Indians Sign Josh Phelps
The Indians have signed Josh Phelps to a minor league deal, according to the club's Twitter page. Phelps will report to Triple-A Columbus. This is the 32-year-old's second stop in 2010 as the Rockies inked him to a minor league deal earlier this year.
The first baseman's last big league cameo came in 2008 for the Cardinals. In 36 late-season plate appearances, Phelps hit .265/.306/.294. He owns a major league career slash line of .297/.364/.495 against lefties.
Brian Bruney Clears Waivers
FRIDAY, 7:04pm: Kilgore reports that Bruney has refused his minor league assignment. The Nats now have a week to deal the reliever, and will probably release him if they can't find a trade partner. Until Bruney signs with another club, Washington still owes Bruney his $1.5MM salary for 2010.
FRIDAY, 1:35pm: Bruney cleared waivers and now has 24 hours to accept or refuse a minor league assignment, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Bruney told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he isn't sure if he'll accept the assignment.
SUNDAY: The Nationals have designated reliever Brian Bruney for assignment, according to MLB.com's William Ladson (via Twitter). The move was made to create room for right-hander Drew Storen.
Bruney, 28, has a 7.64 ERA with 16 Ks and 20 walks in 17.2 innings for the Nats this season. Washington manager Jim Riggleman indicated yesterday that the club might make a roster move involving Bruney. While the limited sample size should not be overlooked, it is worth noting that the velocity on Bruney's fastball has dipped from 94.6 mph last season to 92.8 mph in 2010.
Meanwhile, Storen has been outstanding this year in both Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. Between the two stops, Storen has a 1.12 ERA with 15 Ks and just three walks in 16 innings of work. Baseball America's Prospect Handbook predicts that the 22-year-old – ranked third in the Nats' farm system – could be closing games in Washington by the end of the season.
Ryan Garko Clears Waivers
May 18th: Garko cleared waivers and will head to Triple A Oklahoma City, tweets MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
May 13th: The Rangers plan on placing Ryan Garko on waivers, according to Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas. T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes that Garko will be optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City and then put on outright waivers. The Rangers are making the move to open up a spot for the returning Nelson Cruz.
Texas claimed Garko in April to be used as a backup to Chris Davis who could hit against lefties. However, the switch-hitting Justin Smoak's presence means that the need for Garko is no longer great.
Garko, 29, has struggled thus far in 2010, posting a .094/.171/.094 slash line in 37 plate appearances.
Reds Sign Felix Perez
The Reds signed 25-year-old Cuban outfielder Felix Perez to a minor league deal worth $550K today. Jorge Arangure Jr. of ESPN.com reported yesterday that a signing seemed likely and the team confirmed the move today on Twitter, with John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer adding the dollar amount (via Twitter). Last night, Reds GM Walt Jocketty said his club was one of many teams still talking to Perez, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
Major League Baseball suspended Perez for one year for lying about his age and reinstated him in October of last year. Perez agreed to a deal with the Yankees in the spring of 2009. The proposed deal would have included a signing bonus in the range of $3MM to $3.5MM. At the time, Perez claimed to be 20 years old though sources told Arangure that it was believed he could be four or even five years older than that. Upon discovering the age discrepancy, the Bombers broke off talks.
When the Yankees ceased discussions with the outfielder, several scouts told Arangure that this was a blessing in disguise as they didn't believe he was worth the money that was being offered.
Phillies To Designate Wilson Valdez For Assignment?
Phillies infielder Wilson Valdez, who is out of options, will likely be bumped to make space for the returning Jimmy Rollins, writes Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. This means that Valdez must clear waivers in order to remain with the club. Valdez was summoned from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Rollins' spot on the roster.
The highlight of Valdez's stint with the Phillies came on April 28th against the Giants when he scored the game-winning run. On the season, he has an OPS of .596 in 48 plate appearances which is slightly better than his major league career average. However, he has a career 9.9 UZR/150 at the shortstop position.
Valdez, who turns 32-years-old on Thursday, has also made major league cameos with the White Sox, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers, and Mets.
Odds & Ends: Pirates, Yankees, Storen, Mets
Links for Sunday night..
- The Pirates have promoted Bryan Morris to Double-A after a sensational start to the season, writes Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. The 23-year-old starter, who has a 0.60 ERA, could earn another promotion by August according to GM Neal Huntington. Morris was one of the main pieces the Pirates received in the Jason Bay trade in July of '08.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) points out that three former Yankees set-up men have been released in the last 24 hours: Chad Gaudin, Edwar Ramirez, and Brian Bruney.
- Nats pitching coach Steve McCatty says that the club has not yet determined Drew Storen's role and that they will "ease him in", tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
- Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com writes that Mets GM Omar Minaya will accompany the team on their trip to Atlanta, though a team official insists that he will be there just to lend support.
Mets Have Payroll For Pitching, Not For Pedro
The Mets have the payroll flexibility to add another starter if they remain in contention, sources tell Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. However, a person with direct knowledge of the Mets' thinking says that the team has no interest in bringing Pedro Martinez back to Queens.
Mets officials recognize that the rotation is the area most in need of out-of-house reinforcement. Though the club's offense has been less than stellar, the front office believes that things will pick up upon Carlos Beltran's return.
Martino writes that the Mets have been in contact with several teams about pitching, though he classified those conversations as "preliminary". He notes that trade talks do not usually heat up until June and therefore it is too early to gauge the Amazins' chances of landing a big-name pitcher such as Roy Oswalt. Earlier this week, it was reported that the $33MM that remains on Oswalt's contract might prevent the Mets from dealing for him.
When GMs do begin calling each other more frequently, the Mets may find that they do not have the trade chips to land the type of hurler they desire. Top prospects Ike Davis and Jenrry Mejia are now major leaguers and Fernando Martinez is on the Triple-A disabled list.
Rangers Inquire On Pierzynski
The Rangers have inquired about the availability of White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski, a source tells Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Over the weekend, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports identified the veteran backstop as a trade candidate.
The 2010 season has not been kind to Pierzynski, who has a slash line of .198/.254/.292 with 2 HRs in 115 plate appearances. The two-time All-Star is one of six starting position players on the White Sox with a batting average south of .250.
Pierzynski, 33, will have the right to veto any trade in four weeks. Gonzales writes that a lengthy delay in the sale of the Rangers has raised the question of whether the club could take on the remainder of the catcher's 2010 salary. According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Pierzynski is set to earn a base salary of $6.25MM for this season with incentives that could tack on another $580K.
Acquiring Pierzynski would give Texas an experienced starter behind the plate. To date, they have not found a reliable everyday option in Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Max Ramirez, Taylor Teagarden, or Matt Treanor.
Odds & Ends: Scherzer, Lamb, LaRoche
Saturday night linkage..
- The Tigers announced tonight they've demoted Max Scherzer and Scott Sizemore to Triple A, with Armando Galarraga and Danny Worth getting the call. Both Scherzer and Edwin Jackson have disappointed since changing teams in December's big deal.
- Hank Blalock comes to Tampa Bay determined to be a more well-rounded player, according to MLB.com's Adam Berry and Bill Chastain.
- The Marlins could make a 40-man roster move soon to bring back Mike Lamb, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Lamb was designated for assignment last week and is currently in Triple A.
- Despite Adam LaRoche's successful 2009 stint in Atlanta (.325/.401/.557 in 57 games), the Braves didn't approach him about returning, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- Alan Schwarz of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at the likely first overall pick in next month's draft, Bryce Harper.
- Nats manager Jim Riggleman says that the club will have to consider making a roster move with reliever Brian Bruney, writes Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
- Mets pitcher Oliver Perez won't accept a demotion to Triple-A if asked, tweets David Lennon of Newsday. Perez has been bumped out of the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen.
- Tyler Kepner of the New York Times writes that Eric Byrnes and Morgan Ensberg are making the most of life-after-baseball.
- Brewers pitching prospect Jeremy Jeffress will have to wait a little bit longer to return to the mound once he is reinstated, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Jeffress, the 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft, has tested positive for a "drug of abuse" on three separate occasions.
Athletics Designate Edwar Ramirez For Assignment
Edwar Ramirez has been designated for assignment by the Athletics, tweets Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The move had to be made in order to create space for Jack Cust.
Ramirez has bounced around the American League so far in 2010. The Yankees designated the right-hander for assignment in February, then in early March traded him to the Rangers, who dealt him to the Athletics later in the month.
The 29-year-old pitched in seven games for Oakland this season, recording a 4.91 ERA in 11 IP. Control was once again an issue for Ramirez, whose ten free passes this year raised his career rate to 5.4 BB/9.