Odds & Ends: Hermida, Ransom, Chris Carter
12 years ago on this date, the Rangers sent Darren Oliver, Fernando Tatis, and Mark Little to the Cardinals for Royce Clayton and Todd Stottlemyre. Tatis was amazing in '99, while Oliver was solid as a starting pitcher. Clayton was pretty good for the Rangers, and Stottlemyre left as a free agent after the '98 season. For their loss, the Rangers got a supplemental draft pick in '99 and took a kid named Colby Lewis. Here in 2010, Lewis and Oliver are both Rangers again and make an excellent combo. Links for Monday…
- RotoAuthority explains why J.P. Arencibia is a player to target for 2011 in fantasy leagues.
- Jeremy Hermida, designated on deadline day, has been outrighted to Triple A according to this tweet from Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe.
- Similarly, Cody Ransom cleared waivers and accepted the Phillies' Triple A assignment according to this tweet from MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Ransom was designated four days ago when the Phils acquired Mike Sweeney.
- Athletics top prospect Chris Carter will be promoted today, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. The 23-year-old has a .262/.368/.531 line with 27 home runs in Triple A. It's amazing to look at the talent the Diamondbacks gave up in 2007 to get Dan Haren and Connor Robertson: Carter, Brett Anderson, Carlos Gonzalez, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, and Greg Smith.
Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Blue Jays, Morrow, Delgado
Some links to check out as Brandon Morrow just misses no-hitting the Rays…
- Jim Callis of Baseball America (via Twitter) doesn't like the chances of the Cards signing their 12th-round pick, outfielder Austin Wilson.
- Toronto's negotiations with first-round pick Deck McGuire will likely go down to the wire, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
- Morrow told FOX Sports' Jim Bowden (Twitter link) that he was happy to be traded to the Blue Jays this offseason because he knew he would be a starter and not a reliever.
- Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that the Indians signed 13th-rounder Michael Goodnight for $315K. Goodnight has a fastball that reaches 94 mph and a plus slider.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports tweets that the Tigers aren't pursuing the recently DFA'ed Jose Guillen.
- Carlos Delgado told Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal that he and his agent spoke to the White Sox, Rockies, and Mariners before deciding to sign with the Red Sox. In a separate article, WEEI's DJ Bean writes that Delgado is more focused on winning a championship than anything else.
- Joel Sherman of The New York Post explains how the Yankees have to develop their own bench players because no free agents want to sign with them only to sit on the bench most of the time.
- Jason Churchill and Keith Law of ESPN take a look at some teams that need to land a few of their tough-to-sign draft picks before the August 16th deadline (Insider req'd).
- Karen Price of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes about the newest Pirates and the difficult transition they've had to make following the trade deadline.
- Meanwhile, the Chris Snyder pick up does not make a Ryan Doumit trade inevitable, says Dejan Kovacevic of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times says that Ozzie Guillen and Paul Konerko are happy with the moves the White Sox did not make.
- The Cardinals are trying to find a long-term fix at the hot corner, writes Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. David Freese will be out indefinitely after suffering a setback as he rehabbed from an ankle injury.
Cafardo’s Latest: Red Sox, Rangers, Angels, Viciedo
Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe breaks down the 2010 Red Sox and what members of the team may not be around for 2011. He says Jayson Werth will be a free agent target and wonders if they're willing to commit three or four years to Adrian Beltre, who is having a monster season. Jacoby Ellsbury and Daisuke Matsuzaka could be trade bait, and then there's the issue of David Ortiz's $12.5MM option.
Let's round up the rest of Cafardo's rumors…
- There have been "minimal, if any" talks between the Sox and Victor Martinez about a new contract.
- Expect Boston to revamp their bullpen, which could mean replacing Hideki Okajima.
- Carfado believes that the Rangers settled ownership situation will help the team down the stretch as the players don't have to deal with any speculation.
- Rafael Soriano and Joaquin Benoit, a pair of offseason pickups that are the Rays' two best relievers, will need to have their workloads monitored down the stretch, particularly Benoit who is coming off major shoulder surgery.
- The Angels have close to $110MM tied up in 2011 payroll counting arbitration raises, which could hinder their pursuit of free agents this winter.
- Kenny Williams says that teams never asked for Dayan Viciedo in a trade because they knew he was unavailable. We heard that Williams was willing to trade him before the deadline.
- A split between the Mariners and manager Don Wakamatsu seems likely this offseason.
Odds & Ends: Lee, Brewers, Repko, Delgado
Saturday night linkage..
- Rangers hurler Cliff Lee says that he isn't thinking about his impending free agency, writes Jeff Wilson for The Dallas Morning News.
- Darrell Covey, the father of Brewers first-round pick Dylan Covey, says that he expects an over-slot bonus offer, writes Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. As the 14th overall pick, Covey is slotted to receive a bonus of $1.7MM. The Coveys have told the Brewers that they expect $2MM.
- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire says that he now understands why the organization thought so highly of Jason Repko, writes John Barone of MLB.com. The Twins picked up Repko in April after he was released by the Dodgers.
- Paul Konerko and manager Ozzie Guillen are fine with the White Sox standing pat in August, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
- Reds twelfth-round pick Kyle Waldrop has signed on for a $500K bonus, tweets Jim Callis of Baseball America. This is the highest bonus given to a player outside of the first ten rounds so far.
- MLB.com's Mark Sheldon writes that speculation was rampant that today would mark Aroldis Chapman's big league debut. Instead of Chapman, the Reds tabbed reliever Carlos Fisher to fill in for Russ Springer, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
- Mike Lowell didn't have much of a reaction to Boston's signing of Carlos Delgado, writes Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
Rosenthal On Dunn, Red Sox, Rays, Reds
Let's dive into the latest edition of Full Count by Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports..
- Rival executives still can't figure out what the Nats were thinking by not trading Adam Dunn as some believe that they will not re-sign the slugger. If they dealt him, they would have saved about $4MM in salary and another $2MM in draft pick bonuses. The players they would have gotten in return would already have minor league track records and would have been closer to the majors. Though next year's draft figures to be very deep, Rosenthal notes that draft picks take money and time.
- If Boston stays in contention, they will push hard to get a left-handed bat to complement Lowell at first and Carlos Delgado may just be the beginning. Even after signing Delgado, the BoSox will continue to scour the market for players such as Adam LaRoche and Lyle Overbay. Earlier today, we learned that the Red Sox have shown interest in another left-handed hitting first baseman, Chris Davis of the Rangers.
- Jeremy Hellickson gives the Rays a sixth rotation option for 2011, but that doesn't mean that the Rays will have enough of a surplus for a trade. They have depth but they're not quite as deep as they were following the 2008 campaign. Rosenthal believes that they are better off keeping what they have intact and putting one of their starters in the bullpen.
- Recently, Reds manager Dusty Baker told reporters that the club has approached him about a contract extension. Logically, he deserves a pay raise based on the team's performance this season. However, ownership may not want to go that route. Given the volatility expected in the managerial ranks this winter, the Reds will have plenty of options should they look elsewhere for a skipper.
Rangers Receiving Interest In Chris Davis
The Rangers are getting "much trade interest" in first baseman Chris Davis, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. Major league sources say that Davis has become a popular name and the Red Sox, who picked up Carlos Delgado today, are among the teams that have shown interest.
Davis is now back in Triple-A Oklahoma where he has hit .355/.409/.552 with ten homers in 72 games this season. However, the corner infielder was unable to replicate that in the majors this year, posting a slash line of .188/.265/.267 in 31 games. Despite his struggles in the major leagues this season, there are some who feel that he could be a late-blooming bat in the mold of Carlos Pena or Russell Branyan.
Sullivan points out that Davis is unlikely to get traded in-season as he probably wouldn't clear waivers. However, if Mitch Moreland makes a strong case for being the Rangers' starting first baseman, then Davis could be a trade candidate this winter.
Red Sox Agree To Deal With Carlos Delgado
The Red Sox and Carlos Delgado have reached an agreement on a minor league contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). If Delgado is not on the big league roster by September 1st, he can opt out of the deal and become a free agent.
Rosenthal adds that the contract will pay Delgado $20K per month in Triple-A and a pro-rated portion of $3MM, if and when he reaches the majors. The Red Sox also included playoff performance incentives in the contract, and agreed not to offer arbitration to the 38-year-old after the season.
Following the season-ending thumb injury sustained by Kevin Youkilis, the Red Sox had been eyeing a few first base options,. Boston was among a handful of clubs interested in Delgado, who last appeared in the majors for the Mets in May 2009.
Red Sox Looking At Left-Handed First Base Options
7:51pm: Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald says that if the Red Sox are interested, they figure to sign Delgado fairly soon. Delgado's agent David Sloane told Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe that his client could sign "as soon as tonight," but that he'd need a week or two in the minors to get himself ready (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, WEEI.com's Alex Speier heard from a source that the Sox were simply "doing their homework" by working Delgado out today.
FRIDAY, 3:02pm: Delgado worked out for the Red Sox today, agent David Sloane told Mark Hale of the New York Post. Sloane says Delgado has worked out for multiple clubs.
THURSDAY, 7:06PM: Daric Barton could be another possible pick-up for the Sox, as Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets that the Oakland first baseman was put on waivers today. Barton's .377 OBP fits right in with Boston's patient plate mentality, though he only has a .741 OPS against right-handers.
6:17PM: Two sources tell WEEI.com's Rob Bradford that Delgado "seems a reach" for Boston and that "he is worth a dice roll, but not for the Sox" given both Delgado and Lowell's lengthy injury histories.
5:56PM: With the news of Kevin Youkilis' season-ending thumb surgery breaking today, the Red Sox are suddenly in the market for a left-handed first baseman to platoon with Mike Lowell. Boston GM Theo Epstein said that while the team is looking, a move won't come too quickly since the team first wants a chance to gauge Lowell's effectiveness, reports the Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin (via Twitter).
Carlos Delgado, who has been linked to Boston already, will be working out for the Red Sox "in the next couple of days," according to John Tomase of the Boston Herald. Delgado might be the most realistic option on the market given that the free agent slugger is available for a reasonable price and can be acquired without the hassle of the waiver wire. Tomase's Herald cohort Scott Lauber tweets along word from Delgado's agent that the veteran first baseman "would be thrilled" by any interest from the club.
Nate Taylor of the Boston Globe posits Casey Kotchman's name as another potential fit. Kotchman, who was dealt from Boston to Seattle for Bill Hall last January, has a .656 OPS in 296 plate appearances for the Mariners this season and just a .232/.300/.405 line against right-handers. Given Kotchman's struggles, his M's teammate Russell Branyan (and Branyan's .868 OPS against right-handers this season) might be the more attractive option for the Red Sox, though the club might have a difficult time picking Branyan up without another AL team putting in a claim first.
As for internal replacements for Youkilis, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal reports that Epstein didn't seem enthused about calling up Lars Anderson. "Right now, the things Lars is working on and the adjustments he's making, that type of work is best done at Triple-A," Epstein told MacPherson. Anderson, ranked as the 87th-best prospect in the game by Baseball America's preseason rankings, has not stood out at the Triple-A level this year, managing just a .740 OPS in 338 PA for Pawtucket.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Sweeney, Red Sox, D’Backs
On this day in 1999, Mark McGwire hit his 500th career homer, reaching that plateau faster than any other player in history. It was McGwire's second consecutive season with a home run milestone, as he hit homer #400 during his (then) record-breaking 1998 campaign. But since we're not here to talk about the past, let's get to some news items…
- Jon Weisman of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at Russell Martin's hip injury and how it might spell the end of his tenure with the Dodgers. Weisman also notes that L.A.'s chances of acquiring another catcher to replace Martin this season are "slim to none."
- Mike Sweeney is excited to get his first taste of a pennant race, writes Charles Nobles of MLB.com.
- The Red Sox dealt former Mets infielder Argenis Reyes and minor league catcher Juan Apodaca to Cleveland for future considerations, reports Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
- J.P. Ricciardi discussed the waiver wire, the Jarrod Saltalamacchia deal, the Kevin Youkilis injury and other Boston-related news on WEEI's The Big Show today. Maryalice Gill of WEEI.com has the full transcript here.
- Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall took questions from Arizona fans in an MLB.com web chat.
- Speaking of the Snakes, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic looks at how the D'Backs might reallocate the $2MM they had earmarked for first-round draft pick Barret Loux before he failed his physical.
- Pittsburgh has yet to sign 10 of its top 13 picks from the June amateur draft, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
Carlos Delgado Drawing Interest
12:48pm: The White Sox have had extensive conversations with Delgado's agent, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. More than four teams are interested in the first baseman, including the Red Sox and Angels, according to Levine.
8:00am: The White Sox are showing interest in Carlos Delgado and are not the only potential fit for the first baseman, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Agent David Sloane told Rosenthal that his client has received two minor league offers and could be ready for the major leagues after a couple weeks in the minors.
The Rockies’ interest in Delgado depends on Todd Helton’s health, the Mariners want to see Delgado work out before deciding whether to pursue him and the Angels have checked in before. Those three teams and the Boston Red Sox could be fits, as the 38-year-old wants to play for a contending team that would have lots of at bats for him.
Delgado, who has 473 career home runs, hinted this summer that he would like to join the 500-homer club. He hasn’t played since last year and is recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery.