Outrighted To Triple-A: Mike McClendon
Today's outright assignments..
- The Brewers have outrighted Mike McClendon to Triple-A, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (via Twitter). The move will leave Milwaukee with 38 players on the 40-man roster. The right-hander appeared in nine games for the Brewers this season while posting a 3.98 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 in 31 Triple-A appearances.
Trade Reactions: Red Sox, Dodgers, Gonzalez
This morning, the Red Sox and Dodgers completed a nine-player blockbuster sending Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to Los Angeles for James Loney, Allen Webster, Ivan De Jesus, Jerry Sands, and Rubby De La Rosa. For more on the quartet of prospects the Red Sox received, check out Mike Axisa's rundown from earlier today. Here's a look at some of the reaction to today's mega-deal..
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at the winners and losers of the deal. The Dodgers of 2012 are unsurprisingly among the winners while the Dodgers of 2017, Olney writes, appear to be losers in the trade. Olney also notes that this is the first time in MLB history in which two players with $100MM remaining on their contracts were involved in a trade.
- The Red Sox will have $260MM to spend, but two best free agents this winter, Josh Hamilton and Zack Greinke, don't appear to be fits for Boston, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- One rival executive told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that he didn't feel that this was the best use of $250MM+ in future spending for the Dodgers.
- Rival executives are wondering why the Dodgers didn't simply tell the Red Sox that they would eat their hefty contracts but would not give up notable prospects, Olney tweets.
- A National League executive opined to Peter Gammons of MLB.com (via Twitter) that "The Dodgers so wanted [Adrian] Gonzalez they took [Carl] Crawford and [Josh] Beckett's money and traded two great arms to get him." Gammons also opines (Twitter link) that between the limited free agent market and caps on international and draft spending, it won't be easy for Boston to reinvest all the money that they have saved.
- The trade talk all started with a call from the Dodgers to Red Sox president Larry Lucchino about Gonzalez, Heyman tweets.
- One overlooked aspect of the trade, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post tweets, is that it could potentially net the Dodgers a more lucrative TV contract.
- Mark Teixeira weighed in on the deal, saying that he didn't sign with Boston in part because they don't offer no-trade clauses, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
- Kevin Kaduk of Yahoo Sports wonders if the trade will hurt Boston as a potential free agent destination down the line. Money will always speak the loudest in the end, but free agents may look for an even higher premium to sign with the club that just jettisoned much of its core.
- Red Sox players were predictably shocked by the trade, including second baseman Dustin Pedroia, writes John Tomase of the Boston Herald.
Giants Interested In Steve Pearce
The Giants are interested in Astros outfielder Steve Pearce, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). San Francisco is in search of someone who handles left-handed pitching well and Pearce, who boasts a career .275/.345/.490 slash line against southpaws, fits the bill.
The Astros claimed the 29-year-old off waivers from the Orioles less than a month ago. A trade to the Giants would mean that Pearce has been with five clubs in 2012. He has been under contract with the Twins, Yankees, Orioles, and Astros all inside of this calendar year.
Quick Hits: Strasburg, Giants, Chavez, Sizemore
Earlier today, Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post spoke with agent Scott Boras about his client Stephen Strasburg and the notion that he had a hand in imposing an innings limit on the hurler. Boras confirmed that he shared information with Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo but insisted that ultimately, the decision was made by the organization. Boras said that his staff created a study on the durability of pitchers and shared the data with Rizzo, who Boras said had already completed a similar study. Here's more from around baseball..
- Rival executives say that a number of players have yet to pass through waivers, creating the possibility that the Giants could find a left fielder. However, the Diamondbacks and other clubs that trail the Giants in the standings will almost certainly look to block affordable options. Someone like Jeff Francoeur would be more realistic for Brian Sabean & Co., writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Yankees veteran Eric Chavez hopes to manage when his playing days are through, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal. The 34-year-old isn't sure what next year will hold for him, but he has considered retirement before each of the past two seasons.
- Indians GM Chris Antonetti won't tip his cap to whether the club will look to bring back Grady Sizemore next year, only saying that he will wait to get a better handle on his health, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer. Earlier today, two scouts told Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that they'd recommend signing Sizemore if it doesn't require much guaranteed money.
Red Sox Notes: Dodgers, Gonzalez, Beckett
With the Red Sox on the verge of completing a blockbuster deal with the Dodgers, here's a look at the latest out of Fenway..
- The Red Sox should trade Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers, just as the Phillies should have done with Cliff Lee when they had the chance, opines Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Even though Gonzalez isn't Boston's problem, the veteran has seen his power dip this season and will be owed $127MM from 2013 through 2018.
- Seeds of the mega-deal between the Red Sox and Dodgers were planted before the July 31st deadline, tweets Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. The discussions were resurrected in the last week, which led to Gonzalez and Josh Beckett to go on waivers.
- If the deal goes down as expected, it will be one of the most interesting trades in baseball history, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs. Cameron writes that even strong believers in Gonzalez will have to concede that they won't have a hard time replacing his production with the roughly $262MM that they could save.
NL Notes: Reds, Ludwick, Mets, Ramirez
Here's a look at what's happening on the Senior Circuit..
- The Reds have several factors to consider when deciding whether to call up shortstop Billy Hamilton, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Calling up the prospect in September would start Hamilton's service clock prematurely and skipper Dusty Baker says that he won't be among those making the call.
- It's a foregone conclusion that the Reds will exercise their end of Ryan Ludwick's mutual $5MM option for 2013, but the outfielder says that he hasn't thought about what he'll do, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Reds signed Ludwick to a one-year, $2.5MM deal in mid-January after receiving interest from a few other clubs, including the A's.
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson expects the team to improve via trade over the offseason, tweets Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Alderson would go on to hint at significant changes, saying that the team needs "an infusion of players, productive players," (Twitter link).
- One National League General Manager says that Hanley Ramirez has been a completely different player with the Dodgers and adds that his energy level is much higher, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Ramirez has a slashline of .311/.368/.544 in 114 plate appearances for the Dodgers so far.
Red Sox Place Adrian Gonzalez On Trade Waivers
The Red Sox have placed Adrian Gonzalez on trade waivers, a source tells Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter). A player being placed on trade waivers does not necessarily mean that he will be traded, but the first baseman could potentially draw interest from other clubs.
At one point this summer, the Dodgers inquired on the slugger, though its not clear how receptive the Red Sox were to the interest. Ned Colletti & Co. reportedly offered pieces that could help Boston in the future, though the Dodgers' farm system isn't tremendously deep.
Gonzalez's seven-year contract extension calls for him to make $4.82MM for the remainder of 2012 ($21MM total), $21MM annually through 2016, and $21.5MM in '17 and '18. The veteran also holds a partial no-trade clause.
Astros Designate Armando Galarraga For Assignment
The Astros announced that they have Armando Galarraga for assignment. The move will create room for right-hander Hector Ambriz, who had his contract purchased from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The 30-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Astros in late May to help fill a spot in Oklahoma City's rotation. Galarraga wound up making five starts for Houston this year, posting a 6.75 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 18 walks. For his big league career, Galarraga owns a 4.78 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9.
AL East Notes: Yankees, Red Sox, Hughes
Let's take a look at some items on the Red Sox and Yankees as they get set to square off tonight..
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman will soon have to decide where they stand on Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, who are both set to hit free agency after next season, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post. When asked about how he views the two long-term, Cashman responded, “That is stuff I can’t answer at this stage. It is a two-way street. It is a negotiation for two sides. So it is all for another day."
- Sources told Andy Martino and Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News that the text message from Adrian Gonzalez to Red Sox ownership about Bobby Valentine was actually authored by catcher Kelly Shoppach. The catcher was later traded to the Mets, clearing room in Boston for Valentine favorite Ryan Lavarnway.
- The Yankees are often criticized for their hefty payroll, but the club has done an outstanding job of stockpiling low-cost veteran players, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal praises Cashman for his patience on the open market and his aggressiveness in small trades and on the waiver wire.
Mets Unlikely To Boost Payroll
Even though General Manager Sandy Alderson recently said that a formal budget has not been set for 2013, the Mets are likely to keep their payroll at just north of $90MM, a source told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The source speculated that Alderson will have no more than $10-15MM to spend this winter despite the money coming off of the books this year.
If the Mets choose to non-tender Andres Torres, they would have roughly $17.8MM freed up, though they will also need to find outfield help and retool the bullpen. They'll also see a lot of that money go to scheduled pay raises while Johan Santana and Jason Bay will earn a combined $10MM more next season including their 2014 buyouts. Pay raises include Jonathon Niese ($2.23MM), David Wright ($1MM), Frank Francisco ($1MM), and R.A. Dickey ($750K) while Daniel Murphy, Ike Davis, Bobby Parnell and Josh Thole all figure to be arb-eligible.
A team official did not rule out the possibility of Alderson backloading new free agent deals to circumvent short-term limitations, but also pointed out that Alderson is cautious when it comes to long-term contracts. The Mets could allow themselves to venture into longer-term deals as they have no payroll commitments for 2014 beyond Niese's deal.