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Indians To Release Johnny Damon, Jeremy Accardo

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The Indians will release Johnny Damon and Jeremy Accardo today, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter). The club has one more day to make a move involving Derek Lowe.

The Indians removed Damon from their roster six days ago, after he posted a .222/.281/.329 batting line with four home runs in 224 plate appearances as a left fielder and designated hitter. The club designated Accardo for assignment five days ago after he posted a 4.58 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 26 appearances.

Damon hasn't heard if any contenders are interested in signing him, but he wants to keep playing, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter links). The Red Sox will pass on Lowe for now, Cafardo reports.

Quick Hits: Oswalt, Bourn, Hendry, Bay Area

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The Indians snapped an 11-game losing streak today with a 6-2 victory over the Twins.  The 11-game skid matched a franchise record, set four times previously in Tribe history.  Avoiding a new futility record is of small consolation to the Indians, who were in wild card contention before their streak and now can only look ahead to 2013.

Here's the latest from around the majors….

  • The Red Sox scouted Roy Oswalt and expressed interest in him earlier this season but they never made an offer, the veteran right-hander tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.  Oswalt also said that he didn't insist to pitch for a team close to his home in Mississippi, noting that he was "pretty close" to signing with the Dodgers before finally settling on a contract with the Rangers.
  • Michael Bourn "strikes out a lot and doesn't have a great on-base percentage.  He's going to be 30 years old, and guys his age do not get faster. I'd be careful," a scout tells Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  The Phillies have been rumored to be interested in signing Bourn as a free agent this winter, with the Nationals and Braves also in the mix for the center fielder.
  • Former Cubs GM Jim Hendry has embraced being a special-assignment scout for the Yankees, writes Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal.  Brian Cashman said that Hendry played key roles in the signing of first-round draft pick Ty Hensley and in the team's recent trade for Casey McGehee.
  • The dispute between the Athletics and the Giants over San Jose territorial rights "might be the most difficult decision in baseball history because of the circumstances," an MLB executive tells Yahoo Sports' Steve Henson.  The executive says there is some belief that the Giants could break protocol and sue the league if the A's are allowed to move.
  • Tom Krasovic of Inside The Padres thinks the Padres made a good move in extending Carlos Quentin and Huston Street, though wonders if either player can "stay healthy in a heated pennant race."

Heyman On Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox

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Ned Colletti says the Dodgers’ new ownership group has encouraged bold midseason deals, even if the moves require cash, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Though the Dodgers have no intention of being reckless, they won’t hesitate to make moves that improve their roster, as evidenced by their flurry of midseason additions and waiver claim on well-compensated left-hander Cliff Lee. Here are some highlights from Heyman’s article:

  • Though player salaries matter to any GM, they are not the most important variable in Los Angeles. "We're back to thinking about players in a baseball context," Colletti said. "Salary is part of the checklist. But it's not necessarily an obstacle."
  • The Dodgers attempted to trade for Lee after claiming him, making the Phillies multiple offers before being shut down quickly. The Phillies would only have considered trades if they got significant MLB players in return, plus complete salary relief.
  • Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says he intends to build around Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. "We feel like we have a better chance of being a championship club with those three guys at the top of the rotation," Amaro said.
  • The Dodgers inquired on Adrian Gonzalez, but "it takes two to make a deal," one Red Sox person told Heyman.

Olney On Buehrle, Reyes, Red Sox

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The Marlins expected about 25 percent more fans than they’ve drawn this year, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. The Marlins are averaging 28,406 fans per game, an improvement of more than 10,000 people per game that amounts to the largest increase in the game since last year. Here are more notes from Olney, starting in Miami…

  • Marlins president David Samson has said the team isn’t making financially motivated trades, but Olney suggests Miami will have to manage its money carefully to field a competitive team. This could include shedding the contracts of the team's best-paid players.
  • The Marlins will likely look to dump the contracts of players like Jose Reyes at some point in the coming years, and they won’t be offered much in return. The salaries of players like Reyes and Mark Buehrle are back-loaded and will soon spike, which will reduce interest from rival clubs. Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson and Heath Bell are among the other Marlins who have significant money remaining on their current contracts.
  • Olney points out that Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine has as much opportunity as any manager to shape his team. Valentine shouldn’t have accepted the job if he wanted more control than he’s getting, Olney writes.

AL East Notes: Valentine, Thome, Lowe

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The Orioles defeated the Mariners tonight to draw within a half game of one of the American League's Wild Card spots. In what most consider to be a shocking season, the second-place Orioles trail the Yankees by 5 1/2 games following New York's loss to the Tigers. Here are some links pertaining to the division…

  • "We are not making a change at manager," Red Sox principal owner John Henry told WEEI.com's Rob Bradford via email. Henry wrote that managers often get too much credit and also too little credit for what happens on the field.
  • WEEI's Alex Speier tweeted a quote from Red Sox GM Ben Cherington that echoed Henry's sentiment, though Cherington stopped short of saying how long Valentine's Boston tenure would last (Twitter links).
  • Orioles DH Jim Thome was told to refrain from baseball activities for 30 days, reports MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. With an early September return questionable at best, he may be more interested in coming back for another season, according to Ghiroli (Twitter links).
  • An Orioles team official told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com that the team doesn't have interest in Derek Lowe, who was recently DFA'ed by the Indians (Twitter link). Cleveland is said to be exploring trade options for Lowe.

Red Sox Acquire Danny Valencia From The Twins

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The Red Sox have acquired third baseman Danny Valencia from the Twins for minor league outfielder Jeremias Pineda, both teams have announced. Valencia will report to Triple-A Pawtucket while Pineda will report to the Gulf Coast League Twins.

Valencia has struggled this season hitting .198/.212/.310 in two tours with the Twins. He has also played 69 games for Triple-A Rochester batting .250/.289/.399. Valencia, originally selected by the Twins in the 19th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, had an impressive Major League rookie season in 2010 with a slash line of .311/.351/.448, but has seen his numbers drop steadily since. 

Pineda is a 21-year-old outfielder from the Dominican Republic who has never played above Rookie ball. Pineda, a switch-hitter, is leading the Gulf Coast League in batting (.421). Over his two professional seasons in the Red Sox organization, Pineda has a slash line of .321/.380/.423 in 70 games between the Dominican Summer League Red Sox and the GCL.

Quick Hits: Lee, Dodgers, Gonzalez, Twins

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Yesterday, I asked if the Phillies should let Cliff Lee and his hefty contract to go to the Dodgers after they were awarded claiming rights on him and nearly 68% of MLBTR readers voted yes.  In today's column, Buster Olney of ESPN.com talks with a high-ranking rival official who calls the decision a "no-brainer".  Even though Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has until 12pm CDT to move Lee, he maintains that the left-hander is staying put.  Here's more from around baseball..

Red Sox Notes: Gonzalez, Dodgers, Ellsbury

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Here's a look at the latest out of Fenway as the Red Sox get set to take on the Twins this afternoon..

  • The Dodgers inquired on first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and offered players that could help the Red Sox build for the future, but were ultimately rebuffed, according to Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe.  Shaughnessy believes that the Red Sox should have been more open to the idea of moving Gonzalez, who is hitting .301/.345/.443 with ten homers on the year.
  • Rather than focus on major offseason additions, John Tomase of the Boston Herald would like to see the Red Sox make wholesale changes to their roster.  Tomase points to the talks of a deal involving Jacoby Ellsbury and Josh Beckett with the Rangers as the type of trade that would make a dent.
  • David Ortiz is working to come back from a strained right Achilles injury but the slugger says that he won't rush back and put his career in jeopardy, writes Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald.  Ortiz will be eligible for free agency at the end of the year.
  • The Red Sox are in need of a serious turnaround but both Kelly Shoppach and Nick Punto saw their respective clubs pull it off in 2011, writes Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com.  Shoppach was a member of the Rays while Punto was with the Cardinals last season.

Cafardo On Bourn, Red Sox, Ellsbury, Youkilis

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In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe looks at players who are candidates to be put on waivers.  Big names (and contracts) such as Jayson Werth, Alfonso Soriano, and Vernon Wells top the list but, of course, being put on waivers hardly guarantees a player's exit from his respective team.  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • Michael Bourn could be a free agent target of the Phillies after dealing Shane Victorino. Other likely targets could be Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox, Denard Span of the Twins, or the Angels’ Peter Bourjos.  John Mayberry Jr. is getting a chance but the Phillies seek a dynamic player.
  • Ellsbury was upset that his name was included in trade rumors with the Rangers, according to a source.  Ellsbury is said to like playing for Bobby Valentine and the feeling is that he'd like to remain with the Red Sox.
  • The White Sox like Kevin Youkilis, but probably not enough to pick up his $13MM option for 2013, according to one club official.  The White Sox are content with him as a rental as they didn’t give up much to get him.
  • The Red Sox and Rangers discussed Ellsbury and others before the deadline but Josh Hamilton's name never came up in talks.
  • The Brewers' interest in catcher Kelly Shoppach was considerable after they had designated George Kottaras for assignment.  The Red Sox pushed fellow catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and will offer him around again if Ryan Lavarnway shows he can handle the staff and hits well.
  • The Astros could be the one and only managerial opening for the coming season, unless the Phillies part ways with Charlie Manuel.

Quick Hits: Mariners, D’Backs, Trades, 2013 Draft

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The Upton brothers made history tonight as both Justin and B.J. hit their 100th career home runs.  They become the sixth pair of brothers to each hit 100 Major League homers and the first to reach the plateau on the same evening.  Here are some more news items from around the majors as we head into the weekend…

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