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.
Red Sox Tried To Re-Acquire Justin Masterson
The Red Sox tried to reacquire Justin Masterson before the July 31st trade deadline, according to the MLB Network's Peter Gammons on Twitter. The Indians, who obtained Masterson from Boston in the 2009 Victor Martinez deal, told the Red Sox 'no thanks.' Last night, Masterson pitched five strong innings and beat his former teammates, who are now 6.5 games out of a playoff spot.
For the season, Masterson has a 5.40 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9. With those numbers, Masterson could start for many teams (Masterson's numbers are eerily similar to those of Edwin Jackson). Still, it's likely that the Red Sox, who have a full stable of starters, had interest in bringing Masterson back as a reliever and spot starter. The 25-year-old has a clearly-defined role in Cleveland's rotation and he seems to enjoy the stability.
"It’s a good spot to be in," Masterson told MLBTR over the weekend. "It has given me a great opportunity to be a starter and hopefully be one of the integral parts here."
The sides didn't necessarily come close to a deal, even if Masterson's name came up in conversation. Cleveland controls his rights through 2014 and Masterson figures to be a part of the team's rotation for a while, so it's no surprise that the Indians weren't motivated to move him.
American League Team Claims Papelbon
An unknown American League team claimed Jonathan Papelbon, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Red Sox could trade Papelbon to the claiming club, but are unlikely to do so. Instead, they’ll likely pull their closer back from waivers and hold onto him.
Papelbon makes $9.35MM this season and will head to arbitration this winter. He will earn more than $10MM in next year and will hit free agency after 2011. Even though Papelbon appears headed for an eight-figure salary in 2010, the Red Sox don't necessarily have any interest in trading the four-time All-Star.
Teams often put players on waivers to determine interest even if they have no intention of making a deal. Papelbon has a 2.98 ERA with a career-low 7.7 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9. His 25 saves put him on track for a fifth consecutive 35-save campaign.
American League teams have the chance to claim AL players before NL teams. The Orioles have the league's worst record, so they currently have the top waiver claim. The Rays have the league's best record, so they pick last before National League teams get their chance. Click here for more on trading in August.
Mike Lowell Placed On Waivers
The Red Sox placed last night's hero, Mike Lowell, on waivers, according to ESPN.com's Jayson Stark. Lowell, who returned from a rehab assignment yesterday and promptly homered on the first pitch he saw, will not necessarily be traded. Still, he will likely clear waivers since $3.9MM remains on his 2010 contract. That's much more than teams want to commit to an infielder with ongoing hip issues, despite last night's home run.
However, the move could be a prelude to a trade. Since Lowell is likely to clear waivers, the Red Sox will presumably have the option to trade him to any MLB team. We'll know within a couple days whether a team claims Lowell and if no club makes a claim, the Red Sox will be free to deal.
At this point, Kevin Youkilis is hurt, so Lowell is a valuable piece for the banged-up Red Sox. If Youkilis returns to form and David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre are still healthy and hitting, the Red Sox could consider dealing Lowell. The Yankees, Rangers, Angels, Twins, Tigers and Blue Jays are among the teams that have reportedly shown interest in Lowell this year.
Here's our primer for August trades.
Odds & Ends: Waivers, Lowell, Taschner, Sale
Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run today off Shaun Marcum. A-Rod is now the seventh player in MLB history to reach the milestone; up next is Sammy Sosa at 609. Links for Wednesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- Players on the disabled list can't pass through waivers in August, reports ESPN's Buster Olney.
- The Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox nearly reached a deal on Friday that would've sent Mike Lowell to New York, Jarrod Saltalamacchia to Boston, and prospects to the Rangers, reports WEEI's Alex Speier. A Lowell deal with the Blue Jays had been discussed in April and June, but both potential trades were killed due to health concerns.
- Lefty Jack Taschner filed for free agency, according to MLB.com's transactions page. Taschner had been designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Friday.
- First-round pick Chris Sale will join the White Sox today as a reliever, reports Baseball America's Jim Callis, making the lefty the first to reach the bigs from the 2010 draft class.
- With Thomas Diamond's MLB debut yesterday, Joe Pawlikowski of FanGraphs looks at what's come of the DVD trio.
Daniels On Hamilton, Vlad, Lee, Scheppers
Rangers GM Jon Daniels chatted with ESPN readers yesterday afternoon. A few nuggets:
- Daniels explained that Josh Hamilton will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season, and "a lot can happen between now and then that could keep him in Texas beyond that point." Hamilton reportedly turned down a four-year, $24MM offer in 2009. Rangers president Nolan Ryan recently testified that Hamilton's salary could jump to $8-10MM in 2010 if he wins the MVP award.
- Daniels has let the agents for Vladimir Guerrero and Cliff Lee know he'd like to re-sign their clients, but he feels it's best to talk specifics in the offseason.
- It's "certainly possible" Tanner Scheppers will make his MLB debut this year, and Daniels says the Rangers "don't really make decisions based on service time." The 23-year-old righty sports a 3.76 ERA, 9.2 K/9, and 3.4 BB/9 in 52.6 Triple A innings this year.
- The Rangers were discussing Cristian Guzman with the Nationals prior to Ian Kinsler's injury; Daniels viewed Guzman as a luxury at that point.
- The expectation is that the Rangers will be able to announce the player to be named received from the Red Sox in the Jarrod Saltalamacchia deal shortly.
- Daniels has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave if the Rangers are sold to a group other than the one fronted by Chuck Greenberg, but he said yesterday that "leaving the Rangers is not remotely on my mind" and "I love it here."
Odds & Ends: Westbrook, Beltre, Oliver Perez
Eight years ago today, the Diamondbacks signed amateur free agent Carlos Gonzalez out of Venezuela. Two major trades later, CarGo is establishing himself as a star in Colorado. Links for Tuesday…
- ESPN's Jerry Crasnick runs through a slew of August trade candidates, including Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon, and Chone Figgins.
- The Padres originally intended to acquire Jake Westbrook for themselves, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wonders how teams will value Adrian Beltre on the free agent market this winter.
- The Mets won't try to convince Oliver Perez to accept a minor league assignment again, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. The Mets still don't plan on releasing Perez, preferring him to take a roster spot.
- The Braves released Willy Taveras from their Triple A club, according to the International League transactions page.
Odds & Ends: Lowell, Cardinals, Mets
On this date in 2001, the Cardinals acquired Woody Williams from the Padres for Ray Lankford. Lankford was useful for the rest of that season, but Williams went on to have an excellent Cardinals career. Links for Monday…
- WEEI's Alex Speier runs through Boston's options with Mike Lowell.
- SI's Jon Heyman lists 31 players he expects to clear waivers.
- The St. Louis Post-Dispatch gathers the opinions of many journalists on the deal that got the Cardinals Jake Westbrook but cost Ryan Ludwick.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post describes various types of deals the Mets could have considered.
- The Pirates are likely to cover $750K in bonuses for traded players, tweets Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They also chipped in $500K in the Octavio Dotel deal.
- Tom Krasovic gives background on pitching prospect Corey Kluber, who the Padres used to facilitate the deal for Ryan Ludwick.