Quick Hits: Yankees, Chamberlain, Royals, Twins, Draft
Based on roster surplus and thin relief market, it wouldn't be a surprise to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter link) if the Yankees moved Joba Chamberlain sometime before July 31st. The Rangers were keeping an eye on Chamberlain, who is finally back in action after resting a strained oblique, before the season started and its possible that the once-promising prospect could attract some attention between now and the deadline. The Bombers could afford to part with the 27-year-old thanks to the recent emergence of Shawn Kelley and rookie Preston Claiborne in the bullpen. Here's more from around baseball..
- The Royals' struggles could cost manager Ned Yost his job, but not just yet, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Knobler spoke with GM Dayton Moore earlier today and gets the impression that he is prepared to stand behind Yost.
- Twins vice president Mike Radcliff told Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter) that he wouldn't rule out taking high school pitcher Kohl Stewart with the No. 4 pick due to his diabetes. Radcliff and scouting director Deron Johnson (link) have been closely watching Stewart and have seen him throw a number of times.
- Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com was surprised to see the Angels designate Mark Lowe for assignment in order to make room on the roster for Jered Weaver. Gonzalez notes that Michael Kohn, Garrett Richards, Dane De La Rosa, and Robert Coello could all be optioned, but the move to DFA Lowe instead is an indication of how well they are throwing. Coello is looking particularly strong so far this season thanks in part to his modified forkball.
NL East Notes: Nationals, Lee, Papelbon, Phillies
Here's tonight's look at the NL East..
- Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said today that he is not actively seeking roster upgrades from the outside, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Jayson Werth could return in the next week for the Nats, who currently sit 4.5 games back of the Braves in the NL East with a 27-25 record.
- Even though there has been speculation that the Phillies could trade Cliff Lee or Jonathan Papelbon this season, Buster Olney of ESPN told WEEI's Mut & Merloni that he doesn't see that happening. Olney noted that owner David Montgomery is very conservative and he's also not ready to count out the Phillies. While they have struggled, the Phillies have the luxury of getting to play plenty of games against the Mets and Marlins, whom Olney calls "two of the three worst teams in baseball".
- Phillies prospect Cesar Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A to help the club get by in the absence of Chase Utley. The Phillies consider the 23-year-old to be a future major league player and due diligence is required as he is out of options in 2014, writes Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Earlier tonight, we ran down the latest on the Mets.
Draft Notes: Moran, Appel, Pirates, Int’l Draft
Yesterday, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told ESPN's Buster Olney that he's less-than-thrilled with the depth in this year's draft. However, you'll be hard pressed to find scouts that aren't high on the talent near the top of the boards. Here's the latest draft news..
- UNC third baseman Colin Moran is moving up draft boards and some say he might even go first overall to the Astros, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. However, Jonathan Gray, Mark Appel, and Kris Bryant are generally viewed as the top three players in the draft.
- Speaking of Appel, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com writes that he has no regrets about his decision to return to Stanford last year rather than sign with the Pirates. "I tried to shield myself from it," Appel said of talk that he only returned to school to land more money this year. "But when you're on Twitter and anyone can say anything behind a keyboard without having to say it to your face, people will show their true colors. I saw a lot of people calling me greedy and things like that. Initially, it affected me, because I don't think anyone likes it when people don't like you. Then I realized that these people don't know me. All they know is I turned down $3.8MM."
- The international draft talk is raising job security concerns amongst scouts, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. Some area scouts are worried about being moved to part-time status or losing their jobs altogether, particularly in countries that don’t produce a high volume of talent. In the long term, scouts are concerned that if a draft leads to a decrease in the number of players signed in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, then that could hurt scouting jobs in those countries as well. However, most international directors say that they aren't planning on changing much if an international draft is put into place.
Mets Notes: Tejada, Collins, Davis
Earlier today, we looked at the latest on the Mets and Yankees as the two clubs continue to battle it out in their first Subway Series matchup of the year. For the 20-29 Mets, there's been a great deal of talk surrounding a major organizational shakeup – not from the outside, but from within. Here's more on that and other notes out of Queens..
- Demotion or not, Ruben Tejada is going to be arbitration eligible for the first time next year, meaning that he's due for a salary jump, notes Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). The 23-year-old entered 2013 at 2 years and 53 days of service time. So far this season, Tejada is hitting just .209/.269/.264 through 49 games.
- Mets skipper Terry Collins is playing very coy on Tejada and Ike Davis, but Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) hears that both could be sent down before the end of the Subway Series tomorrow. Tonight will be a big game for both as they look to stay on the big league roster.
- Martino (link) also hears that the Mets want to resolve the Davis situation before potentially demoting Tejada. However, GM Sandy Alderson could also just send both of them down at once. For more on the Davis/Tejada demotion situation, check out this blog post from Martino.
- Had the Mets not come back against Mariano Rivera last night, it is an absolute certainty that both Davis and Tejada would have been optioned, Martino tweets. While neither player recorded a hit last night, the club likely wouldn't want to make such a move in the wake of a big win (link).
Padres Designate Edinson Rincon For Assignment
The Padres announced that they have designated Edinson Rincon for assignment. The move is part of a roster shuffle that will allow for the reinstatement of Yasmani Grandal from the restricted list.
Rincon, 22, suffered an injury in minor league spring training camp and has not appeared in a game this season. In six seasons in the Padres’ farm system, Rincon hit .285/.355/.422 in total 484 games. The infielder has never advanced beyond Double-A.
Grandal is coming off of serving a 50-game suspension for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The 24-year-old catcher had a strong debut season for San Diego last year, hitting .297/.394/.469 with eight homers in 60 games. Grandal came over from the reds Reds along with right-hander Edinson Volquez, infielder Yonder Alonso, and right-hander Brad Boxberger in exchange for Mat Latos in December of 2011.
Draft Notes: Gray, Appel, Bryant, Int’l Draft
Earlier today, Tim Dierkes asked MLBTR readers who they think will go No. 1 overall in the 2013 draft. More than 51% of you say that Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray will go to the Astros with the top pick while Mark Appel came in second with roughly 30% of the vote. Here's the latest on the upcoming draft..
- Have you fallen behind on the latest draft news? Baseball America (sub. req'd) has you covered with profiles of their top 500 prospects. After Gray, Appel, and Kris Bryant – who could very well be the top three picks – outfielders Clint Frazier, Kohl Stewart, and Austin Meadows round out the top six.
- Kiley McDaniel of ScoutingBaseball.com posted his second mock draft yesterday, with the Astros taking Appel and the Cubs taking Gray. McDaniel offers thoughts on each of his 33 projected first round picks, so be sure to check it out.
- Jim Callis of Baseball America fielded reader questions in a draft mailbag earlier today. One reader asks which two-way guy in the draft has the most potential with the talent they won’t be drafted for, similar to Stetson Allie. Callis believes that the player with the best fallback plan is Indiana high schooler Trey Ball, who likely will be a top-10-overall choice as a lefthanded pitcher but could also wind up as an outfielder.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America has nine questions that MLB must address if they want to implement an international draft. First and foremost, baseball must figure out which countries will be lumped into the draft and which ones won't, Badler writes.
AL East Notes: Ellsbury, Red Sox, Yankees, Breslow
As we celebrate Memorial Day, we have a full slate of interleague baseball to take in. It's Subway Series time in New York as the Yankees are in Queens to take on the Mets. The Bombers are tied atop the AL East with the Red Sox thanks to Boston's three consecutive wins against the Indians, but the Yankees could gain some separation with a strong showing against their crosstown rivals. Here's more out of the AL East…
- Jacoby Ellsbury's free agency will be extra complicated thanks to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, something that Michael Bourn knows all about, Tim Britton of The Providence Journal writes. “It was tough,” Bourn said of his value being affected by draft pick compensation. “You really can’t change anything about it. It affected people in different ways if you had that attached to you. It's part of the process and you just have to deal with it now. You aren't going to change anything by pouting about it.”
- Before claiming left-handed reliever David Huff off waivers from the Indians, the Yankees asked the Pirates about Mike Zagurski, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. The Bucs said no, however, and selected Zagurski's contract this morning after transferring Jeff Karstens to the 60-day disabled list.
- After he was released from the Brewers' High-A affiliate in 2004, Craig Breslow almost gave up on baseball to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery or sports medicine, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Nine years later, Breslow is a bona fide major league reliever for the Red Sox. The left-hander is in the first multi-year deal of his career, a two-year, $6.25MM pact with a $4MM team option for 2015.
AL East Notes: Rays, Red Sox, Uehara, Yankees
Earlier today, we learned that while Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has yet to hear from the club on an extension, he is open to talks with the club. The veteran told his agent that the environment in Boston is better than the one in Texas, which is saying a lot considering how much he enjoyed his time with the Rangers. Here's more out of the American League East..
- The Rays' unusual pitching depth has proven to be quite valuable, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "Compared to other organizations, there is a tremendous amount of depth," said pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was brought over from the Royals. "The whole Triple-A pitching staff has the ability to be here. You usually don't see that with an entire staff at the upper levels." There's always trade talk surrounding Tampa Bay and their surplus starters, but injuries have shown the value in hanging on to pitching depth.
- The Red Sox's offseason pickups are looking strong so far in 2013, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Right-hander Koji Uehara gets an A on Tomase's report card as he has been the team's most consistent reliever. Napoli gets an A-minus in spite of his high strikeout rate thanks to his overall offensive production.
- While the Yankees and Mets are heading in different directions, Joe Girardi finds himself on equal footing with Terry Collins, writes Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record.
- This morning, the Yankees designated Ben Francisco for assignment.
Yankees Designate Ben Francisco For Assignment
The Yankees have designated Ben Francisco for assignment, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The move will create room for the newly-acquired David Huff on the roster.
Francisco, 31, has hit just .114/.220/.182 in 50 plate appearances this season. The Bombers signed the outfielder to a minor league deal in March after he was cut loose by the Indians. Francisco played for the Blue Jays, Astros, and Rays in 2012 and posted a combined .240/.285/.385 batting line with four home runs in 207 total plate appearances.
Angels Designate Billy Buckner For Assignment
The Angels announced that they have designated right-hander Billy Buckner for assignment. The move will allow the Halos to reinstate fellow right-hander Kevin Jepsen from the disabled list.
Buckner, 29, started on Saturday against the Royals and gave the club five scoreless innings on their way to a 7-0 victory. In parts of five big league seasons, Buckner owns a 6.03 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. THe right-hander made eight starts in Triple-A Salt Lake prior to his brief 2013 major league stint and posted a 4.56 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9.