Quick Hits: Orioles, Danks, Athletics, Yankees, Mets
Tampa Bay selected Jose Bautista off of waivers from the Orioles on this date in 2004. That was, of course, before the Rays dropped the "Devil" portion of their nickname and before Jose Bautista was Jose Bautista..
- The Orioles haven't found a taker for Jake Fox yet and will likely need the full ten days to do so, according to Todd Karpovich and Avi Zaleon for MLB.com. Baltimore DFA'd the 28-year-old on Wednesday.
- Despite his rough start, there's no reason to fret about John Danks' long-term future with the White Sox, writes Brett Ballantini of CSNChicago.com.
- If Bob Geren is to stay on as Athletics skipper beyond this season, the club needs to turn things around, writes Jon Heyman of Sports Ilustrated. Even though things have been rocky in Oakland, Heyman expects Geren to keep his job for the rest of the year.
- The Mets are open to talking trade with the Yankees, writes David Lennon of Newsday. Even though there are obvious hurdles, Lennon wonders if the two could be a match in a deal involving Carlos Beltran.
NL Central Notes: Reds, Cardinals, Bartlett, Cubs
Let's take a look at some items out of the NL Central, including a Point-Counterpoint on the Cardinals and Jason Bartlett..
- The Reds' biggest need at the trade deadline will be at shortstop if Paul Janish doesn't turn things around at the plate, tweets John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The 28-year-old is hitting .221/.250/.260 so far this year.
- Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals should be "all over" Jason Bartlett if the Padres make him available. While Gordon likes what Ryan Theriot has brought to the table this year, he believes that his substandard defensive play at shortstop is hurting the club.
- Meanwhile, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch presents a respectful dissent to the case for Bartlett. While Bartlett is a better option defensively than Theriot, the gap between the two at the plate is too large to overlook.
- Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald wonders if it's time for a regime change with the Cubs’ baseball operation. Miles points out that GM Jim Hendry is getting to rebuild his club for a third time, something few major-market GMs get to do.
Quick Hits: Gomes, Pudge, Lopez, Diamondbacks
With plenty of baseball still going on, here are some Saturday evening Quick Hits..
- Jonny Gomes is slumping badly for the Reds (.168/.302/.366 coming into today), and ESPN's Buster Olney doubts they'll be patient and wait until the trade deadline to see if he snaps out of it (Twitter link).
- Despite interest from the Giants, Ivan Rodriguez told Nationals GM Mike Rizzo that he wants to stay with the team according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times wonders if this could be the end of the line for Jose Lopez. The veteran infielder was DFA'd by the Rockies earlier this week.
- The Diamondbacks have managed to turn their bullpen around without spending big bucks, writes Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
- A National League executive told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that with so many teams are hovering around the .500 mark, many don't know if they're buyers or sellers yet.
Rodriguez Open To Setting Up
Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez doesn’t want to be dealt to a team that would use him as a setup man, though he would be willing to fill that role under the right conditions, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. If a team were willing to sign him to a contract extension and return him to the closer’s role next season, K-Rod says he wouldn't object.
“That would be great,” the 29-year-old said. “That would be no problem.”
Teams, of course, are wary about the clause in Rodriguez's deal that would guarantee his $17.5MM option for next season if he finishes 55 games. The veteran is currently on pace to finish 62 games.
The Rangers could be interested in Rodriguez under such conditions, says Rosenthal. They could use Rodriguez as a setup man for the remainder of the year then make him the closer in 2012 and move Neftali Feliz to the rotation.
Royals Acquire Paulino From Rockies, DFA Tejeda
The Rockies have traded right-hander Felipe Paulino to the Royals for cash considerations, according to the Rockies' official Twitter page. In a corresponding move, Kansas City designated right-handed pitcher Robinson Tejeda for assignment.
In 14.2 innings this season, Paulino has a 7.36 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and 14.1 H/9. The fireballer owns a 5.93 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 in 65 career games – 34 of them starts.
Meanwhile, Tejeda hasn't seen a great deal of action in 2011, allowing five runs in 7.1 innings of work. For his big league career, the 29-year-old has a 4.42 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9. While he's worked mostly out of the bullpen, he did make six starts for the Royals in 2009. His $1.55MM salary for '11 is likely to dissuade teams from picking him up.
Colorado designated Paulino for assignment late Saturday night after being initially being unable to find a taker for him. Days earlier, the Rox shipped Franklin Morales to the Red Sox for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Quick Hits: Inge, Molina, Bedard, Lopez, Aceves
Thursday night Quick Hits..
- Brandon Inge will pick up ten and five rights next Wednesday, according to John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press. That means the Tigers will need permission to trade Inge, who would like to spend the rest of his career in Detroit.
- Troy Renck of The Denver Post (via Twitter) could see the Rockies pursuing free agent catcher Bengie Molina. However, Renck tweets that the veteran would like to be in the majors right away and move through the minors quickly, which could be a hurdle.
- The Cubs have been looking hard for someone like Rodrigo Lopez, GM Jim Hendry told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Earlier today, Hendry acquired Lopez in exchange for left-hander Ryan Buchter.
- The Erik Bedard deal looks a whole lot better for the Mariners now that the left-hander is back to his winning ways as of late, opines Greg Johns of MLB.com.
- Landing pitcher Alfredo Aceves appears to have paid off big time for the Red Sox through the first two months of the season, writes Tim Britton of the The Providence Journal.
Rockies Looking To Improve Bench
The Rockies are dissatisfied with their lack of athleticism and plan to shake up their bench, major-league sources tell Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The players that are most in jeopardy are infielders Alfredo Amezaga and Jose Lopez while they seem sweet on the idea of promoting Eric Young Jr. and Chris Nelson.
Lopez has a minor-league option remaining, but his five-plus years of Major League service allow him to reject a demotion and choose free agency. If that happens, Rosenthal writes that he would likely clear waivers and sign a Triple-A contract elsewhere. Lopez is signed to a one-year, $3.6MM contract and sources say that he's generating minimal trade interest.
The versatile Amezaga would also be exposed to waivers if the Rockies tried to demote him to Triple-A.
Nationals Notes: Rodriguez, Coffey
The Nationals may have the day off but they're in the news thanks to interest in two players..
- In the wake of Buster Posey's injury, the Giants have already asked the Nats about Ivan Rodriguez, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). The Nats have received interest in Pudge from other teams including the Red Sox this season. The club has plenty of catching depth to work with if they do decide to deal Rodriguez.
- The Rangers have inquired about Nationals right-hander Todd Coffey, a baseball source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com. While it's known that Texas is looking for a setup man, Ladson cautions that the two clubs are not in serious talks at the moment and it's not known whether the Nats would trade Coffey. Ben Nicholson-Smith recently highlighted Coffey as a non-tender from last offseason that is now exceeding expectations with a new ballclub.
Astros Claim Blake King Off Of Waivers
The Astros have claimed right-handed pitcher Blake King off waivers from the Cardinals, according to a team press release. The 24-year-old was placed on the Astros 40-man roster and optioned to Double-A Corpus Christi.
King failed to impress in 2011 at the Triple-A level after spending the bulk of his time in Double-A Springfield. In 58 career Double-A appearances, the 6-foot-1 hurler has a 3.47 ERA with 11.1 K/9 and 7.1 BB/9.
Cubs Acquire Rodrigo Lopez From Braves
The Cubs have acquired right-hander Rodrigo Lopez from the Braves for left-hander Ryan Buchter, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Sullivan (via Twitter) that he sees the veteran as a swingman who can start or relieve.
Lopez has spent this season at Triple-A Gwinnett, posting a 2.59 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in nine starts. The 35-year-old pitched 200 innings as a starter for Arizona last season and finished with a 5.00 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
Buchter, 24, will be assigned to Class A-Advanced Lynchburg. The reliever has made 57 appearances at the Double-A level and owns a 4.94 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 7.4 BB/9.
MLB.com's Mark Bowman (via Twitter) first reported that the Braves would receive Buchter in the deal.