Phillies Focused On Buying
There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding the Phillies in recent weeks and which veterans could be moved between now and the July 31st deadline. However, rival teams that have spoken with General Manager Ruben Amaro recently say that the club is talking about buying, not selling, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
Third baseman Michael Young and second baseman Chase Utley – both in their walk years – have popped up in trade rumors a great deal. Amaro has been vocal about his desire to see Utley remain in a Phillies uniform but the club is said to be quite open to moving Young. Carlos Ruiz, who can also hit the open market after this season, could bring back a solid return thanks to a thin catching market. Jonathan Papelbon and Cliff Lee would obviously net the club a strong return, but the perception has been that they'll hang on to the closer and the left-hander.
The Phillies are reportedly using their current ten-game homestand to gauge whether they will be buyers or sellers in July and they're 4-1 heading into tonight's game against the Nationals. Philadelphia currently sits in third place in the NL East, 7.5 games back of the division-leading Braves.
Rockies Acquire Mitchell Boggs, Designate Gardner
The Rockies have acquired Mitchell Boggs from the Cardinals in exchange for international bonus slot money, according to announcements from both clubs. The Cards will get the Rockies' int'l slot bonus No. 4, according to Scott Miller of CBSSports.com (on Twitter), which amounts to $206K, according to Jim Bowden (on Twitter). The Rockies tweet that they have designated pitcher Joe Gardner for assignment to clear space for Boggs on the 40-man roster.
Boggs, 29, hasn't been sharp in 14 and 2/3 innings this season but has a history of doing much better at the big league level. From 2008 to 2012, the right-hander owns a 3.80 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 fro the Cardinals.
Gardner, 25, posted a 7.01 ERA for Double-A Tulsa in 2013, with 8.77 K/9 and 4.56 BB/9. After pitching mostly as a starter at the Double-A level in 2012, he has served as a reliever in 2013. The Rockies acquired Gardner from the Indians in 2011 in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal. Troy Renck of the Denver Post noted earlier today (via Twitter) that Gardner was on waivers.
The Cardinals get a significant bump in space to spend on international prospects, as they entered the period with just $2.06MM in total, according to BA. The list of Cardinals international signees already includes Venezuelan outfielder Carlos Talavera ($500K) and Dominican shortstop Hector Linares ($400K).
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Giants Designate Cole Gillespie For Assignment
The Giants have designated outfielder Cole Gillespie for assigment, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The move will make room for the promotion of second baseman Kensuke Tanaka.
It's the second move made today by the Giants, who agreed to sign Jeff Francoeur early this morning. Gillespie, 29, had a cup of coffee with the major league club this month. In 269 plate appearances for the club's Triple-A affiliate this season, Gillespie slashed .277/.361/.455 with nine homers.
MLB To Suspend Braun, Rodriguez, Others
5:21pm: An MLB spokesperson tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (via Twitter) that the news on Braun is premature and no decisions have been made.
5:07pm: Major League Baseball is expected to suspend Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and as many as 20 players connected to the Biogenesis clinic sometime after next week's All-Star break, several sources told T.J. Quinn and Mike Fish of ESPN.com. Commissioner Bud Selig's office is considering 100-game bans for Braun and Rodriguez, the punishment for a second offense, despite neither player receiving a previous suspension for violating MLB drug rules.
Suspensions appear to be a certainty for both players and the only issue in question is the length of time that they'll be sidelined. One source said that the league's argument would be that they, and possibly other players, committed multiple offenses by receiving PEDs from Tony Bosch's clinic and lying about it.
As Quinn explains on Twitter, suspensions are usually levied, appealed, and ruled upon by an arbitrator months later before becoming public, but MLB is allowed to announce suspensions publicly because case has been public. Players who appeal the forthcoming suspensions may continue playing until an arbitrator rules, however.
Braun, who has repeatedly denied using PEDs, refused to answer questions during a recent meeting with the league office about his connection to Bosch, according to sources. Rodriguez will meet with baseball officials on Friday, sources familiar with the meeting tell Michael O'Keeffe, BIll Madden, Nathaniel Vinton, and Teri Thompson of the Daily News.
Late last month, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that suspensions were likely in the Biogenesis case. Nelson Cruz, Everth Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, Jesus Montero, and Bartolo Colon were among the other players linked to Biogenesis in the initial report.
East Notes: Red Sox, Parnell, Howard, Bay
The Red Sox were already in a tough spot with their bullpen, but things got worse when they learned that left-hander Andrew Miller will likely require season-ending surgery on his left foot, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. While one might expect them to hit the trade market for a reliever, that may not happen between now and the deadline. "I guess you lose a guy, he has to be replaced somehow," GM Ben Cherington told reporters. "We still think we have some internal options we can consider. We may take a look at some of those in different ways over the course of the next few weeks. We've got to have an open mind." Here's more from the AL and NL East..
- The Mets plan to hang on to closer Bobby Parnell, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post opines that they should think about changing their minds. There are several teams, including the Tigers and Red Sox, that are desperate for late-inning solutions and there isn't much out there.
- Ryan Howard's contract with the Phillies is a total loss, opines Dan Szymborski of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). Howard's dip in performance is not a surprise, but exactly what is to be expect from a one-dimensional slugger in his early 30s. Howard makes $20MM this season, $25MM per year through 2016, and must be paid $10MM in 2017 if his $23MM option isn't picked up.
- Now with the Mariners, Jason Bay looks back fondly on his tenure with the Red Sox, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Bay had to make a team's roster for the first time in his big league career but he says that he is enjoying his time in Seattle.
- The Marlins asked the Dodgers for righty Chris Withrow in the Ricky Nolasco deal, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, but were told he wasn't available. In the post, Frisaro also explains why not to expect trades of Giancarlo Stanton or Steve Cishek.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
Cubs Close To Deal With Kris Bryant
The Cubs are very close to signing No. 2 overall pick Kris Bryant, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The deal isn’t officially done, but the University of San Diego product is expected to receive the biggest bonus under the new system that began last year, topping Mark Appel‘s $6.35MM pact with the Astros.
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.
Yankees Claim Travis Ishikawa
The Yankees have claimed Travis Ishikawa off of waivers from the Orioles, an industry source tells Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The O's designated the first baseman for assignment towards the end of June.
Ishikawa signed a minor league deal with Baltimore and, as MLBTR first reported, had an opt out clause in his contract. The Orioles promoted him rather than let him go elsewhere, but he was DFA'd after just six games in uniform for the major league team. In 208 plate appearances for Triple-A Norfolk, the 29-year-old slashed .316/.413/.525 with seven homers.
Rosenthal On Garza, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has lots of great stuff in his latest edition of Full Count. Here's a look at the highlights..
- The Rangers' interest in Matt Garza is nothing new and two sources told Rosenthal that they nearly acquired Garza at last year's trade deadline with one source saying it was within minutes of happening and the other saying it was really close. The problem was that Garza was dealing with a triceps issue and it turned out that he didn't pitch after July 21st. The two sides were working on various contingencies right up until the last day but they eventually decided to just deal for Ryan Dempster instead.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is reluctant to trade players who could be part of the team's future, specifically Jonathan Papelbon, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. When asked specifically about the idea of creating another closer if they part with Papelbon, Amaro noted that the only time they have done that was with Ryan Madson and it took four years for him to develop into a closer. Amaro explained that he doesn't have that kind of time and none of their young pitchers are even remotely ready to close.
- The Brewers' Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse wouldn't figure to be in high demand, but their respective contracts make them attractive to contending clubs. The upcoming free agent market will be thin in starters and guys like Garza, Josh Johnson, and Ricky Nolasco will want at least three or four years. Gallardo and Lohse are under club control for two more years at below market salary – Lohse makes $11MM in 2014 and 2015 while Gallardo makes $11.25MM with a $13MM club option for 2015.
- The White Sox are a virtual lock to make deals before the deadline, but even then, their work might not be done. Even if Paul Konerko and Jake Peavy do not show that they are fully healthy by July 31st, they could get moved during the August waiver period. Both would figure to clear waivers and if Konerko wants to join a contender, he would waive his 10-and-5 rights and the White Sox would almost certainly try to accommodate him.
NL East Notes: Byrd, Mets, Howard, Detwiler
Here's a look at the latest out of the NL East..
- The Mets have yet to field any calls on Marlon Byrd but they expect to if he keeps things up, tweets Marc Carig of Newsday. Byrd has looked strong as of late and owns a .261/.307/.486 slash line on the year with 13 homers.
- Ryan Howard was placed on the 15-day disabled list with knee trouble, meaning that he'll miss the next couple of weeks that will determine whether the Phillies are buyers or sellers, writes Phil Sheridan of The Inquirer. If they're sellers, then fellow franchise cornerstone Chase Utley could be among those shipped off. Recently, we learned that the Blue Jays are expected to have interest in the second baseman if he is made available.
- The Nationals were forced to place Ross Detwiler on the disabled list thanks to a back issue and his health, coupled with Dan Haren's medical issues, could lead them to intensify their search for a starting pitcher, writes MASNsports.com's Dan Kolko.
Dodgers Notes: Nolasco, Marmol, Rockies
After weeks of hearing that the Marlins were desperate to move Ricky Nolasco and wanted to find a trade partner ASAP, the Dodgers stepped up and grabbed him for a trio of pitching prospects and got some additional international bonus slot money in the swap. Here's the latest out of Los Angeles following yesterday's trade..
- General Manager Ned Colletti & Co. felt that Matt Garza wasn't worth the prospect cost at this time, so they went with Nolasco instead, tweets Jim Bowden of ESPN.com. The Dodgers continue to be aggressive in several trade discussions. Bowden adds (link) that the Dodgers' priority is finding a back-end power arm and then another starter.
- The Dodgers filled a major need with their acquisition of Nolasco, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Back in spring training, everyone wondered how the Dodgers could fit eight starting pitchers into five rotation slots. In July, rotation depth was a major need for Los Angeles.
- While the Dodgers' acquisition of Carlos Marmol made headlines, their real motive in the deal was securing extra space to spend in the international market, writes Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers don't plan to have a this high of a payroll forever and the additional bonus money will help them develop their own talent in the long-term.
- The Rockies talked with the Marlins about Ricky Nolasco and even though they liked him, paying roughly $5.6MM for a rental was never in the cards for them, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.