Cafardo On Betancourt, Lester, Vargas, Liriano
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke about Florida baseball with Bud Selig and he had mixed emotions on how successful it is, as he's frustrated with the Rays' attendance figures but noted that the Marlins' numbers are up significantly after the opening of their park. "They’ve run a great operation," the commissioner said. "They’re a very competitive organization, a very competitive team. As I study the attendance every day and looking at where they are, to see they’re No. 29 [in attendance] is inexcusable. Nobody can defend that." Here's more from today's column..
- The Red Sox have shown interest in Rockies right-hander Rafael Betancourt and have scouted him a few times. Boston likely wouldn't want to give up prospects for him but could offer an outfielder. Recently, Buster Olney of ESPN.com reported that Colorado would have to be overwhelmed to part with the reliever.
- Jon Lester has been on Pirates' radar along with Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, and Matt Garza but it doesn’t appear the Sox would move him unless they got an outstanding deal. Pittsburgh probably won't part with pitching prospect Gerrit Cole which makes a trade unlikely.
- The Mariners' Jason Vargas has emerged as a hot name for contending teams and one American League GM told Cafardo that teams were hoping to "slip in and take him for less than full value." Now, however, the M's know that he's in demand and won't just give him away. The Orioles, Blue Jays, Pirates, Cardinals, and Tigers are among teams that may have interest.
- The Blue Jays, Yankees, and Braves have all scouted Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano, who Cafardo suggests should be traded before he falters again.
- Twins GM Terry Ryan will have to be blown away to part with outfielder Josh Willingham.
Braves Acquire Paul Janish
The Braves have acquired shortstop Paul Janish from the Reds in exchange for right-hander Todd Redmond, tweets Mark Bowman of MLB.com. Atlanta has confirmed the deal in a press release.
Janish, 29, has spent 2012 with Triple-A Louisville after playing 114 games for the Reds last season. The shortstop has never been much of a hitter but boasts a very strong glove. Janish owns a .221/.289/.302 slash line in 324 career games and could offer support at shortstop in the absence of Andrelton Simmons.
Redmond, 27, has never appeared in a big league game. The right-hander has been with Triple-A Gwinnett since 2009 and has a 3.78 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 97 starts.
Olney On Victorino, Phillies, Sizemore, Ryan
Here's a look at the latest from Buster Olney of ESPN.com (all links go to Twitter)..
- Rival teams say the Phillies' asking price for Shane Victorino is extremely high right now, Olney tweets. Last week, people familiar with the club's thinking told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that whether he is dealt before the deadline or plays out the year in Philadelphia, he doesn't appear to be long for the organization.
- Victorino would be a fit for many teams including the Indians, Pirates, and maybe the Yankees, but it's not clear if anyone would give them value equal to the draft pick they would receive as compensation, tweets Olney.
- Speaking of the Indians and their outfield situation, they're not completely ruling out a return for Grady Sizemore this year, Olney tweets. They're also not necessarily expecting to see him back in action as his legs haven't responded in rehab.
- It makes total sense for the Braves to pursue Mariners infielder Brendan Ryan, says Olney. The 30-year-old is making $1.75MM on the back end of a two-year pact.
Cubs Notes: Soriano, Rays, Trades
Earlier this week we learned that the Red Sox have expressed preliminary interest in Cubs pitchers Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster. Dempster is on the hill today against the Diamondbacks and it might just be his last start in a Cubs uniform. Here's the latest out of Chicago..
- Alfonso Soriano's 14 homers since mid-May should have teams interested, but it seems like no one is ever showing interest in the pricey outfielder, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. One rival GM surmised that Chicago could move Soriano if they absorb $44MM of the $46MM owed to him through 2014. One scout suggested that the Rays might be a fit for the 36-year-old.
- General Manager Jed Hoyer is looking to make moves for the future but still wants to keep a quality product on the field, writes Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com. "That’s where you sort of have to have that long view to make those moves,” Hoyer said. “But that’s why being in that position isn’t one you want to be in very often. You feel like, yes, you can make improvements for the long term but there is a reason there are teams calling, because there are good players. I think that is never a good feeling.”
Quick Hits: Braves, Blue Jays, Soriano, Weaver
Earlier this evening, Braves General Manager Frank Wren confirmed that he is on the lookout for a shortstop. "We’re moving along. Hopefully in the next day or so we’ll get to the end of it," said the GM, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). Here's more from around baseball..
- The Blue Jays are more focused on improving their starting rotation than their bullpen right now but are interested in upgrading both, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Toronto is said to be among the clubs interested in Cubs starter Matt Garza.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) speculates that Alfonso Soriano would be an interesting get for the Rays if the Cubs were willing to absorb about 90 percent of the money owed to him.
- Angels pitcher Jered Weaver has no regrets about staying with the Halos for less money than he could have gotten elsewhere on the open market this offseason, writes Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
- Phillies assistant GM Marti Wolever isn't “overly disappointed” about not signing second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. “We’ll get an extra second-rounder next year,” he said of the right-hander. “We liked [Rash], but he didn’t pitch well this summer. We made a fair offer. He’s going to school."
Cardinals, Fuentes Close To Deal
Left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes is likely to join the Cardinals, sources told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The veteran had interest from six teams following his release from the A's, including the Cards who considered trading for him after he was designated for assignment.
Earlier tonight, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak confirmed that the club reached out to Fuentes' agents at the Beverly Hills Sports Council, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Heyman notes that the pairing makes sense as Fuentes hoped to join a winning team once he hit the open market.
Fuentes, 36, struggled in 25 innings for the A's this year, posting a 6.84 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9. For his career, Fuentes owns a 3.58 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9.
Mets Sign C.J. Nitkowski
Tonight's minor moves..
- Left-hander C.J. Nitkowski announced via Twitter that he has agreed to a minor league deal with the Mets and will report to Double-A Binghamton. The 39-year-old, who last appeared in the majors in 2005 with the Nationals, added that this will be his "last shot" at getting back to the big leagues. Nitkowski pitched in Japan and Korea from 2007-2010 and auditioned for the Mets back in March.
AL Central Notes: Tigers, Infante, Pavano, Twins
We took a glimpse at the NL Central earlier this evening and in the interest of equal time, we'll run down the latest out of the AL Central as well..
- The Tigers have Marlins second baseman Omar Infante on their shopping list, according to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com (via Twitter). If Miami sells, Stark writes that the former Tiger would be an excellent fit for Detroit.
- Carl Pavano could have been a potential trade chip for the Twins but the hurler won't be back in action before the trade deadline, tweets Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Mackey notes that the Twins acquired Pavano prior to the waiver deadline in 2009 and speculates that they could go that route this year if they choose to move him.
- Adelyn Santa, the Tigers' most expensive international signing in 2011, is no longer with the team, writes Jim Callis of Baseball America. The Dominican third baseman signed for $750K last year on July 3 and it's not yet known why he was cut loose by Detroit.
Draft Notes: Appel, Pirates, Giolito, Twins
The Pirates inability to sign right-hander Mark Appel is a sign of a larger problem with the new draft system, opines Keith Law of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd). The previous system with no real penalties for exceeding slot would have allowed Pittsburgh to sign the Stanford standout and in turn allow them to feel more comfortable in parting with Gerrit Cole or Jameson Taillon in a trade. Even though the Bucs will have the ninth pick in next year's draft as compensation, Law writes that the 2013 crop appears to be weaker than this year's. Here's the latest draft news..
- The Pirates offered Appel $3.8MM, the most they could give without losing a first-round pick, a source tells Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter).
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said that the club was "dangerously close" to the 4pm CDT deadline before signing Lucas Giolito. The 16th overall pick received a $2.925MM bonus from Washington.
- Andre Martinez signed with the Twins for $80K after originally agreeing to a $260K, bonus, tweets Callis. A physical exam raised questions about the left-hander's shoulder, leading to a renegotiation.
NL Central Notes: Reds, Cardinals, Baker, Astros
Links out of the NL Central..
- The Reds need a leadoff hitter, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Denard Span, Shane Victorino, Juan Pierre, David DeJesus and Coco Crisp could be among the options GM Walt Jocketty considers, Rosenthal suggests. Recently, MLBTR took a detailed look at the trade market for outfielders.
- Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said the club's initial focus was landing a starting pitcher but he has now "cast a little larger net to include relief pitching," writes Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- While skipper Dusty Baker is as feisty as ever, his future with the Reds is hazy, writes Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. Baker is on the back end of a two-year extension that he signed with the club on the heels of his original three-year pact.
- New Astros owner Jim Crane held a Q-and-A session yesterday and Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle has the goods. Crane gave GM Jeff Luhnow a positive evaluation for the first half of the season and credited him for making quality trades with the future in mind.
- Brewers right-hander Tim Dillard has accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A, tweets club Media Relations Director Mike Vassallo. Dillard has a 4.38 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 37 innings for Milwaukee this season.