Yankees Acquire Brendan Ryan
The Yankees have acquired shortstop Brendan Ryan from the Mariners in exchange for a player to be named later, according to a press release from Seattle. Of course, Ryan will not be eligible for postseason play as he was dealt after the August 31st deadline.
Ryan, 31, appeared in 87 games for the Mariners this season and hit just .192/.254/.265 with three homers. However, the veteran offers solid defense at shortstop, as evidenced by his career 11.7 UZR/150 at the positon. Ryan can help the Yankees fill the gap while Derek Jeter remains sidelined by offering a better defensive alternative to Eduardo Nunez.
Ryan cleared waivers in mid-August, clearing the way for Jack Zduriencik & Co. to trade him to any club, but nothing materialized over the next couple of weeks. The light-hitting infielder wasn't moved last month, but the M's did make a trade when they moved Mike Morse to the Orioles for outfield prospect Xavier Avery.
Quick Hits: Rivera, Jimenez, Hudson, Pirates
While there has been a great deal of attention paid to Mariano Rivera's farewell tour, he's not the only MLB vet who could call it quits after this season, writes MLB.com's Doug Miller. The Indians' Jason Giambi and the Rockies' Todd Helton seem likely to call it a career and Yankees hurler Andy Pettitte could retire – again. Here's tonight's look around the Majors..
- Ben Lindbergh of Baseball Prospectus breaks down the changes in Ubaldo Jimenez's mechanics that have led to a resurgence since his first three starts of the season (subscription required). Two of the Indians' hurler's last three starts have been 10-strikeout, zero-walk outings, and he's posted a 2.82 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 since April 29 (24 starts). It makes sense for Jimenez to void his option and seek a multi-year deal, in Lindbergh's mind, though he carries significant risk as his mechanics are still flawed.
- The Diamondbacks face an interesting situation with Daniel Hudson this offseason, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hudson, who underwent his second Tommy John surgery this year and hasn't pitched since early 2012, is eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason. Hudson says he "would be open to taking about pretty much anything (contract-wise) if it meant staying [in Arizona]." Hudson feels that he may have to come back as a reliever and is open to that role.
- The Pirates' 2007 hires of club president Frank Coonelly and General Manager Neal Huntington are paying off in a big way, writes MLB.com's Tom Singer.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Tejada, Mets, Yankees
Earlier today, Tim Dierkes released his list of the top 34 free agent starting pitchers for this offseason. Yankees hurler Hiroki Kuroda comes in at No. 4 on the list, despite his age (39 in February) and a small streak of bad starts in August. In total, it has been another strong year for the veteran, who owns a 2.99 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9. Here's more out of the AL and NL East..
- Red Sox outfielder and free-agent-to-be Jacoby Ellsbury didn't exacerbate his foot fracture by playing last week, a baseball source told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Ellsbury will be in a walking boot for another few days and will rejoin the Red Sox on Friday at Fenway Park. He'll also be reexamined by doctors before he resumes physical activity.
- It seems likely that the Mets will explore external shortstop options as an alternative to Ruben Tejada and he could even be traded this winter, writes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Tejeada will be first-time arbitration eligible with a salary less than $1MM, so he won't be cost prohibitive as a backup middle infielder if a more accomplished shortstop is brought in.
- The Yankees' addition of Mike Zagurski signals concern over Boone Logan's continued elbow troubles, writes Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger.
Yankees Rumors: Hughes, Jeter, Cano, Sabathia
There was talk earlier this year of the Yankees giving Phil Hughes a qualifying offer at the end of the season in order to either retain him or secure a draft pick in the event that he signed elsewhere. However, that ship has pretty much sailed at this point. "They may make a qualifying offer. And I may run for president," a rival GM told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com last week. Here's more out of the Bronx..
- Many in baseball speculated that Derek Jeter would decline his $9.5MM option for 2014 and force the Yankees to give him a new deal, but a friend of the shortstop told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News that he thinks he'll exercise the option and return with a sense of purpose. Feinsand notes that Jeter probably wouldn't have the public on his side as he did three years ago and, more importantly, no one is clamoring to give a 39-year-old shortstop more than $9.5MM.
- The Yankees want Robinson Cano back in pinstripes next season, but team president Randy Levine made it clear there's a limit as to how far they'll go. “[Cano] is a great player,” Levine told Bloomberg Television, according to Feinsand. “We will sit down and talk to him. Hopefully he’s a Yankee. Nobody is a re-sign at all costs, but we want him back and we feel good about negotiating something with him. But nobody is a re-sign at any cost.”
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees can ill-afford to see CC Sabathia's regression to No. 4 starter come when he has at least three years and $76MM on his contract. The Yankees anticipated such an occurence might happen toward the end of his New York tenure but thought they'd have capable replacements in Michael Pineda, Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos, but none have panned out. Their dearth of pitching talent clouds their goal of staying under the $189MM luxury tax threshhold, Sherman adds.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Red Sox Designate Jose De La Torre For Assignment
The Red Sox have designated Jose De La Torre for assignment, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald (on Twitter). The move will allow Boston to reinstate Clay Buchholz to the club's 40-man roster.
De La Torre, 28 in October, allowed eight runs in seven relief appearances for the Red Sox this season. The right-hander fared much better in Triple-A Pawtucket, posting a 2.75 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 34 relief outings. De La Torre has had similarly strong numbers – 2.58 ERA with 10 K/9 and 4 BB/9 -across parts of four Triple-A seasons with the Indians and Red Sox's affiliates.
To keep track of De La Torre's status and others in DFA limbo, check out the MLBTR DFA Tracker.
Yankees To Sign Mike Zagurski
The Yankees are set to add Mike Zagurski, according to Andy McCullough of the Star Ledger (on Twitter). The lefty reliever opted out of his deal with the Athletics last week.
Zagurski, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Bombers in June but opted out of his deal in mid-August and subsequently signed with Oakland. In his brief stint with Triple-A Sacramento, Zagurski gave up four earned and struck out eight batters over six innings. In 53 1/3 total Triple-A innings on the season, Zagurski has a 3.04 ERA with an impressive 14.0 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9.
Minor Moves: Wells, Ambriz, Watts, Liddi
Here are today's minor moves from around the league…
- Longtime starting pitcher Kip Wells has retired, although he's hoping to remain in baseball now that his playing career is over, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin tweets. Wells was released by the Angels in May, and was considering retirement as of early July. The righty pitched parts of 12 seasons, suiting up with the White Sox, Pirates, Rangers, Cardinals, Rockies, Royals, Nationals, Reds and Padres, and posting a 4.71 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 1,338 1/3 career innings.
- The Astros outrighted Hector Ambriz to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to the International League transactions page. The 29-year-old right-hander was designated for assignment over the weekend after pitching to a 5.70 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 36 1/3 innings for Houston this season.
- The Nationals released catcher Kris Watts, according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com (via Twitter). Watts, 29, hit just .211/.342/.328 in 43 Triple-A games this year. The former 16th-round pick is a career .250/.351/.372 hitter in 2,006 career minor league plate appearances between the Nationals and Pirates organizations.
- The Orioles announced that infielder Alex Liddi cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A. Liddi was acquired from the Mariners along with a No. 3 international bonus slot for the M's No. 2 int'l slot. Baltimore designated the 25-year-old for assignment last week to make a 40-man roster spot for Chris Dickerson.
- With Liddi in Triple-A Norfolk, there are two players in DFA limbo, according to the MLBTR DFA Tracker – James McDonald of the Pirates and Cody Ransom of the Cubs.
Steve Adams and Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Blue Jays Notes: Rasmus, Anthopoulos, Happ, Mottola
The latest out of the AL East..
- The oblique strain that has Colby Rasmus sidelined will have a serious impact on his 2014 earnings, writes Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Nicholson-Smith spoke with five agents and MLB team executives experienced in the arbitration process and learned that while Rasmus hurt his value by missing time on the disabled list, he could still get a pay bump in the range of $2MM.
- Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star looks at what he deems the worst trade of Alex Anthopoulos' tenure as Blue Jays GM, but it's not the trade most would think. Griffin understands the logic behind last offseason's blockbusters with the Marlins and Mets, but he questions the 2012 trade that brought J.A. Happ, Brandon Lyon and David Carpenter to Toronto in exchange for Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco and prospects Carlos Perez, Asher Wojciechowski, Joe Musgrove, David Rollins and Kevin Comer. As Griffin points out, Lyon, Carpenter, Cordero and Francisco were all expendable pieces, making the trade essentially Happ for five prospects.
- Also in his piece, Griffin talks with Jays hitting coach Chad Mottola about Brett Lawrie's turnaround, an organizational hitting philosophy, how he deals with criticism and the enjoyment he takes in watching his pupils succeed.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Dodgers Nearing Deal With Alexander Guerrero
6:17pm: The two sides are nearing a five-year, $32MM contract according to the latest update from Sanchez (on Twitter).
2:46pm: The Dodgers and Cuban infield prospect Alexander Guerrero are closing in a multi-year deal worth $32MM, industry sources tell Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. The deal is expected to be between five and seven years and an official announcement is expected this week.
Guerrero probably projects as a second baseman in the majors since his range and first-step quickness aren't strong enough to stick at shortstop, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America (subscription required). The offensive-oriented infielder doesn't figure to be a premium talent, but his raw right-handed power has impressed clubs.
The Twins, Red Sox, and Braves have also been in the mix for Guerrero, but the Dodgers have long been the favorites to sign him. The 26-year-old also garnered interest from the Reds along the way, but it's not clear how serious they were or if they were still in the mix towards the end.
In his final season in Cuba, Guerrero hit .290/.402/.576 with 21 home runs in 328 plate appearances for Las Tunas. For the last five seasons, Guerrero has posted solid offensive numbers, though the Cuban league is known for inflated offensive numbers. Badler says that Guerrero is likely ticketed for Double-A or Triple-A to start out.
Guerrero was cleared to sign with Major League Teams by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) over the weekend. He defected from his native Cuba in January and has been a known quanitty for some time, so the Dodgers were quick to strike a deal once it was possible.
It remains to be seen what impact, if any, the signing will have on the Dodgers' pursuit of a second baseman this winter. Of course, the Dodgers are viewed as the biggest threat to sign Robinson Cano away from the Yankees over the offseason.
NL West Notes: Padres, Owings, Rockies
Earlier today, it was reported that the Dodgers are nearing a deal with Cuban infielder Alexander Guerrero, who has officially been cleared by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control to sign with a Major League team. Here's more out of the NL West…
- Padres GM Josh Byrnes isn't sure what this offseason will hold, but he told MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom that he's certain that the team's payroll will go up again. Byrnes also spoke about his feelings on the Mat Latos trade in hindsight. Since the swap, Yasmani Grandal was hit with a 50-game suspension and has missed time with injury, Yonder Alonso has been hurt, and Edinson Volquez was released after a disappointing 2013 season.
- The Diamondbacks will take a long look at Chris Owings over the final weeks of the season as they try to evaluate their shortstop position in the long-term, manager Kirk Gibson tells Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Owings won Pacific Coast League MVP honors this season by hitting .330/.359/.482 with 12 homers and 20 steals. Gibson praised his positive attitude in the face of last offseasons acquisitions of Didi Gregorius, Nick Ahmed and Cliff Pennington. Gregorius, who started out the season on a hot streak, has hit just .208/.288/.277 over his past 55 games, opening the door for Owings to make an impression.
- Wilton Lopez's disappointing season and Matt Belisle's regression will likely force the Rockies to rebuild their bullpen this offseason, even if it means overpaying for arms, opines Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Sulia link). The Rockies will also be without Rafael Betancourt, who elected to undergo Tommy John surgery and could retire due to the injury.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.