Cafardo On Peavy, White Sox, Twins, Liriano, Rays
The Red Sox are struggling early on in the season, but no one in the American League East seems to be off to a hot start, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. However, as one American League GM said, "I will never comment on any team or even my own based on April. You just don’t get a fair assessment. You may get a snapshot of what you may be short on, or what you may have overevaluated. But even then, you have to be careful about making hasty decisions in April because there’s a long way to go." Here's more from Cafardo..
- White Sox right-hander Jake Peavy is back on some teams’ radars as a midseason acquisition after a strong start to the year. Scouts have been impressed with Peavy’s overall stuff and the fact that he is notching strikeouts and throwing 92-93 m.p.h. Peavy, 30, earns $17MM this season and the White Sox would likely have to take on a portion of what’s remaining if he’s dealt. However, he has a partial no-trade to eight teams and the White Sox may not part with him if they're still relevant in July.
- The Twins had some bites on Francisco Liriano this winter but didn’t pull the trigger. Because Minnesota probably won’t re-sign him, they're hoping to land a prospect or two for him at the trade deadline. He'll have to pitch better for that to happen, however.
- If the Rays pitching is clicking as expected, Wade Davis will be trade bait at some point this season. So far though, in his current role as long man, scouts love what they see.
A longtime National League scout who has been keeping an eye on the Rays this season says that the club could use another bullpen piece. - There has been some questioning of Blue Jays manager John Farrell’s pitching moves at times, according to a major league source.
- Cafardo asked Pedro Martinez whether he could pitch right now and he responded, "Not right now. I would need about 20 days."
- Cafardo is surprised that Ivan Rodriguez is retiring and one National League GM said that the veteran, "is probably better defensively right now than 75 percent of the catchers in the league."
Red Sox Acquire Marlon Byrd From Cubs
Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd confirmed that he has been traded to the Red Sox, tweets Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The Cubs will receive Michael Bowden and a player to be named later in exchange for Byrd while paying all but roughly $400K of his $6.5MM salary (the prorated minimum), according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com (via Twitter).
The Red Sox designated infielder Nate Spears for assignment to make room for Byrd on the 40-man roster, the club announced. Spears, 26, appeared in four games with Boston this season, including today's loss to the Yankees.
Meanwhile, the player to be named will not be left-hander Andrew Miller, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Byrd, 34, has just three singles and one walk in 47 plate appearances this season, resulting in a .070/.149/.070 batting line. He hit .276/.324/.395 in 482 plate appearances last season while missing time with multiple fractures after taking a pitch to the face, an injury that occurred in Fenway Park. Byrd is in the final season of his three-year, $15MM contract and will earn $6.5MM this year. He is not in Chicago's lineup this afternoon.
Ellsbury's subluxed his right shoulder last week and there is still not timetable for his return. Carl Crawford is also on the shelf with wrist and elbow problems, leaving the Red Sox with an outfield of Jason Repko, Ryan Sweeney, Cody Ross, and Darnell McDonald. Byrd has played center field exclusively during his time with the Cubs, though he has experience in all three outfield spots.
Boston has been actively exploring the outfield market following Jacoby Ellsbury's shoulder injury. The deal will be announced after today's Red Sox game, according to Levine's tweet.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Olney On Phillies, Hamels, Athletics, Colon
The latest from Buster Olney of ESPN.com..
- There's still no conversation between the Phillies and left-hander Cole Hamels on a new contract, Olney tweets. A high profile agent who doesn't know Hamels told Olney (Twitter link) that between the Cubs, Dodgers, and other major players, the lefty will get a six-year offer as free agent. Other agents presume that at some point this season Hamels will be so close to free agency that he'll test the market rather than sign with the Phillies, tweets Olney.
- In today's column (Insider sub. req'd), Olney suggests that A's pitcher Bartolo Colon could be traded sooner rather than later. With the A's building the team for 2015-16, they could be motivated to move Colon when they perceive his value is at its highest, rather than waiting until later in the year. Colon's base salary for this season is just $2MM, making him more affordable than the alternatives that will pop up on the market.
Rosenthal On Oswalt, Cardinals, White Sox, Rays
Highlights from the latest edition of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- Teams are again reaching out to Roy Oswalt, including the Red Sox and Cardinals. The Red Sox's needs are obvious and the Cardinals' needs can grow depending on whether Chris Carpenter returns and if they decide to move Lance Lynn back to the bullpen. Oswalt, according to a source, is throwing bullpen sessions every other day.
- The White Sox might look at the trade deadline differently than they have in the past. The extra wild card could dissuade them from moving veterans but the new CBA could make them more inclined to trade potential free agents such as A.J. Pierzynski. It's extremely doubtful that they would extend the qualifying offer to the catcher in order to receive draft pick compensation as it could cost them $12MM. The Rays and Dodgers could both be potential landing spots for the veteran.
- The Rays spent the entire winter trying to upgrade their catching situation and it remains a work in progress. However, Tampa Bay was able to win 91 games without major production from the position last year and the club believes that they are better all-around than in 2011.
West Notes: Hamilton, Athletics, Giants, Rockies
The Athletics wrap up a four-game series with the Angels tonight and are looking to take a third straight game from the Halos. Here’s more on Oakland and other items out of the Western divisions..
- The Rangers are likely to insist on a clause in any contract with Josh Hamilton that would offer them at some protection against major injury, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
- Commissioner Bud Selig wouldn’t set a timetable for settling the territorial dispute between the A’s and the Giants but insisted that the A’s will need a new ballpark to compete, according to the Associated Press. Selig added that the last time he attended a game in Oakland, the park reminded him of County Stadium and Shea Stadium, which is “not a compliment.”
- A’s owner Lew Wolff reiterated that San Jose remains the club’s sole focus for ballpark relocation, tweets Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group.
- Though A’s skipper Bob Melvin hoped to hang on to Brandon Allen, he’s happy to see the the first baseman find another opportunity with the Rays, writes MLB.com’s Jane Lee. The 26-year-old has a .205/.291/.375 line in 274 career plate appearances with the Diamondbacks and Athletics.
- The Rockies’ release of Albert Campos this week surprised Ben Badler of Baseball America as the right-hander was ranked as the club’s No. 13 prospect entering the 2011 season before dropping out of the top 30 this year. Campos originally signed with the Rockies as a 16-year-old in July of 2007. According to a source familiar with the pitcher, he was involved in a physical incident off the field.
Angels Notes: Aybar, Dipoto, Haren, Santana
Earlier this evening we asked MLBTR readers if they thought the Angels made the right move in signing Erick Aybar to a new four-year, $35MM extension. As of right now, just over half of you are in favor of the move. Here's more on the fallout from the deal and other Halos notes..
- With the Aybar deal completed, the Angels will have $121MM committed to ten players for the 2013 season if the options for Dan Haren, Ervin Santana, and Chris Iannetta are exercised, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
- Meanwhile, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com tweets that GM Jerry Dipoto doesn't sound like he's focused on taking care of the three club options just yet. Haren's option is for $15.5MM with a $3.5MM buyout, Santana's is $13MM with a $1MM buyout, and Iannetta's is worth $5MM with a meager $250K buyout.
- Dipoto says that the amount of money committed to players in the coming years puts added pressure on the scouting and player development system to come through with in-house talent, DiGiovanna tweets.
Quick Hits: Marlins, Galarraga, Rays, Rodriguez
Here's the latest from around the majors as the Rangers and Tigers start a four-game set in Detroit..
- The agent of right-hander Armando Galarraga recently reached out to Marlins skipper Ozzie Guillen to see if the club might have interest in signing him, writes Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald. "I've passed [the request] up the ladder," Guillen said. "We'll see what happens." Galarraga, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Orioles this spring, but was released after just four appearances.
- Rays skipper Joe Maddon is excited about the club's additon of outfielder/first baseman Brandon Allen, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Allen, 26, was claimed off of waivers from the A's earlier today.
- Nationals GM Mike Rizzo doesn't have any openings for Ivan Rodriguez to join the club as a coach but gave the retired catcher a ringing endorsement, tweets Bill Ladson of MLB.com.
- Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter) that a roster move may be necessary due to Jon Jay's shoulder injury.
Poll: Erick Aybar’s Extension
Yesterday we learned that the Angels reached agreement with shortstop Erick Aybar on a four-year, $35MM deal. Today, the particulars of the deal went public: Aybar will earn $8.5MM per year with a $1MM signing bonus and won't have a no-trade clause. The deal, which is similar to Howie Kendrick's extension, marks a significant pay bump for the 28-year-old who avoided arbitration this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $5.075MM deal.
The dollar figure may strike some as high, particularly with prospect Jean Segura waiting in the wings. However, the 22-year-old shortstop remains in Double-A Arkansas and missed significant time with hamstring issues throughout 2011. The lack of a no-trade clause for Aybar also gives the Halos flexibility down the line. If Segura shows that he is ready to take over the starting job, Aybar should attract a fair amount of interest if he can produce at the plate like he did in 2011. If Segura doesn't progress as expected, then the Angels will have their shortstop situation covered for the next five seasons.
The Angels certainly aren't afraid to spend and have doled out $68.5MM in new deals to lock up their double play combination in 2012. All things considered, do you like the extension from the Halos' perspective?
Do You Like The Aybar Extension For The Angels?
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Yes 51% (2,396)
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No 49% (2,280)
Total votes: 4,676
Quick Hits: Hunter, Angels, Royals, Draft
The Dodgers improved to 9-1 tonight with a win over the Padres and did so in impressive fashion. With the score tied 4-4, the Dodgers turned a triple play in the top of the ninth – their first since 1998. Dee Gordon later scored the game winning run with a single to left to give Los Angeles the 5-4 victory. It's hard to imagine a better outcome for the Dodgers on a day dedicated to the legacy of Jackie Robinson. A look at links from around baseball tonight..
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter) talked to Angels outfielder Torii Hunter about how long he wants to play and in the back of his mind, the outfielder wonders if he might have a chance to play with his son, Torii Jr. The 36-year-old's son is a high school senior and considering a handful of Division-I baseball programs. Hunter is in the final season of a five-year, $90MM contract with the Angels.
- Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow tries to make sure the team has a scout at every game involving players who might be taken with the first overall pick, writes MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The GM doesn't expect the club to decide who they're going to take until close to the Draft as there is no clear cut No. 1 choice.
- As the draft draws closer, industry speculation is that the Royals are targeting LSU pitcher Kevin Gausman with the fifth-overall pick, writes Keith Law of ESPN.com. Law assumes that he would be Kansas City's pick if Byron Buxton, Mark Appel, Kyle Zimmer, and Mike Zunino are the first four off of the board.
Angels To Shop Rich Thompson
The Angels will look to trade right-hander Rich Thompson over the next few days before placing him on waivers, according to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter). However, Gonzalez adds that it's hard to envision a taker for him given the drop in his velocity.
Thompson, 27, was designated for assignment by the Halos early Saturday morning. The right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 54 innings for the Angels in 2011 and may be claimed if he is ultimately waived.