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Central Notes: Greinke, Brewers, Pirates, Tigers

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Zack Greinke took the hill for the Brewers today against the Astros, but not for long.  The right-hander was tossed from the game after just four pitches when he spiked the ball following a close play at first base.  Milwaukee would go on to lose 6-3, but they weren't the only club disappointed by what took place.  Here's more on Greinke and other items out of the AL and NL Central..

  • Scouts for at least six contending teams were disappointed when Greinke was ejected, as it deprived them of seeing a pitcher of trade interest, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  Scouts from the Orioles, Rangers, Braves, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Blue Jays were all in Houston for the game.  However, it's possible that some of those teams had their eye on Wandy Rodriguez or were just taking part in regular coverage.  Earlier tonight, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports noted that the GMs of the O's and the Brewers have yet to talk about a Greinke deal.
  • Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (via Twitter) spoke with Indians and Rangers GM John Hart, who said he wouldn't be surprised if the Pirates "go all-in" to swing a deal before the deadline.
  • The Tigers should go after offense rather than pitching at the trade deadline, opines Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press.  He argues that Detroit can get by with their No. 2-5 starters but are in greater need of hitting.

Tigers Inquired On Darwin Barney

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The Tigers asked the Cubs about second baseman Darwin Barney a couple of weeks ago, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). However, talks didn't progress.

Tigers second basemen have combined for a .198/.272/.266 batting line, so it's no surprise that Dave Dombrowski's front office is looking into potentially available trade targets. No team in baseball has a worse OPS from the second base position in 2012.

Rival teams have asked about Barney, who has a .262/.307/.369 batting line in 302 plate appearances for the Cubs. The 26-year-old won't be arbitration eligible until after the 2013 season. The Tigers are also interested in Cubs right-hander Matt Garza, Morosi reported today.

Tigers Interested In Matt Garza

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The Tigers have interest in Matt Garza, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). The Cubs recently scouted Detroit's Erie affiliate, but talks are not serious. The Blue Jays, Indians, Reds, Red Sox, Diamondbacks and Cardinals all scouted Garza's start last night, Morosi adds.

The Cubs and Tigers discussed a deal involving Matt Garza this past January without reaching an agreement. Though the Tigers continue to get Cy Young-type production from Justin Verlander, starters Rick Porcello, Max Scherzer have been inconsistent so far this year.

Garza, 28, earns $9.5MM and will remain under team control through 2013. He has a 4.32 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 through 93 2.3 innings.

Outrighted: Young, Phillips, Farina

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The latest outright assignments from around MLB…

  • The Tigers outrighted Matt Young to Triple-A Toledo, the team announced (on Twitter). Detroit designated the utility player for assignment two days ago. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A Toledo, where he has played second base, center field and right field and posted a .251/.410/.342 batting line in 258 plate appearances.
  • The Orioles outrighted left-hander Zach Phillips to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter). Baltimore designated Phillips for assignment over the weekend to create roster space for Jim Thome.
  • The Blue Jays outrighted Alan Farina to their Dunedin affiliate earlier this month, according to the team's website.

Tigers Designate Matt Young For Assignment

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The Tigers announced that they designated utility player Matt Young for assignment (Twitter link). The move creates 40-man roster space for Darin Downs.

Young, 29, appeared in five games for the Tigers last month after signing with Detroit as a free agent in November of 2011. He has spent most of the season at Triple-A Toledo, where he has played second base, center field and right field and posted a .251/.410/.342 batting line in 258 plate appearances.

Quick Hits: Lee, Lino, Hamels, Trade Market

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Some links to sift through as your Monday night winds down…

Int’l Signings: Barrera, Cruz, Esteves, Gomez, Dodgers

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The 2012 international free agent signing period opened today and plenty of signings will be coming in as teams look to spend within their $2.9MM allotment.  We'll be keeping track of all of the day's major agreements under $1MM right here..

  • The Athletics are finalizing an agreement with Luis Barrera that would pay the Dominican outfielder $450K, tweets MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. Sanchez's colleague Jonathan Mayo ranked Barrera as the No. 13 prospect in this year's class.
  • Badler also adds that the Indians have signed Dominican shortstop Grofy Cruz for a bonus of $400K. Cruz is expected to shift to third base soon, and is praised by Badler for his strong arm and raw power.
  • Dominican third baseman Kelvin Esteves signed with the Braves for a $300K bonus, Badler writes. Badler praises Esteves' bat speed and raw power from the right side.
  • The Dodgers also signed Dominican shortstop Cristian Gomez to an undisclosed bonus, writes Badler. Gomez was widely expected to receive a low six-figure bonus.
  • The Dodgers issued a press release to announce four international signings: right-handers Lenix Osuna and William Soto, left-hander Victor Gonzalez, as well as catcher Julian Leon. Osuna is the son of former Dodgers righty Antonio Osuna. Soto hails from Venezuela while the other three were all signed out of Mexico. Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times tweets that the club spent about $1MM total on the four players.
  • The Mets, who earlier today signed shortstop Amed Rosario to a $1.75MM bonus, also signed Venezuelan shortstop Miguel Patino and Dominican second baseman Franklin Correa, tweets ESPN's Adam Rubin. Rubin also notes that Rosario's bonus is the highest the Mets have ever given to an international free agent. That honor had previously gone to Fernando Martinez ($1.3MM).

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Rosenthal On Pirates, Headley, Angels, Phillies

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In today's column, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes that the Pirates should go all in and trade for either Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke or Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels.  Rosenthal notes that the Bucs have the 11th-ranked farm system in the majors and enough young talent to pull off a trade without including Jameson Taillon or Gerrit Cole.  Pittsburgh's pitching has been strong this year and the team is currently focusing on boosting their offense, but finding a hitter who could make an impact on the level of Greinke or Hamels would be a challenge.  Here's more from Rosenthal..

  • The Padres are drawing serious interest in third baseman Chase Headley, but one rival exec wonders how could the team trade Headley without knowing the future of left fielder Carlos Quentin.  The club could potentially move both and replace Headley with top infield prospect Jedd Gyorko, but that would leave them flat offensively in 2013.
  • Some execs wonder if the Angels might try to add one of the elite starters on the block due to the recent struggles of Dan Haren and Ervin Santana.  The chances appear remote, however, as the Halos' farm system isn’t deep and sources say GM Jerry Dipoto is adamant about keeping right-hander Garrett Richards as a future low-cost option.
  • Even before the Phillies began calling teams about Cole Hamels, it was obvious that they wouldn't be buyers.  “Their scouts are not out there banging,” a rival exec said. “They’re usually out there banging by this time. They’re playing it more conservative.”
  • The GM carousel could pick up again this year.  The Rockies, Mariners, and Braves could all be compelled to make changes while the Dodgers and Padres are under new ownership.  Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is reportedly in the final year of his contract while the Padres’ Josh Byrnes has four years left.
  • Sellers should target teams who are under a great deal of pressure to win such as the Braves, Red Sox, Marlins, Tigers, and Angels.  The Yankees now work to take emotion out of the equation when surveying the trade market but they could feel added stress if they start to see another AL East club as a threat.
  • Giants outfielder Nate Schierholtz is out-of-options and could draw interest at the deadline.  Schierholtz is hitting .248/.314/.400 with three homers in 140 plate appearances.

Central Notes: Cubs, Tigers, Marcum, Twins

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The trade market is woefully thin in options, and one executive told Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) that there are "only six teams" that are ready to sell.  That includes three teams out of the Central divisions – the Cubs, Astros, and Twins plus the Mariners, A's, and Rockies.  Here's more out of the AL and NL Central..

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) notes that the Tigers‬ were interested in Shaun Marcum during the offseason that the Brewers landed him.  Marcum, he says, could be an option for Detroit if he's healthy.
  • If the Twins do wind up as sellers, General Manager Terry Ryan says that no player will be off the table, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN.  "I never consider anybody untouchable. That's not the way to go about business on a baseball team or organization," Ryan said. "If you've got chances to do things that make a lot of sense for your club there shouldn't be any untouchables. Players know that, agents know that, and so does the fan base."
  • When speaking with reporters today, Cubs‬ GM Jed Hoyer had no update on talks with first-round pick Albert Almora, except to say dialogue continues, tweets Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.  The high school outfielder is one of ten unsigned first-round selections in the 2012 draft.

Checking In On The Latest $100MM Contracts

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Every year a few players join baseball’s exclusive $100MM club with free agent deals and mega-extensions. Last offseason was no different — eight players signed nine figure deals. The contracts were all for five years or more, so it’s far too early to call them successes or failures. As the season approaches its halfway point, let’s check in on baseball’s newest $100MM contracts:

  • Albert Pujols, ten-year, $240MM contract - Pujols had a painfully slow start, but he has raised his batting line to a respectable .270/.332/.461. His last 40 games have been legitimately Pujols-like: 11 home runs and an OPS over 1.000.
  • Joey Votto, ten-year, $225MM extension - It's impossible to have a complete discussion about baseball's best hitters without considering Votto. The 28-year-old leads the National League in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, walks, doubles and wOBA, so this deal couldn't be going any better for the Reds.
  • Prince Fielder, nine-year, $214MM contract - Fielder continues to hit at an All-Star level, though he has a relatively modest total of 12 home runs. Unfortunately for Tigers fans Mike Ilitch's bold investment hasn't been enough to keep the team above .500.
  • Matt Kemp, eight-year, $160MM extension - Hamstring issues have sidelined Kemp, who was the best hitter in the National League for the first month of the season.
  • C.C. Sabathia, five-year, $122MM extension - Sabathia, now on the disabled list with a strained groin, is in the midst of yet another tremendous season. He has a 3.45 ERA with 8.8 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 107 innings.
  • Matt Cain, five-year, $112.5MM extension - Cain's enjoying his best season as a Major Leaguer. He has a career-best ERA (2.27), strikeout rate (9.0 K/9) and walk rate (1.9 BB/9) through 107 innings. The Giants' decision to invest in Cain still looks like a good one.
  • Jose Reyes, six-year, $106MM extension - Reyes' offensive numbers have dropped off across the board this year, no thanks to a 60 point dip in batting average on balls in play.
  • Ryan Zimmerman, six-year, $100MM extension - Zimmerman's off to a slow start at the plate despite two home runs in his past three games. He missed two weeks with shoulder soreness earlier in the year and has just a .235/.297/.350 batting line.
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