AL East Notes: A-Rod, Guerrieri, Red Sox, Dickerson
The Alex Rodriguez saga took another strange turn today when the third baseman's handpicked doctor told Mike Francesca of WFAN that the third baseman doesn't have a quad strain and should be able to play, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Later in the day, Yankees GM Brian Cashman responded in a press release, saying, "Contrary to the Basic Agreement, Mr. Rodriguez did not notify us at any time that he was seeking a second opinion from any doctor with regard to his quad strain. As you know, it is the Yankees’ desire to have Alex return to the lineup as soon as possible. And we have done everything to try and accomplish this." Here's more out of the AL East..
- Rays pitching prospect Taylor Guerrieri underwent Tommy John surgery today, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Drafted 24th overall by the Rays in 2011, Guerrieri is ranked as the 64th prospect in baseball by Baseball America. ESPN.com's Keith Law ranks him 47th, while Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has him at No. 44. In 67 innings this year for the Rays' Class A affiliate, the right-hander had compiled a 2.01 ERA with 6.9 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9.
- Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino says his team has an obligation to be active at the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean a deal is a certainty, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal tweets. While the Sox have been a popular name in trade speculation and have been connected with arms such as the White Sox's Jake Peavy and the Royals' Luke Hochevar, the executive cautions that the team isn't "just building for one year." "There's going to have to be a pretty good deal to extract some of these high-quality prospects we have," Lucchino said (link).
- The Orioles are getting lots of interest in Chris Dickerson and we can expect to see him in the majors somewhere in the next few days, tweets Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com. The O's designated the outfielder for assignment last week.
Aaron Steen contributed to this post.
Orioles Sign Cuban Outfielder Dariel Alvarez
JULY 24th, 6:08pm: The O's confirmed the signing via press release.
JULY 18th, 3:41pm: The Orioles have agreed to terms on a deal with 24-year-old Cuban outfield prospect Dariel Alvarez for $800K, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Because Alvarez is older than 23 and has more than three years of professional experience, he is not subject to the new international signing guidelines laid out in the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement. Alvarez is in Miami and waiting on the results of his physical, which will make the deal official.
Alvarez defected from the Cuban National Team in January and was cleared to sign with MLB teams a month later, though a change in agents held up his journey to MLB. Alvarez tells Sanchez that he is "very happy to get [his] career going" and will report to whatever level the Orioles see fit. The Cardinals were said to be keeping tabs on Alvarez over the winter, and there were also some conflicting reports as to whether or not the Twins were in the mix.
Over the winter, Sanchez reported that 6'2", 190-pound Alvarez is capable of playing all three outfield positions and possesses a strong throwing arm. The bonus he received is a fraction of the sum that the A's and Dodgers gave Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig on their multi-year contracts.
Astros Pitchers Drawing Major Interest
Astros starting pitcher Bud Norris and reliever Jose Veras are drawing considerable interest and it's likely that both players will be traded, sources tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Astros have said that they don't need to move Norris as his $3MM salary is affordable, but that also increases his value on the market.
The Orioles are one of the clubs that realize the value of Norris and other Astros hurlers. Even though they've already been aggressive on the trade market by acquiring Scott Feldman from the Cubs and Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that they're likely not done and are speaking with Houston about acquiring more arms. Baltimore likely would balk at the trade price for Norris – one report earlier this month said they're seeking two top prospects – but they could zero in on former O's lefty Erik Bedard or right-hander Lucas Harrell, sources told Rosenthal.
Meanwhile, one might guess that the Tigers would be among the leading suitors for Veras, but Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) hears that the Detroit front office is split on him. Knobler's best guess is that the Tigers don't make a play for the reliever, but there are some within the organization that are fans.
Heyman notes that the Red Sox, Pirates, Phillies, Rangers, Giants, and Dodgers have also shown interest in Norris at some point, which should make for some competitive bidding. Meanwhile, just about every contending team is considering relief help and the Pirates could be in that group after Jason Grilli was put on the shelf with a forearm issue.
Veras has a 3.12 ERA on the season with 9.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 on the season. Norris is also enjoying a solid campaign, posting a 3.91 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 through 20 starts.
AL East Notes: Anthopoulos, Sternberg, Rios, Orioles
The Orioles paid a steep price to acquire Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers, ESPN's Keith Law opines, (Insider subscription required), given that Rodriguez will be a free agent this offseason. The busy marketplace for relief pitching could be a boon to another AL East club if they decided to become sellers; "if a two-month rental of K-Rod gets a mid-level prospect, the Jays should shop Brett Cecil and Steve Delabar," Law tweets.
Here's the latest from around the AL East…
- Speaking of the Blue Jays, GM Alex Anthopoulos predicts a "quiet" trade deadline for his struggling team, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reports (Twitter links). The Jays are looking for players who are controlled beyond the 2013 season and not just rental players. "From our standpoint, we’re having dialogue….I really don’t see us doing anything," Anthopoulos said.
- The Rays are also likely to have a pretty uneventful deadline period, principal owner Stuart Sternberg told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) though they're always open to making moves.
- Jim Hendry, special assistant to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, attended tonight's Tigers/White Sox game, according to Meghan Montemurro of the Northwest Herald. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune speculates that the Yankees could be interested in Alex Rios as a backup plan if they fail to acquire Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs (both links are to Twitter).
- The Orioles may need to make some tough choices given the number of key players whose contracts are soon up, CSN Baltimore's Rich Dubroff writes. Players like Chris Davis, Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy and Jim Johnson are only under contract through 2015 at the latest and Nate McLouth, Scott Feldman and Jason Hammel are set for free agency this winter.
- In other AL East news from earlier today….Dustin Pedroia agreed to a seven-year extension with the Red Sox, the baseball punditry weighed in on the Pedroia extension, we compiled a series of Red Sox notes, Alex Rodriguez plans to fight any possible PED suspension and the Yankees and Cubs continue to discuss a deal for Soriano.
Melvin On K-Rod Trade, Bullpen, Gallardo, Lohse
Francisco Rodriguez's trade to the Orioles may be the first of several moves for the Brewers before the trade deadline, though Brewers GM Doug Melvin hinted that further moves (if any) would require a very high return. Here are the highlights of Melvin's conference call with reporters, including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal…
- As many as six teams had interest in Rodriguez but the field narrowed to three bidders, Melvin said. The other two finalists, besides the O's, were also from the American League. The Tigers and Red Sox were known to have interest in Rodriguez, though it's just speculation on my part that they could have been the two mystery AL teams.
- Melvin spoke highly of Nick Delmonico, the infield prospect acquired from Baltimore. Melvin said he asked the Orioles about Delmonico three weeks ago and were turned down, so the deep trade market for Rodriguez helped the Brewers eventually get the prospect they wanted.
- The Brewers are "not shopping" other bullpen pieces like John Axford or Jim Henderson "but if teams have interest, I have to listen," Melvin said. "We've still got a lot of good young players here. People talk about our pitching but if you trade pitching, you're going to need pitching back for this year, next year and the following years."
- Teams have called about Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse but Melvin said he's "not motivated" to move either starter. Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) reported earlier today that the Brewers "need to be blown away" to consider moving Lohse, and the Giants weren't a fit as a trade partner.
- Melvin made it clear that he isn't under any pressure to move veterans just for the sake of rebuilding the roster. "This isn't where we're selling. I'm not a believer in buyers and sellers; I'm a believer in making a good deal," Melvin said. "Deals that help both ball clubs are the best deals to work. When you're selling, you're just moving players because of salary and we don't have to do that."
- Some teams have called about the Brewers' position players though Melvin declined to provide details.
Orioles Acquire Francisco Rodriguez From Brewers
The Orioles have acquired right-hander Francisco Rodriguez from the Brewers in exchange for minor league infielder Nick Delmonico, according to a team press release. Nolan Reimold has been transferred to the 60-day DL to create 40-man roster space in a corresponding move.
The 31-year-old Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in April and while he didn't make his season debut until May 16, he has been stellar ever since and even moved back into a closer's role due to John Axford's struggles. Rodriguez is a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities and has posted a 1.09 ERA, 9.5 K/9 and 2.89 K/BB rate in 24 2/3 IP for Milwaukee this season.
While "K-Rod" won't usurp Jim Johnson as Baltimore's closer, he does bring a wealth of big-game experience to the Orioles bullpen and gives the O's some depth behind Johnson. As for the Brewers, Axford and Jim Henderson will get the majority of save chances, though both men have been whispered in trade rumors themselves. You can keep track of Milwaukee's closer situation on MLBTR's sister Twitter feed, @CloserNews.
Delmonico was the Orioles' sixth-round pick in the 2011 amateur draft. The 21-year-old has played first, second and third base in his brief pro career and owns a .244/.351/.471 line and 13 homers in 262 PA at the high-A ball level in 2013. Baseball America ranked Delmonico as the fourth-best prospect in the Orioles' system before the season and praised his high baseball IQ and hitting tools, "though there's some length to his swing." Delmonico projects as a corner infielder in the future as he doesn't have the fielding ability to stick at second base.
The Dodgers, Tigers and Red Sox had been linked to Rodriguez in recent days though the Orioles were one of several teams known to be scouting Milwaukee's relievers earlier this month. Since Rodriguez may have been the best right-handed closing option available on the trade market, the Orioles have also done well to keep him away from teams who had more pressing needs at the back of their bullpens.
Photo courtesy of Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports Images
Latest On Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
Cuban right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez has been drawing attention from scouts for months now, and the 26-year-old is getting closer to signing. MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reports that Gonzalez's selection is down to just five teams, and he could sign a deal within the next couple of days. According to Sanchez, the price for Gonzalez has gone up, and the number of interested teams has gone down (Twitter links).
Last Thursday, Gonzalez's agent, Jaime Torres, told reporters that he hoped to have a deal in place sometime this week. At that time, the Dodgers, Cubs, Rangers, Red Sox, Phillies, Blue Jays, Braves, Twins, Yankees and Marlins had all shown interest in Gonzalez, though the Twins and Marlins were thought to be long-shots due to Gonzalez's price tag.
Earlier today, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweeted that the Orioles scouted Gonzalez heavily but aren't expected to outbid the other interested parties. Similarly, Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times tweeted that the Angels have scouted Gonzalez but aren't heavily involved in bidding for his services. According to weekend reports, the Dodgers are prepared to offer Gonzalez as much as $50MM over five years.
Matt Garza Rumors: Sunday
Yesterday, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com heard that a deal that would send Matt Garza from the Cubs to the Rangers could still go "either way". Today, it's a different story. Here's the latest on Chicago's prized right-hander:
- A Major League source tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe the Red Sox's interest level in Garza is deepening (Twitter link). This comes in the wake of the news Clay Buchholz will seek a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews tomorrow. Manager John Farrell, as quoted by WEEI.com's Alex Speier on Twitter, explained the purpose of the visit is for "verification and clarification to get some peace of mind."
- Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times (free registration required) calls the Pirates "the team du jour" after GM Neal Huntington's comments earlier today and adds the Orioles, who are scouting the Cubs on their current road trip, are viewed as sleepers for Garza.
Earlier Updates
- The Cubs have worked to draw competing offers into the Garza bidding in order to create alternatives to Texas, tweets ESPN's Buster Olney.
- Cubs manager Dale Sveum told reporters, including the Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer (Twitter link), Garza will "100 percent" make his start tomorrow against the Diamondbacks.
- The Cubs would prefer to deal Garza before his scheduled start tomorrow against Arizona, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).
- The Rangers and Cubs were set back in talks to the point where the Rangers are now viewed as only one of many teams now in the mix for Garza, Heyman writes. For now it seems that Texas and Chicago made no progress in overcoming the snag that derailed their swap on Friday night, though the Rangers aren't out of it. The deal that fell apart included a package of Rangers prospects, with third baseman Mike Olt and pitchers C.J. Edwards and Neil Ramirez thought to have been on the table.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Cafardo On Saunders, Kubel, Reed, Tigers
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Pirates have lofty dreams and the talent to make them a reality. “It’s certainly nice to feel that buzz in the city, and the recognition we get, it’s nothing we don’t deserve,” standout pitcher Jeff Locke said. “Some of our guys play with a chip on their shoulder because now that we’re doing well, everybody loves us. Everybody’s wearing Pirates hats. This city has a lot of passion for its sports teams. I know when the Bruins were playing the Penguins it would take me 45 minutes to go about four-10ths of a mile because of the traffic in the city. I know how passionate people are about their team. People are coming out and they believe in us.” Here's more from today's column..
- Mariners left-hander Joe Saunders should become a commodity after Matt Garza is moved and even though Seattle isn't looking to trade him, they'll certainly listen to offers. Cafardo cautions not to be surprised if the Orioles look to reacquire him after he pitched so well for them late last season.
- The Diamondbacks are open to dealing Jason Kubel if they can get a pitcher in return. Kubel, who hit 30 homers last season, has only five to go along with a .237/.315/.356 slash line.
- White Sox closer Addison Reed is available, though the price will be much steeper than it was for Matt Thornton, or will be for Jesse Crain once he’s back in action. There’s been a lot of speculation about the Tigers being a player for him, and all indications are that GM Rick Hahn would be willing to deal him to a division rival if the return was decent.
- Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez is due to come off of the DL tomorrow and could become a trade chip for Milwaukee if he shows that he is healthy.
AL Central Notes: Peavy, White Sox, K-Rod
Here's the latest out of the AL central…
- The White Sox's Jake Peavy may be the top name on the trade market now that he's returned from the DL, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com says. Up until now, most of the market's attention seems to have been on another Chicago hurler, the Cubs' Matt Garza, but a survey of GMs and assistant GMs favored Peavy, Heyman writes. Executives say they like Peavy's extra year of club control – allowing a club to extend a qualifying offer, which won't be an option for the team that acquires Garza – and overall appeared to be "pretty enamored" of the Chicago righty. "Peavy has been better than Garza except for lately and he has done it in a hitter's park in the American League," an NL GM said. "Garza's better for 2013, but I think Peavy has more overall value."
- Scouts from the Blue Jays, the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Orioles and the Diamondbacks were on hand for the White Sox's matchup with the Braves today, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal tweets. However, not all were there to watch Peavy, who started for the White Sox and went six innings, striking out three and walking none. Rosenthal says Yankees scouts were in attendance merely as a part of the team's normal coverage, while the Diamondbacks aren't in on the righty.
- The Tigers hope to be the team that ends up with the Brewers' Francisco Rodriguez when the trade deadline passes, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (Twitter link). K-Rod appears to make the most sense for Detroit and Boston, Olney tweets, as he has experience in the ninth inning but can pitch in any role and any market.