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Giants To Sign Jeff Francoeur

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The Giants have reached an agreement on a minor league deal with free agent outfielder Jeff Francoeur, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Royals had released the 29-year-old earlier this month.

Francoeur hit .208/.249/.322 in 193 plate appearances this month, following a down 2012 with an even worse campaign.  Amid a resurgent 2011 season, the Royals signed Francoeur to a two-year, $13.5MM extension.  They'll be on the hook for the $3.2MM or so remaining on his contract, less the pro-rated league minimum if Francoeur returns to the Majors.  There is the expectation that he will join the big league team after getting some ABs and work in in left field, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Francoeur is represented by CSE.

A right-handed hitter, Francoeur hasn't done much damage against lefties since that 2011 season.  The Giants still aren't risking much by giving him a shot to contribute in left field; Rosenthal says they figure to use him in a platoon with Andres Torres, with Gregor Blanco manning center field in the absence of the injured Angel Pagan.

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

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Righty Matt Garza may have put the finishing touch on his Cubs career last night by allowing one run in seven innings in a win against the White Sox.  The latest on the best available starter:

  • Garza's start was scouted by the Rangers, Indians, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Padres, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  Those aren't necessarily suitors for Garza this month, however.  Morosi says the Rangers and Indians are "known to have strong interest," while the Red Sox, Nationals, and Dodgers can't be ruled out.  Morosi believes Garza probably wants to be paid like Anibal Sanchez on his next contract, which would mean a five-year, $80MM deal.  The difference is that Sanchez was coming off three consecutive healthy seasons.
  • Though Garza told reporters last night the possibility of a contract extension is 50-50, few believe it's actually a coin flip.  Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times explains, "Team sources, however, characterize the recent, brief talks as confirmation that the sides aren’t much, if any, closer than they were more than a year ago when they first engaged in talks with little progress."  Garza suggested it would be "one hell of a party" to win with the Cubs, and Wittenmyer does note that team is leaving open the possibility of trading Garza now and talking to him again in the offseason.

Cubs, Garza Talking Extension

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11:48pm: Garza tells reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer) that there is a "50-50" chance he signs an extension.  Garza helped his trade value even more tonight by allowing just one earned run over seven five-hit innings in the Cubs' 8-2 win over the White Sox.

3:15pm: Garza and the Cubs are not close on his value, reports Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, and a trade is still the likeliest outcome.  There are "no teeth" to the reported extension talks, adds Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, who tweets, "He'll be traded."

1:30pm: For the first time in more than a year, the Cubs are having discussions with Matt Garza about a long-term extension, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.  A trade remains possible for the 29-year-old, who is perhaps the best available starter.  A similar report comes from Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com, whose source says the sides haven't had serious discussions about a long-term deal but haven't ruled it out.  The reports from Heyman and Rogers came within minutes of each other, though Heyman mentioned it first on MLB Network.

Garza has made nine starts this season since returning from a stress reaction in his elbow and a lat strain.  The injuries ended his season last year on July 21st.  This year, Garza has a 3.45 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 1.10 HR/9, and 37.8% groundball rate in 57 1/3 innings.  He's allowed three earned runs in his last 30 innings.  Garza takes on the White Sox tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.

Garza's value is difficult to peg, given his history of durability followed by the long layoff.  Last offseason five starting pitchers received deals of three or more years, most of whom did not have draft pick compensation attached.  A salary in the $13-15MM range seems appropriate for Garza, but from a team point of view it would be difficult to guarantee more than three years.

Cubs Notes: Garza, Free Agents, Bryant, Tseng

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Of the six trades made during the first week of July, the Cubs were involved in four of them.  The most recent trade occurred last night, as the Cubs shipped right-handed bench bat Scott Hairston to the Nationals for pitching prospect Ivan Pineyro.  The Cubs are expected to continue stockpiling young players this month in more trades.  The latest on the team:

  • The Dodgers and Indians both believe Matt Garza will be traded and have been "heavily scouting" the right-hander, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports.  The Giants and Rangers are also scouting Garza's start tonight (Twitter links).  The Dodgers' continued involvement is interesting given their recent acquisition of Ricky Nolasco, though it's probably no surprise that the Dodgers are again targeting as many notable players as possible.
  • The Cubs have been quick to trade players after signing them as free agents in the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer era, but Hoyer said today on a conference call he doesn't think free agents will shy away from the team for that reason.  "I would hope that we cease being sellers on an annual basis," Hoyer explained, also noting that each situation is taken on an individual basis and, for example, "A lot of places weren’t willing to guarantee [Scott Feldman] a rotation spot coming off a so-so year in Texas."  MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has the full quotes on her blog.
  • Garza perhaps the best available starting pitcher, has "opened a lot of eyes the way he's thrown the last four, fives times out," said Hoyer.  Garza, a 29-year-old in his contract year, has allowed only three runs over his last 30 innings and takes on the White Sox tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
  • Both the Cubs and Nationals will receive a player to be named later in the Hairston trade, but Hoyer told reporters that component "will not affect the balance of the deal."
  • Third baseman Kris Bryant is one of five first-rounders who remains unsigned; the Cubs drafted him second overall.  Hoyer was reluctant to provide an update on negotiations with adviser Scott Boras, but said, "We’re confident we’ll get it done. We’ll make it an exceptionally fair offer. If Kris wants to be a Cub and be a professional baseball player, I’m confident we’ll get a deal done. Sometimes it takes a deadline to make a deal, and we have a deadline coming up shortly. In a lot of ways, I think it’s a plus at this point."  Draft guru Jim Callis of Baseball America expects all five first-rounders to sign by Friday's deadline.
  • 18-year-old Taiwanese righty JenHo Tseng, ranked #29 on Jesse Sanchez's top 30 international prospect list for MLB.com, is "known for his upright, quick delivery and a fastball that has reached 95 mph."  The Cubs have emerged as the favorite for Tseng, tweets Sanchez, and he's expected to command at least $1.5MM.  Assuming Eloy Jimenez's $2.8MM deal with the Cubs is finalized, and the Cubs add Tseng at around $1.5MM, they appear a lock to exceed their bonus pool by more than 10% even if they max it out by acquiring more pool space.  As explained by Ben Badler of Baseball America, the penalty for going 10-15% over the pool is a 100% tax on the overage and, more importantly, a $500K per player cap in the 2014-15 spending period.  15% or more means a $250K cap. 

Twins Outright P.J. Walters

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3:49pm: Walters accepted the assignment to Rochester and will report tomorrow, tweets Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

1:35pm: Walters intends to accept the assignment, though the decision is not yet official.

11:00am: Righty P.J. Walters has cleared outright assignment waivers, MLBTR has learned.  Having been outrighted previously in his career, Walters now has to decide whether to accept this assignment or elect free agency.  Walters has until Wednesday to decide, and will likely do so before then.

Walters, 28, was designated for assignment Thursday upon the Twins' activation of Mike Pelfrey. A former 11th round draft pick by the Cardinals, Walters was traded to the Blue Jays in 2011 as part of the Colby Rasmus deal and later joined the Twins as a free agent.  Walters made eight starts for the Twins this year, posting a 5.95 ERA, 5.0 K/9, 4.1 BB/9, 1.14 HR/9, and 39.7% groundball rate in 39 1/3 innings.  He was better at Triple-A, with a 3.31 ERA in nine starts.  Prior to the 2011 season, Baseball America noted Walters' plus change-up helps him mask average velocity.  At that time, they projected him for a long relief/swingman role.  

Rosenthal On Buyers/Sellers, Arrieta, Ruggiano

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Ken Rosenthal's latest column for FOX Sports begins with a look at the Phillies, Giants, Rockies, Padres, and Blue Jays, five teams currently on the bubble of buying and selling.  The Padres have been eager to buy, rival executives tell Rosenthal.  Other notes from the article:

  • Rosenthal provides insight into the July 2011 three-team deal that sent Erik Bedard to Boston.  As it turns out, the Dodgers are looking pretty good now with big leaguers Stephen Fife and Tim Federowicz.  At the time of the deal, they were questioned for including Trayvon Robinson.
  • "I thought it was an awesome trade by the Cubs," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis told Rosenthal of Chicago's acquisition of Jake Arrieta from Baltimore.
  • The Reds have "thinned out their talent base" in trades over the last several years, opines Rosenthal, which could make significant acquisitions this summer difficult.
  • The Rangers and Yankees are among the teams that have expressed interest in Marlins outfielder Justin Ruggiano.  Ruggiano, a 31-year-old right-handed hitter, is at .225/.290/.414 in 273 plate appearances this year. 
  • The Mariners have put a high price tag on Tom Wilhelmsen and it seems like they want to keep the closer in the fold.  Rosenthal notes that another team recently asked about Wilhelmsen and the M's wanted that club's top pitching prospect in return.

Mariners Designate Jeremy Bonderman For Assignment

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The Mariners designated starter Jeremy Bonderman for assignment, according to a team press release.  They also recalled lefty Lucas Luetge.

Bonderman, 30, had his contract purchased by the Mariners in June, at which point he made his first MLB start since October 2010.  After 63 2/3 lackluster Triple-A innings, Bonderman posted a 4.93 ERA, 3.8 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 0.94 HR/9, and 42.5% groundball rate in seven starts for Seattle.  Bonderman had elbow surgery in April 2012 and signed a minor league deal with his home-state Mariners in December of that year.  

Bonderman was drafted 26th overall by the Athletics out of high school in '01, and was quickly traded to the Tigers as the player to be named later in the deal that sent Carlos Pena to Detroit, Ted Lilly to the Athletics, and Jeff Weaver to the Yankees.  After just 27 minor league starts, Bonderman debuted for the Tigers in '03 at age 20.  He had an upward trajectory until shoulder surgery derailed his career.

Trade Market For Third Basemen

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Multiple third basemen were involved in trades in July last year, as the Diamondbacks added Chris Johnson, the Rays picked up Ryan Roberts, and the Yankees traded for Casey McGehee.  The Astros acquired current starter Matt Dominguez from the Marlins, who themselves added Zack Cox from the Cardinals later that month.  The Cubs acquired a third base prospect as well, getting Christian Villanueva from the Rangers.

This year, contenders such as the Yankees, Dodgers, Indians, and Red Sox could be in the market for help at the hot corner.  Here's a look at the potentially available players.

Starters

Chase Headley (Padres), Aramis Ramirez (Brewers), Michael Young (Phillies), Alberto Callaspo (Angels)

It's been made pretty clear by this point that the Padres don't intend to trade Headley, and would like to talk about an extension during or after the season.  Still, it's hard to ignore the Padres dropping nine straight and Headley's solid play since the end of his abysmal June.  GM Josh Byrnes would surely at least listen to offers this month, wouldn't he?  

Ramirez, also one of last year's best offensive third basemen, does seem eminently available.  There are three problems with that.  One, he's 35 and may be slipping defensively, perhaps to the point where an AL team wouldn't expect or want him at the hot corner for all of next year.  Two, he's under contract for 2014.  That's not necessarily a problem until you see that he'll earn a $16MM salary plus a $4MM buyout on a mutual option, essentially making him a $20MM player next year (not counting a discount for deferred money).  Ramirez has shown repeatedly that he can provide $20MM worth of value.  However, bringing us to our third issue, he's slugging just .414 this year.  That may be nothing more than a month-long slump, but the timing isn't great for the Brewers if they want to get out from the contract, get back solid young players, or both.

Young, in his first crack at the National League, has fared mildly better than in 2012.  At this point the 36-year-old is a complementary offensive player with a poor defensive reputation and a good clubhouse reputation; a contender may pick him up mostly for that reason.  Callaspo is a similar player in some ways, but he's signed through next year.

Backups

Cody Ransom (Cubs), Luis Valbuena (Cubs), Kevin Frandsen (Phillies), Placido Polanco (Marlins), Jamey Carroll (Twins)

The Cubs' third base platoon has been highly effective, as their .766 OPS at the position ranks fifth in the NL.  Ransom can be under control next year as an arbitration eligible player, while Valbuena can be controlled through 2016.  Add in strong part-time work from Frandsen, who is under control through 2015, and the trade market features backup options who have outplayed many regulars in limited samples.

Other Possibilities

Lonnie Chisenhall, Will Middlebrooks, and Mike Moustakas were once among the best third base prospects in baseball, but development has stalled on all of them.  The Indians' Chisenhall, called back up on June 18th, has been playing well of late and seems the least likely to be included in a deal.  In general, I don't picture the Indians, Red Sox, or Royals giving up on these players this summer.

Biogenesis Effects

Alex Rodriguez is tied to Biogenesis, and could theoretically be slapped with a suspension shortly after making his season debut.  Regardless of Biogenesis, though, A-Rod's effectiveness and ability to stay on the field following January hip surgery is a huge question mark.  The Yankees would be well-served to explore reinforcements at third base with Kevin Youkilis on the 60-day DL.

You can also check out our trade market posts for catchers, first basemen, second basemen, and shortstops.

Minor Moves: Kip Wells, Diaz, Thomas

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Five years ago today, the Athletics traded Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin to the Cubs for Josh Donaldson, Sean Gallagher, Matt Murton, and Eric Patterson.  At the time, Gallagher was considered the centerpiece for Oakland, though Donaldson, an A ball catcher, had been drafted in the first round the year prior and had promise despite offensive struggles to that point in '08.  Donaldson reached the Majors as a catcher in 2010, but was moved back to third base and became the A's starter there last year.  Now, after a huge first half, Donaldson had the honor of being snubbed for the All-Star team.  Perhaps he'll find his way onto the roster as various players bow out.  On to today's minor moves:

  • 12-year MLB veteran Kip Wells is contemplating retirement, agent Burton Rocks tells MLBTR's Zach Links.  Wells was released by the Angels in late May.  He's looking for a minor league opportunity with a realistic shot of being brought up to contribute at the big league level.  If nothing materializes by season's end, Wells is considering moving into the player development/scouting side of baseball.  Wells was drafted by the White Sox in the first round in 1998; he posted a 3.43 ERA over 395 2/3 innings for the Pirates from 2002-03 and earned over $17MM in his career.
  • Red Sox infielder Jonathan Diaz was outrighted to Triple-A today, tweets Jenny Dell of NESN.  The move brings the team's 40-man roster count down to 39.  Diaz, 28, made his big league debut June 29th, starting at third base and popping out against Toronto's Esmil Rogers.  He was hitting .242/.350/.341 in 220 Triple-A plate appearances.  Diaz was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 12th round in '06, a dozen picks before the Angels snagged Jordan Walden.
  • Lefty Justin Thomas is headed to Japan to join the Nippon Ham Fighters, he announced on Twitter today.  Thomas, who exercised an out clause in his minor league contract with the Athletics earlier this month, joins former big leaguers Micah Hoffpauir, Brian Wolfe, and Kaz Tadano.  Thomas, 29, was drafted by the Mariners in the fourth round in 2005, a round which later produced Major Leaguers Jeremy Hellickson, Justin Maxwell, Gaby Sanchez, Sam LeCure, Chris Getz, Mike Baxter, Mat Gamel, and Brent Lillibridge.
  • Six players currently reside in DFA limbo: Jeremy Bonderman of the Mariners, Adam Rosales of the Athletics, Carlos Carrasco of the Indians, Brandon Lyon of the Mets, Hector Gimenez of the White Sox, and Shawn Camp of the Cubs. The Royals requested unconditional release waivers on Jeff Francoeur on Friday, so he'll likely be a free agent soon.  The Twins' P.J. Walters cleared waivers and is likely to accept an outright assignment.

Athletics Designate Adam Rosales For Assignment

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The Athletics designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment today to open a roster spot for Grant Green, announced the team on Twitter.  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle first reported this scenario last night.

Rosales, 30, is hitting .200/.273/.331 in 147 plate appearances this year.  He's mostly played shortstop, but also appeared at second base, third base, and left field.  Rosales was drafted by the Reds in the 12th round in 2005, a round which also produced big leaguers Matt Joyce and Craig Stammen.  The A's acquired Rosales and Willy Taveras from the A's for Aaron Miles and a player to be named later in February 2010; Rosales was the good part of a bad contract swap.  He's earning $700K after being eligible for arbitration for the second time during the offseason.

Green, 25, was drafted 13th overall out of USC by the A's in 2009.  Only one college player drafted that early has yet to appear in the Majors: catcher Tony Sanchez, drafted fourth by the Pirates.  Green, a second baseman this year at Triple-A, was hitting .318/.374/.500 with 11 home runs in 388 plate appearances.

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