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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.

Trade Market For Shortstops

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Last July, shortstops were on the move.  A legitimate shortstop prospect was traded when Jean Segura went to the Brewers from the Angels in the Zack Greinke deal, and now Segura is an NL All-Star.  The Dodgers acquired a player who had been one of the game's best shortstops, getting Hanley Ramirez from the Marlins.  Eduardo Escobar went from the White Sox to the Twins as part of the Francisco Liriano trade.  The Indians picked up Brent Lillibridge from the Red Sox; he played some short for Cleveland last year.  The Braves acquired Paul Janish from the Reds, while current Mets starter Omar Quintanilla was dealt to the Orioles.

This year, contenders such as the Pirates, Yankees, Cardinals, and Reds could seek a shortstop in some capacity, while any number of non-contenders may seek to add to their prospect stash at the position.

Starters

Jimmy Rollins (Phillies), Alexei Ramirez (White Sox)

Much has been written about whether the Phillies, currently 7.5 games back, will be trade deadline sellers.  Even if they do go that route, the 34-year-old Rollins has full no-trade protection and is under contract through at least 2014.  The Phillies still have Freddy Galvis and did acquire backup John McDonald recently, so they have options if they find a trade partner and Rollins approves.  Ultimately I don't think the Phillies could get a lot back for Rollins, so it makes more sense to hang onto the city's longest-tenured athlete.

Ramirez is worth a mention mostly because the White Sox are out of contention.  The 31-year-old is an acceptable option at short, hitting .277/.305/.342 with great durability and a reasonable contract that runs through at least 2015.  The extended control could put some non-contenders in play for Ramirez, if he's even available.  I was surprised to see Ramirez's age; this is not a player in his prime.  I think the return would have to be interesting for the Sox to pull the trigger.  Ramirez is not a player they need to unload, and naming Gordon Beckham the full-time shortstop requires a leap of faith.

Backups

Omar Quintanilla (Mets), Adam Rosales (Athletics), Ronny Cedeno (Astros), Brendan Ryan (Mariners), Ruben Tejada (Mets), John McDonald (Phillies), Jamey Carroll (Twins)

It's always good to add veteran insurance; a glove man like Ryan could help a contender.

Other Possibilities

With 20-year-old shortstop prospect Javier Baez getting a promotion to the Cubs' Double-A affiliate recently, is there even a sliver of a chance the team would consider trading Starlin Castro?  Though Castro was not brought in by the Epstein/Hoyer administration, and he's not the type of hitter they generally prefer, a midseason trade seems highly unlikely.  Castro's terrible season would mean selling very low, high-walk shortstops barely exist anyway, and the front office made a major contractual commitment to him just last August.

With no regular spot for him, the Rangers have turned one of the game's best prospects, Jurickson Profar, into a temporary utility man.  If they are to trade him, they'd surely require one of the game's best players in return, such as the Marlins' Giancarlo Stanton.  There's no indication the Rangers are open to putting Profar in a deal, though.

Eduardo Nunez missed significant time with an oblique injury, but he's now the Yankees' starting shortstop until Derek Jeter's season debut.  The team seems unlikely to move Nunez given the uncertainty with Jeter's health.

Biogenesis Effects

A couple of All-Star shortstops have been linked to Biogenesis in the Padres' Everth Cabrera and the Tigers' Jhonny Peralta.  Having dropped nine in a row, the Padres' status as a contender is slipping, so they may not need to act if Cabrera is suspended.  The Tigers' alternatives include Ramon Santiago, Argenis Diaz, and Danny Worth, so I imagine they'd have to make an acquisition if Peralta is suspended prior to the August 31st waiver trade deadline.

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

Twins Designate P.J. Walters For Assignment

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The Twins designated righty P.J. Walters for assignment to open a roster spot for Mike Pelfrey, tweets Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  Pelfrey had been on the DL with a back strain.

Walters, 28, was drafted by the Cardinals in the 11th round in 2006, a round that also produced Mat Latos.  He 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.

Minor Moves: Zavada, Cruz, Kimball, Laffey, Pauley

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Today's minor moves…

  • The Padres have purchased left-hander Clay Zavada from the independent league Gary SouthShore RailCats, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter). Zavada had a 1.65 ERA in 16 1/3 innings for the RailCats. The former Diamondback was known more for his mustache than his pitching in 2009, but he posted a 3.35 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 51 innings for the D-Backs that year. Brock tweets that Zavada will report to Double-A.
  • Luis Cruz has refused an outright assignment to Triple-A and elected free agency, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times (Twitter links). Cruz, who was designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and can sign with any team. He hit just .127/.175/.169 in 128 plate appearances for the Dodgers this season — a far cry from the solid .297/.322/.431 line he posted in 296 plate appearances last season.
  • The Nationals announced that they have outrighted right-hander Cole Kimball off the 40-man roster (Twitter link). The 27-year-old has appeared in just four minor league innings for the Nats this season and hasn't pitched with the big league club since 2011.
  • Aaron Laffey has opted out of his minor league deal with the Dodgers, according to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish (on Twitter). MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has confirmed the move. Laffey, 28, has a 5.61 ERA with 4.3 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 61 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He also allowed 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings between the Mets and Blue Jays at the MLB level.
  • Righty David Pauley was released by the Diamondbacks' Triple-A club on Saturday, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page.  Pauley had joined them on a minor league deal on June 10th, but the 30-year-old struggled in four relief appearances.  Pauley was originally drafted by the Padres in '01, three picks before the Red Sox took Kevin Youkilis.  Pauley was later a minor piece in Dave Dombrowski's July 2011 heist of the Mariners, in which the Tigers acquired Doug Fister.
  • Six players are currently in DFA limbo: Francisley Bueno of the Royals, Eric Hinske of the Diamondbacks, Alex Liddi of the Mariners, Clayton Mortensen of the Red Sox, Travis Ishikawa of the Orioles and Jeff Francoeur of the Royals.

Braves Interested In Joba; Giants Eyeing Twins’ Pen

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4:36pm: Schulman notes that excepting Glen Perkins, whom the Twins are unlikely to trade, the interesting reliever for the Giants in Minnesota's bullpen is Casey Fien. However, Schulman doesn't know whether the righty, who's posted a 3.55 ERA in 38 appearances, is available.

11:33am: Elder, a Giants scout, was in Minnesota last night to see the Twins' bullpen rather than Chamberlain, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Casey Fien,Jared Burton, Brian Duensing, and Josh Roenicke appeared for the Twins, with Burton and Duensing struggling.

10:30am: The Braves and Giants have an interest in Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain, a pair of American League talent evaluators told George A. King III and Dan Martin of the New York Post.  The Braves' Jim Fregosi saw Chamberlain Friday night, while the Giants' Lee Elder attended last night's game "exclusively to watch Chamberlain."

Chamberlain, 27, has a 5.75 ERA, 9.7 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, 1.77 HR/9, and 35.5% groundball rate in 20 1/3 innings this year.  He missed most of May with an oblique strain.  Chamberlain has worked at 95-97 miles per hour as of late and seems a good candidate for a change of scenery.  Once an untouchable starting pitching prospect, Chamberlain is in his contract year and isn't expected to be with the Yankees next season.  The Braves are known to be in the market for relief help; they last matched up with the Yankees in a minor trade in November 2010.

Aaron Steen contributed to this post.

Royals Sign Marten Gasparini, Cristhian Vasquez

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4:30pm: The Royals have also signed Venezuelan outfielder Cristhian Vasquez for a $775K bonus, according to Sanchez (on Twitter). Vasquez ranked as Baseball America's No. 22 prospect, noting that he's one of the oldest players in this year's class and has an advanced offensive approach.

10:12am: The Royals signed Italian shortstop Marten Gasparini for $1.3MM today, breaking the record for a European international prospect, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Baseball America ranked Gasparini 12th; MLB.com had him fourth.

Badler had a full profile of Gasparini in May, noting the Royals as the frontrunner and his likelihood of breaking the European record.  Gasparini, who turned 16 on May 24th, is a speedy switch-hitter with an Italian father and Jamaican mother who grew up in London.    

The Royals have a bonus pool of $2,988,100 this year.

Cubs Sign Gleyber Torres, Erling Moreno

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3:30pm: The Cubs have also inked Colombian right-hander Erling Moreno for $800K, according to Badler. Moreno ranked as BA's No. 16 prospect and MLB.com's No. 17 prospect. The 6'3", 190-pound 16-year-old has touched 90 mph with his fastball and projects to become a power pitcher down the road.

10:59am: The Cubs made a big international signing today, inking 16-year-old Venezuelan shortstop Gleyber Torres to a $1.7MM deal according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Torres ranked second among international prospects on the list from Baseball America's Ben Badler, and third on MLB.com's list.  The Cubs also signed Dominican righty Jefferson Mejia for $850K today, but still have plenty to spend given their $4,557,200 pool.

Torres has "the potential for five average or better tools," wrote Badler, who noted that he has drawn comparisons to Freddy Sanchez.

International Prospect Signings: Astros, Cards, Yankees, Tigers, Brewers

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Teams were able to submit contracts for this year's class of July 2nd international prospects starting at 8am central time today.  You can find rankings here from Baseball America and MLB.com, and information on each team's international bonus pool at BA.  This is the first year in which teams have different bonus pools, and as explained by BA's Ben Badler, teams can trade for up to 50% of their pools (with plenty of stipulations).  The latest deals:

  • Badler reports that the Astros have signed Dominican shortstop Joan Mauricio for $600K. The infielder didn't make the Top 30 from BA or MLB.com, but Badler lauds his defensive actions and hands.
  • The Cardinals have signed Venezuelan outfielder Carlos Talavera (No. 28 on BA's list), Badler reports. The Cardinals have announced that signing as well as three others, and Kiley McDaniel has the bonus amounts: Dominican shortstop Hector Linares received $400K, Dominican right-hander Sandy Alcantara received $125K and Nicaraguan lefty Kerrion Bennett got $30K (Twitter links).
  • The Yankees have signed Dominican shortstop Yonauris Rodriguez for $575K, according to Sanchez (on Twitter). BA noted that he's one of the best defensive shortstop prospects in Latin America.
  • The Tigers signed Venezuelan catcher Elys Escobar for $350K, reports Badler.  They also signed shortstop Hector Martinez for $400K, tweets Sanchez. MLB.com's Jason Beck adds that the team has also reached agreements with Venezuelan outfielder Hector Hernandez and Venezuelan shortstop Anthony Pereira (Twitter link).
  • The Brewers signed Dominican outfielder Nicolas Pierre for $800K, tweets Soldevila.  Badler ranked him 20th, noting the Brewers connection, while MLB.com had him 28th. The Brewers also signed shortstop Franly Mallen, Badler reports. He later tweeted that MLB.com's No. 22 prospect received the same $800K bonus as Pierre.
  • The Athletics signed Dominican shortstop Carlos Hiciano for $750K, reports Badler.  The speedy infielder was 17th on BA's rankings and 26th at MLB.com.
  • The Indians signed Dominican outfielder Junior Soto for $600K, reports Badler.  He's known for his right-handed raw power. Dionisio Soldevila of ESPN Deportes tweets that the team also signed shortstop Willy Castro for $850K
  • The Padres signed shortstop Ruddy Giron for $600K, tweets Soldevila.  Baseball America called Giron a "high-energy player with good athleticism and above-average speed."
  • The Diamondbacks signed Dominican outfielder Francis Martinez for $350K and Dominican third baseman Josue Herrera for $150K, reports Badler.  They're nearing a deal with switch-hitting Venezuelan catcher Jose Herrera worth an estimated $1MM, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  MLB.com ranks Herrera seventh; BA has him tenth.
  • The Cubs signed Dominican righty Jefferson Mejia for $850K, according to Badler.  Badler notes that the 18-year-old Mejia can begin playing immediately, as his contract is for the 2013 season unlike most July 2 signings.  Mejia previously had an issue with his paperwork and had been declared ineligible to sign until April.  At $4,557,200, the Cubs have the second-largest bonus pool and figure to be active.  
  • The Mets signed Venezuelan catcher Ali Sanchez for $690K, reports Badler.  BA ranked him 25th, calling him an "intelligent, high-energy player" and noting the many Venzuelan catchers in the big leagues.    The Mets also signed Venezuelan righty Luis Silva for $275K, according to Badler.  They signed Dominican shortstop Yeffry de Aza for $475K, he adds.  The Mets have a pool of $2,664,600 this year.
  • Colombian righty Erick Julio agreed to sign with the Rockies, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Julio, the best prospect out of Colombia this year, was ranked 14th by MLB.com and 13th by Baseball America's Ben Badler.  The Rockies are also expected to sign Venezuelan shortstop Carlos Herrera for close to $1MM, tweets Sanchez.  He was ranked 11th by BA and 15th by MLB.com.  The Rockies have the third-largest international bonus pool this year, at $4,213,800 according to BA.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Astros Acquire Ronald Torreyes

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The Cubs acquired two of the Astros' international bonus pool slots for minor league second baseman Ronald Torreyes, tweets Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Cubs announced they received slots 2 and 3 from the Astros, which amount to $784,700.  So far the Cubs' net pool money gain is $963,100 today, bringing their total to $5,520,300 barring more moves.  They added $388,100 from the Orioles and sent $209,700 to the Dodgers.

Torreyes, 20, came to the Cubs from the Reds in the December 2011 trade that also netted Travis Wood and Dave Sappelt, for Sean Marshall.  Sappelt, coincidentally, was recalled by the Cubs today, who placed outfielder Ryan Sweeney on the 60-day DL.  Torreyes has a .260/.337/.381 line in 264 Double-A plate appearances.  Baseball America ranked the 5'7" Torreyes 13th among Reds prospects prior to the 2012 season, explaining that he is an above-average hitter with no power.

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