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Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lee, Feliz, Braves, Kershaw

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On this date two years ago, umpires agreed to the use of instant replay to help determine boundary calls, such as fair or foul, on home runs. Expanded use of instant replay remains a hot topic in baseball, and even though Commissioner Bud Selig continues to dance around the subject, more replay feels inevitable at this point.

Here are a bunch of links from around the baseball blogosphere…

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Orioles Will Not Trade Wigginton Or Scott

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Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott will not be traded this season. Both players were claimed when the Orioles placed them on waivers earlier this month, according to Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles pulled Wigginton and Scott back, so a trade is no longer possible. Technically, the Orioles could re-expose the players to waivers, but they would no longer have the option of pulling them back.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail could not confirm which players have been claimed, but he told the Sun that it’s “highly unlikely” that the Orioles make any trades in August. The Braves and Cardinals, two teams that appear to be monitoring the market for infielders, can cross Wigginton off of their respective lists. 

Wigginton hits free agency this winter, but the Orioles have ample time to consider offers for Scott, who has 22 home runs and a .932 OPS. The 32-year-old is under team control through the 2012 season.

Orioles Sign Manny Machado

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11:43pm: The Orioles, who announced the deal via press release, agreed to a $5.25MM deal with Machado, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (Twitter link).

11:06pm: The Orioles agreed to sign third-overall pick Manny Machado, according to Jim Bowden of Sirius XM Radio (Twitter link). The 18-year-old shortstop is from Miami, so some have compared him to one of the best draft picks in MLB history: Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's agent, Scott Boras, also represents Machado (and a number of top picks in this year's draft). He wasn't an easy player to sign but, Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan said after the draft that Machado has the talent to be an impact major leaguer.

“He’s going to automatically be one of the premier prospects in the organization,” Jordan said.

Last year, MLB recommended a $2.925MM bonus for the third-overall pick. Click here for the complete list of 2010 first-rounders to sign.

Odds & Ends: Scott, Valentine, Manny

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Four years ago today, the Yankees released first baseman Carlos Pena.  He signed a minor league deal with the Rays in January of '07 and went on to have a monster season.  On to today's non-draft links…

Odds & Ends: Glaus, Orioles, Figgins, Papelbon

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Links for Sunday, as Jeremy Hellickson aims for his third win in his third career start….

Draft Notes: Solis, Klein, Jenkins, Gumbs

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The deadline for signing draft picks is just days away. Teams have until August 16th (next Monday) at 11 CST to sign their picks, and the agreements are starting to trickle in. Here are the details:

  • Talks between the Nationals and second-round pick Sammy Solis are "amicable," and MLB.com's Bill Ladson hears from a source that a deal is close to being worked out.
  • Baltimore has agreed to terms with third-rounder Dan Klein, tweets Baseball America's Jim Callis.  Klein's bonus is worth just under $500K, or as Callis describes it, "second-round money."
  • The Cardinals officially announced their contract with Tyrell Jenkins, writes Matthew Leach of MLB.com.  It was reported earlier this week that Jenkins and the Cards had agreed to terms that included an above-slot bonus price for the 50th overall pick.
  • The Yankees signed second-rounder Angelo Gumbs for $750K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The outfielder gets the largest bonus for any player drafted after the supplemental first round this year.
  • Here's another above-slot deal for an outfielder: the Padres signed eighth-rounder Jose Dore for $450K, according to Callis.
  • Not surprisingly, the Red Sox haven't had substantial talks with Scott Boras about signing Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Ranaudo pitched well in the Cape Cod League this summer and maintains that he's ready to return to LSU.
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo gives the latest updates on unsigned first round picks. Mayo reports indications that the D'Backs have continued talking to Barret Loux, who failed his physical.
  • Here's our list of top picks to sign.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Royals, Rays, Burrell

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On this date 41 years ago, Major League owners unanimously elected Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term as commissioner. It was under Kuhn that the reserve clause was eliminated, paving the way for free agency as we know it.

We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…

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Odds & Ends: Holt, Lee, Klein, Valentine, Villone

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Links for Thursday, exactly 23 years after the Braves and Tigers swapped Doyle Alexander and John Smoltz…

  • The Indians signed tenth round pick Tyler Holt according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. Holt's $500K bonus is the largest we've seen for a player drafted in a double-digit round this year. 
  • Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News wonders how much the Texas heat will play into Cliff Lee's decision about whether or not to re-sign with the Rangers after the season.
  • MLB.com' Brittany Ghiroli tweets that Orioles' third rounder Dan Klein is expected to report to one of the team's minor league affiliates once he passes his physical, indicating that the two sides have a deal in place.
  • Someone familiar with Bobby Valentine’s thinking tells Larry Stone of the Seattle Times that Valentine considers the Mariners managerial opening one of "the most appealing jobs in baseball.”
  • The Nationals released Ron Villone, according to Syracuse Chiefs broadcasters Jason Benetti and Mike Couzens (on Twitter). The veteran left-hander, who last pitched in the majors in 2009, posted a 6.59 ERA in Triple A this year.
  • The sale of the Rangers is now final, as MLB.com’s Barry Bloom writes.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker previews some of the players who could soon make the jump from Japan to MLB. Wei-Yin Chen, a 25-year-old lefty represented by Alan Nero may be posted this offseason.
  • Veracruz, the Mexican team that holds the rights to pitching prospect Luis Heredia, will not entertain offers from MLB clubs until next Wednesday, August 18th, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • Tim Chambers, Bryce Harper's college coach, told Byron Kerr of MASNSports.com that Harper, the first overall pick in this year’s draft, is “begging to play.” Chambers expects the Nationals to work out a deal by Monday night’s deadline.
  • Angels scouting director Eddie Bane told Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times that the Angels are "fairly close" to an agreement with first rounder Kaleb Cowart, though he expects negotiations to last until Monday, the deadline for signing draft picks.
  • Jamey Newberg counts down the ten biggest August trades in recent Rangers history for MLB.com. Rick Helling and Ryan Dempster have prominent roles on the list, which is worth checking out.

Mike Gonzalez: August Trade Candidate

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Let's imagine for a minute that the Orioles didn't sign Mike Gonzalez last winter, and his season unfolded in exactly the same way for another team: April struggles, months missed with a shoulder injury and strong outings of late. If all of that happens in, say, a Mariners uniform, would the Orioles want to sign Gonzalez to a one-year $6MM contract for 2011? Maybe, but that's not the kind of deal the Orioles would necessarily want to make.

Essentially, the O's have guaranteed Gonzalez a one-year $6MM deal for 2011. That, along with $1.7MM this year, is what remains on his contract and it's not necessarily the kind of deal the O's want on the books. It stands to reason that Baltimore would consider trading the left-hander if he clears waivers, though the Orioles may want to see him succeed in Baltimore given their initial $12MM investment.

Gonzalez is on waivers, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The Orioles may not want to move the left-hander, but they will soon see whether he clears waivers. It's entirely possible that he'll clear, since his salary is substantial and teams are probably not fully convinced by Gonzalez's nine-game stretch of effectiveness. The Phillies are one potential fit and the Red Sox, who acquired a left-handed reliever last August, are another.

The Orioles may prefer to keep Gonzalez in the hopes that he provides some value in Baltimore. The Orioles showed that they aren't desperate to move payroll when they held onto Ty Wigginton, Jeremy Guthrie and others at the trade deadline. However, they would have to consider letting Gonzalez go if a rival team claims him. 

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Park, Garza, Wieters

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On this date four years ago, the Mets locked up franchise cornerstone David Wright to a six-year deal worth $55MM guaranteed. A club option for 2013 could put another $15MM in his pocket, and he's already earned an extra $300K in award based incentives. Wright, just 23 at the time and now a .307/.387/.517 career hitter, would have become a free agent after this season had he not opted for the long-term security. Can't say I blame him.

Here's a look at what's being written in the baseball corner of the blogging universe…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

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