Odd & Ends: Penny, Reds, Nationals, Buchholz
The College World Series kicked off today, with Arkansas knocking off Cal State Fullerton in Game One of the double elimination event. Virginia is taking on LSU tonight. You can see the game on ESPN.
Anyway, here's some Saturday night linkage:
- The Angels have signed nine draft picks, including 48th overall pick Tyler Kehrer according to Mike DiGiovanna.
- Jon Heyman tweets that teams have called the Red Sox about Brad Penny, and even though the Dodgers are looking "they wouldn't take him back."
- John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer spoke to Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who said he's looked outside the organization for help, but "there’s not a lot going on right now." Jocketty also said that the team is not looking for a third baseman, despite reports.
- Chico Harlan of The Washington Post says that the Nationals signed righthander Trevor Holder, their third round pick, to a below slot bonus.
- Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz suffered a setback in his return from a right elbow injury according to Patrick Saunders, and could be out for the year. Could Buchholz's injury impact the Rockies' decision to move closer Huston Street if they maintain their current hot streak?
- The New York Times' Joe Brescia wrote about the Yankees and how they've used Mexico as a source of talent recently.
- Personal fave Chris Britton caught on with the independent York Revolution according to Jim Seip. The Padres released Britton last month after allowed 47 baserunners and had a 10.45 ERA in 20.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A. (h/t Chad Jennings)
Donald To Have Surgery, Phils Lose A Trade Chip
6:49pm: The Morning Call's article has been updated to say Donald will miss three to four weeks. which matches Zolecki's report. This would give the Phillies a few weeks before the deadline to showcase a healthy Donald.
5:42pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Phillies' infield prospect Jason Donald will have surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The Morning Call says that he could miss up to six weeks, which means he could be on the shelf until the trade deadline.
Donald was hitting just .230-.293-.324 in 226 plate appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, but he's considered one of Philadelphia's best prosects. Just last week we heard rumors of a Brad Penny for Donald swap, but any trade talks involving the 24-yr old shortstop will have to be put on hold now.
Red Sox, Bay Yet To Resume Extension Talks
The Boston Globe's Adam Kilgore reports that the Red Sox have yet to resume talks about a contract extension with outfielder Jason Bay.
"There's nothing new," Bay said yesterday. "There's really nothing to say about it. It's been a hot topic. I understand that. Until there's something to say, there's nothing to say."
"There's still a lot of time left, plus there was some real bad timing with the draft, all the time leading up to it," Bay said. "I understand whether it happens or not, but now is not a great time. Maybe when things settle down. But like I said, there's nothing exciting."
The two sides ended negotiations back in March, and since then all we've heard is that they still haven't talked. Bay is enjoying a tremendous season at the perfect time, hitting .280-.402-.587 in 264 plate appearances.
Melvin: Talk Of Deal “Absolutely False”
MLB.com's Adam McCalvy spoke to Brewers' GM Doug Melvin about some "trade rumors that have swirled on the Internet over the past 36 hours about an imminent trade for a front-line pitcher." Melvin called the rumors "absolutely false," although he did acknowledge speaking to several other GM's recently. He wouldn't acknowledge who exactly he spoke to, or what kind of players were discussed.
The only recent trade talk we've heard involving the Brew Crew lately is that Jake Peavy is too expensive and that Tom Glavine isn't good enough to help. Peavy is out for at least a month with an ankle injury, so he figures to be out of the mix for now.
Let's round up the rest of McCalvy's rumors:
- Neither Trevor Hoffman or Ryan Braun has spoken to Peavy lately, perhaps about pitching in Milwaukee. Hoffman, of course, was Peavy's teammate in San Diego, while Braun played with him in the World Baseball Classic.
- Melvin said he hasn't spoken to Indians' GM Mark Shapiro "in a while," potentially eliminating Cliff Lee as the rumored front-line pitcher.
- Boston GM Theo Epstein called Melvin recently not to talk trade, but to apologize for a rumor about the Red Sox attempting to acquire Corey Hart.
- Melvin said "There's not one team that's saying, 'I'm ready to trade my players,'" specifically mentioning the Mariners.
Discussion: The Boston Rotation
Earlier today we took stock of the Red Sox rotation, which will soon be overflowing with quality arms. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Brad Penny are about to be joined by John Smoltz. Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden and Justin Masterson offer the Red Sox even more depth. But you can't adopt a nine-man rotation, so the Red Sox have to make some tough decisions. Here's what some are saying:
- Through his interpreter, Dice-K told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he's not feeling 100%. Morosi says it's conceivable that Boston could put him on the DL when Smoltz returns.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Mets, Phillies and Cardinals have interest in Penny. The Red Sox could simply deal him, as most have assumed they would.
- ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wonders whether the Red Sox would trade Smoltz instead. He wouldn't command as much as Penny, but it would allow the Red Sox to keep their rotation together.
- A six-man rotation sounds intriguing, but, as Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald notes, the team has two days off in the near future, making such an arangement less likely.
Lots of choices here for Boston. They can place Dice-K on the DL, trade Penny or Smoltz or just wait it out. What should they do?
Olney On Astros, Penny, Glavine
ESPN.com's Buster Olney heard from Ed Wade that the Astros aren't ready to start trading away their players at this point, and may decide not to deal at all. Here are the details from Olney's column:
- Wade looks back to last season, when the Astros struggled initially before going on a surprise run to finish the season strong.
- He hinted that the Astros are not in a position to add any salary.
- Other teams are in similar positions, which could limit the trades we see this summer.
- The Red Sox have been discussing Brad Penny with other teams, but they don't have to deal him. John Smoltz isn't back yet and even when he is the Red Sox could use a six-man rotation for a turn or two.
- But if they get an offer from a team in need, such as the Mets, the Red Sox could deal Penny soon.
- There's "very little" interest in Tom Glavine, if any. If Glavine retires, he would end up in the same Hall of Fame class as Greg Maddux, and maybe even Pedro Martinez.
Red Sox Rumors: Penny, Lowrie, Smoltz
Here's the latest on Jed Lowrie and Brad Penny, and what it means for the Red Sox:
- Lowrie told Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe that he sees "light at the end of the tunnel." He's expected back at the end of June or the beginning of July.
- Ben Collins of the Boston Globe says the Penny-John Smoltz conversation won't be "either/or" anymore after Penny's impressive pitching last night. Maybe there's room for both to help the club out.
- But, as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports, Penny wouldn't want to pitch out of the bullpen.
- In the same article, we hear that Penny has "no idea" what will happen when Smoltz returns. He has a supporter in Josh Beckett, who made it clear he doesn't want to see his rotation-mate dealt.
- Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal says Terry Francona and the Red Sox have had "a lot of discussions" about their pitching surplus.
Draft Odds and Ends: Phillies, Red Sox, Brewers
Some draft-themed links…
- Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports that the Phillies signed their top draft pick, centerfielder Kelly Dugan.
- Being drafted by the Red Sox was only the start of an amazing day for Chris Costantino, according to John Gillooly of the Providence Journal.
- Adam McCalvy of MLB.com writes about the unusual good luck charm the Brewers used during the draft.
- John Branch of the New York Times profiles Alibay Barkley, the last player chosen in this year's draft.
- The number of draftees coming out of MLB's Urban Youth Academy rose again this year, according to Lisa Winston of MLB.com.
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.