Stark On Clemens, Dodgers, Red Sox, Mauer
In his latest column, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes that Astros players have told their friends on other teams that they already think Roger Clemens' arrival in Houston is a done deal. An old friend of Clemens himself also told Stark that he is convinced The Rocket is gearing up for a big league comeback. Here's more from Stark..
- The Dodgers have $181.3MM committed to 17 players for next season, putting them at $3.3MM over the $178MM tax threshold. However, team president Stan Kasten says that he isn't terribly concerned about it. "I don't know. It's not something we've focused on yet," he said. "To us, that's a secondary issue. First, we want to put the best team on the field now and worry about other things later. We're not focusing on that yet." In the long term, Dodgers' brass wants to lean heavily on scouting and player development with a payroll close to what other teams in "similar markets" have, according to Kasten.
- The Red Sox are giving agents and other teams the vibe that they aren't in a rush to spend just because of their new found payroll space. People who have talked with Boston predict that they're more likely to make creative moves this offseason rather than eat an undesirable contract like that of a Joe Mauer or Cliff Lee.
- Speaking of Mauer one exec that checked in on him says trade talk surrounding the catcher lately is "garbage." As for Lee, Stark writes that he is also likely to stay as the Phillies made it clear earlier this year that they have no interest in moving him.
- Stark asked an AL scout and an NL scout about their thoughts on Dan Haren, who will be a free agent after the Angels buy out his final option year. Both said that while there are concerns about his velocity and his all-around stuff, he could be an intriguing one-year pickup at the right price.
- The scouts were also asked about Jeremy Guthrie and neither scout was terribly high on him. The NL scout pointed out his high volume of mistakes over the plate but said that he would install him in the back of a rotation on a one-year deal. The AL scout on the other hand said he would rather take his chances with Daisuke Matsuzaka or Haren.
Quick Hits: Hardy, Soriano, Rangers, Clemens
Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy admitted that Manny Machado's presence makes him wonder about his own future with the club, tweets Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. The veteran, who is under contract through 2014 for $7MM per season, says that he is focused on playing his best at shortstop and won't let the uncertainty hinder him. "Does it cross my mind? Yeah. I’m not going to lie. I was in the same situation in Milwaukee with Alcides Escobar coming up. I don’t know what’s going to happen," said Hardy. More Thursday night linkage..
- Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has gone from one of baseball's most overpaid players to one of its most underrated, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Cubs have one day to find a deal for Soriano if they hope to move him this season. Last week it was reported that Theo Epstein & Co. are unlikely to deal him this month.
- In his latest mailbag, a reader asked MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan if the Rangers made a mistake in extending Derek Holland before working out a deal with Matt Harrison. He writes that the club should have the financial flexibility to get both extensions done and can be expected to hammer something out with Harrison this winter. The left-hander will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.
- It's becoming more and more obvious by the day that the Astros and Roger Clemens are set for a reunion, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link). Rosenthal opines that the idea is embarrassing for both parties, but possibly worse on the team's end. Despite Clemens' tarnished reputation, he is still a well-liked figure in Houston who should serve as a strong gate attraction if he makes a return.
- After being cut loose by the Brewers just over a week ago, veteran Randy Wolf says that he is excited to hook on with a young Orioles squad, writes Kevin Cowherd of the Baltimore Sun. The Brewers are on the hook for most of his $9.5MM salary, with the O's covering the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.
Astros To Scout Clemens’ Next Start
The Astros plan to scout Roger Clemens' upcoming start for the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters on September 7th, General Manager Jeff Luhnow told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (story by Danny Knobler). Knobler writes that the strong speculation in baseball is that if Clemens pitches well, he will then pitch for the Astros five days later, on September 12 versus the Cubs.
The 50-year-old hurler last pitched in the majors in 2007 for the Yankees and can likely delay his Hall of Fame eligibility for another five years if he returns to the big leagues with Houston. While the Astros have been linked to Clemens recently, the Rangers and Royals are reportedly not interested in his services.
Quick Hits: Astros, Blue Jays, Yankees, Wolf, Appel
Blue Jays first round draft choice Marcus Stroman has been suspended for 50 games for violating the minor league drug prevention and treatment program, the team announced. Stroman, who obtained a $1.8MM bonus earlier in the summer, maintains that he “unknowingly ingested a banned stimulant that was in an over-the-counter supplement.” He wasn’t the only former first rounder suspended today. Josh Sale, who was selected 17th overall by the Rays in 2010, also obtained a 50-game suspension, according to Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter).
Here are Tuesday’s links…
- “We’re continuing to assess our list of candidates,” said Astros GM Jeff Luhnow to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart about the club's managerial search. “We need someone that’s going to be good at teaching, someone good at inspiring and basically working with the front office and help us achieve our goal of becoming as competitive as possible."
- The Yankees hadn’t placed Alex Rodriguez on waivers as of yesterday morning, Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reports. Though the Yankees would like to dump Rodriguez and the $114MM remaining on his contract for luxury tax purposes, Davidoff says A-Rod and the Yankees have a pretty good relationship these days.
- ESPN officially announced an eight-year extension for the rights to broadcast MLB games. John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal reports that the deal is worth $700MM per year for a total of $5.6 billion. The deal also covers digital, international and radio rights.
- Four teams showed interest in Randy Wolf when he hit the free agent market, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Athletics were one of the teams with serious interest in Wolf before he agreed to sign with the Orioles, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (on Twitter).
- ESPN.com's Keith Law previews the 2013 amateur draft class, suggesting it projects as one of the weakest in years. Mark Appel, the Pirates' first round selection in 2012, projects as a top talent for 2013 along with college right-hander Ryne Stanek.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Clemens, Plouffe, Drew, Ortiz
On this date 20 years ago the Mets sent right-hander David Cone to the Blue Jays for 24-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent. Cone helped Toronto win the first of two consecutive World Series titles and Kent went on to become a borderline Hall of Famer (though he spent his most productive seasons in San Francisco). Here are today’s links as we await the next major trade of the 2012 season…
- Alan Blondin of the Houston Chronicle writes that Roger Clemens called his recent performance for the Sugar Land Skeeters a favor to Skeeters manager Gary Gaetti. Clemens told Blondin he doesn't have plans for further pitching performances, but cautioned, "That could change in a couple days."
- Twins general manager Terry Ryan feels that now is the time for Trevor Plouffe to step up and establish himself as the team's long-term answer at third base, writes Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN. Mackey quotes Ryan as saying Plouffe "[has] the rest of the year" to show the Twins that third base isn't a position they need to address.
- Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and general manager Kevin Towers told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that they don’t regret trading Stephen Drew to Oakland, even though Willie Bloomquist experienced a setback in his return from a back injury. “No. We wanted to see what [Jake] Elmore was capable of doing,” Towers said. “He’s held his own, I think, defensively out there.”
- David Ortiz, a free agent this offseason, wants to re-sign with the Red Sox, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. “This is what I know and this is something I want to be part of,” Ortiz said.
- The Athletics and Astros have improved their farm systems considerably in the last year, Jim Callis of Baseball America writes in this week’s edition of Ask BA.
- The Blue Jays should have publicly told the Red Sox that manager John Farrell is off-limits long ago, Shi Davidi writes at Sportsnet.ca. The Blue Jays have failed to limit speculation about the possibility of Farrell returning to Boston, Davidi writes. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has said the Blue Jays won’t announce an extension with Farrell, even if the sides agree to one.
Steve Adams contributed to this post.
Yankees Acquire Steve Pearce
The Yankees have acquired Steve Pearce from the Astros for cash considerations, the teams announced. Pearce, who played for the Yankees' Triple-A team earlier this year, will provide New York with a right-handed bat for the final month of the season.
Pearce, 29, has a career line of .277/.347/.484 against left-handed pitching. The Giants were also eyeing him as a possible platoon bat, but they appear to have let him pass through waivers (they would have had waiver priority over all American League teams, including New York).
It's been a busy year for Pearce, who signed with the Yankees in Spring Training after being released by the Twins. The Orioles purchased Pearce from New York in June, and the Astros claimed him off of waivers the following month.
The Astros announced that they recalled outfielder Jimmy Paredes from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a related move. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported that the sides were nearing a deal (Twitter link).
Outrighted To Triple-A: Lalli, Galarraga
The latest outright assignments from around MLB…
- The Cubs outrighted Blake Lalli to Triple-A Iowa, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. Chicago designated the catcher for assignment last week to create 40-man roster space for right-hander Miguel Socolovich. Lalli, who made his MLB debut this year, has a .257/.292/.392 line in 319 plate appearances at Iowa.
- The Astros outrighted Armando Galarraga to Triple-A Oklahoma City, according to MLB.com’s transactions page. The 30-year-old posted a 6.75 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 18 walks in 24 innings for Houston before being removed from the MLB roster five days ago.
Yankees Nearing Deal For Steve Pearce
The Yankees are nearing a deal that would send Steve Pearce from Houston to New York, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (on Twitter). Pearce, who played for the Yankees' Triple-A team earlier this year, would provide New York with a right-handed bat for the final month of the season.
This post was first published on August 27th, 2012.
Giants Interested In Steve Pearce
The Giants are interested in Astros outfielder Steve Pearce, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). San Francisco is in search of someone who handles left-handed pitching well and Pearce, who boasts a career .275/.345/.490 slash line against southpaws, fits the bill.
The Astros claimed the 29-year-old off waivers from the Orioles less than a month ago. A trade to the Giants would mean that Pearce has been with five clubs in 2012. He has been under contract with the Twins, Yankees, Orioles, and Astros all inside of this calendar year.
Astros Owner Open To Signing Clemens
Astros owner Jim Crane told Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports in Houston that he is open to the idea of signing 50-year old Roger Clemens. The Astros have not been contacted about signing Clemens this year, but they’re preparing for the possibility, Berman reports. The Astros were in attendance at a recent workout to watch Clemens, who signed with the independent Sugar Land Skeeters this week.
Crane said he doesn’t aim to set up a publicity stunt for the sake of selling a few extra tickets. He’d seek approval from MLB before completing a deal with Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner. Clemens already has a personal services contract with the Astros, Berman notes.