Outrighted To Triple-A: Bill Hall
The latest outright assignments from around baseball…
- The Orioles announced that utility man Bill Hall cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Hall, 32, was designated for assignment yesterday. Hall inked a minor league deal with the Yankees in February but elected free agency in April.
Giants Won’t Rule Out Mid-Season Talks For Cabrera
Giants General Manager Brian Sabean said that the "stars would have to align" for the club to extend Melky Cabrera during the season, according to Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). However, the GM wouldn't completely rule out the possibility either.
Cabrera, 27, recently told reporters that he's happy playing in San Francisco and could be open to mid-season contract talks. The outfielder is enjoying a strong start to the 2012 season, hitting .363/.409/.542 with three homers through 46 games.
The Giants already have $80MM committed to next year's payroll and with possible extensions for Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey looming, the club may not have a great deal of room to retain Cabrera. When and if the club sits down with Cabrera to hammer out a new deal, Sabean doesn't expect Adam Jones' impending six-year, $85MM extension to impact talks, Baggarly tweets.
Marlins Acquire Justin Ruggiano From Astros
The Marlins have acquired outfielder Justin Ruggiano from the Astros in exchange for minor league catcher Jobduan Morales, according to Alyson Footer of the Astros (via Twitter).
Ruggiano, 30, appeared in 46 big league games for the Rays in 2011 before signing a minor league deal with the Astros in February. The outfielder was off to a strong start with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, hitting .325/.409/.581 in 138 plate appearances.
Morales, 20, spent the bulk of the year with Miami's New York-Pennsylvania League affiliate, hitting .272/.385/.450 in 52 games. The switch-hitter was the Marlins' ninth-round pick in 2009.
Angels Designate David Pauley For Assignment
THURSDAY: The Angels designated Pauley for assignment, DiGiovanna tweets.
WEDNESDAY: The Angels are expected to designate reliever David Pauley for assignment tomorrow, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). The move will allow the club to call up infielder Andrew Romine from Triple-A Salt Lake.
Pauley, 28, has appeared in just 9.1 innings for the Halos in 2012. The right-hander signed a minor league deal with the Angels late in the offseason after turning down a similar offer from the Blue Jays because he felt that he'd have more opportunities to pitch.
In parts of five big league seasons, Pauley has a 4.54 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9.
Quick Hits: Oviedo, Ransom, Greinke, Boras
Andy Pettitte's last game before his retirement was in Game 3 of the 2010 ALCS against the Rangers, featuring Jeff Francoeur. Pettitte allowed two runs over seven innings in that game and tonight, Francoeur got another look at him, this time as a member of the Royals. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com asked him if he looked just as sharp this time around as once again allowed two runs over seven innings of work. "Absolutely," Francoeur said. "He looks good. I thought he would." Tonight's links..
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports runs down veterans on minor league deals that can ask for their releases if they are not promoted to the majors by June 1st. Interesting names include David Bush, Oliver Perez, and Doug Slaten.
- Juan Carlos Oviedo (formerly known as Leo Nunez) received his visa and will begin serving an eight week suspension when he reports, tweets Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald. He adds that Oviedo will likely report in a few days.
- Diamondbacks skipper Kirk Gibson is sorry to lose Cody Ransom as he hoped to keep him after he was waived, tweets Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The infielder was claimed by the Brewers earlier today.
- As it stands now, no big league managers appear to be in danger of losing their jobs, writes Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) lists Zack Greinke, Ryan Dempster, Kevin Youkilis, Wandy Rodriguez, and Justin Morneau as his five candidates who could be moved by July 31st.
- In a piece for ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd), Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus explains how agent Scott Boras can capitalize on this year's draft.
Lance Berkman Considering Retirement
WEDNESDAY: Earlier this week, Lance Berkman learned that he likely suffered a torn ACL and the veteran acknowledged that he might not look to come back after the surgery, writes David Dalati of FOXSportsMidwest.com.
"I think the decision of whether I want to continue playing or not I would want to make in the offseason. It's just one of those things…you realize you can't play forever. Certainly when you get to be my age and you suffer a significant injury it can help push you out the door. I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't at least considering that possibility," Berkman said.
SUNDAY: The Cardinals and Lance Berkman have yet to disclose specifics about an injury caused by Berkman stretching for a routine throw from Rafael Furcal, but the veteran is unsure about his future as he awaits MRI results, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
"You think about it when you have a potentially major surgery at this stage of your career. But, again, right now we don't know what it is. But it gives you pause," the first baseman said. "I don't think it's one of those deals where you sit out a week and see where your are. I think it's much more serious than that."
Berkman, 36, added that he wouldn't automatically call it a career if he has re-torn his ACL and that he is hopeful that he will be able to bounce back from his injury. The veteran is earning $12MM this season but has appeared in just 13 games thus far.
For his career, Berkman owns a .296/.409/.546 slash line across 14 seasons and has earned more than $102MM in total, according to Baseball-Reference.
Astros Release Diory Hernandez
The Astros have released infielder Diory Hernandez, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Hernandez, 28, struggled offensively as he played for the club's Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City.
Hernandez appeared in 75 games for the Braves from 2009-2011, making 138 plate appearances in total. The veteran owns a .270/.311/.366 slash line across parts of five Triple-A campaigns with experience at second base, third base, and shortstop.
White Sox Sign Orlando Hudson
The White Sox announced that they have signed infielder Orlando Hudson to a one-year deal. The Padres released Hudson last Thursday afternoon and he agreed to terms with Chicago over the weekend.
The Legacy Sports Group client is expected to play some third base and back up Gordon Beckham at second base, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Hudson turned down an opportunity to play regularly elsewhere in order to join the White Sox in this role.
Hudson has struggled at the plate, posting a .211/.260/.317 line in 131 plate appearances so far this season. Once an elite fielder, Hudson has lost range and fielding ability in recent years, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III. This year the four-time Gold Glove winner has started 33 games at second base, the only position he's played at the MLB level.
Peter Gammons of MLB.com first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Twins Designate Jason Marquis For Assignment
TUESDAY: The Twins announced that they designated Marquis for assignment and selected the contract of right-hander Cole DeVries.
MONDAY: The Twins are set to designate pitcher Jason Marquis for assignment, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The 33-year-old has struggled so far in 2012, posting an ERA of 8.47 with 3.2 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in seven starts.
The right-hander inked a one-year, $3MM deal with the Twins in December after picking up interest from other clubs, including the Mets. Morosi notes that despite his struggles in Minnesota this year, the hurler has a history of success in the National League.
Marquis made 23 starts for the Nats and D'Backs in 2011, finishing the year with a 4.43 ERA, 5.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 across 132 innings.
Minor Moves: Galarraga, Montanez, Barfield
Tonight's minor moves..
- The Astros signed pitcher Armando Galarraga to a minor league deal, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The 30-year-old will help the Astros fill a rotation spot at Triple-A Oklahoma City after starter after Henry Sosa agreed to pitch in Korea.
- The Cardinals signed outfielder Lou Montanez, according to the CBSSports.com transactions page. Montanez, 30, was released by the Phillies earlier this month. The outfielder struggled in 17 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, hitting just .136/.264/.159 in 53 plate appearances.
- The Orioles re-signed utility player Josh Barfield and assigned him to Double-A Bowie, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The O's released Barfield from Triple-A Norfolk last month to make room for right-hander Jason Berken.