Central Notes: Greinke, Brewers, Pirates, Tigers
Zack Greinke took the hill for the Brewers today against the Astros, but not for long. The right-hander was tossed from the game after just four pitches when he spiked the ball following a close play at first base. Milwaukee would go on to lose 6-3, but they weren't the only club disappointed by what took place. Here's more on Greinke and other items out of the AL and NL Central..
- Scouts for at least six contending teams were disappointed when Greinke was ejected, as it deprived them of seeing a pitcher of trade interest, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Scouts from the Orioles, Rangers, Braves, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Blue Jays were all in Houston for the game. However, it's possible that some of those teams had their eye on Wandy Rodriguez or were just taking part in regular coverage. Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the GMs of the O's and the Brewers have yet to talk about a Greinke deal.
- Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) spoke with Indians and Rangers GM John Hart, who said he wouldn't be surprised if the Pirates "go all-in" to swing a deal before the deadline.
- The Tigers should go after offense rather than pitching at the trade deadline, opines Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press. He argues that Detroit can get by with their No. 2-5 starters but are in greater need of hitting.
Rosenthal On Greinke, Hamels, Ellsbury, Victorino
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has posted his latest edition of Full Count. Let's dive in..
- As of this morning, the GMs of the Orioles and Brewers have not spoken about a trade involving Zack Greinke. But the O's, despite sending three starters to the minors this week, continue to indicate that they are buyers. Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz was previously in Baltimore and O's right-hander Jake Arrieta was originally a Brewers draft pick in 2005 and could be of interest as part of a package for Greinke. However, the Orioles may not want to pay a steep price for a potential free agent when they might only be playing for a wild card.
- Rival teams covet Rangers third base prospect Mike Olt and the Phillies would likely target him in any talks for Cole Hamels, but the odds of Philly landing him are slim. Texas would view Hamels as a rental and are looking at Olt at first base and right field, in addition to third. His bat will be needed next season if they lose Hamilton or Mike Napoli to free agency.
- The Red Sox face ongoing luxury tax concerns and are over the threshold by $10MM, according to a source. That could make holding on to Jacoby Ellsbury difficult after 2013 and trading him might make sense at the end of this season. Unfortunately, the free agent market will be flooded with outfielders including Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn, B.J. Upton, and Shane Victorino. That will obviously hurt the market for the 28-year-old.
- Victorino could be a fit for the Pirates or Indians as they aggressively pursue hitters. The Pirates like Carlos Quentin but his asking price is steep. The Tribe has inquired on Corey Hart, but he is unavailable. Victorino would be a solid fit for Cleveland as he is a switch-hitter (who would join a predominantly left-handed lineup) and can play either left or center field.
Draft Notes: Gausman, Phillies, Rash, Brewers
Earlier today, we ran down the remaining unsigned first-round picks from the 2012 draft. Here's today's latest draft news..
- An Orioles source tells Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com (via Twitter) that the team remains "very confident" of signing top pick Kevin Gausman. However, talks between the two sides still could go into next week. The fourth-overall pick in the draft has said that he expects to reach agreement with the O's but there hasn't been a great deal of news on that front lately.
- The Phillies were unable to reach agreement with second-round pick Alec Rash, writes Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register. The right-hander's father said the family requested $800K while the Phillies countered with an offer of $500K plus $120K for college. Rash will now attend Missouri in the fall.
- The Brewers signed eighth-rounder Edgardo Rivera for $200K, more than the suggested pick value of $132K, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. The high school outfielder out of Puerto Rico boasts plus-plus speed and could be solid left-handed bat, Callis writes.
Royals Claim Adam Moore On Waivers
The Royals have claimed Adam Moore on waivers, a source tells Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The catcher was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week in order to make room for pitcher Josh Kinney on the 40-man roster.
Moore, 28, recently underwent his second surgery in two years to repair a medial meniscus tear in his right knee. The catcher has a slashline of of .209/.247/.372 in 24 games for Triple-A Tacoma this season and did not appear in any games for the M's. Yesterday, agent Mike McCann insisted to Crasnick that his client is healthy.
Seven First Round Picks Still Unsigned
Just seven first round selections remain unsigned as we close in on the July 13 deadline. If the players below don't reach agreement with their respective clubs, they will be eligible for future drafts. In the last week alone, we saw four first-round picks sign: Corey Seager (Dodgers), Mike Zunino (Mariners), Marcus Stroman (Blue Jays), and Walker Weickel (Padres). Here's the updated list of players who have yet to agree to terms:
4. Kevin Gausman, Louisiana State RHP, Orioles
6. Albert Almora, HS OF, Cubs
8. Mark Appel, Stanford RHP, Pirates
9. Andrew Heaney, Oklahoma State LHP, Marlins
16. Lucas Giolito, HS RHP, Nationals
25. Richie Shaffer, Clemson IF, Rays
30. Ty Hensley, HS RHP, Yankees
Indians Release Chris Ray
We'll keep track of today's minor moves right here..
- The Indians announced that right-hander Chris Ray was granted his release from Triple-A Columbus today. The 30-year-old posted a 4.68 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 46% ground ball rate in 32 2/3 innings for the Mariners in 2011.
Blue Jays Sign Franklin Barreto
FRIDAY: Barreto obtained a $1.45MM bonus, ESPN.com's Keith Law reports (on Twitter). Luis Castillo obtained an $800K bonus from Toronto, Law adds.
MONDAY: The Blue Jays have signed Venezuelan shortstop/centerfielder Franklin Barreto, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 5'9", 175-pound prospect is Baseball America's top-ranked international prospect in the July 2nd class. Terms of the deal are not yet known but Barreto had been expected to sign with the Blue Jays for nearly $2MM.
Badler writes that few amateurs have ever matched the 16-year-old's history of dominance representing Venezuela in international competitions. Several teams had Barreto as the No. 1 player on their board and some scouts project him as a future plus hitter. Most teams, however, don't expect him to stick and shortstop and expect to see him wind up in centerfield.
Rays Notes: B.J. Upton, Trade Market
Here's a look at the Rays as the celebrate their ninth-straight home win over the Yankees..
- In an interview on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio with Jim Bowden, General Manager Andrew Friedman praised the all-around ability of B.J. Upton and said that it is premature to speculate on whether the outfielder could be dealt (audio link). Speaking broadly, Friedman did concede that he is open to anything and will consider the team's present needs as well as future interests when looking at trades.
- Friedman told Bowden (via Twitter) that teams are focusing more on players with at least two years of team control rather than free agents because of the new CBA.
- The GM also opined (Twitter link) that there will be more strength/weakness deals at the deadline rather than buyer/seller pairings.
Padres Sign Walker Weickel
The Padres have signed supplemental first-rounder Walker Weickel for $2MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter). The deal marks a significant raise from the suggested pick value of $926K for the Floridian.
The high school right-hander boasts a low-90s fastball with a solid three-pitch mix. Tabbed with the No. 55 pick, Weickel stands at 6'6" and weighs in at 200 pounds. Callis notes that he is the sixth player to recieve $1MM or more over his pick value, joining Lance McCullers Jr. (Astros), Matt Smoral (Blue Jays), Carson Kelly (Cardinals), Rio Ruiz (Astros), and Ty Buttrey (Red Sox).
NL West Notes: Richard, Volquez, Padres, Dodgers
The Padres would consider moving Clayton Richard, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). However, the left-hander isn't eligible for free agency until after 2014, so there's no real urgency to move him. The latest out of the NL West..
- Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter) doesn't see the Padres parting with Edinson Volquez or Richard. Brock reasons that San Diego would wind replacing them with guys similar to them for next season. An offer similar to what the club got for Mat Latos could be worth their while, he tweets, but otherwise the Padres could stick with the affordable pair of hurlers.
- Things have changed drastically for the Dodgers since this time last year, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. General Manager Ned Colletti is reportedly in the final year of his contract and while president Stan Kasten didn't say that he'd be receiving a new deal, he said that he plans on keeping him indefinitely.
- The Padres signed undrafted free agent Cade Kreuter, the son of former big leaguer Chad Kreuter, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. The University of Miami catcher was hurt for most of the spring but Callis writes that he has a big frame and raw power.