Odds & Ends: Weeks, Cliff Lee, Cody Ross
Four years ago today, the Devil Rays traded Russell Branyan to the Padres for Evan Meek and a player to be named later (Dale Thayer). Meek would be taken from the Rays by the Pirates in the '07 Rule 5 draft but was designated for assignment the following May. Meek cleared waivers and the Rays rejected his return, taking cash considerations from the Bucs. This year, Meek represented the Pirates at the All-Star game. Today's links:
- Rickie Weeks chose Greg Genske of Legacy Sports as his new agent after his previous representative, Lon Babby, became president of the Phoenix Suns, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- A Mets official told ESPN's Adam Rubin the team won't be pursuing Cliff Lee in the offseason.
- Giants assistant GM Bobby Evans confirmed to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that they claimed Cody Ross in part to block him from going to the Padres.
- Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia talked to WEEI's Rob Bradford about why they signed long-term extensions. Youkilis knows he could've made more as a free agent after this season, but he points out that he's making more money than he ever thought he would. Youk believes players should go through arbitration at least once, as he did. For more on players who would've been eligible for free agency after this season had they not signed extensions, check out our August 16th article.
- Bradford's colleague Alex Speier looks at Boston's recent history of acquiring players despite being included in their no-trade clauses.
- Joe Posnanski explains that pitchers with Hall of Fame stuff getting beaten by injuries is the rule, not the exception.
Arbitration Eligibles: Boston Red Sox
A look at the Red Sox players who will be arbitration-eligible after the season…
- First time: Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Kevin Cash
- Second time: Hideki Okajima
- Third time: Jonathan Papelbon
Okajima stands a good chance of being non-tendered as the Sox try to revamp a portion of their bullpen. I expect Theo Epstein to shop him around in advance of the December 2nd non-tender deadline. As for Cash, Boston would probably non-tender him and try to re-sign him to a minor league deal if they want him back.
Ellsbury seems to be on thin ice in Boston, while Papelbon is having his worst season. Both players are trade candidates. It might be wise to wait for Ellsbury to rebuild value. Papelbon presents a tricky situation. He's still a useful reliever, and could return to greatness in 2011, but the cost may approach $12MM. The Red Sox have to decide whether to trade him, keep him, or even non-tender him.
Red Sox Claim Johnny Damon
9:36pm: Damon repeated after tonight's game that he's leaning toward staying in Detroit, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (Twitter links). Damon's gut and his teammates are telling him to stay in Detroit.
3:45pm: Damon hasn't decided whether he'd accept an assignment to Boston, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck, who notes that the outfielder has about 48 hours to make up his mind (Twitter link).
3:09pm: A no-trade clause does not necessarily give a player the right to prevent his team from handing him over on waivers, according to an MLB Players Association official who spoke to MLBTR this afternoon. In many cases, a player has a non-assignment clause that would prevent trades and waiver claims. However, not all players with no-trade clauses can prevent their teams from handing them over on waivers.
In other words, Damon's ability to prevent the Tigers from handing him to the Red Sox depends on the wording in his contract.
2:51pm: Damon told Ed Price of AOL FanHouse he's not inclined to go back to Boston (Twitter link).
2:28pm: The Red Sox claimed Johnny Damon off waivers from the Tigers, tweets SI's Jon Heyman. The next question is whether the Tigers will work out a trade with the Sox, dump Damon on them for nothing, or pull him back. Damon can veto a trade to the Red Sox. Of Damon's $8MM salary, about $1.8MM remains. Heyman opined earlier today that he believes the Tigers would let Damon go if a deal cannot be worked out.
Damon played for the Red Sox from 2002-05, but had an acrimonious departure and signed with the Yankees. The Red Sox would be getting a diminished version of Damon this time, but he'd still be useful with Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury currently on the disabled list. The Sox may have made the Damon claim to block the Rays or Yankees, but they know it is possible they end up with the player.
Damon, 36, predictably saw his power slip with the switch from Yankee Stadium to Comerica Park. He's hitting .270/.355/.409 on the season and has logged only 268 innings in the outfield. He profiles as a Type B free agent after the season, but an arbitration offer seems unlikely.
Lowell Still Likely To Retire After Season
Boston infielder Mike Lowell told reporters that he's still likely to retire after this season, writes Alex Speier of WEEI. Lowell first suggested that 2010 would be his final season back in April.
"I'm pretty much set in knowing what I'm going to do after this year," the four-time All-Star said. "It will be fun. It will be fun enjoying my kids."
Injuries caused Lowell to play just 47 games this season in which he hit .226/.305/.380 with four homers. That slash line is a far cry from his career posting of .279/.342/.465 across 13 big league seasons.
The 36-year-old has been involved in trade rumors since the last quarter of 2009 when he was nearly sent to Texas for catcher Max Ramirez. However, a torn radial collateral ligament in Lowell's right thumb caused the Rangers to get cold feet and back out of the swap. There's still a possibility the veteran could finish the year elsewhere as he cleared waivers in early August.
Lowell has earned roughly $76.5MM in his career thanks in large part to the three-year, $37.5MM contract he signed with Boston in November of 2007.
Odds & Ends: Heilman, Overbay, Delgado, Reds
As Nationals fans cross their fingers about Stephen Strasburg, here's some news from around the majors…
- Aaron Heilman is looking forward to his first taste of free agency, reports MLB.com's Andrew Pentis. Heilman said that he and his agent hadn't had any talks yet with the Diamondbacks about a new contract.
- Lyle Overbay thinks he has a chance of returning to the Blue Jays next season, writes Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Given the Overbay trade rumors we've been hearing all year, this would certainly be a surprise, especially since the Jays have given Adam Lind a few starts at first recently.
- Carlos Delgado has been placed on the seven-day disabled list by the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, reports Sportsnet New York's Ben Wagner (via Twitter). Delgado is experiencing soreness in his back and left hip, not his twice-operated on right hip. The slugger signed a minor league contract with Boston on August 7.
- Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News thinks the Reds should "make signing Bronson Arroyo a priority," implies that 2010 is Ramon Hernandez's last year in Cincinnati and gives some other opinions in a fan mailbag.
- Was Khalil Greene the biggest loss for the Rangers this season? Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News thinks so, given the team's ongoing depth problems.
- Ricky Nolasco's contract extension talks with the Marlins may be on hold. Josh Friedman and Craig Mish of The Ticket 790AM radio report (via Twitter) that the Florida right-hander may miss the rest of the season with a partially-torn meniscus.
- Dontrelle Willis has been promoted to Triple-A Fresno, and Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that Willis is a candidate to join the Giants when the rosters expand on September 1.
- LaTroy Hawkins will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, reports MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. It's unknown if the scope will reveal more severe damage, but Hawkins says he plans on pitching in 2011. Since signing a two-year, $7.5MM contract with Milwaukee last December, the injury-plagued Hawkins has made just 18 appearances for the Brewers, posting an 8.44 ERA.
Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Dobbs, Paulino, Hawpe
Links for Saturday, as Ubaldo Jimenez prepares for his third attempt at his 18th win….
- Alex Speier of WEEI spoke to Red Sox draftees Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman about their down to the wire negotiations.
- Greg Dobbs has cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Phillies designated Dobbs for assignment earlier this week.
- After sending Conor Jackson back to the disabled list, the Athletics could use another bat, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that the market for right-handed hitters is fairly thin.
- Despite being suspended 50 games for a drug policy violation, Ronny Paulino could be back with the Marlins next year, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
- As Jim Tracy tells Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post, Brad Hawpe's DFA doesn't mean the 31-year-old will never be a Rockie again.
- A few Reds who spoke to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon are hoping Dusty Baker will accept the team's extension offer.
- Recently-acquired Joe Saunders is excited about the future in Arizona, according to Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
Phillies Could Pursue Hawpe; Red Sox Unlikely
The Phillies could have interest in Brad Hawpe when he clears release waivers, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). A club official told Rosenthal that the Phillies will be a “maybe” on Monday or Tuesday once he can sign with any team.
The Red Sox, who were looking for a left-handed hitting first baseman before we learned that Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury were out for the season, will not likely pursue Hawpe, according to Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Hawpe has spent most of his career in right field, but has appeared in a handful of games at first base this year. He hasn't hit like a first baseman, as his .255/.343/.432 line shows.
MLBTR's Tim Dierkes suggested the White Sox and Rays could also have interest, before the Rockies released Hawpe.
Red Sox Sign Ibarra After Renegotiating Bonus
The Red Sox signed Adalberto Ibarra to a minor league deal with a considerably smaller bonus than expected after the catcher failed his physical, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. The Red Sox were set to sign Ibarra to a major league deal worth at least $3MM, but he failed his physical because of a relatively minor problem. Boston was no longer comfortable offering $3MM, so they signed Ibarra for $700-800K.
Both sides wanted to work out a deal, even after the failed physical. Ibarra, who defected from Cuba last year, has noteworthy bat speed and plate discipline.
Draft Pick Signings
Today's draft pick signing deadline passed at 11pm central time. This post contains notable signings outside of the first round, with the latest up top.
- The Padres signed sixth-rounder John Barbato for $1.4MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter).
- The Blue Jays signed fourth-rounder Sam Dyson for $600K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter).
- The Tigers signed second-rounder Drew Smyly for $1.1MM, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo (on Twitter).
- The D'Backs signed 14th-rounder Ty Linton for $1.25MM, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo.
- The A's signed second-rounder Yordy Cabrera for $1.25MM, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (via Twitter). The team has since confirmed the deal, but not its value.
- The Pirates have signed second-rounder Stetson Allie, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The 19-year-old, who plays third and pitches, had committed to the University of North Carolina. He gets a $2.25MM bonus, according to Hoynes (on Twitter).
- The D'Backs signed eighth-rounder Tyler Green for $750K, according to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America. The prep righty can hit 95 mph with his fastball.
- The Reds signed sixth-rounder Drew Cisco for $975K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.
- The Cardinals signed second-round right-hander Jordan Swagerty for $600-650K, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- The Giants signed second-rounder Jarrett Parker for $700K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. The 21-year-old outfielder set multiple single-season records at Virginia last year.
- The Mariners signed second-rounder Marcus Littlewood for $900K, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law (on Twitter). Here's Law's scouting report on the prep shortstop.
- The D'Backs agreed to sign sixth-round right-hander Blake Perry for $500K, according to Aaron Fitt of Baseball America.
- The Nationals agreed to sign 12th-round left-hander Robbie Ray for $799K, according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
- The Red Sox will sign Garin Cecchini, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The fourth-round pick was looking for about $1.35MM and Jim Callis of Baseball America reports (on Twitter) that he'll get $1.31MM.
- Eighth-rounder Alex Lavisky agreed to terms with the Indians on a $1MM bonus, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (on Twitter). The prep catcher is "a good athlete with arm strength," according to Baseball America.
- The Red Sox signed second-rounder Brandon Workman for $800K, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
- The Red Sox agreed to sign third-rounder Sean Coyle, a 5'8" shortstop, for $1.3MM, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America. That's more than $1MM more than MLB recommends for the 110 slot.
- The Dodgers signed 11th-rounder Joc Pederson, a prep outfielder, for $600K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. That quadruples MLB's recommended maximum. BA ranked Pederson #154 in their draft preview.
- The Rangers signed fifth-rounder Justin Grimm, a righty out of Georgia, for $825K plus incentives ($677K over slot), reports Baseball America's Aaron Fitt. BA ranked Grimm at #109 in their draft preiew.
- The Indians signed fourth-round pick Kyle Blair for $580K ($334K over slot), reports Baseball America's Jim Callis. Blair is a righty drafted out of the University of San Diego; BA ranked him 84th overall in their draft preview.
- The Royals signed second-round pick Brett Eibner and fifth-rounder Jason Adam, according to a press release. Baseball America's Jim Callis tweets that Eibner gets $1.25MM (almost $600K over slot), while Adam gets $800K ($629K over slot). Eibner is a center fielder and pitcher out of the University of Arkansas, and Adam is a righty drafted out of high school. Baseball America rated Eibner the 23rd-best player in the draft, calling him the "best two-way prospect" in the class. The Royals instead plan to use him as a center fielder.
Red Sox To Sign Anthony Ranaudo
The Red Sox agreed to terms with supplementary first rounder Anthony Ranaudo, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (Twitter link). Ranaudo gets a $2.55MM bonus, according to Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter), but not a major league deal, according to Speier (on Twitter).