Odds And Ends: Indians, Ryan, Red Sox
More links for the afternoon…
- The Indians drafted two players named Kyle Smith, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- Mark Shapiro still says he's hoping for a resurgence from the Indians, according to Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today.
- Dean Jones Jr. of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles selected Mike Flacco, the brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe.
- The family connections don't stop there. As Chad Finn of the Boston Globe reports, the Red Sox chose Michael Yastrzemski, Carl's grandson.
- Charlie Nobles of MLB.com writes that Brendan Ryan is playing well, maybe well enough to become the Cardinals' regular shortstop.
- Within this ESPN Insider chat with Keith Law, he says the Red Sox have had the best draft.
- Red Sox slugger David Ortiz has been hitting better this month, as Alex Speier of WEEI.com notes. This takes pressure off the Red Sox to acquire another bat.
- Gwen Knapp of CBS Sports says baseball's insistence on developing a higher profile for the draft is part of the reason Stephen Strasburg can command so much money.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders if any free agent-to-be has seen his stock drop more than John Lackey's this season. He could have a point, as Matt Holliday's hitting better, but Lackey has pitched well two of his last four starts. How much will he sign for this offseason?
Odds And Ends: White Sox, Smoltz, Lowrie
A few links for Thursday morning…
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times speculates that Jermaine Dye, Octavio Dotel and even Bobby Jenks could be traded before July 31st.
- Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe reports that John Smoltz could debut for the Red Sox as soon as Tuesday.
- Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald reports that Smoltz's teammate, Jed Lowrie, could return from his wrist injury by the end of June.
- Smoltz's return will lead to more Brad Penny rumors, while Lowrie's return will ease concerns about the Red Sox shortstop situation.
- Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus revises his initial take on shortstop Jean Carlos Batista, describing him as "five-tool talent." The Dodgers, Rangers, A's, Indians and Yankees are among the suitors for the Dominican prospect.
Draft Roundup: White, Tejada, Fuentes
Here are some updates on the draft as we enter its final day…
- The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians will develop their first round pick, Alex White, as a reliever.
- Astros GM Ed Wade told Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle that the team's selection of shortstop Jiovanni Mier doesn't mean Miguel Tejada's about to be moved. Mier had said a scout told him the Astros would get rid of Tejada.
- MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo points out that more high school arms were selected than usual. Seven of the first 19 picks were prep pitchers.
- Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports "indications" that the D'Backs will be able to sign their second and third highest picks, A.J. Pollock and Matt Davidson, soon.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Brewers could sign first round pick Eric Arnett soon with a bonus of about $1.2MM.
- As Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP reports, Carlos Beltran has high hopes for his cousin, Reymond Fuentes, who was drafted by the Red Sox in the first round.
Draft Day 2 Roundup: Mets, Indians, Red Sox
Writers are rolling in the draft recaps. Let's see if we can't keep up with a few:
- The Mets took a majority of pitchers and outfielders, says MLB.com's Tim Britton.
- The Angels' second day was highlighted with University of Washington QB Jake Locker, says MLB's Lyle Spencer.
- The Dodgers snagged Jeremy Wise, Big 12 player of the year and one of three catchers in their draft, according to David Ely at MLB.com.
- 20 of the Indians' 30 draft choices were pitchers this year, notes Anthony Castrovince.
- The Red Sox took mostly pitchers, but struck an even balance between high school and college talent, note Joe McDonald and Daniel Barbarisi at the Providence Journal.
- According to Wayne Staats at MLB.com, Pirates GM Neal Huntington says 21 of the 30 players drafted have asked for six figures.
- B.J. Rains recaps the Cardinals' second draft day, which erred on the side of college talent after a few high-upside prep school picks on day one.
- The Marlins aimed to restock their pitching, says David Villaveciencio at MLB.com.
- ESPN's tireless Keith Law recaps Day 2 for a few teams, including the Pirates and A's (subscription req'd).
Mets Acquire Chip Ambres
Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports (via Twitter) that the Mets acquired Chip Ambres from the Red Sox. Ambres, 29, played three games for the Mets in 2007 before hitting .195 in 24 games for the Padres last year . He's played all three outfield positions in the majors since his 2005 debut with the Royals. The Mets assigned him to Triple A Buffalo.
Lugo Available; Mets Not Interested
Alex Speier of WEEI.com reports that the Mets are not interested in acquiring Julio Lugo. The Jose Reyes injury leaves them "in dire straits" according to Speier's source, but they are not "desperate" enough to go after Lugo. He's available on the trade market, but has $15MM remaining on his contract between this year and 2010.
The Red Sox have shortstop issues of their own, and are considering making a deal. They're playing Lugo and Nick Green as they await Jed Lowrie's return from a wrist injury.
Byrd Awaits Calls, Says He’s Ready To Pitch
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, Paul Byrd wants to pitch and believes he can succeed, but says teams haven't been interested in him so far. Since the draft has passed, the Red Sox will not receive a supplemental pick for Byrd, a Type B free agent. Byrd sounds confident in his ability:
"I still feel like I can really, really help somebody out," he said.
He had a 4.60 ERA last year for the Indians and Red Sox. Tom Glavine, another free agent veteran, hasn't attracted much reported interest either, as teams have called on minor leaguers such as Antonio Bastardo, Vin Mazzaro and Aaron Poreda.
A correction has been made to the original version of this post – Tim Dierkes
Draft Updates: Bonuses, Green, Sanchez, Epstein
The updates keep flowing in as the countdown to the draft continues…
- Baseball America's Jim Callis reports that Tyler Matzek and Shelby Miller are among the players with large- even historic- demands.
- Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reports that Angels scouting director Eddie Bane does not expect the Angels to see any of the players they draft make it to the majors this season.
- Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star says "predraft buzz" has the Royals linked to college shortstop Grant Green.
- MLB.com's Jen Langosch is "beginning to believe" the Pirates will select Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez with the fourth pick. Keith Law says they're considering him.
- As Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Sanchez wants to start playing and says he won't demand a large bonus.
- Theo Epstein told Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe that fans on the street will tell him who to draft. It may not be the NBA or NFL draft, but the MLB version is gaining prominence.
- Epstein is proudest of selecting Jonathan Papelbon, back in 2003.
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles are willing to spend on the draft and aren't afraid of choosing high school pitchers.
- The Rockies, with three of the first 34 picks, "need to hit a home run" if you ask Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies says the team appears to be leaning towards pitcher Matt Hobgood.
Odds And Ends: Padres, Fukumori, Ortiz
Some links for Tuesday morning…
- Today's chat will be at 2pm CST.
- Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times reports that the Padres know they have to win if they want to stop management from trading players away.
- Adrian Gonzalez says it's too early to tell how long he'll remain a Padre.
- Patrick Newman at NPB Tracker passes on a report saying Kazuo Fukumori will be released by the Rangers. He made four appearances for them last year, but hasn't pitched in the majors this season.
- It's not his eyes, after all. David Ortiz can see just fine according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer responds to Eddie's post about the mystery shortstop the Red Sox have interest in, saying it's "probably not" Yunel Escobar.
- Indians GM Mark Shapiro told Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he believes Neal Huntington made an "understandable" and "wise" decision when he dealt Nate McLouth to the Braves.
- Joe Posnanski does not want to see the Royals trade for Jeff Francouer.
Rosenthal On Spilborghs, Peavy, Aybar
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that teams began calling the Rockies about Ryan Spilborghs last week when Carlos Gonzalez was called up. Here are the details from Rosenthal's column:
- The Phillies, Red Sox and Tigers were among the teams inquiring about Spilborghs.
- The Rockies will likely take their time fielding offers for Spilborghs and their other trade candidates. Jason Marquis, Huston Street and Brad Hawpe could all be dealt, but the Rockies aren't in a hurry to part with them.
- Rosenthal finds it hard to imagine the Padres trading Jake Peavy before the offseason unless the Cubs get permission to take on his contract or a surprise bidder emerges.
- The Angels could trade Erick Aybar for a bat or a reliever and make Brandon Wood their everyday shortstop. The Red Sox, Mets, Royals and Cardinals could use help at short.
- The A's, riding a seven game win streak, are not involved in any trade talks right now.
- The Angels would love to deal Gary Matthews Jr. for another overpaid player, but it's tough to match up bad contracts.
- The Mets made a "blunder" when they paid $36MM for Oliver Perez when they could have gone after, Randy Wolf, who's only guaranteed $5MM.