Cafardo On Norris, Crisp, Papelbon, Vazquez
Now that the draft is over, teams are focusing more on bolstering their rotations with one more piece, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. No one more aggressive in the pursuit of pitching than Orioles GM Dan Duquette who knows that one veteran starter could make all the difference. While they're anxious to improve their starting five, it doesn't sound as if the O's will be in the mix for someone like Cliff Lee. “We’re looking for a starter and a reliever,” said Duquette. “We’d like to solidify our pitching all around because that’s the name of the game, really. We have to look at everything. Don’t think we’re going to be in the market for a big-money pitcher, but there seem to be some guys out there that we might focus on and see where it takes us.” Here's more from today's column..
- The Astros will craft a game plan early this week for how to approach their veteran assets. Teams are already calling about Bud Norris, who has a cheap $3MM salary, but won't be cheap to acquire. The Orioles, Giants, and Pirates have kicked around the idea of acquiring Norris, but one National League exec says there will be about a dozen teams interested before all is said and done.
- It seems like a no-brainer for the A’s to pick up Coco Crisp's 2014 option for $7.5MM, but he'll be in demand if they don’t. Even though he's 33-years-old, there aren’t many top center fielder/leadoff hitter types out there. Jacoby Ellsbury will be the No. 1 guy in that department, but , one American League special assignment scout said Crisp might be a better low-cost option because “he can do everything Ellsbury can do. Neither of them have an arm, but Coco is still fast, a very good outfielder, and can still be a game-changer.”
- The Phillies believe there are at least three teams — Red Sox, Tigers, and Cardinals — that may have some interest in Jonathan Papelbon at the trade deadline and the Phillies are scouting those teams with a potential deal in mind. General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said last week that he’s not ready to “blow up” the Phillies, but a Papelbon trade could help retool the club.
- Teams continue to nudge Javier Vazquez into coming back to pitch, but the right-hander seems to be content with staying with his family, according to a source familiar with Vazquez’s thinking.
- The Red Sox can trade Stephen Drew now that June 15th has come and gone, and they would have no problem finding a taker given the lack of shortstops around baseball. However, Boston firmly believes that Drew is their guy. One National League GM doesn't quite understand their infatuation with the shortstop. “They’re either trying to justify the $9.5MM they paid him, or they’re not sold on [Jose] Iglesias, who could start for 29 other teams.”
- If the White Sox decide to finally bolster their farm system, they could get some helpful prospects back by moving right-hander Jesse Crain. The reliever is becoming a top name on wish lists around baseball.
- While many baseball people remain focused on Giancarlo Stanton’s availability in a deal, 25-year-old Logan Morrison is now healthy and has returned to the lineup. The Marlins first baseman/outfielder is a big lefthanded hitter who will be monitored closely by scouts over the next month.
Orioles To Sign Second-Rounder Chance Sisco
The Orioles have agreed to terms with second-round draft pick Chance Sisco, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (via Twitter). The deal will become official if Sisco passes a physical on Monday. Terms of the contract weren't released, though the draft slot value (as listed by Baseball America) for the 61st overall pick is $913.3K.
Cisco is a left-handed hitting high school catcher who just began playing behind the plate last season, according to Connolly. Cisco's scouting report on MLB.com describes the 6'2", 193-pounder as having "an average arm and…good hands," and as a former shortstop switching to catcher, Cisco "should develop into a solid all-around defender" as he learns his new position.
Draft Signings: Tarpley, Dixon, Bellinger, Smith
Here are Thursday's notable signings from Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft (all slot info courtesy of Baseball America) …
- The Orioles have agreed to terms with Scottsdale Community College lefty Stephen Tarpley, the team's third-round choice, according to Baseball America's Jim Callis (via Twitter). Tarpley, who reportedly touches 95 with his fastball, was signed for just $500 under the recommended $525,500 bonus for the 98th overall choice.
- Third-round draft choice Brandon Dixon has signed with the Dodgers for the slot recommendation of $566,500, tweets Callis. The University of Arizona third baseman could become a corner outfielder, according to Callis, and is noted for his power potential.
- The Dodgers have signed fourth-round choice Cody Bellinger, a high-school first baseman, for $700k, tweets Callis. Los Angeles pried Bellinger away from the University of Oregon with the largest over-slot signing to date (by percentage), nearly doubling the recommended $409k bonus. Bellinger is being advised by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.
- The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with their fourth round pick, left-handed high-schooler Evan Smith, according to Callis (on Twitter). Smith, who stands at 6'5", has reportedly touched 93 with his fastball. $96.1k
- Cody Dickson, a "projectable" left-hander out of Sam Houston State, will sign with the Pirates for $375k, Callis says on Twitter. The fourth-round pick's bonus falls $54,200 under the slot recommendation.
- The Reds have signed fourth-rounder Ben Lively for $350k, Callis tweets. The righty mixes four pitches, including a 90-93 MPH heater. His signing bonus comes in at a modest $17.9k under slot.
- The Rockies inked fifth-rounder Blake Shouse for $353,900, his exact slot allocation, according to a Callis tweet. Per Callis, the two-way player sits in the low-to-mid 90's with his fastball and also features a hard curve.
- Third round pick Patrick Murphy signed with the Blue Jays for $500K, Callis tweets. The Arizona high school right-hander missed the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. In the past, he has displayed a 93 mph fastball and solid curveball. Murphy is advised by Jonathan Pridie of Sosnick Cobbe.
- The Yankees signed third-rounder Michael O'Neill for $501K, according to Callis (via Twitter). The Michigan outfielder is quick and could wind up in center field.
- Rangers fourth-round pick Isaiah Kiner-Falefa signed for $202K, per Callis (on Twitter). The Hawaiian high school shortstop is a solid defender with a contact-oriented approach. He signed for nearly $184K under slot.
- Catcher/right-hander Tanner Murphy, a fourth-round pick of the Braves, agreed to a $250K bonus to forego his commitment to Southern Illinois, Callis tweets. Murphy has power in his bat and a strong throwing arm behind the dish, and he's also been clocked at 92 mph on the mound. He signed for a healthy $125K below slot.
- The Angels have signed third-round pick Kenyan Middleton for a bonus of $450K, tweets Callis. Middleton is a two-sport athlete out of junior college in Oregon who touches 95 mph with his fastball and features a tight slider as well. He signed $91K under slot.
- The Rays have signed fifth-round selection Johnny Field for a bonus of $250K, Callis reports (on Twitter). Field, an outfielder out of the University of Arizona, will convert to second base and provides most of his value with his bat. He signed for nearly $45K under slot.
Quick Hits: Zunino, Tigers, Ishikawa, Astros
The Mariners' promotion of Mike Zunino will give the club some 40-man roster issues down the line, writes Dave Cameron of U.S.S. Mariner. While none of the players on the chopping block for future roster shuffling project to be superstars, "the reality is that if you toss a half dozen fringe prospects overboard, you’re going to end up regretting it," Cameron writes. Here's more from around baseball..
- The Tigers have been looking hard for a closer and will continue to do so, tweets Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Jose Valverde had a rough outing today versus the Royals as he surrendered a game-tying two run homer in the bottom of the ninth to Lorenzo Cain.
- Travis Ishikawa can opt out of his deal with the Orioles soon and Dan Duquette wouldn't be surprised if he lands a big league job, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Tim Dierkes first learned that the first baseman can opt out of his minor league deal on Saturday.
- Michael Foltynewicz is evolving into the Astros' best pitching prospect, writes Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. The No. 19 overall pick in the 2010 draft entered the season as the No. 5 prospect in the club’s farm system, according to Baseball America, and he has only added to his buzz since then.
- The Angels considered drafting former Florida football star Tim Tebow years ago but he had to be scrubbed from the draft board when he didn't send a completed information card to them, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- It's too early to determine who will and won't be available at the trade deadline this year, opines Ken Davidoff of the New York Post.
Quick Hits: Rodriguez, Nolasco, Davis, Martin, Astros
Tonight's Brewers vs. Marlins matchup surely was of interest to teams that might pursue starting pitching in the trade market, Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweeted at the beginning of the game. Yovani Gallardo started for the Brewers and pitched eight shutout innings, striking out four and walking one. The Marlins' Ricky Nolasco, another trade candidate, didn't fare so well, allowing four runs while striking out five and walking two over 5 1/3 innings. Here are more notes from around the league.
- Last November, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks expressed interest in Alex Rodriguez, Ken Belson and David Waldstein of the New York Times report. The Yankees never discussed the matter with the Japanese team, because they knew Rodriguez required hip surgery that would limit him in 2013, and because they knew Rodriguez would not consent to playing overseas.
- Ike Davis' poor performance (and subsequent demotion) may make him a non-tender candidate in the coming offseason, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York argues. Davis will make $3.125MM this season, and will be eliglble for arbitration next season. He hit .161/.242/.258 in 207 plate appearances this year before the Mets shipped him to Triple-A Las Vegas. Last month, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes discussed many potential non-tender candidates, including Davis, Clayton Richard, and Chris Perez.
- The Pirates have had a number of surprisingly good pitching performances this year, and what connects them is catcher Russell Martin, Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes. Martin's pitch-framing is highly-regarded, and he also wins praise for his game-calling. His impact on the Pirates' pitching staff makes the two-year, $17MM contract to which the Bucs signed him this offseason look like a very good one, Sawchik argues.
- The Astros are rebuilding the right way, says ESPN's Jim Bowden in a new video. Bowden argues that GM Jeff Luhnow, manager Bo Porter and new president Reid Ryan are the right leaders for the Astros. Bowden also says the Astros' top draft picks help set them up to the future. The Astros selected Carlos Correa first overall in 2012, then grabbed Mark Appel with this year's top pick. They'll also have a very high pick next year. Not trying to spend their way out of last place is the right strategy for the Astros, Bowden says, because of the top picks they get as a result.
- The Orioles are not interested in Jon Garland, MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko tweets. The Rockies released Garland this afternoon after he posted a 5.82 ERA with 4.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 for them.
Ishikawa Nearing Opt-Out Date With Orioles
First baseman Travis Ishikawa is able to opt out of his minor league contract with the Orioles this coming Saturday, MLBTR has learned.
The 29-year-old has torn apart International League pitching this season, posting a batting line of .318/.414/.532 with seven homers and 16 doubles in 203 plate appearances for Triple-A Norfolk. He enjoyed a partiularly torrid month of May, which was good enough for him to be named the Orioles' minor league player of the month. Originally a 21st-round pick of the Giants in the 2002 draft, Ishikawa a career .264/.328/.405 triple-slash line.
The Orioles are set at first base, with Chris Davis is enjoying a better season than nearly any hitter in baseball, but it seems logical that Ishikawa could be considered for a bench role or get a look at DH. Presently, Orioles' designated hitters are batting just .233/.292/.425, with Nolan Reimold and Steve Pearce getting the bulk of the playing time in that role. That, of course, is just speculation on my part.
Stark On Miguel Cabrera, Kershaw, Nolasco, Stanton
Jayson Stark's latest Rumblings & Grumblings column for ESPN came out yesterday; here are some highlights.
- There have been enough informal conversations between Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers on a contract extension that both sides expect a deal to get done, a friend of the player tells Stark. The tricky part is that a new deal would begin with the 2016 season, at which point Cabrera will be 33. It seems likely that Cabrera would need an average annual value in the $30MM range, but Stark's sources picture anywhere from three to five additional years.
- Some of Stark's sources don't consider Yankees second baseman and #1 2014 free agent Robinson Cano the type of player to build a team around. One exec, though, told Stark, "I can't imagine him leaving."
- Stark hears Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw seeks a ten-year deal, which would be the first for a pitcher since Wayne Garland signed a ten-year, $2.3MM deal in 1977 (those were different times). One exec can't possibly see Kershaw leaving L.A., and could picture $200-210MM over seven years. Even that would be well beyond C.C. Sabathia's record seven-year, $161MM deal, which was signed on the open market with the Yankees after the '08 season and included an opt-out clause. I feel that Kershaw's agents at Excel Sports Management have to score an opt-out in any new deal, especially with the Dodgers giving them to Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
- One exec suggests the Angels offer Mike Trout the Buster Posey deal, which amounted to eight years and $159MM in new money. Stark says "folks around the game" do not see Trout signing, however.
- The Orioles and Yankees are "leading the parade of teams that already have interest" in Miami's Ricky Nolasco. The 30-year-old is easily the highest-paid Marlin, and should have about $7.7MM remaining on his contract at the trade deadline. Nolasco has a 3.61 ERA in 82 1/3 innings, and sports his best strikeout rate since 2010.
- Would anyone sign Alex Rodriguez, if the Yankees end up releasing him? "No chance," says one executive.
- The Marlins have shown no interest in dealing right fielder Giancarlo Stanton midseason, say clubs that have inquired, though Stark thinks Marcell Ozuna's emergence could push them toward trading Stanton this winter. Stanton should return from a hamstring injury next week.
AL Draft Notes: White Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Orioles
The first ten rounds of the MLB amateur draft are in the books, with rounds 11-40 set to begin this afternoon. A chain reaction at the top of the first round led to several surprises, writes Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. When the Indians passed on Colin Moran with the fifth pick in favor of high school outfielder Clint Frazier, the Marlins were excited to find Moran waiting for them at number six. The two players that Miami was expected to be debating with their slot, in turn, fell to other teams: the Pirates were able to get youngster Austin Meadows at number nine, while college starter Braden Shipley slid all the way to the Diamondbacks with the fifteenth pick. Here are some notes on the early draft hauls of a few American League clubs:
- ESPN's Keith Law broke down the first ten rounds of each of the American League clubs. You should check out the entire piece for all the details (Insider subscription required).
- Law praised the White Sox for prioritizing upside in its first-round selection of shortstop Tim Anderson, though he was less high on the club's drafting of pitcher Tyler Danish (who Law says "has the worst arm action I've seen in this draft class") in the number 55 slot. Likewise, Law was underwhelmed by third-round center fielder Jacob May but felt that the Sox' fourth-round chioce, Andrew Mitchell, could be a steal if he can develop an effective third pitch.
- Among the AL clubs, Law was perhaps most critical of the Tigers. Listing the limitations of the college starters that the club went with at the top of the draft, Law writes that Detroit "may not have drafted a starting pitcher or everyday player through the first 10 rounds."
- Among the teams that had a solid start to the draft, according to Law, were the Yankees. New York had three of the first thirty-three picks, all sitting between number twenty-six and thirty-three. Law opines that the club "nailed" those selections by getting a combination of power (Eric Jagielo and Aaron Judge) and young, high-upside pitching (Ian Clarkin).
- Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich provided some interesting insight on the draft process to MASN's Steve Melewski. The team is excited about its fifth-round selection, young pitcher Travis Seabrooke, who Rajsich says has a big frame and improved while the team watched him closely. Meanwhile, Melewski says that Baltimore's tenth-round choice, college catcher Austin Wynns, could be a target for an under-slot signing to free up some cash to ink other players.
Minor Moves: Powell, Loman, Eppley, Patterson
Here's your rundown of minor moves from around the league for Friday…
- The Mets have released catcher Landon Powell, Adam Rubin of ESPN New York notes (via Twitter). Powell was hitting .159/.284/.290 for Triple-A Las Vegas. The former first-round draft pick received 363 at bats with the Athletics between 2009 and 2011, hitting .207/.284/.328.
- The Orioles have acquired first baseman Seth Loman from the White Sox for cash considerations, MLB.com's Scott Merkin tweets. Loman was hitting .223/.324/.471 for Triple-A Charlotte.
- The Yankees released right-hander Cody Eppley from Triple-A Scranton, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The 27-year-old pitched 1 2/3 innings for the Bombers this season but accumulated 46 innings out of their bullpen in 2012, posting a 3.33 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9.
- The Mariners released Corey Patterson from Triple-A Tacoma, according to Tacoma Rainiers broadcaster Mike Curto (on Twitter). The former No. 3 overall draft pick and No. 2 MLB prospect (per Baseball America) hit just .175/.224/.270 in 68 plate appearances for Tacoma. He last appeared in the Majors in 2011, when he was included in the Colby Rasmus/Edwin Jackson trade.
- Minor league shortstop Cale Iorg announced, via Twitter, that he has retired from baseball. The long-time Tigers farmhand and defensive wizard never reached the big leagues and retires with a .215/.267/.336 batting line in the Minors. Baseball America rated him as the best defensive shortstop in the Florida State League in 2008, and he received the same honor in the Double-A Eastern League in 2009.
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.
Orioles Outright Chris Snyder
FRIDAY: Snyder has been optioned to Triple-A, tweets Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, meaning that he has cleared waivers and been outrighted off the 40-man roster.
TUESDAY: The Orioles have designated Chris Snyder for assignment, MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports (Twitter link). The catcher's contract allows him to refuse an assignment to Triple-A and opt out, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explains, so Snyder and his representatives at LSW Baseball are checking out the market to see if he can find a Major League job elsewhere. If he can't, Snyder will accept the assignment and remain with the Orioles organization.
Snyder was acquired by the O's on April 28 to serve as a backup catcher while Taylor Teagarden was on the disabled list and thus was expendable when Teagarden was activated today. With Matt Wieters locking down the everyday job in Baltimore, Snyder has only played in six games and received 20 plate appearances this season. Snyder has a career .224/.328/.383 line over 10 seasons with the Orioles, Astros, Pirates and Diamondbacks.