White Sox To Release DeWayne Wise
The White Sox have requested waivers of Dewayne Wise for the purpose of granting his unconditional release, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Wise appeared in 30 games for the White Sox this season, slashing .234/.258/.328 in April and May. The outfielder has been on the disabled list since June 2nd.
Wise, a veteran of eleven big league seasons, owns a career slash line of .228/.264/.381 for the Blue Jays, Braves, Reds, Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees, and White Sox. The 35-year-old re-signed with Chicago on a minor league deal back in November which marked his seventh minor league deal in three seasons.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Morse, Morales, Astros
Though the Rangers worked to bolster their struggling lineup at the deadline, GM Jon Daniels felt the market for bats was thin, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. “There was not a lot out there really appealed to us,” he said. "Teams now are signing young players long-term and you aren’t getting the same caliber of player to free agency that you once did.” The Rangers rank ninth in the AL in runs per game but are 47-9 when scoring four or more runs, Grant notes. Here's more out of the AL West..
- Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik hinted that he hopes to re-sign some of the club's veterans, writes Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times. Jack Z inferrred that he didn't deal pending free agents Mike Morse or Kendrys Morales because he'd like them to be a part of the club going forward.
- The Astros inquired about Royals prospect Kyle Smith in talks last year before finally nabbing him in this week's Justin Maxwell trade, GM Jeff Luhnow tells Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Though his club wasn't aiming to trade Maxwell, the team jumped at the chance when Smith's name came up in talks, Luhnow says.
- The Rangers didn't add a bat, but the deadline wasn't a failure, writes Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
- While the Bud Norris deal leaves a hole in the Astros' rotation, they have some arms coming up through the minors including Brad Peacock and Asher Wojciechowski, notes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Nationals Extend, Promote Mike Rizzo
The Nationals announced that Mike Rizzo has signed a new long-term contract with the team and has been promoted to the position of President of Baseball Operations. The exact length of the deal is not yet known for Rizzo, who will still keep the mantle of General Manager.
Rizzo, who was appointed GM in 2009 after serving as assistant GM since 2006, has been working on a new deal with the Nats since April. Last year, in his fourth year at the helm, Washington won an MLB-best 98 games and the NL East title.
“Upon purchasing the Nationals, Mike Rizzo was our first hire and he has performed brilliantly,” said managing principal owner Theodore N. Lerner in the statement. “We started with an idea about how baseball teams should be built and he translated it into a reality far faster than many could have imagined. He knows the game, the players, and is a true professional. Under his direct leadership, the Nationals have become one of the most exciting and respected young teams in baseball.”
The Nationals exercised their 2014 option on Rizzo's contract in late April as they continued to negotiate on a fresh contract. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post speculated at the time that the move might have created a fizzure betwen the GM and the club since his that contract put him in the bottom third of salary for his position. If there was an issue between the two sides, it appears to be water under the bridge with today's announcement.
AL East Notes: Yankees, O’s, Norris, Jays
The non-waiver trade deadline is in the rear-view mirror, but there could still be some deals happening in August. For a recap of all the trading action pertaining to the AL East, check out Jeff Todd's recap and analysis from last night. Here are more deadline-related links pertaining to the AL East…
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman said that he had lots of late conversations as yesterday's deadline approached, but he was unable to cross the finish line with any deals, writes Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
- The Orioles were extremely active leading up to the deadline but also looked to make another move by acquiring a right-handed bat, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. While that didn't come together, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is still enthused about the additions of Scott Feldman, Bud Norris, and Francisco Rodriguez.
- Several front office execs told Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) they view Norris as a potential setup guy who would likely reach the upper 90s with a plus slider in that role.
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told reporters on a conference call, including Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com, that there wasn't much happening leading up to the deadline. "It was pretty quiet overall," Anthopoulos said. "We weren't going to be involved in rentals unless it was a no-brainer, and anything we were going to do was going to help us not only in the current year but moving forward."
- While nothing came together for the Blue Jays, AA admitted that he's always on the lookout for a starter given the way the rotation has been this year, according to Chisholm in his transcript of the call.
- With Jose Iglesias gone, Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts are on deck for the Red Sox at third base, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
- In a conference call with reporters, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington explained that if he was going to give up a long-term asset for pitching help, he wanted someone who could be a part of the club's plans beyond this season, which led him to Jake Peavy, Lauber writes. “We went into the deadline feeling like if we could make a move to improve the team and protect our chances to compete and give us every chance to get into October we wanted to do that,” Cherington said. “We wanted to do it in a way that’s not all about this year, preferably, and we were able to find this deal that fit in that category.”
Pirates Attempted To Land Mark Trumbo
The Pirates tried to make a play for Angels first baseman/outfielder Mark Trumbo, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links) heard rumblings of interest from the Pirates earlier today and noted that they might have been open to parting with a young starter.
Meanwhile, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) hears that the Angels had no interest in a Trumbo deal with the Bucs.
Even though Trumbo's name has come up at times in recent years due to a surplus, the Halos are high on the 27-year-old and didn't want to part with him this summer. In 448 plate appearances this season, the 2012 All-Star has a .249/.313/.473 slash line with 23 homers.
Blue Jays Interested In Howie Kendrick
1:30pm: The Angels are likely to keep Kendrick, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Halos couldn't find the right match for a starting pitcher but could revisit things this offseason.
10:43am: In recent days, the Blue Jays have expressed geniune interest in Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. While the Blue Jays aren't buyers in the traditional sense, they are looking at ways of addressing needs for 2013 and beyond.
Kendrick, 30, will earn the prorated portion of $8.75MM in 2013, $9.35MM in 2014, and $9.5MM in 2015 before hitting free agency. This season, Kendrick is hitting .301/.344/.446 with eleven homers and is looking stronger than he did in 2012.
The Angels have also discussed Kendrick with the Royals as Kansas City combs the market for a second baseman. According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, the Halos would require a front-line, Major League or MLB-ready starting pitcher for Kendrick or Erick Aybar. This morning, DiGiovanna noted that the club is fielding numerous inquiries on Kendrick, who has a no-trade list of a dozen teams.
Yankees Not Close To Landing Third Baseman
The Yankees aren't getting very far in their search for a third baseman, sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Marlins still expect that the Bombers will ramp up their interest in Placido Polanco, but the Yankees aren't too keen on that idea at this point.
The Yankees have been linked to Phillies third baseman Michael Young, but things have cooled off on that front. Young isn't expected to OK a deal to anyone except for the Rangers and even then, the Phillies seem more focused on working something out with the Red Sox than the Yankees.
As for Polanco, we heard this morning that the Marlins were gauging interest in the third baseman along with outfielder Juan Pierre. Polanco is hitting just .259/.315 /.301 on the year.
Teams Showing Interest In Marlon Byrd
12:48pm: There are suitors for Byrd but right now, but no one seems to be willing to meet the Mets' asking price, tweets Marc Carig of Newsday. Meanwhile, Byrd is the only Mets player that has come up in trade conversations (Twitter link).
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter) notes that the Reds were kicking the tires on Byrd at one point but have since backed off.
12:28pm: While things were quiet on the Marlon Byrd front, the Mets are suddenly getting hits on the veteran, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). The Mets have made counteroffers to clubs and are waiting to see if anyone budges. The Pirates are believed to be among the teams interested in Byrd.
Earlier this week we heard that the Orioles also had some interest in Byrd, but the Mets were unlikely to move him unless they were really blown away by an offer. This morning, the Mets were contending that they still weren't planning to make any moves, but things might have changed this afternoon.
Athletics Designate Adam Rosales For Assignment
The Athletics announced that they have designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment. The move will allow the club to clear a 25-man roster spot for the newly-acquired Alberto Callaspo.
Rosales hit just .193/.268/.319 in 153 plate appearances for Oakland this season. The light-hitting 30-year-old has significant experience at second base, third base, and shortstop with some time spent at first base. This marks the second time that Rosales has been designated for assignment by the A's this month with the first one coming on July 8th.
Kelly Shoppach Opts Out
Catcher Kelly Shoppach has exercised his opt-out clause with the Nationals and is now a free agent, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The LSW Baseball client signed a minor league deal with the Nats in early July.
Prior to signing with Washington, the 33-year-old hit just .196/.293/.346 in 125 plate appearances for the Mariners. In parts of nine seasons with the Indians, Rays, Red Sox, Mets and Mariners, Shoppach has a .224/.314/.413 slash line.