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Stark On Miguel Cabrera, Kershaw, Nolasco, Stanton

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Jayson Stark's latest Rumblings & Grumblings column for ESPN came out yesterday; here are some highlights.

  • There have been enough informal conversations between Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers on a contract extension that both sides expect a deal to get done, a friend of the player tells Stark.  The tricky part is that a new deal would begin with the 2016 season, at which point Cabrera will be 33.  It seems likely that Cabrera would need an average annual value in the $30MM range, but Stark's sources picture anywhere from three to five additional years.
  • Some of Stark's sources don't consider Yankees second baseman and #1 2014 free agent Robinson Cano the type of player to build a team around.  One exec, though, told Stark, "I can't imagine him leaving."
  • Stark hears Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw seeks a ten-year deal, which would be the first for a pitcher since Wayne Garland signed a ten-year, $2.3MM deal in 1977 (those were different times).  One exec can't possibly see Kershaw leaving L.A., and could picture $200-210MM over seven years.  Even that would be well beyond C.C. Sabathia's record seven-year, $161MM deal, which was signed on the open market with the Yankees after the '08 season and included an opt-out clause.  I feel that Kershaw's agents at Excel Sports Management have to score an opt-out in any new deal, especially with the Dodgers giving them to Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
  • One exec suggests the Angels offer Mike Trout the Buster Posey deal, which amounted to eight years and $159MM in new money.  Stark says "folks around the game" do not see Trout signing, however.
  • The Orioles and Yankees are "leading the parade of teams that already have interest" in Miami's Ricky Nolasco.  The 30-year-old is easily the highest-paid Marlin, and should have about $7.7MM remaining on his contract at the trade deadline.  Nolasco has a 3.61 ERA in 82 1/3 innings, and sports his best strikeout rate since 2010.
  • Would anyone sign Alex Rodriguez, if the Yankees end up releasing him?  "No chance," says one executive.
  • The Marlins have shown no interest in dealing right fielder Giancarlo Stanton midseason, say clubs that have inquired, though Stark thinks Marcell Ozuna's emergence could push them toward trading Stanton this winter.  Stanton should return from a hamstring injury next week.  

Reds Release Mike MacDougal

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Today's minor moves…

  • The Reds released reliever Mike MacDougal from their Triple-A club, according to the International League transactions page.  MacDougal, who signed a minor league deal in April, posted a 5.49 ERA, 9.2 K/9, 5.0 BB/9, and 0.92 HR/9 in 19 2/3 innings this year.  The 36-year-old made seven relief appearances for the Dodgers in April last year.  MacDougal has 71 career saves, mostly for the Royals and Nationals, and is well ahead of Rocky Biddle for the highest total among native Nevadans.  MacDougal was drafted by the Royals in the first round in 1999, a pick received from the Red Sox as part of the compensation for the loss of Jose Offerman.
  • Seven players currently reside in DFA limbo: Evan Crawford and Henry Blanco of the Blue Jays, Nate Adcock of the Royals, Zach Duke and Henry Rodriguez of the Nationals, Vinnie Catricala of the Mariners, and Jon Garland of the Rockies.

Pirates To Promote Gerrit Cole

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The number one overall draft pick of 2011 is set to make his Major League debut next week.  Gerrit Cole will start for the Pirates Tuesday night as they host Tim Lincecum and the Giants, announced the team.  Cole had been the rumored favorite to fill in for the injured Wandy Rodriguez in that slot.  With nearly 40% of the season in the books, the Pirates are riding high at a 36-25 record, tied for second in the NL Central.  They're bidding to reach .500 for the first time since 1992, but more importantly, the Bucs are fighting for a playoff spot.

USATSI_7050080

Cole, 22, was drafted 28th overall out of high school by the Yankees in 2008.  He chose not to sign or even negotiate, and his stock had risen when the Pirates drafted him first overall out of UCLA in '11 and gave him an $8MM bonus.  Five other 2011 first-rounders have appeared in the Majors: Jose Fernandez of the Marlins, Dylan Bundy of the Orioles, Trevor Bauer of the Indians, Anthony Rendon of the Nationals, and Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Red Sox.  Fernandez, drafted 14th overall with little fanfare, has been the best so far with 67 strikeouts and a 3.17 ERA in 65 1/3 innings this year.

Cole made 12 starts at Triple-A this year, posting a 2.91 ERA, 6.2 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, and 0.53 HR/9 in 68 innings.  He's allowed two runs in his last 20 1/3 innings.  Cole's overall walk rate is fairly high, mainly due to a three-start stretch in April during which he surrendered 13 free passes in 17 2/3 frames.  He also hasn't missed as many bats as you'd expect.  Prior to the season, Cole was ranked eighth (ESPN's Keith Law), seventh (Baseball America), and eighth (MLB.com) on various top 100 prospect lists.  He sits at 96-98 miles per hour with a well-regarded slider and a decent changeup. 

If he stays up from June 11th forward, Cole stands to accumulate 111 days of Major League service time this year.  We haven't yet seen a Super Two cutoff that low, though it has been suggested that 2.119 will do the trick after this season.  That number is lower than usual because more Super Two players were added in the most recent collective bargaining agreement, as it's now the top 22% of the two-to-three service class.  Bottom line: it's possible, but not likely, that Cole will be eligible for arbitration after the 2015 season if he stays up from this point forward.  Regardless, the Pirates will control this young gun through 2019.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rockies Designate Jon Garland For Assignment

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The Rockies designated righty Jon Garland for assignment to make room for lefty Jeff Francis, announced the team on Twitter.  Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post was first to report the impending move.  Francis, who had been on the DL for a groin strain, will start tonight against the Padres.  Francis could be replaced soon as well, with Tyler Chatwood on the mend and Roy Oswalt tuning up in Double-A, reported Renck's colleague Patrick Saunders yesterday.

Garland, 33, has a 5.82 ERA, 4.2 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 1.19 HR/9, and 49.1% groundball rate in 68 innings across 12 starts this year.  His first three starts went well, but he posted a 6.80 ERA over the next nine.  Garland had shoulder surgery in July 2011, and didn't pitch again in the Majors until his Rockies debut on April 6th this year.  He inked a minor league deal with the Mariners in February, but exercised an out clause in March when they chose not to commit a roster spot out of Spring Training.  He then signed a Major League contract with the Rockies with a $500K base salary and an additional $2.6MM in incentives for innings pitched and games started.

Garland was drafted 10th overall by the Cubs in 1997, one spot after soon-to-be former teammate Michael Cuddyer.  The White Sox pilfered him from the Cubs for reliever Matt Karchner in a cross-town swap the following year.  From 2002-07, Garland averaged 207 regular season innings per year, making the All-Star team and picking up a World Series ring in '05.  A California native, he later had stops with the Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Padres.

Astros Claim Wade LeBlanc

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The Astros claimed lefty Wade LeBlanc off waivers from the Marlins, tweets MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.  He'll join the Astros in Kansas City tomorrow, at which point a corresponding active roster move will be made.  The Astros already have an open spot on their 40-man roster.  LeBlanc had been designated for assignment by the Marlins on Monday to open a roster spot for Edgar Olmos. 

LeBlanc, 28, posted a 5.18 ERA, 5.7 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9, and 39.3% groundball rate in 48 2/3 innings this year, including seven starts.  The southpaw was drafted by the Padres in the second round in 2006 out of the University of Alabama.  That round also produced notable big leaguers Trevor Cahill, Justin Masterson, Jon Jay, Brett Anderson, Chris Tillman, and Jeff Locke.  The Padres traded LeBlanc to the Marlins in November 2011 for catcher John Baker.

Optimism toward LeBlanc may have reached its peak before the '08 season, when Baseball America ranked him fourth among Padres prospects (right after Mat Latos).  At that point, BA marked LeBlanc as a "future No. 3 starter" with an excellent changeup but an unimpressive fastball.  This year, among those with 40 innings pitched, LeBlanc's average fastball velocity of 86.0 miles per hour is the fifth-lowest in all of baseball.

Jeff Karstens Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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Pirates righty Jeff Karstens had shoulder surgery on Friday, which involved debridement of his rotator cuff and labrum, tweets Tom Singer of MLB.com.  The recovery period is 10-12 weeks, at which point Karstens could begin a throwing program.  The Pirates had transferred Karstens to the 60-day DL on May 27th.

Karstens, 30, will be eligible for free agency after the season.  Last year for the Bucs, he posted a 3.97 ERA in 90 2/3 innings, making 15 starts and four relief appearances.  He was non-tendered after the injury-plagued season, but re-signed for $2.5MM in January (down $600K from his 2012 salary).  Karstens recently switched agents, leaving Moye Sports Associates for All Bases Covered Sports Management.  With his 2013 season in question, a one-year deal seems likely for 2014, perhaps of the minor league variety.

Beat The Expert With DraftStreet

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I'm putting my fantasy baseball reputation on the line.  DraftStreet is offering $2000 in cash prizes for an exclusive "beat the expert" MLBTR/DraftStreet league using Friday night's MLB games.  The entry fee is $11, but DraftStreet is raising the pressure on me (Tim Dierkes) by offering $5 back to anyone who beats my team, separate from the regular prize pool.

The beat the expert contest is for Friday night's games (the afternoon Cubs-Pirates game is not included), so you have until 6:00pm central time to create your team.  However, there are only 200 slots in this league, so sign up early.  

You're given a $100K salary cap, and each player is assigned a price by DraftStreet.  For Friday, Cliff Lee is considered the most valuable player since he starts against the Brewers, but he'll cost you over $19K.  Your roster will cover these positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, 3 OF, 2 utility, 2 SP, 1 RP, 1 P and 2 Reserves (14 starters).  You get points based on how your team performs Friday.  For example, you'll get 0.75 points for each strikeout Lee racks up and 1.5 points if he gets the win.  The teams with the most points get the prize money.  You can apply all kinds of strategy in building your roster, but since we're in direct competition this time I won't divulge all my secrets.  I do like Jose Fernandez, who has great numbers and stuff without the name value of a Matt Harvey.  And I always try to grab five-category contributors like CarGo.  You'll have to check the scoreboards to see the rest of the team.  Here's my roster in the beginning stages:

Draftstreet

Be sure to sign up as soon as possible, before the 200 slots are all taken.  DraftStreet has raised the stakes by challenging you to beat me; are you up to it?

This is a sponsored post from DraftStreet.

Minor Moves: Irwin, Chang, Teahen, Jacobs

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Today's minor moves…

  • The Pirates placed right-hander Phil Irwin on the 60-day disabled list, the club announced.  Irwin made his Major League debut this season, allowing four earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in a start on April 14.  Irwin, a 21st-round draft pick in 2009, has a 2.97 ERA and 5.03 K/BB rate over 423 2/3 minor league innings.
  • The Indians signed Taiwanese shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang for $500K, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America.  The Tribe has been one of the more active teams in Taiwan in recent years, notes Badler.  Chang doesn't have a plus tool currently, hears Badler, and projects as a doubles hitter who may have to move off shortstop.
  • The Diamondbacks outrighted righty Eric Smith off the 40-man roster, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.  The 24-year-old former second-round draft pick has a 7.29 ERA in 21 Double-A innings.
  • The Royals opened a 40-man roster spot for Salvador Perez, who returned from bereavement, by transferring lefty Danny Duffy to the 60-day DL, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
  • Mark Teahen was released from the Rangers' Triple-A club yesterday, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page.  He'd been signed to a minor league deal on May 23rd, after asking for and being granted his release from the D'Backs a few days prior.  Teahen, 31, has a .198/.293/.226 line in Triple-A this year across 123 plate appearances.  He was a key figure in the June 2004 trade that sent Carlos Beltran to the Astros from the Royals.
  • Speaking of the D'Backs' Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces signed first baseman Mike Jacobs, according to that same transactions page.  Jacobs, 32, last appeared in the Majors with Arizona briefly last year.  He signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in January but was released in March and subsequently played in the Mexican League this year.  Jacobs, a 38th round draft pick of the Mets in 1999, joined the Marlins in the November 2005 Carlos Delgado trade.  In October 2008, the Royals acquired Jacobs from the Marlins for reliever Leo Nunez, who is now known as Juan Carlos Oviedo.
  • Six players currently reside in DFA limbo: Mark Lowe of the Angels, Tyler Greene of the White Sox, Vinnie Catricala of the Mariners, Tyler Robertson of the Twins, and Zach Duke and Henry Rodriguez of the Nationals.

Yanks, Red Sox, Rangers, O’s On Lee’s No-Trade List

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5:09pm: The Cardinals aren't on Lee's no-trade list, Morosi reports.  Lee has some interest in playing for the Cards (they're close to his Arkansas home, in the NL and consistent winners), but he didn't cite him on his list since he doesn't think the pitching-rich Cardinals would need to trade for an ace.  "It's not out of the question" that the Cards could pursue Lee due to his postseason record, Morosi writes, though they aren't in the market for pitching at the moment.

7:54am: As with most partial no-trade clauses, Cliff Lee and his agents at Frontline had the opportunity before the season to restructure his.  Lee can block trades to 20 teams, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, and Orioles.  Most of the 20 are projected trade deadline buyers, a source tells Morosi.  Keep in mind that the presence of these teams does not mean Lee will automatically block a trade to them; it just means he has leverage if the Phillies strike a deal with one.

Lee, 34, has been dominant for the Phillies in 2013.  His 88 1/3 innings rank second in the National League, his 2.45 ERA ranks eighth, and his 5.69 K/BB ratio ranks second.  The Phillies, winners of two in a row, are 7.5 games back in the NL East and faring about the same in the wild card.  Nonetheless, Clay Davenport's projections give them a 15.6% chance of making the playoffs.  On May 11th the Phils were five games back, and around that time, a "Phillies insider" told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, "Every time I hear a Lee rumor, I don’t believe it. Don’t think we’d be that dumb unless what we got back in return was so overwhelming that we’d be dumb to pass it up. Will that happen? My gut is it won’t."  By Sunday, however, a couple dozen executives, scouts, and players polled by Cafardo named Lee the best starter expected to be available at the trade deadline this year.

Lee signed a five-year, $120MM deal with the Phillies in December 2010.  At the deadline he'll be owed about $6.25MM this year plus $62.5MM covering 2014-15, for a total of $68.75MM.  That's if the record-setting $12.5MM buyout is paid on his 2016 club option, which becomes guaranteed if Lee is not on the disabled list at the end of 2015 season with an injury to his left elbow or shoulder, and has 200 innings in 2015 or 400 in 2014-15 (according to Cot's Baseball Contracts).  If the option vests, it will probably be a good thing, but then the commitment would become $83.75MM through 2016.

At any rate, Cliff Lee needs to start checking MLB Trade Rumors.  A Lee quote from Morosi: "Every time I’ve been traded, before that every organization would say, ‘You’ll be the first one to know if we’re ever going to move you,’” Lee said, recalling that he learned of each trade while watching television. “I was the last one to know every time."  It's been an odd career for Lee since becoming an ace in 2008, as he's been traded three times since.  The difference this time is that he comes with a market-value financial commitment.

Yankees Release Ben Francisco

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Outfielder Ben Francisco, designated for assignment by the Yankees last Wednesday, has been released, tweeted Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com last night.  Francisco, 31, struggled in 50 plate appearances for the Yankees this year.

A right-handed hitter, Francisco has a .253/.323/.418 career line spanning seven seasons.  He was drafted in the fifth round in 2002 by the Indians.  That was two picks after Clete Thomas, who recently had his contract purchased by the Twins.  Francisco signed with the Yankees in March after being released by Cleveland.

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