Minors Moves: Montanez, Van Mil, Layne
Today's minor moves..
- The Phillies have released outfielder Luis Montanez from their Triple-A affiliate, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Montanez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the club in December after appearing in 36 games for the Cubs in 2011. The outfielder has struggled in 17 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, hitting just .136/.264/.159 in 53 plate appearances.
- The Indians have acquired minor league reliever Loek Van Mil from the Angels for future considerations, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter). Van Mil, best known for his 7-foot-1 stature, also played previously in the Twins organization, by whom he was originally signed.
- The Padres have acquired minor league left-hander Tom Layne from the Diamondbacks and assigned him to Triple-A Tucson, according to MiLB.com's transactions page. Arizona drafted the 27-year-old left-hander in 2007, but he has not appeared in the Majors to date.
Rosenthal On Montero, Pirates, Rays, Lee
Here's a look at the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero could be the next to end up in a tug of war between the Angels and Rangers. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto, of course, used to be with Arizona and the Rangers could lose Mike Napoli on the open market. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are looking for a young catcher as insurance if they lose Montero.
- The Pirates should be in position to trade Alex Presley or Jose Tabata once Starling Marte refines his strike zone judgement in Triple-A. Presley will increase his value if he can prove that he is a solid leadoff option. As for Tabata, he is under a club-friendly deal through 2016 with club options through 2019.
- The addition of a second wild card in each league could reduce the number of sellers at the deadline which could put the Rays in position to extract maximum value for one of their starters such as Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, or Alex Cobb. The Rays will be more willing to part with rotation depth when they're looking at the final few months of the season.
- Derrek Lee has continued working out and is said to be in excellent shape. Rosenthal wonders if he would want to play for the Brewers after they lost Mat Gamel to injury as he turned down offers from the Pirates and several other teams last offseason. Lee would probably need to be convinced that Milwaukee is ready to win and will likely seek a contract similar to what Johnny Damon got from the Indians – $1.25MM plus $1.4MM in incentives.
Quick Hits: Angels, Marlins, Bell, Padres
A look around the league as the Rays look to extend their winning streak to seven games as they take on the A’s at home..
- A 10-17 start isn’t what Angels owner Arte Moreno had in mind when he committed $317.5MM to Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson this winter, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. As for Pujols’ slow start, DiGiovanna argues that one month and 26 games is more than a small sample size.
- The Marlins were well aware of Heath Bell‘s declining numbers when they gave him a three-year, $27MM deal but have been caught off-guard by his command issues, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com.
- Matt Eddy of Baseball America weighs in on the trade the Padres’ acquisition infielder Alexi Amarista in the Ernesto Frieri trade with the Angels. Amarista, Eddy writes, doesn’t have the tools to last as a regular on a good team but can carve out a career as a reserve and see time at multiple positions.
Stark On Rays, Giants, Phillies, Ethier, Nationals
In today's column, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com put together his "All-Most-Immovable team" with help from front office executives from around the league. Predictable names such as Carl Crawford, Alfonso Soriano, and Barry Zito are on the list, but Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder also made the cut. Pujols wouldn't be a tough sell because of his slow start, according to one AL exec, but rather because of the money due to the slugger on the back end of the deal. Here's more from Stark..
- If the Rays and Giants shop for third basemen to replace Evan Longoria and Pablo Sandoval, they might not find many viable options. The only potentially available names Stark has heard are the Orioles' Mark Reynolds and the Twins' Danny Valencia. One exec said that the Rays are more likely to go after someone with versatility that they can slide into a different spot upon Longoria's return.
- The Phillies are also looking for a young third baseman and the club is working to put together a list of potential replacements for impending free agent Placido Polanco.
- While some execs say that they would be wary of giving Andre Ethier a sizable deal for fear that he is in salary-drive mode, others think that the Dodgers have no other choice. The cost of finding another right field, middle of the order bat will likely be just as high and alternatives such as Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher or Torii Hunter don't appear to be more trustworthy.
- A number of clubs are bearing down on the Astros, but reviews are mixed on Wandy Rodriguez thanks in large part to his contract. The pitcher will earn $10MM this year, $13MM in 2013, and can be bought out of his $13MM club option for 2014 with a $2.5MM payment.
- If Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore continue to look sharp, the Nationals might not be in the market for a center fielder.
- Stark asked a few executives if they'd roll the dice on Delmon Young as a relative free agent bargain next winter and the typical response was that they would not. Young avoided arbitration with the Tigers this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $6.75MM deal.
Brewers Release Zach Braddock
The Brewers have released left-hander Zach Braddock in order to make room for utility man Brooks Conrad on the 40-man roster, according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Braddock has not pitched since Spring Training because of personal issues which Brewers officials say they cannot disclose.
The 24-year-old was placed on the temporary inactive list at Triple-A Nashville roughly a month ago. In 2011, Braddock spent time on the disabled list to get treatment for a sleep disorder then missed more time due to other undisclosed matters.
At one point in time, Braddock was looked at as a potentially major bullpen piece for Milwaukee. Braddock turned in a 2.94 ERA with 11.0 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9 in 2010.
Conrad will provide Milwaukee with support in the absence of first baseman Mat Gamel who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee.
Twins Claim Komatsu, DFA Thomas
The Twins claimed outfielder Erik Komatsu off of waivers from the Cardinals and designated Clete Thomas for assignment to make room on the 25-man roster, according to a team press release.
Komatsu, selected from the Nationals in last winter's Rule 5 draft, was designated for assignment on Tuesday by St. Louis. The 24-year-old appeared in 15 games for the Cardinals and saw time at all three outfield positions.
The Twins picked up Thomas off of waivers from Detroit less than a month ago. The 28-year-old saw time in twelve games for Minnesota and played mostly in right field. In parts of four Triple-A seasons with the Tigers, Thomas has a slash line of .252/.336/.409.
The club also announced that third baseman Sean Burroughs cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A. Burroughs, 31, was DFA'd on Tuesday to make room for Drew Butera.
Rangers Acquire Ryan Spilborghs From Indians
The Rangers have acquired outfielder Ryan Spilborghs in exchange for cash considerations, according to a press release from the Indians. The 32-year-old has been assigned to Triple-A Round Rock.
Until this winter, Spilborghs had spent his entire career with the Rockies and hit .279/.360/.437 for the club last season. For his Triple-A career, Spilborghs owns a .332/.400/.503 slash line. The veteran will provide Texas with depth in the absence of Leonys Martin who will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a thumb injury.
The Tribe inked Spilborghs to a minor league deal in January and the outfielder passsed on his right to opt out of his deal on April 3rd. Spilborghs' contract calls for him to earn a base of $1MM if he makes the major leagues.
Tigers Designate Brad Eldred For Assignment
The Tigers have designated Brad Eldred for assignment to make room for the returning Delmon Young, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. Eldred has been placed on outright waivers and can be claimed by any club but is likely to return to Triple-A Toledo, Beck tweets.
Eldred, 31, got off to a ludicrously hot start for Toledo, hitting .388/.444/1.013 with 13 homers in 90 plate appearances. Eldred's major league stint with Detroit didn't last long as the slugger only saw time in five games. In parts of eight Triple-A seasons, Eldred has a slash line of .260/.327/.537.
Young was placed on the restricted list on April 28th after being arrested for aggravated harassment following an altercation at the team hotel in New York. The departure of Eldred leaves Young as the sole right-handed power bat off of the Tigers' bench and might lead to the 26-year-old seeing more time at DH.
Bartlett, Hudson Not In Padres’ Long-Term Plans
The Padres' trade of reliever Ernesto Frieri to the Angels for two minor leaguers, including middle infielder Alexi Amarista, could signal major changes to come in the club's middle infield. Second baseman Orlando Hudson and shortstop Jason Bartlett are not a part of the club's long-term plans, team sources told Dan Hayes of the North County Times. Hayes adds that both could be released before the season is through.
Bartlett, 32, has a $5.5MM option for 2013 that vests with 432 plate appearances but San Diego could cut him loose before he reaches that point. Bartlett currently has made 71 PA in 22 games this season and has surpassed 432 PAs in each of the last five seasons.
Like Bartlett, Hudson is set to earn $5.5MM in 2012. The 34-year-old, off to a slow start this season, has an $8MM option for next season with a $2MM buyout. Hudson inked a two-year deal with the Padres in December 2010 and hit .246/.329/.352 for San Diego last year.
Dodgers, Bobby Abreu Agree To Deal
The Dodgers have reached agreement on a deal with Bobby Abreu, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). The Peter E. Greenberg & Associates client will serve as a bat off of the bench and a part-time outfielder.
On Wednesday, we learned that the Dodgers were in serious talks with the 38-year-old. The Angels released Abreu one week ago and will be on the hook for the remainder of his $9MM salary. Abreu's new deal could be for as little as the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.
Abreu took a step back in 2011 as he hit .253/.353/.365 with eight homers in 142 games. He openly complained about his reduced role with the club and got off to a slow start in 2012, prompting his release. The Angels appeared to have struck a deal for Abreu with the Indians in March but Cleveland balked at the portion of his salary they were being asked to pay.
The slugger hopes to play for two or three more seasons, according to Heyman (via Twitter).