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AL East Notes: Drew, Yankees, McCarthy, Red Sox

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In a piece for FOXSports.com, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron writes that the struggles of Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew might give others pause about following in his footsteps in signing midseason.  While many different people have contributed to Boston’s struggles this season, Drew’s futility at the plate is one of the primary reasons for their slide, Cameron writes.  Of course, fellow Scott Boras client Kendrys Morales has also been struggling since joining the Twins.  More out of the AL East..

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post looks at four pitching trade targets that would make sense for the Yankees.  Sherman’s suggestions include old friend Ian Kennedy and Diamondbacks hurler Wade Miley, if he’s made available.
  • Mike Axisa of River Ave. Blues is scouting the trade market for the Yankees and takes a look at the pitchers the Diamondbacks have to offer.  In addition to Miley, Axisa sees right-hander Brandon McCarthy as a possibility for the Bombers.  McCarthy is a sabermetrics darling and his advanced numbers show that he’s better than his 5.11 ERA would indicate.  On the flipside, his injury history is troubling.
  • Because player development is so fickle, things haven’t worked out as planned for the Red Sox, writes Tim Britton of the Providence Journal.  Of course, the unpredictable nature of it all is the very reason why organizations stockpile so many prospects.

Central Notes: Frieri, Cubs, Hammel, Twins

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As Ernesto Frieri was en route to the Pirates after being traded by the Angels, he ran into a familiar face at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, writes MLB.com’s Tom Singer. “I’m waiting for my next flight, so I just went to a bathroom to wash my face. First thing, I look at this guy washing his hands next to me,” said Frieri, “and I thought, ’I think I know this guy.’”  He was right – that guy was Jason Grilli, the reliever for whom he had been traded hours earlier.  Anyone who has been in the colossal O’Hare Airport can appreciate exactly how unlikely this chance meeting was.  Here’s more from the AL and NL Central..

  • A year and one day ago, the Cubs traded Scott Feldman to the Orioles rather than waiting until the July 31st deadline was closer.  This year, while there are plenty of scouts watching the Cubs, General Manager Jed Hoyer isn’t positive that we’ll see a similarly timed move this year. “Last year it really came together,” Hoyer said, according to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “Baltimore was so determined to get a starter. You can always tell when teams have a feel for what we’re looking for. Ultimately, sometimes it takes a deadline to make deals. People get a lot more serious with each day that gets closer to the deadline. It probably works both ways. I don’t think you ever go into July thinking you’re going to make deals early, but sometimes it can come together.”
  • Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have sent at least ten scouts to watch the Cubs since September and several sources tell Gonzales that they have followed Jason Hammel just as closely as they have followed Jeff Samardzija.
  • We saw a bunch of international signings on July 2nd, but Twins VP of player personnel Mike Radcliff says they aren’t in a rush to spend.  “Right now the biggest issue is early committing,” Radcliff said, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. “It just doesn’t make sense. You’re talking about 15- and 16-year-olds. You’d think you’d want more time to figure it out and have more people see the players, but people are just throwing their money out there and locking them up earlier and earlier. I think we’re all still figuring it out.”

Orioles Return Michael Almanzar To Red Sox

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TUESDAY: The Red Sox have announced that Baltimore has returned the former Rule 5 pick Almanzar to Boston.

MONDAY: The Orioles announced that they have reinstated Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar from the 60-day disabled list and designated him for assignment.  The corner infielder was plucked from the Red Sox back in December.

Almanzar, 23, saw just nine games of action in 2014 in the O’s farm system.  In the year prior for the Red Sox’s Double-A club, the 6’3″, 190 pound athlete slashed .268/.328/.432.

Almanzar is now one of six players in DFA limbo as shown in MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.

Rosenthal On Aiken, Parra, Dodgers, Benoit, Cubs

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In his latest column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reminds everyone why experienced foreigners like Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu are considered eligible for Rookie of the Year awards.  Of course, players like Abreu and Tanaka come with years of professional experience, but they still have to make a significant transition when it comes to the move to MLB, both professionally and culturally.  Here’s more from Rosenthal..

  • High school left-hander (and first overall draft choice) Brady Aiken reportedly arrived in Houston last Monday, which would indicate that an agreement was close, but a week later nothing has been announced and neither side is saying why.  The holdup, Rosenthal says, bears a resemblance to the delays that occasionally occur in free agency when players fail physicals and teams try to rework deals.  If indeed Aiken failed his physical, the Astros would have the right to offer him 40 percent of his signing bonus value, according to the new draft rules that were negotiated into the collective bargaining agreement in 2011.  Of course, this is just speculation on Rosenthal’s part and only the parties involved know whether there is any kind of issue with Aiken’s physical.
  • D’Backs outfielder and fan favorite Gerardo Parra might be among the least likely in Arizona to be traded. With  A.J. Pollock and Mark Trumbo on the disabled list, a trade of the 27-year-old would leave the club short on experienced outfielders.  It’s also unclear how much Parra would bring back in a trade.  Parra is making $4.85MM in his third year of arbitration and amounts to little more than a platoon player, given his career .586 OPS against left-handers. Third baseman Martin Prado, earning $11MM per season through 2016, is another player the D’Backs might opt to keep, even though he has struggled at the plate as well.  Second baseman Aaron Hill, meanwhile, is expendable given their surplus of middle infielders.
  • It would be surprising if the Dodgers traded an outfielder considering the recent injury woes of Carl Crawford, Joc Pederson, and Andre Ethier.
  • The Tigers didn’t re-sign Joaquin Benoit last winter because they didn’t want to pay him closer money, but he still makes sense for them as a mid-season pickup.  The Padres reliever, who turns 37 in July, is owed about $3MM this season and $8MM next season with an $8MM team option or $1.5MM buyout for 2016.
  • Jake Arrieta probably has the best stuff of any Cubs starter right now but, of course, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel are more likely to be traded since Arrieta is under club control through 2017.  Lefty Travis Wood, meanwhile, could be an extension candidate once the Cubs complete their rotation selloff.

Rays Designate Angel Sanchez For Assignment

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To make room for the newly-acquired Cory Burns on the 40-man roster, the Rays have designated right-hander Angel Sanchez for assignment, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

Sanchez was claimed off waivers from the Marlins earlier this month.  The 24-year-old was one of three pitchers that Miami acquired from the Dodgers in exchange for Ricky Nolasco and cash last season.  In 12 starts at Double-A Jacksonville this season, Sanchez posted a 6.88 ERA with 5.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 52 1/3 innings.  He then made two starts for the Rays’ Double-A affiliate this season.

Marlins Acquire Donnie Joseph

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The Royals announced that they have traded Donnie Joseph to the Marlins for cash considerations.  Joseph was designated for assignment on June 24th.

Joseph has made seven appearances for KC over the last two years, amounting to a grand total of 6 innings and change.  His lone 2014 outing took place earlier this month and he allowed six runs to the Tigers in the ninth inning which cost them the win.  Looking past that small sample size, Joseph has done better at the Triple-A level.  In parts of three seasons at Triple-A Omaha, Joseph owns a 3.76 ERA with 11.7 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9.

To make room on the roster for Joseph, Miami designated Brent Keys for assignment.  Keys, a 23-year-old outfielder, has slashed .238/.371/.265 in 40 Double-A games this year.

Rays Claim Cory Burns Off Waivers From Rangers

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The Rays have claimed Cory Burns off waivers from the Rangers, according to MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes (via Twitter).  The right-hander has spent parts of the last two seasons in the majors but has been with Texas’ Triple-A affiliate for 2014.

Burns, 26, owns a 7.44 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 19 relief appearances and one start this season.  In a combined 27 appearances for the Padres and Rangers between 2012 and 2013, Burns posted a 4.60 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Verlander, Lough, Cano

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On this date in 1897, the Chicago Colts set the record for most runs scored in a game by one team when they crushed the Louisville Colonels, 36-7.  Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere.

Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.

Visit Hoops Rumors For The Latest NBA News

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As most of you know, this is a monumental week in the NBA offseason.  There’s a ton of news flying around with the 2014 draft just hours away and the official start of free agency on Tuesday and you can keep up with all of it on HoopsRumors.com.

LeBron James made shockwaves earlier this week when he notified the Heat that he’ll be exercising his early termination option in order to test the free agent market.  Knicks star Carmelo Anthony also decided to opt out of his deal and there are already teams daydreaming of clearing enough cap space to unite the two stars.  Elsewhere, the Grizzlies could be in danger of losing free agent Zach Randolph and the Lakers are continuing their coaching search.  And, of course, the trade winds continue to swirl around Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love.

Tonight’s draft also promises to be one of the most thrilling in recent memory thanks to a great deal of uncertainty at the top of the board.  The Cavs have the No. 1 pick and while they’ve been heavily connected to Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins, their move is anyone’s guess after their surprise selection one year ago.

If you’ve been out of the basketball loop, have no fear: you can take this afternoon to pour over our comprehensive archive of material to get yourself caught up.  You can also study up on tonight’s draft with Hoops Rumors’ Prospect Profiles, which includes interviews I conducted with many of the spotlighted players.

So, what are you waiting for?  Head on over to HoopsRumors.com and follow us on Twitter: @HoopsRumors.

NL Central Notes: Hammel, Wada, Cards, Bucs

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Here’s the latest out of the NL Central:

  • If the Cubs trade Jason Hammel as expected, the 31-year-old says that he would be open to returning to Chicago in the winter. “I would assume they are pretty happy with my body of work so far and if a trade happens it happens,” Hammel said, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. “But I guarantee, say I was to go to another team, I love it here. I guarantee you they wouldn’t be opposed to bringing me back next year.“
  • The Cubs’ roster moves on Sunday will have long and short-term implications for the club, writes Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald.  The Cubs designated catcher Eli Whiteside for assignment and filled his spot on the roster with Tsuyoshi Wada.  Wada, who had an opt-out clause in his deal, could be a replacement in the rotation when and if they trade Jeff Samardzija and/or Hammel.
  • Don’t look now, but the Cardinals are about to promote another promising young arm in 2013 first-rounder Marco Gonzales. As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently wrote, the lefty (whose best offering is said to be the change-up) had been following the track of the man whose rotation spot he will occupy. Of course, that also means concern for St. Louis fans, as Michael Wacha will hit the DL (along with fellow starter Jaime Garcia). As Goold reports, Wacha is dealing with a “stress reaction” to his scapula, which GM John Mozeliak says the club will handle carefully since the injury “is not a very common injury to pitchers and one that we don’t have a ton of experience on how to deal with it.”
  • The Pirates may soon be looking at some roster challenges as players filter back from injury, writes Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. While the club can wait to settle on its rotation until after Francisco Liriano returns, which is still expected to be a few weeks off, the pending activation of Neil Walker could create a more immediate pinch. With Josh Harrison carrying a 131 wRC+ and offering immense versatility, Cook suggests that veteran Clint Barmes may be expendable for Pittsburgh.

Jeff Todd contributed to this post.

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