Upton Feels He Won’t Be Back With Rays Next Season
Rays centerfielder B.J. Upton told reporters that he doesn't expect to be back with the club in 2012, according to Roger Mooney of The Tampa Tribune.
“I hope not, but I don’t see why I wouldn’t be with all the talks at the deadline, and with this [waiver claim], I don’t see why there wouldn’t be that possibility,” the 27-year-old said. “I don’t want to go anywhere, but if that’s what they want to do it’s out of my hands.”
This morning it was reported that Upton was claimed off of trade waivers by an unknown team. Upon hearing the news, Upton said that he wasn't concerned about it and appropriately termed the move "business as usual". Rays Executive Vice President Andrew Friedman would neither confirm nor deny the report.
Quick Hits: Dempster, Wright, Kubel, Bell, Thome
Let's take a look at some links as the northeast prepares for Hurricane Irene..
- Cubs starter Ryan Dempster was non-committal when asked about his player option for 2012, but he doesn't sound like he wants to leave town either, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 34-year-old's 2012 option is worth $14MM.
- Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com wonders if the Cubs will keep Reed Johnson in the fold in 2012. Johnson, he points out, could help groom top prospect Brett Jackson next season. This year the 34-year-old is hitting .347/.385/.539 in 209 plate appearances.
- Despite his insistence to the contrary, the swirl of trade rumors throughout the season have bothered David Wright, a Mets staffer told Andy Martino of the Daily News. The third baseman surprisingly cleared waivers this week. Wright is owed $15MM next year and can void a $16MM club option for 2013 if he is dealt.
- Jason Kubel is happy to still be a member of the Twins, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Earlier this evening we learned that the Indians were the team to place the winning claim on him, not the White Sox as once thought.
- Padres closer Heath Bell didn't let the recent round of trade speculation get to him, writes Corey Brock of MLB.com. Earlier today, Ben Nicholson-Smith outlined the club's options regarding Bell this offseason.
- Veteran Jim Thome is happy to return to the Tribe as the elder statesman, writes Zack Meisel of MLB.com. The slugger will celebrate his 41st birthday tomorrow.
NL West Notes: Bell, Romero, Giants, Hernandez
Let's take a look at some items out of the NL West..
- After a potential August trade to San Francisco failed to come to fruition, Padres closer Heath Bell believes that he will still be a member of the club next season. "I think I'm coming back next year. We're not talking, but I feel like something is going to happen," the closer said, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com (via Twitter).
- The Rockies will have to make some roster moves after activating closer Huston Street and setupman Matt Lindstrom. The game of musical chairs could end with J.C. Romero being designated for assignment, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
- An unknown team claimed catcher Ramon Hernandez before he was pulled back off of waivers and Reds skipper Dusty Baker guesses that the Giants were the team to claim him, writes Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News.
Indians Acquire Jim Thome
Jim Thome once helped the Indians reach six playoff berths in seven years. Now, after a nine-year absence from Cleveland, Thome is back and the Indians are hoping their all-time home run leader can help them pass the Tigers in the standings and reach the playoffs once again.
“Jim Thome is a Hall of Fame-caliber player and person. He has meant so much to this organization – both on and off the field – and it is an honor to bring him back in an Indians uniform where he created so many great memories," GM Chris Antonetti said in a statement. "Having his bat and presence in the middle of the lineup certainly improves our team"
Thome, the newest member of MLB's 600 homer club, accepted a deal to the Indians last night. The Indians announced that they'll send a player to be named later to the Twins on or before October 15th.
The veteran, who turns 41 in two days, had the right to reject any deal as he holds a no-trade clause. Reportedly, Thome's preference was to return to Philadelphia where he played from 2003 through 2005.
Thome's homecoming is much more than a feel good story for the Tribe. He's sure to see a lot of time at the DH spot with Travis Hafner on the disabled list and possibly out for the year.
Thome (pictured) is the Indians' all-time leader in home runs (334) and walks (997) and he is among the franchise's all-time leaders in RBI (2nd, 927), extra base hits (3rd, 613), on-base percentage (3rd, .414) and slugging percentage (3rd, .567).
Nick Camino of WTAM 110, Buster Olney of ESPN.com, Scott Miller of CBSSports.com and Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported on the move last night. Photo courtesy Icon SMI. Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
Waiver Notes: Thome, Kubel, Bell
Earlier this evening the Indians worked out a deal with the Twins to bring Jim Thome back to the Tribe. Here are some thoughts on the deal plus news on other waived players..
- Tribe GM Chris Antonetti says that the Twins have "a relatively narrow list of players" to choose from by the October 15th deadline, tweets Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
- The reason why the White Sox didn't block Thome from going to the Indians was that they had no playing time for him with Paul Konerko limited to DH, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter) thinks that the White Sox should have put a claim in on Thome anyway. After all, he points out, they claimed Jason Kubel for the same reason.
- Speaking of Kubel, the Twins outfielder says that the rumors have weighed on him and he's looking forward to having a definite answer on the matter, according to the Associated Press. Based on what White Sox GM Ken Williams said earlier today, it doesn't sound as though he'll be changing teams.
- As of right now, it looks like a Heath Bell deal between the Padres and Giants isn't going to happen, tweets Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. There are no serious talks taking place, if there are any talks at all.
Indians Close To Deal For Jim Thome
6:43pm: Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) hears that the Twins won't get in the way of a potential deal and the decision will ultimately be up to Thome.
6:16pm: No deal is completed yet and the Indians are hoping that Thome will accept a deal to Cleveland, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com.
4:56pm: A deal to bring veteran slugger Jim Thome back to the Indians is nearly complete, according to Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 (via Twitter). The Twins placed Thome on waivers on Monday afternoon and yesterday we learned that the Tribe had the winning claim.
Thome has a full no-trade clause and was said to have his eye on a return to Philadelphia, not Cleveland. The Indians could surely benefit from a reunion with Thome as designated hitter Travis Hafner is on the disabled list with a strained right foot.
Thome, who will celebrate his 41st birthday on Saturday, belted 334 of his 601 career home runs with the Indians.
Yankees Claim Carlos Pena; Deal Unlikely
10:41pm: Pena has been told that the Cubs will pull him back off of waivers, according to Muskat (on Twitter).
5:59pm: The Cubs and Yankees haven't had contact about Pena as of this evening, according to Olney (on Twitter).
5:06pm: GM Brian Cashman told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch that a trade is "very unlikely" for the Yankees and that he's "not optimistic" about making a deal. MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports (on Twitter) that Pena isn't going anywhere.
4:16pm: The Yankees claimed Pena, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). That means every team in baseball other than New York and possibly Boston passed on Pena. It's clear that the Yankees want Pena, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Cubs remain reluctant to make a deal (Twitter links).
1:09pm: Cubs slugger Carlos Pena was claimed on waivers by an unknown team, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Cubs made the decision to place Pena on trade waivers on Monday, triggering a 48 hour window in which teams could put in claims.
In 480 plate appearances this year for the Cubs, the 33-year-old is hitting .222/.342/.455 with 23 homers. Pena is owed about $1MM for the rest of the year and projects as a Type B free agent this winter. The Cubs will be on the hook for a deferred $5MM in January even if they deal him.
Reds Place Ramon Hernandez On Waivers
The Reds have placed catcher Ramon Hernandez on waivers, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Tim Dierkes listed Hernandez as one of his August trade candidates at the top of the month.
In late July, there was talk that the Reds were listening on offers for Hernandez, but GM Walt Jocketty said that the veteran would be staying put just prior to the deadline. In 286 plate appearances for the Reds this year, the 35-year-old is hitting .292/.350/.465 with eleven homeruns.
Quick Hits: Nationals, Reyes, Red Sox, Upton
Sunday night linkage..
- With the August 15th deadline a week away, the Nationals have yet to make any real progress in reaching agreements with their top four draft picks, GM Mike Rizzo told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. The Nats are satisfied that infielder Anthony Rendon, pitcher Alex Meyer, supplemental round pick outfielder Brian Goodwin and third round pick Matt Purke are all in good health.
- One Mets official last week told Andy Martino of the New York Daily News (via Twitter) that he expects the Red Sox, Angels, and Nationals to be the top competition for Jose Reyes this winter.
- Back in November when the Diamondbacks were shopping Justin Upton, it was rumored that they would likely request Daniel Bard and Jacoby Ellsbury from the Red Sox in a deal. Today, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that it looks like a good no-deal for Arizona.
- It took a little bit of time, but outfielder Kosuke Fukudome appears to be getting used to life with the Indians, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. The Tribe acquired Fukudome and roughly $3.9MM from the Cubs for minor leaguer outfielder Abner Abreu and reliever Carlton Smith.
Poll: Should The Rays Trade B.J. Upton This Winter?
The Rays received a great deal of calls on B.J. Upton in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline with the Braves, Indians, Nationals, Phillies, and Pirates all being linked to the center fielder. While we saw star outfielders Carlos Beltran, Colby Rasmus, and Hunter Pence change teams, Tampa Bay wound up hanging on to the soon-to-be 27-year-old.
Upton is earning $4.825MM this season as he enters his final year of arbitration and is due for a healthy raise in 2012. After that, he'll be in line for a big payday when he hits free agency. So far in 2011, Upton has hit .230/.313/.404 with 16 homers while playing a slightly below average center field according to his -2.0 UZR/150. Of course, the idea of parting with Upton isn't completely unpalatable thanks to the presence of 24-year-old Desmond Jennings, who is under team control through 2015.
Should the Rays trade Upton this winter or hang on to him and re-evaluate during the season?
Should The Rays Trade B.J. Upton This Offseason?
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Yes 86% (6,141)
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No 14% (1,032)
Total votes: 7,173