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Ross Ohlendorf Elects Free Agency

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Ross Ohlendorf has opted out of his minor league contract with the Red Sox, MLBTR has learned. The right-hander obtained the right to opt out of his deal and declare free agency when the Red Sox declined to call him up by June 1.

Ohlendorf, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in February. He started 50 games for the Pirates from 2009-10, but Pittsburgh non-tendered him following the 2011 season. Ohlendorf had a 4.61 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 52 2/3 innings over the course of ten starts for Boston's Triple-A affiliate this year.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, Byrd, Soler, Red Sox, Cubs

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The Dodgers have been sliding as of late and though they could use some reinforcements, they might not get them any time soon. General Manager Ned Colletti said that he has been contacting other teams for the last month to inquire about potential trades but hasn't found much yet, writes Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.  More from around baseball..

East Notes: Nationals, Youkilis, Podsednik, Red Sox

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After 8,020 games, the Mets finally have their first no-hitter in franchise history thanks to Johan Santana's brilliant performance tonight against the Cardinals.  Santana's bid was saved in the seventh inning by Mike Baxter as he sacrificed his body to make an incredible catch against the leftfield wall.   The left-hander threw 134 pitches in total but said after the game that he had no intentions of coming out of the game early.  Here's more out of the Eastern divisions..

  • According to a baseball source, there is a feeling that Bryce Harper is not the long-term answer in center field for the Nationals and the club still has interest in Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos and Twins outfielder Denard Span, a source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com.  However, the source said there haven't been any talks between the Nats and those clubs and wouldn't be the surprised if nothing happened until the offseason.
  • Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis told Ian Browne of MLB.com that he's not fazed by the recent trade talk surrounding him.  Boston GM Ben Cherington denied a report saying that they are telling teams that the veteran is available but the White Sox and Rangers are among the clubs that have checked in on him.
  • The Red Sox could be forced to cut veteran outfielder Scott Podsednik once Darnell McDonald or Cody Ross return, writes Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.  For his part, the 36-year-old doesn't sound ready to hang 'em up just yet.  "Until I can't go out and steal a base, until I'm not running that well, I'd be doing myself an injustice by not trying to go out and play," Podsednik said.

Yankees Eyeing Matt Garza

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Matt Garza interests the Yankees more than other potentially available starters, so GM Brian Cashman could pursue the right-hander this summer, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. The Red Sox could also pursue Garza, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter).

The Yankees appear to have little interest in Brewers right-handers Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, Heyman writes. The team has concerns about how Greinke would pitch in New York and members of the New York front office aren’t sure about Marcum as an American Leaguer.

The Yankees also have concerns about Ryan Dempster’s ability to transition to the American League. While the Brewers have a buyer’s mindset, the Cubs appear willing to listen on most of their players. Wandy Rodriguez of the Astros could be another option for the Yankees, Heyman notes.

AL East Notes: Jeter, Red Sox, Orioles, Lind

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On this date 20 years ago the 1992 draft took place. A number of future stars, including Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi, were selected that day, but none impacted the American League East like the shortstop prospect the Yankees selected sixth overall. Here's the latest on the AL East…

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains how Derek Jeter fell to the Yankees 20 years ago. Though the Yankees were hoping Jeter would fall to them, they had prepared to start negotiations with right-hander Jim Pittsley in case another club selected their preferred target.
  • Ben Cherington will be running his first draft as Boston's GM on Monday, but it'll be a familiar setting in some ways, Rich Thompson of the Boston Herald reports. The longtime Red Sox executive says his staff will seek the best available player with each pick.  “The key with any draft is to do more with your picks than the 29 other teams do," he said.
  • The Orioles will purchase the contract of utility player Bill Hall today and add him to the 25 and 40-man rosters, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.
  • Adam Lind could be ready to return to the Major Leagues "soon," GM Alex Anthopoulos said, according to Ken Fidlin of the Toronto Sun.

Latest On Kevin Youkilis

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1:07pm: Teams have checked in, but the Red Sox haven’t initiated any talks, GM Ben Cherington said, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Reds are happy with Todd Frazier at third, Knobler tweets.

12:30pm: The Dodgers have lukewarm interest in Youkilis, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (on Twitter). They don't want to pay his salary or surrender a top prospect for him.

12:13pm: The White Sox have watched Youkilis and the Rangers have checked in on him, Knobler reports. The Dodgers are stepping up their scouting of Youkilis, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).

10:19am: The Red Sox are telling teams they definitely intend to trade Kevin Youkilis, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The emergence of Will Middlebrooks has made it more challenging than ever to work Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz into Boston's lineup.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe suggested yesterday that the Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers are among the teams with interest in Youkilis. The Phillies and Indians were linked to the corner infielder earlier this spring.

Youkilis has a .250/.318/.406 batting line with four home runs in 107 plate appearances this year. The 33-year-old spent three weeks on the disabled list with lower back soreness before returning to action late last month. Youkilis, a three-time All-Star, can play first or third base. He earns $12MM this year and his contract includes a $13MM club option for 2013 ($1MM buyout).

Quick Hits: Oswalt, Marlins, Hunter, Draft

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Free agent left-hander Joe Beimel underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month, and Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports (on Twitter) that the 35-year-old plans to resume his career once healthy. Brown says Beimel pitched with the torn elbow ligament for 3-4 years. Here's the latest from around the league…

  • The Angels were very close to signing Roy Oswalt at one point according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, but the right-hander had reservations about leaving his family for an extended period of time. The Rangers signed Oswalt earlier today.
  • The Red Sox remained in contact with Oswalt during the season but did not make him an offer, reports WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. They did make him in offer prior to the season.
  • “There are always things that can be done," said Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest to reporters (including Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun-Sentinel) when asked if the club can add pieces this summer. "There’s still room for improvement here. Whether that means changes or not, I don’t know. It’s still May."
  • Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times reports (on Twitter) that the Angels have reinstated Torii Hunter from the restricted list. The outfielder spent time away from the team to deal with his son's legal issue.
  • In his latest mock draft, ESPN's Keith Law projects the Astros to take Stanford right-hander Mark Appel with the first overall pick in next Monday's draft. "The Astros intend to take whomever they believe is the best player, not the best player for the price," wrote Law.

AL East Notes: Matsui, Jones, Encarnacion

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The Rays announced that they added Hideki Matsui to their active roster today, optioning Stephen Vogt to Triple-A and transferring Brandon Guyer to the 60-day disabled list in corresponding moves. Here are some items of interest from the AL East…

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explains that Adam Jones’ new extension is about Jones the person, not just Jones the center fielder. The Orioles signed Jones to a six-year, $85.5MM deal last week.
  • The Blue Jays aren’t currently discussing an extension with the representatives for Edwin Encarnacion, Morosi reports (on Twitter). The Wasserman Media Group client is on track to hit free agency after the season.
  • The Blue Jays announced that they optioned Eric Thames to Triple-A. Thames, the Opening Day left fielder, returns to the minors and infielder Mike McCoy takes his place on Toronto’s active roster.
  • Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal suggests it wouldn't be surprising if the Red Sox moved to extend Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the next few months. The hot-hitting catcher will be arbitration eligible for the third and final time this coming offseason and can expect a raise from his current $2.5MM salary.
  • Here's a look at the 2013 contract issues facing the AL East teams: Red Sox, Orioles, Yankees, Rays, Blue Jays.

2013 Contract Issues: Boston Red Sox

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The Red Sox are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series:

Eligible For Free Agency (9)

  • David Ortiz – Ortiz's desire for a multiyear deal is no secret, but the Red Sox may prefer to go year to year with the 36-year-old. They could make a qualifying offer after the season and assure themselves of draft pick compensation if Ortiz leaves. The $12-13MM salary that comes with a qualifying offer would represent a pay decrease for Ortiz, who earns $14.58MM this year. 
  • Daisuke Matsuzaka - The Red Sox expect Matsuzaka to return from Tommy John surgery this summer. His next contract will depend on how he pitches upon his return.
  • Marlon Byrd - The Red Sox brought the 34-year-old in after injuries depleted their depth, but their need for outfield help won't necessarily exist next offseason.
  • Bobby Jenks - Jenks has appeared in just 19 games since signing a two-year, $12MM contract two winters ago. There's not much reason to expect the Red Sox to offer him a guaranteed roster spot again.
  • Cody Ross - Ross has eight homers and an .883 OPS, so he's setting himself up for a starting role and a Major League contract in 2013.
  • Aaron Cook - Cook started one game for the Red Sox before the team placed him on the 15-day disabled list. At this point he's on track for another minor league deal.
  • Kelly Shoppach – Shoppach may be expendable given the presence of Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway.
  • Vicente Padilla - Padilla, who has more strikeouts than innings pitched, figures to sign a one-year or minor league deal next offseason.
  • Scott Podsednik - Podsednik and Byrd are in similar situations. They're contributing now with the knowledge that the Red Sox have a pair of star outfielders on the disabled list.

Contract Options (1)

  • Kevin Youkilis: $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout. Youkilis could be traded midseason now that Will Middlebrooks has emerged as an option for the big league team. But if he stays put and matches his career .878 OPS for the remainder of the season, the Red Sox could exercise the option.

Arbitration Eligible (14)

The Red Sox face a large arbitration class that includes many of the team's key players. Ellsbury and Bailey have been sidelined with injuries, so their raises will be modest. Others, such as Saltalamacchia, are on track for more substantial salary jumps. There's a good chance Tazawa will fall short of the service time requirements for eligibility at the end of the season and some players — Repko, for example — could be non-tendered.

2013 Payroll Obligation

The Red Sox have committed approximately $108MM to next year's payroll, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. They are barely under the $178MM luxury tax threshold this year, and if they aim to avoid it again next year, GM Ben Cherington will have less than $70MM at his disposal this coming offseason.

Latest On Kevin Youkilis

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Kevin Youkilis returned to Boston's lineup last week and he already has a home run and a pair of two-hit games. But he remains a trade candidate given the presence of Will Middlebrooks, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz on the Red Sox roster. Here's the latest on Youkilis…

  • There’s a feeling other teams would be interested in Youkilis, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (Twitter links). The 33-year-old isn’t the player he once was, so the Red Sox would likely have to contribute toward his $12MM salary in a trade. One scout says the Red Sox must trade Youkilis because Middlebrooks has as much power as Mark Trumbo of the Angels.
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