Baseball Blogs Weigh In: A’s, Angels, Blue Jays
On this date eight years ago, Bud Selig made it clear during the the All-Star game Town Hall discussion that the designated hitter will remain in use for the foreseeable future. The commissioner, however, stated that the National League will never adopt the 1973 addition to the American League rule book. Here's this week's look around the baseball blogosphere..
- A's Farm talked about Oakland's top prospects with Grady Fuson, the Athletics' former scouting director and current special assistant to general manager Billy Beane.
- Halo History delves into the Angels' injury curse.
- AL Eastbound & Down evaluated the Blue Jays as the All-Star break approaches.
- I R Fast asks if Joba Chamberlain still has value.
- NASORB thinks the Mariners should consider adding players who are controllable beyond the 2013 season in addition to entertaining offers for impending free agents.
- Hardball Scouting has the goods on Maikel Franco and Jesse Biddle.
- i70 Baseball says there should be a third Royals All-Star — closer Greg Holland.
- Baseball Hot Corner discusses the Yasiel Puig misconception.
- Lasorda's Lair says baseball needs to deal with Puig and his bat flip.
- The Giants Cove is surprised by general manager Brian Sabean's negativity.
- Pinstripe Pundits likes Kendrys Morales for the Bombers.
- Phillies Nation says general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. should call Sabean Hunter Pence, but only if he's available at the right price.
- Rays Colored Glasses runs down potential trade targets for Tampa Bay.
- Puckett's Pond has some ideas for the kind of players that the Twins should zero in on.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
Yankees To Sign First-Rounder Judge
THURSDAY: The Yankees reached an agreement with Judge on a slightly over-slot $1.8MM signing bonus, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. Judge is advised by PSI Sports Management.
WEDNESDAY: The Yankees are close to a deal with slugging Fresno State outfielder Aaron Judge, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Yankees selected Judge with the No. 32 overall pick in the draft.
The Yankees offered Judge the slot amount of about $1.6MM weeks ago and have been waiting to get something done. The 6-foot-7, 255-pound slugger has big power potential and has earned physical comparisons to the NBA's Blake Griffin, according to Baseball America. BA had him ranked as the 30th best prospect in the draft while Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com had him ranked at No. 24, and ESPN.com's Keith Law put him at No. 17.
The Yankees have already signed thieir other first round picks – Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo and San Diego prep lefty Ian Clarkin – to slot deals. Judge's No. 32 selection is the pick the Yankees received for losing Nick Swisher in free agency.
Phillies Notes: Papelbon, Tigers, Young
Here's a look at the latest out of Philly..
- The Phillies have been spotted scouting the Tigers' system for a second time, but a deal involving Jonathan Papelbon is still considered unlikely, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Papelbon making $13MM a year through 2015 with a very attainable vesting option for 2016 and even though Tigers owner Mike Ilitch has never been shy about spending, word is that money will be more of an issue this time around.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says that the move for the Phillies to make is not to trade Papelbon, but to add another reliever who is under control through at least 2014. The Phillies are in the midst of a mini-surge and trading away their closer wouldn't make sense at this time. However, adding another reliever would give them additional support if they make a run this season and a closer-in-waiting if they decide to move Papelbon further down the road.
- ESPN's Buster Olney joined WEEI's Mut & Merloni earlier today and discussed the possibility of the Red Sox dealing for the Phillies' Michael Young. Olney says that before Boston can think about trading for the former Ranger, they have to determine exactly how well they feel he can play the third base position.
- Earlier today, we heard that the Phillies are focused on buying rather than selling.
White Sox Notes: Sale, Reed, Thornton, Lindstrom
If Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports were in charge of the White Sox, he would make Chris Sale available via trade. With an incredibly thin starting pitching market, some smart team is going to capitalize and put a top-of-the-rotation hurler in play and the White Sox should be that team. Some in baseball believe Sale can be had but one GM on the lookout for a starter says that he has had numerous conversations with Rick Hahn, and Hahn never once has mentioned Sale. Sale is only 24 and is in the first year of a club-friendly, five-year, $32.5MM contract that includes club options of $12.5MM for 2018 and and $13.5MM for ’19. Here's more on the White Sox..
- The Red Sox are looking everywhere for relief help and are interested in White Sox relievers Addison Reed, Matt Thornton, and Matt Lindstrom, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
- The White Sox have been asking for major-league ready or near-ready prospects in their trade talks, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) suggets five blockbuster trades for teams, including a swap between the White Sox and Pirates. Bowden's hypothetical has Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez heading to Pittsburgh for outfielder Gregory Polanco, pitcher Nick Kingham, and shortstop Jordy Mercer. Bowden reasons that the deal will give the White Sox an excellent prospect in Polanco while allowing them to get younger and free up dollars.
Cubs To Sign Kris Bryant
The Cubs have reached agreement on a $6.7MM deal with No. 2 overall pick Kris Bryant, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported earlier today that the two sides were close to striking a deal.
Bryant, who is being advised by Scott Boras, had a monster junior season in which he belted 31 homers and catapulted up the 2013 draft board. The third baseman/outfielder will be the latest promising position player to join the Cubs' stash, joining shortstop Javier Baez and outfielders Jorge Soler and Albert Almora.
Heyman heard in late June that the two sides weren't close to an agreement. Bryant and Boras were said to be seeking a bonus greater than the $6.7MM assigned pick value, while the Cubs wanted a deal for just over $6MM.
Boras said yesterday that was confident that a deal would be struck in advance of the mid-July deadline. Some speculated that it could go until the eleventh-hour with Bryant being the final holdout of the first round, but the two sides have hammered out the framework for a deal with days to spare.
Bryant's pick came as a surprise as the Cubs were widely expected to select whichever top pitcher the Astros passed on (Jonathan Gray or Mark Appel). Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and Keith Law of ESPN.com had Bryant ranked as the second-best prospect in the draft while Baseball America had him ranked third. BA writes that Bryant's best tool is his plus-plus right-handed power and notes that his athleticism should allow him to stick at third base.
Heyman On Perez, Mariners, Morales, Yankees
Here's a look at the latest news from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..
- Mariners reliever Oliver Perez has drawn interest from the Orioles, Braves, and other clubs, according to Heyman. Perez has reinvented himself as a bullpen arm in the last two years with the Mariners, posting a 2.00 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 across 63 innings in Seattle. Competing execs note that Perez is more cost-efficient in terms of prospects and cash than a guy like Matt Thornton. The veteran would cost another team the prorated portion of his $1.5MM for the rest of the year.
- Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez could also bring a strong return to General Manager Jack Zduriencik & Co and the Rays are among the clubs that have inquired on their hitters. However, parting with them would cause them to go into a free fall and also adversely affect the top prospects on the big league roster. For his part, Jack Z isn't anxious to move anyone. "We'll see how this week goes. I'm not going to be the aggressor,'' the GM told Heyman earlier this week. "I'm not shopping anyone.''
- Seattle people have been wondering if the Yankees might call about Morales thanks to their rash of injuries. The Rangers could also come calling.
- A Mariners person said they've gotten calls on injured center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, but his injury history hurts his value. Closer Tom Wilhelmsen has drawn interest and the Red Sox have had interest in the past, but Zduriencik is said to be hesitant to trade him since he's under control for a few more years. Brendan Ryan, who is no longer the starting shortstop, could also be of interest to someone as a defensive specialist in the infield.
- Opinions are mixed, but one rival executive tells Heyman that Phil Hughes could fetch quite a bit in a trade. Another rival exec quipped that the Bombers might trade Joba Chamberlain for a pine-tar rag. We learned earlier today that the Yankees are aggressively pushing both pitchers.
Red Sox Notes: Garza, Papelbon, Breslow
It's no secret that the Red Sox are in need of bullpen help, but there's not much out there on the trade market. They're keeping an eye on Brewers relievers John Axford, Francisco Rodriguez, and Mike Gonzalez but there are plenty of other clubs, including the Orioles and Tigers, who have the same idea. Here's the latest out of Boston..
- The Red Sox could also use a boost in the starting rotation, but sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News that they do not feel desperate enough to pay the necessary price to land Matt Garza from the Cubs. Major league sources say Boston ranks its trade deadline needs in the following order: bullpen help, stopgap players for the left side of its infield, and starting pitching.
- Some have suggested that the Red Sox should look into bringing Jonathan Papelbon back to Boston, but John Tomase of the Boston Herald doesn't see the Phillies closer solving their problems. History is littered with teams that have made regrettable trades for relievers, and the Red Sox are no strangers to that phenomenon. Beyond the cost of prospects, money needs to be taken into consideration as well. Papelbon is still owed $26MM over the next two years, with an attainable 2016 vesting option worth another $13MM.
- Alex Speier of WEEI.com spoke with Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow, who had some very interesting thoughts on the way that left-handed relievers are valued.
NL Central: Garza, Wigginton, Cardinals, Braun
In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. required and recommended) explains that many teams have "Zack Wheeler Syndrome" as they approach the deadline. As he describes it, It’s the tendency of GMs to wait for a club to get desperate and overpay for a player. That's what the Mets were able to do in 2011, when they demanded that they get a top-tier prospect in return for Carlos Beltran and wound up prying Wheeler from the Giants. Today, one exec tells Olney that the asking price for the Cubs' Matt Garza (as well as the Yankees' Phil Hughes) is "incredibly high" because of that thinking. Chicago knows they will at least present a qualifying offer to Garza after the season if they keep him, which will net them a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere. Anyone who wants to land Garza has to match, and probably exceed, the value of that pick. Here's more out of the NL Central..
- Ty Wigginton wound up as the low man on the totem pole with the Cardinals, writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While his disappointing tenure in St. Louis ended with his release yesterday, manager Mike Matheny is an adamant supporter of the veteran and says that his career is far from done.
- The Cardinals made reliever Mitchell Boggs available because he has struggled so far in 2013, but he could bounce back and regain his 2012 form, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. St. Louis shipped Boggs to the Rockies yesterday for roughly $206K in international bonus slot money.
- The Biogenesis suspensions could make for a messy second-half of the season, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, despite the negative attention surrounding the Brewers' Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and others, the game has been quite resilient through this and other PED scandals.
Pirates Acquire Brian Bocock
We'll keep track of today's minor moves here..
- The Pirates have acquired infielder Brian Bocock from the Nationals to complete the May trade for catcher Brian Jeroloman, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter). The 28-year-old will report to Triple-A Indianapolis. Bocock, who is known primarily for his defensive play, has a career .214/.290/.282 slash line at the Triple-A level.
Yankees Aggressively Pushing Chamberlain, Hughes
The Yankees are aggressively pushing trades involving Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, an AL executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). In fact, a deal sending Chamberlain to a National League team could happen soon, though nothing is imminent on either front.
Yesterday we learned that the Phillies have expressed interest in Chamberlain as they feel out the market for Michael Young. However, as Tim Dierkes noted yesterday, the market for the 27=year-olds is somewhat limited as they are in their walk years and not of much use to non-contenders. In the case of the Phillies, they may see themselves as buyers with a real chance to win this year, as ESPN.com's Buster Olney hears.
Chamberlain typically wouldn't garner trade attention, but a team in need of bullpen help could bite. The right-hander has a 5.75 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 22 relief appearances this year. Hughes, meanwhile, has a 4.55 ERA with 7.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 17 starts.