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Derek Lowe Retires

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Derek Lowe has retired from baseball, though he prefers not to use the word "retire."  "I'm officially no longer going to play the game," Lowe told Tom Pelissero of USA Today.  He later added, "I'm not going to go to the Hall of Fame, so I don't feel like I need to have a retirement speech. But I was able to play 17 years on some pretty cool teams and win a World Series. So, everyone's got to stop playing at some point, and this is my time."

Lowe, 40, was released by the Rangers in May.  His retirement seemed likely in June, as he told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he'd told agent Scott Boras not to seek work for him.  Lowe pitched in parts of 17 Major League seasons for the Mariners, Red Sox, Dodgers, Braves, Indians, Yankees, and Rangers.

Lowe was drafted by the Mariners in the eighth round in 1991, joining the Red Sox with Jason Varitek for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb in a 1997 trade deadline deal.  Dan Duquette authored that steal for Boston, besting Woody Woodward and creating history as one of the most lopsided deadline deals ever.  Lowe became the Red Sox closer in 1999, earning an All-Star nod the following year.  He switched back to starting for the '02 season, finishing third in the AL Cy Young vote.  Though Lowe scuffled in the regular season in '04, he came up big for the Red Sox in the postseason, picked up a World Series ring, and parlayed that success into a four-year, $36MM deal with the Dodgers.

The groundballer was durable and quite good for the duration of the Dodgers contract, leading to a four-year, $60MM deal with Atlanta that did not go nearly as well.  Among pitchers hailing from Michigan, Lowe ranks 11th with 176 wins, 10th with 86 saves, and eighth with 1,722 strikeouts.  He earned over $110MM in his career.

East Notes: Mets, Byrd, Cano, Ortiz

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Earlier today, Mark Simon of ESPNNewYork.com turned in his 2013 mid-season report card for the Mets.  It hasn’t been a banner semester for most of the Metropolitans, but Marlon Byrd gets an A- for his play and Simon notes that he’ll be Mets remembered very fondly if he nets a good prospect in a deadline deal.  Meanwhile, GM Sandy Alderson gets a C for his efforts, though it’s really more like an incomplete as he’ll be judged more by what he does with a more flexible payroll this winter.  Here’s more out of the AL and NL East..

  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports looks as the offseason ahead of the Yankees’ Robinson Cano.  A number of teams with potential openings at second base could get involved, including the Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies (if they move on from Chase Utley), Mets, Orioles, Nationals and Mariners.  Ultimately, however, Rosenthal expects Cano to stay in pinstripes.
  • Despite his performance, Red Sox star David Ortiz knows that age is catching up with him, writes CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam.  Ortiz isn’t ready to lay out a timetable, but he says that the two-year pact he signed this past offseason could be his last.
  • Mets infielder Ruben Tejada is making an agency change, leaving Peter Greenberg and the Legacy Group for Barry Praver & Scott Shapiro, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  You can keep track of everyone’s representation with MLBTR’s Agency Database.

Bowden’s Latest: Garza, Rox, Rios, Morneau, Perkins

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The trade deadline is just two weeks away, and with the All-Star Game in the rear-view mirror, Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio writes that the market will pick up rapidly beginning Friday. Here are some highlights from the highly informative article penned by the former GM of the Reds, Expos and Nationals (ESPN Insider required and recommended)…

  • Bowden hears there's an 80 percent chance that Matt Garza will be traded before his next scheduled start (Monday or Tuesday of next week). The Rangers, Red Sox and Diamondbacks are still involved, He describes the D-backs as "dark horses," adding that their odds in the Garza sweepstakes would increase if they were willing to part with left-hander David Holmberg.
  • The Rockies could also be interested in Garza, but they're not clear-cut buyers right now, and the prospective cost is prohibitive to them. If they were to sell, Rafael Betancourt and Matt Belisle could be had. Michael Cuddyer could be moved, but only if Colorado is "blown away."
  • The White Sox have been "extremely disappointed" with offers for Alex Rios thus far. Bowden feels that offers will improve as the deadline draws closer.
  • The Justin Morneau era in Minnesota is coming to an end, and the Twins are prepared to trade the former MVP, according to Bowden. The Rays, Pirates and Yankees are said by Bowden to be possible destinations for Morneau.
  • The Cardinals, Reds, Dodgers and Braves have all inquired on Twins closer Glen Perkins and been turned away. Those four teams are all monitoring the health of Jesse Crain as well.
  • The Yankees are trying to use Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and catching prospect J.R. Murphy to acquire a bat but have had no luck thus far. None of those players figure to interest the Twins in regards to Morneau, Bowden adds, given the impending free agency of Hughes and Chamberlain and the presence of Joe Mauer behind the plate for the Twins.

Jesse Crain Rumors: Tuesday

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Jesse Crain's rapidly rising trade value took a hit when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier this month with a right shoulder strain, but the right-hander is still likely to be highly sought if he returns healthy next week, as he's expected to do. Here's the latest on the White Sox setup man…

  • The Rockies are very interested in Crain given the struggles of Wilton Lopez, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies have long coveted Crain, according to Renck. While Crain was born in Toronto, he attended high school in Colorado and admitted to Renck that he nearly accepted a two-year offer from the Rockies prior to signing his three-year pact with the White Sox.
  • Crain told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that "it would be fun" to play for the first-place Red Sox. Crain says he's heard plenty of rumors about Boston being a potential destination for him on the trade market, and that trade rumors were frequently on his mind prior to his injury. He's now focused on getting healthy rather than where he will be pitching come August 1.

Matt Garza Rumors: Tuesday

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On January 8th, 2011, the previous Cubs front office led by GM Jim Hendry finalized a trade that brought Matt Garza (and Fernando Perez and Zach Rosscup) to Chicago from the Rays for Chris Archer, Hak-Ju Lee, Robinson Chirinos, Sam Fuld, and Brandon Guyer.  At the time, ESPN's Buster Olney heard that Andrew Friedman and the Rays "didn't get much in the way of high-end prospects; more depth type guys than impact."  Archer, 24, seems ready to challenge that evaluation as a member of the Rays' rotation, while Lee, a 22-year-old shortstop, was knocking on the door of the Majors until a knee injury ended his season in April.  It's clear now the Cubs gave up a huge haul to acquire three years of Garza; now their new regime is marketing the remaining two to three months of his services to recoup as much young talent as possible.  The latest:

  • Jon Heyman of CBS Sports echoes Sullivan's earlier report that the Rangers aren't willing to include Martin Perez in a trade for Garza. The Red Sox are said to be "thinking about" Garza and would be a major threat if they entered the fray, according to Heyman. Boston has many pitching prospects acquired by Theo Epstein during his time as the team's GM. The Diamondbacks are in the mix as well, though they may prefer Jake Peavy. The Cubs are likely to place more emphasis on ceiling than proximity to the Major Leagues, according to Heyman, with a slight preference for pitching as opposed to position players.

Earlier Updates

  • The Rangers, Cardinals, Pirates, Indians, Blue Jays, and Dodgers "are the strongest pursuers" with a handful of other teams showing at least cursory interest in Garza, writes David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com.  A handful of club executives who spoke to Kaplan consider Garza a very strong No. 3 starter, for whom the Cubs have an "exceptionally high" asking price.  Kaplan adds that the Rangers and Blue Jays "are both deciding how far they want to go to acquire Garza."  Kaplan's baseball personnel experts feel the Cubs will come close but fall short of the Brewers' Zack Greinke package from last summer, which consisted of shortstop Jean Segura and pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena.  Complicating that comparison is the fact that Segura raised his stock considerably this year; at the time of the deal, Baseball America ranked him 43rd among prospects and ESPN's Keith Law had him outside of his top 50.
  • Baseball America's midseason top 50 prospects list came out last week.  Prospects in the 35-50 range who play for potential Garza suitors include Joc Pederson of the Dodgers, Anthony Ranaudo and Garin Cecchini of the Red Sox, Alen Hanson of the Pirates, Aaron Sanchez of the Blue Jays, Mike Olt of the Rangers, Kolten Wong of the Cardinals, and Adam Eaton of the Diamondbacks.  Kaplan notes that the Rangers are "thought to be dangling" Olt, a third baseman.  A lot of the position players named here either seem unlikely to be traded or aren't great fits for the Cubs, who might prefer to get a pitcher as the headliner.
  • The personnel heads who spoke to Joel Sherman of the New York Post picture Garza going to the Rangers, who have the need and the goods to make a deal.  22-year-old southpaw Martin Perez "could be a key element for the Cubs to move Garza to Texas," writes Sherman.  The Rangers are not going to give up Perez, writes MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.  He names Neil Ramirez, Carlos Pimentel, Leury Garcia, and Luis Sardinas as more realistic possibilities.

Cuban Pitcher Hinojosa Granted Free Agency

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Cuban righty Dalier Hinojosa received clearance from the U.S. government and has been granted free agency by MLB, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.  Hinojosa defected from Cuba in February, establishing residency in Haiti, according to a source.  The Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees are among the teams that have shown interest in the 27-year-old, Sanchez wrote in June.  Hinojosa is represented by Praver/Shapiro, MLBTR has learned, and he has already showcased his talents for teams.

Hinojosa throws in the low-to-mid 90s with a slider, curveball, two-seam fastball, and changeup, according to Sanchez.  He starred with the Cuban national team, and is a former teammate of Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez.  Gonzalez has also been cleared to sign with MLB teams.  There is no limitation to the contracts these Cuban defectors may receive, because they are at least 23 years old and have played as a professional in a Cuban professional league for at least three seasons.  For the 2014-15 international signing period, that minimum requirement will jump to five seasons.

Strong Interest In Michael Young

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"Intense trade interest" in infielder Michael Young might compel the Phillies to trade him despite indications the team doesn't plan to sell, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  He says the Red Sox and Yankees are among about a dozen teams that have checked in on Young.

I still think Young, a 36-year-old hitting .288/.344/.414, would bring a modest return.  Rosenthal says the Phillies have no obvious internal replacement for him, though I wonder if utility man Kevin Frandsen is capable of delivering similar production in a regular role.  The Phillies are currently 5.5 games out in the wild card, and seek a center fielder and bullpen help.

Red Sox Notes: Buchholz, Ellsbury, Aceves, Melancon

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Clay Buchholz hopes to throw a bullpen session on Thursday at Fenway Park and, if all goes well, the right-hander may try a simulated a game a few days afterwards, Buchholz told reporters (including Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe) during Monday's All-Star festivities in New York.  Buchholz said he won't return until the stiffness in his neck has totally subsided, but “if I thought it was a do or die situation in September and we were pushing for the pennant, if it came to that, absolutely I’d be out there," he said. "There’s no risk right now, but I don’t feel comfortable doing it."

Here are some more items about the AL East-leading Red Sox…

  • Scott Boras, Jacoby Ellsbury's agent, told reporters (including WEEI.com's Alex Speier) that he wasn't planning to negotiate with GM Ben Cherington about a new contract for his client until after the season.  Ellsbury recently claimed the #2 spot on Tim Dierkes' free agent power rankings for the coming offseason.  The center fielder is hitting .305/.368/.422 and has stolen a league-leading 36 bases for the Sox this year, a performance that Boras attributes to Ellsbury's gradual recovery from a shoulder injury.
  • Alfredo Aceves is no longer represented by agent Tom O'Connell, Nick Cafardo reports (Twitter link).  The right-hander is believed to be representing himself for now, according to Rob Bradford and Alex Speier of WEEI.com.  Aceves was outrighted to Triple-A earlier today, the latest step in the reliever's tumultuous stint in Boston.  You can keep track of who's representing who in the baseball world via MLBTR's Agency Database.
  • The move from Boston to small-market Pittsburgh wasn't the reason for Mark Melancon's improvement in 2013, the reliever told media (including Tim Britton of the Providence Journal), saying that the improvement began after working on his mechanics and approach to pitching during a minor league stint last season.  Melancon allowed 11 runs in his first two innings with the Red Sox in 2012 but posted a 4.19 ERA over his next 43 innings, though it wasn't enough to keep him from being dealt to the Bucs last December.  With the Pirates, Melancon has posted a sterling 0.81 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 1/3 IP and earned his first All-Star appearance.

Red Sox Considering Upgrades On Left Side Of Infield

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The Red Sox "have been open to exploring the market for potential contributors on the left side of the infield to help for the rest of 2013," writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com, who adds that the Sox are conducting their search despite possessing arguably more high-end third base and shortstop prospects than any team in baseball.

Between Will Middlebrooks, Xander Bogaerts and Garin Cecchini, that Sox have a plethora of talented infielders who could fill those spots long-term. That doesn't even include Jose Iglesias, whose overall production this season has been outstanding. Iglesias, however, has slumped of late, hitting just .205 without an extra base hit over his past 10 games. Given his minor league track record (.244/.296/.292 in 916 Triple-A plate appearances), it's fair to wonder whether or not he can sustain anything close to his current level of offensive output. Stephen Drew is also nearing a return, but his .233/.313/.409 batting line isn't what the Sox had hoped it would be.

Tim Dierkes recently examined the trade market for third basemen and the trade market for shortstops, and the cupboard is mostly bare in terms of short-term fixes. Michael Young could be a fit at third base if the team is looking strictly for help in 2013 (my own speculation), though his glove weighs down his trade value. Beyond that, most of the starters are controlled through at least the 2014 season. General manager Ben Cherington has already been active on the trade market recently, adding left-hander Matt Thornton in a trade with the White Sox.

Quick Hits: Shortstops, Indians, Hart, Papelbon

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The All-Star Futures Game demonstrated how strong the future of the shortstop position can be, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The World roster alone featured Xander Bogaerts of the Red Sox, Francisco Lindor of the Indians and Carlos Correa of the Astros, leaving the Cubs' Javier Baez out in the cold. (Addison Russell of the Athletics started for the U.S. team.) There has been a bit of a void at the position since the heyday of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra in the 1990s, Castrovince says. It's unclear whether the new group is good enough to yet again raise the bar for the position. "The more competition I have, the better it's going to make me," says Lindor. "I see Bogaerts got called up [to Triple-A], I see Correa's doing great, I see [Jurickson] Profar is in the big leagues, I see what Baez is doing, and I think that's awesome." Here are more notes from around baseball.

  • The Indians are 51-44 through the first half of the season, and their best path to improving at the trade deadline and staying near the top in the AL Central is improving their bullpen, Bud Shaw of the Plain Dealer writes. Upgrading their shaky rotation will be tricky, since they can't justify trading a top-notch prospect like Lindor, particularly not for a rental player. Upgrading their bullpen, rather than their rotation, would allow them to keep Lindor and pitching prospect Danny Salazar.
  • After having knee surgery, Corey Hart is now out for the season, and it's unclear what his future holds, reports Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel. He's a free agent this offseason, and he'd like to stay with the Brewers. Due to the injury, it likely won't take a large financial commitment for Milwaukee to keep him. "I’ve talked to my agent. This is my home – I’ve been them almost half my life," says Hart. "I’d like to continue as long as they’ll let me. This might have been the silver lining to let me stay here – maybe a lower salary with incentives helps my case."
  • The Red Sox appear unlikely to pursue Jonathan Papelbon of the Phillies as the trade deadline approaches, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. Abraham cites both Papelbon's recent performance and his salary. Papelbon has a 2.33 ERA, but his strikeout rate (8.0 K/9) has dipped substantially this year, and his velocity is down a bit as well. He's still an effective reliever overall, but there's little doubt that his contract, which will earn him $13MM per year through 2015 with a vesting option for 2016, is worrisome.
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