Brad Mills

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11:12am: Mills agreed to sign with the Orix Buffaloes, MLBTR has learned.

11:01am: Southpaw Brad Mills left the Rangers organization to play in Japan, tweeted Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last night.  Bernie Pleskoff of RotoWire first tweeted Mills had left the Triple-A All-Star game after requesting his release, also noting the likelihood of him going to Japan.  He had joined the club via a March waiver claim from the Angels, but was immediately outrighted to Triple-A.  Despite a stint on the DL for elbow tightness, Mills made 17 starts this year.

Mills, 28, posted a 3.87 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 0.83 HR/9 in 97 2/3 innings this year.  He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fourth round in 2007 out of the University of Arizona, a round which also produced big leaguers Darwin Barney, Corey Kluber, Charlie Furbush, and Derek Norris.  Mills pitched in the Majors briefly in each of the past four seasons, which included a December 2011 trade to the Angels for catcher Jeff Mathis.

Trade Market For Designated Hitters

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The Orioles, Yankees, and Athletics are among the contenders getting subpar production out of the designated hitter spot.  Let's take a look at the trade market.

Starters (click here for leaderboard)

Kendrys Morales (Mariners), Adam Dunn (White Sox), Paul Konerko (White Sox), Adam Lind (Blue Jays), Ryan Doumit (Twins), Carlos Pena (Astros), Raul Ibanez (Mariners)

There are some interesting names in this mix.  Ibanez has shown vintage power in his age 41 season, while Morales has been solid as well.  I think a lot of armchair GMs would recommend the Mariners trade both players to stockpile prospects and young players, though the team's real GM, Jack Zduriencik, has said he doesn't expect to aggressively market his players.  Morales and Ibanez will be eligible for free agency after the season, and some have wondered if the Ms intend to make a qualifying offer to Morales.

Dunn will have about $20MM left on his contract at the trade deadline, as he is signed through 2014.  Konerko, who has full no-trade rights, will have about $4.5MM left and will be eligible for free agency.  Both players could at least be useful in a platoon, though trading Konerko for a modest return or salary savings might be more trouble than it's worth given his status as a fan favorite.  The Sox would have to pick up some of the tab on Dunn.

It's happening entirely against right-handed pitching, but Lind is having a resurgent year.  The 30-year-old could provide a major offensive boost, but the Blue Jays have affordable club options for 2014, '15, and '16 on him and may not be inclined to trade him.  Pena and Doumit would be nice bench additions, but both are slugging under .400 this season.

Other Possibilities

Mike Morse (Mariners), Carlos Quentin (Padres), Chris Carter (Astros), Lucas Duda (Mets), Aramis Ramirez (Brewers), Alfonso Soriano (Cubs), Michael Young (Phillies), Justin Morneau (Twins), Melky Cabrera (Blue Jays), Jesus Montero (Mariners)

Here are nine potentially available players who have not been regular designated hitters, but might be good fits to spend a few months in that role due to defensive questions or in the name of preserving health.  Ramirez, a third baseman by trade, is eligible to return from the DL from a knee injury on July 22nd.  If the clock runs out for him in July, his salary makes him an August trade candidate.  Some of the more controllable players listed here, such as Quentin, Carter, and Duda, are unlikely to be traded but we won't rule it out.  Montero, currently at Triple-A, hasn't hit well and has the Biogenesis cloud over him.

Soriano, Young, and Morneau have full no-trade rights, so potential suitors would want to gauge interest in a regular DH role in advance.

Check out the other entries in our trade market series.

Derek Lowe Retires

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Derek Lowe has retired from baseball, though he prefers not to use the word "retire."  "I'm officially no longer going to play the game," Lowe told Tom Pelissero of USA Today.  He later added, "I'm not going to go to the Hall of Fame, so I don't feel like I need to have a retirement speech. But I was able to play 17 years on some pretty cool teams and win a World Series. So, everyone's got to stop playing at some point, and this is my time."

Lowe, 40, was released by the Rangers in May.  His retirement seemed likely in June, as he told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he'd told agent Scott Boras not to seek work for him.  Lowe pitched in parts of 17 Major League seasons for the Mariners, Red Sox, Dodgers, Braves, Indians, Yankees, and Rangers.

Lowe was drafted by the Mariners in the eighth round in 1991, joining the Red Sox with Jason Varitek for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb in a 1997 trade deadline deal.  Dan Duquette authored that steal for Boston, besting Woody Woodward and creating history as one of the most lopsided deadline deals ever.  Lowe became the Red Sox closer in 1999, earning an All-Star nod the following year.  He switched back to starting for the '02 season, finishing third in the AL Cy Young vote.  Though Lowe scuffled in the regular season in '04, he came up big for the Red Sox in the postseason, picked up a World Series ring, and parlayed that success into a four-year, $36MM deal with the Dodgers.

The groundballer was durable and quite good for the duration of the Dodgers contract, leading to a four-year, $60MM deal with Atlanta that did not go nearly as well.  Among pitchers hailing from Michigan, Lowe ranks 11th with 176 wins, 10th with 86 saves, and eighth with 1,722 strikeouts.  He earned over $110MM in his career.

Cuban Pitcher Misael Siverio Defects

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Another Cuban pitcher is attempting to make the leap to Major League Baseball.  Misael Siverio, a 24-year-old lefty, was in Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday in advance of exhibition games against United States colleges, and he left the team hotel to pursue the Major League dream, according to Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald.

"It is not easy leaving behind what is yours, but after a giving it a lot of thought I made this decision for my future and for my family.  My dream, of course, is to make the Major Leagues, and starting today I will start doing what I need to do to accomplish that," Siverio told Ebro in Spanish.

Given his age, it appears Siverio will not be subject to the international signing restrictions established in the collective barganing agreement.  He also has to have played a minimum of three professional seasons in a Cuban professional league, which seems likely.  Most Cuban defectors establish residency in countries other than the U.S., to avoid being subject to MLB's amateur draft.  So while Siverio defected in Iowa, we'll have to see if he will be headed back out of the country in the name of being declared an MLB free agent.

A couple of Cuban pitchers have already been declared free agents: Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez and Dalier Hinojosa.  Gonzalez will sign first, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Another Cuban pitcher, Odrisamer Despaigne, doesn't appear to be a free agent yet.

Padres Not Seeking Rentals

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In case there was any doubt, the GM for the last-place Padres made clear he's not in the market for rental players.  "I think the one thing our recent play has done is it doesn’t make sense for us to go for a rental," Josh Byrnes told Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.  Byrnes added, "To say that we make a trade to bring in somebody who is on our team now and helping us but we also have beyond this year, we’re certainly knocking on those doors."

As Sanders notes, Byrnes' stance seems to take the Padres out of the market for the Cubs' Matt Garza, who will be eligible for free agency after the season and had been linked to San Diego.  For a look at the controllable starting pitchers on the trade market, check out my Tuesday post.

Beltran Aims To Play Three Or Four More Years

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Though he'll play most of next season at age 37, right fielder Carlos Beltran ranked seventh on my recent 2014 free agent power rankings.  It's difficult to ignore his production and relative durability since signing with the Cardinals prior to the 2012 season; he's hit .284/.346/.510 in 969 plate appearances and made the All-Star team both years.  Talking to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch at the All-Star game, Beltran suggested he'll play three or four more years, and admitted the Hall of Fame is on his mind.

"If I can stay healthy and play in the game to the level I’m playing right now, who knows, man?  I could be close," explained Beltran regarding the Hall.  Here's a look at the center field JAWS leaders, using Jay Jaffe's metric.  Beltran's case already seems superior to Hall of Famers Kirby Puckett, Andre Dawson, and Richie Ashburn, and reaching the 400 home run plateau with a strong finish would go a long way toward pushing him out of Kenny Lofton/Andruw Jones territory.

Beltran has enjoyed his time with the Cardinals, though the possible emergence next year of top outfield prospect Oscar Taveras has put his future with the club in doubt.

White Sox Sign Travis Ishikawa

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The White Sox agreed to sign first baseman Travis Ishikawa, MLBTR has learned.  He'll join their Triple-A Charlotte club.  Ishikawa recently elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Yankees.

After signing a minor league deal with the Orioles in December, the 29-year-old Ishikawa hit .316/.413/.525 in 208 plate appearances.  His contract was selected as his opt-out date approached, but the Orioles designated him soon after.  A waiver claim by the Yankees led to even less playing time.  Ishikawa, a former 21st round draft pick of the Giants, did fine work at Triple-A but has yet to find a consistent opportunity in the Majors this year.  Lars Anderson and Andy Wilkins have played first base for the Charlotte Knights this year; both have struggled offensively.  For the big league club, Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko have combined for a .750 OPS at the position.

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

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On January 8th, 2011, the previous Cubs front office led by GM Jim Hendry finalized a trade that brought Matt Garza (and Fernando Perez and Zach Rosscup) to Chicago from the Rays for Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld, and Brandon Guyer.  At the time, ESPN's Buster Olney heard that Andrew Friedman and the Rays "didn't get much in the way of high-end prospects; more depth type guys than impact."  Archer, 24, seems ready to challenge that evaluation as a member of the Rays' rotation, while Lee, a 22-year-old shortstop, was knocking on the door of the Majors until a knee injury ended his season in April.  It's clear now the Cubs gave up a huge haul to acquire three years of Garza; now their new regime is marketing the remaining two to three months of his services to recoup as much young talent as possible.  The latest:

  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports echoes Sullivan's earlier report that the Rangers aren't willing to include Martin Perez in a trade for Garza. The Red Sox are said to be "thinking about" Garza and would be a major threat if they entered the fray, according to Heyman. Boston has many pitching prospects acquired by Theo Epstein during his time as the team's GM. The Diamondbacks are in the mix as well, though they may prefer Jake Peavy. The Cubs are likely to place more emphasis on ceiling than proximity to the Major Leagues, according to Heyman, with a slight preference for pitching as opposed to position players.

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers, Cardinals, Pirates, Indians, Blue Jays, and Dodgers "are the strongest pursuers" with a handful of other teams showing at least cursory interest in Garza, writes David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com.  A handful of club executives who spoke to Kaplan consider Garza a very strong No. 3 starter, for whom the Cubs have an "exceptionally high" asking price.  Kaplan adds that the Rangers and Blue Jays "are both deciding how far they want to go to acquire Garza."  Kaplan's baseball personnel experts feel the Cubs will come close but fall short of the Brewers' Zack Greinke package from last summer, which consisted of shortstop Jean Segura and pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena.  Complicating that comparison is the fact that Segura raised his stock considerably this year; at the time of the deal, Baseball America ranked him 43rd among prospects and ESPN's Keith Law had him outside of his top 50.
  • Baseball America's midseason top 50 prospects list came out last week.  Prospects in the 35-50 range who play for potential Garza suitors include Joc Pederson of the Dodgers, Anthony Ranaudo and Garin Cecchini of the Red Sox, Alen Hanson of the Pirates, Aaron Sanchez of the Blue Jays, Mike Olt of the Rangers, Kolten Wong of the Cardinals, and Adam Eaton of the Diamondbacks.  Kaplan notes that the Rangers are "thought to be dangling" Olt, a third baseman.  A lot of the position players named here either seem unlikely to be traded or aren't great fits for the Cubs, who might prefer to get a pitcher as the headliner.
  • The personnel heads who spoke to Joel Sherman of the New York Post picture Garza going to the Rangers, who have the need and the goods to make a deal.  22-year-old southpaw Martin Perez "could be a key element for the Cubs to move Garza to Texas," writes Sherman.  The Rangers are not going to give up Perez, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  He names Neil Ramirez, Carlos Pimentel, Leury Garcia, and Luis Sardinas as more realistic possibilities.

Cuban Pitcher Hinojosa Granted Free Agency

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Cuban righty Dalier Hinojosa received clearance from the U.S. government and has been granted free agency by MLB, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Hinojosa defected from Cuba in February, establishing residency in Haiti, according to a source.  The Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees are among the teams that have shown interest in the 27-year-old, Sanchez wrote in June.  Hinojosa is represented by Praver/Shapiro, MLBTR has learned, and he has already showcased his talents for teams.

Hinojosa throws in the low-to-mid 90s with a slider, curveball, two-seam fastball, and changeup, according to Sanchez.  He starred with the Cuban national team, and is a former teammate of Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez.  Gonzalez has also been cleared to sign with MLB teams.  There is no limitation to the contracts these Cuban defectors may receive, because they are at least 23 years old and have played as a professional in a Cuban professional league for at least three seasons.  For the 2014-15 international signing period, that minimum requirement will jump to five seasons.

All-Star Notes: Scherzer, Harvey, Davis

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Tonight's American League All-Star starter Max Scherzer knows the best place for MLB players to find out if they're on the move.  "It's crazy how that works.  You're traded out of the blue, and the only way you find out is by MLB Trade Rumors. All of the media and all of your friends know, but you don't hear it from the people doing it," the Tigers righty told Bob Nightengale of USA Today.  Scherzer went on to describe himself as a "pretty fanatical fan" of this website, of which he is a near-daily reader.  Be sure to check out Nightengale's article, which focuses on Scherzer's experiences with former slugger and current Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire.  As Scherzer and other players prepare for tonight's All-Star game at Citi Field, here are your related links…

  • We learned yesterday that nothing is cooking regarding a contract extension for Scherzer, who is eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.  Talking to Nightengale, Scherzer said, "It's funny, everybody wants to speculate on teams, and X amount of dollars, but if I go out there and pitch well, everything will take care of itself."  
  • How about National League starter Matt Harvey, who fronts the Mets' rotation and is also represented by Scott Boras?  Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to Boras, who said, "Usually the team will come to you, it is not up to the player to start negotiations.  I would also say this, where the team wants to go in these situations and what the true value of the player is are not often that close."  That's not terribly encouraging, but Mets fans can rest easy knowing Harvey will not be arbitration eligible until after the 2015 season, and will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2018 campaign.
  • Though he didn't make the American League squad, Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes took home the Home Run Derby belt last night, besting Bryce Harper.  To learn about the journey Cespedes and his family took in defecting from Cuba, check out this article from Susan Slusser and Demian Bulwa of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • Another good read is the harrowing story of Marlins All-Star Jose Fernandez, who also defected from Cuba.  MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince has it here, and Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald has another good look at Fernandez here.  Fernandez has not yet reached the riches Cespedes has, as he was subject to the 2011 amateur draft.
  • With 37 home runs at the All-Star break, the Orioles' Chris Davis is another of the All-Star Game's big stories.  Davis treats Roger Maris' 61 home runs in 1961 as the record, discounting the six times it was bested from 1998-2001 by Barry Bonds, McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.  Yahoo's Jeff Passan surveyed 15 All-Stars and found that most treat Bonds' 73 as the record despite his PED ties.  The Reds' Joey Votto was most critical of Davis' stance, telling Passan, "If Chris feels like 61 is the home run record, maybe he’s just selfishly pegging that number as the home run record so if he passes it he can wear a crown or something like that.  There would be a lot of money in that."
  • The Nationals were highly interested in Davis when the Rangers made him available in 2011, writes James Wagner of the Washington Post.  Instead, Davis joined the Orioles along with Tommy Hunter in a July 2011 deal for reliever Koji Uehara and $2MM. 
  • More than half of the 78 All-Stars were acquired by their current team through the draft, an international signing, or a trade while still in the minors, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal in his analysis.

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