Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Astros, Twins, Braves
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count Video up, so let's recap…
- Hunter Pence is getting expensive – he'll earn $6.9MM this year with two more arbitration years ahead of him – but Astros GM Ed Wade said that he wants to build around his young players, namely Pence, Brett Wallace, J.A. Happ, and Bud Norris. As much as they need to rebuild, it's unlikely that new owner Jim Crane will want to blow up the nucleus as his first act.
- If things don't turn around for the Twins, this could be the year that they become sellers. Jason Kubel, Michael Cuddyer, Jim Thome, Matt Capps, and Joe Nathan are all among the team's upcoming free agents, though some in the organization would like to see them re-sign Capps.
- The Braves' starting pitching depth could give them an advantage at the trade deadline. They could move a veteran like Derek Lowe or a younger starter because they have more arms on the way. Lowe is the perfect piece to dangle to a contender such as the Yankees, but Atlanta doesn't have an obvious need right now.
- Starting pitching depth is the Red Sox's one glaring weakness, and Rosenthal says an injury to one of their top five starters would leave the team "seriously unsettled."
Quick Hits: Astros, Lincecum, Yankees, Beltran
Sad news in baseball today, as the Blue Jays announced the passing of player development senior advisor Mel Queen and Harmon Killebrew announced that his esophageal cancer has developed to the point that doctors don't expect a cure. MLBTR extends its sincere condolences to Queen’s family and Killebrew and his family. Here are today's links…
- Astros manager Brad Mills was optimistic regarding the overall future of the organization after learning Drayton McLane Jr. had reached an agreement to sell the team to a group led by local businessman Jim Crane, according to Stephen Goff of Examiner.com.
- Tom Singer of MLB.com takes an entertaining look back at some deals that didn't happen, including a possible trade that would have sent Tim Lincecum to Toronto.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he would like to add a southpaw to his team. “I’m just not going to get one right now,” Cashman said. “And I don’t know if I’ll get one this summer.”
- Rosenthal says the Yankees shouldn't rush lefty Manny Banuelos to the Majors. "Let Manny become Manny … No sooner than 2012," Rosenthal writes.
- Matt Klaassen of FanGraphs examines Carlos Beltran's trade value and says "it is hard to imagine the Mets getting more than a couple of C prospects in return for Beltran if they send a few million dollars along."
McLane Agrees To Sell Astros To Jim Crane
It won't be long before the Astros have a new owner. After 19 years of ownership, Drayton McLane confirmed to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that he has agreed to sell the Astros to a group led by Houston businessman Jim Crane. Though the sides are finalizing details and it will take weeks for MLB to approve the pending sale, McLane is confident the deal will be completed.
"We have an understanding, and Jim's an honorable person, and I am, too," McLane said. "We have an overall agreement, but things come up."
McLane had been negotiating exclusively with Crane and the sides have agreed on a price, reportedly about $680MM. McLane hopes to make an announcement by the middle of next week. Houston attorney Kenny Friedman, the father of Rays executive Andrew Friedman, also had interest in buying the Astros.
Quick Hits: Sabathia, Cashman, Rzepczynski
Jason Vargas and Zach Britton both threw nine shutout innings in a remarkable pitcher's duel tonight in Baltimore. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the 12th, the Orioles came back to win the game in the bottom half of the inning on a bases-loaded single from J.J. Hardy.
Some news from around the majors…
- "The C.C. Sabathia opt out situation is sure to be messy," predicts Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog, but Axisa thinks Brian Cashman's upcoming contract negotiations with the Yankees "will be messier." Cashman is in the last year of his deal with New York and, as per club policy, the team won't discuss an extension in mid-season. There has been some speculation about Cashman's future in the Bronx given his disagreements with upper management about the Rafael Soriano and Derek Jeter signings last winter, but Axisa thinks those signings give Cashman the leverage in negotiations, "plus the fact that there’s no ready-made, in-house replacement available."
- As for Sabathia, Axisa thinks he will almost surely opt out of his contract, and the southpaw will look at Cliff Lee's five-year, $120MM deal with Philadelphia "as a starting point."
- The Blue Jays lost Scott Downs to free agency last winter, but as MLB.com's Arden Zwelling writes, Marc Rzepczynski has been a superb fit as Downs' replacement in Toronto's bullpen.
- Fangraphs' Reed MacPhail wonders why teams are still paying top-dollar for relief pitching.
- When the sale of the Astros to Jim Crane is finalized, Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle reports that former Houston Rockets president George Postolos will be the Astros' new CEO. Justice also speculates that Crane may try to get Andrew Friedman to return to his hometown to become the Astros' new GM, but it's extremely doubtful Friedman would leave Tampa Bay just to start another rebuilding process elsewhere.
- In his latest chat with fans, Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star would be "astounded" if the Royals didn't quickly pursue signing Eric Hosmer to a long-term extension, though it could be "a tough sell" given that Scott Boras is Hosmer's agent. Earlier today, Dutton's Star colleague Sam Mellinger, proposed a six-year, $25MM extension for Hosmer (with three option years and possibly $40MM more added on), though MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith pointed out that Hosmer and Boras would surely turn down such an offer.
Texas Notes: Figueroa, Inglett, Ryan
The latest on the Astros, as they shuffle their roster, plus an update on Nolan Ryan's responsibilities…
- The Astros announced that Nelson Figueroa and Joe Inglett cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A. Inglett accepted his minor league assignment last week, according to MLB.com, while Figueroa accepted his assignment today, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link).
- The Astros are scheduled to activate Jason Michaels from the 15-day DL before tonight's game in Houston.
- MLB appointed team president Nolan Ryan as the 'control' person of Rangers, according to Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Baseball’s owners approved the move, which makes Ryan accountable to MLB for operating the Rangers and following rules.
NL Central Notes: Pujols, Cubs, Ascanio, Hall
Tim provided updates on all six NL Central teams earlier in the day, but plenty more news is emerging from baseball's biggest division. Here's the latest, including a follow-up on Jose Ascanio…
- Though the Cardinals probably wish that Albert Pujols and Cubs GM Jim Hendry hadn’t exchanged a heavily scrutinized public hug, they aren’t overly concerned with it, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (on Twitter).
- The Pirates recalled Ascanio and placed Michael Crotta on the DL with right elbow inflammation, according to Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). The team had to decide whether to add Ascanio to the roster or risk losing him to another team, since he's out of options.
- As MLB.com's Brian McTaggart explains, the Astros will have to clear up roster space when Jeff Keppinger returns from the disabled list. Bill Hall could slide into a utility role, or the Astros could part ways with him. Including the buyout on next year’s mutual option, about $2.5MM remains on Hall’s deal.
NL Central Links: All Six Teams
The Cardinals lead the NL Central by one game over the Reds. A link for each of the six teams:
- The $680MM deal to sell the Astros to Jim Crane's group "could be completed as early as next week," report Zachary Levine and Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle. Ownership of the club could be tranferred to Crane "as early as July," they write. Crane is believed to prefer having an agreement in place before the June 6th draft, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- Pirates reliever Jose Ascanio's rehab period ends today, reports Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the team must decide whether to add the out of options righty to the 25-man roster or risk losing him to another team. The 26-year-old has been battling shoulder and elbow injuries, but MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch wrote Monday that adding him to the big league bullpen is the most likely move.
- You read yesterday about the hug heard 'round the Midwest, as Cubs GM Jim Hendry embraced Albert Pujols before the game at Wrigley. The hug means next to nothing; as CSN's Patrick Mooney points out, Hendry has tons of connections throughout the industry. Still, it can't hurt to note that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts shook hands with the free agent to be as well.
- Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has begun an "open-ended convalescence" in the words of Joe Strauss' source, as he recovers from shingles. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter says La Russa "will miss the rest of the team's current road trip and perhaps significantly more time."
- Despite allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings, Brewers offseason acquisition Shaun Marcum picked up his fourth win yesterday. Marcum is showing no ill effects from his springtime shoulder stiffness; his 4.17 K/BB ratio ranks sixth in the NL. With a strong season I can see him getting close to $10MM for 2012, his final arbitration year.
- Aroldis Chapman won't be sent to the minors to work out his issues, Reds manager Dusty Baker told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The hard-throwing lefty has allowed at least one run and two walks in each of his last three appearances.
Astros Sign Max Ramirez
The Astros signed catcher Max Ramirez to a minor league deal, according to Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle. Carlos Corporan broke a finger last week, further compromising the Astros' catching depth, explained Levine. Ramirez had been released by the Cubs on Friday. The 26-year-old had been claimed off waivers by the Cubs from the Red Sox, who claimed him from the Rangers.
Ramirez hit .286/.373/.381 in 226 plate appearances for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate last year, picking up another 85 PAs with the big club. He played 11 games for the Cubs' Triple-A team this year. Ramirez may still have potential with the bat, but he is considered a below-average defensive catcher.
Astros Notes: Crane, Pence, Draft
At 13-22, the Astros currently have the worst record in the National League. Baseball Prospectus continues to give them a 0.0% chance at the playoffs. The Astros have scored 4.2 runs per game, which ranks seventh in the league. However, their bullpen has the NL's worst ERA at 5.40. The starting pitching has been subpar as well at 4.81, though that ranking is largely due to J.A. Happ (5.75) and the recently-designated Nelson Figueroa (8.28 as a starter). On to today's notes…
- Only "a little fine-tuning" remains to complete the sale of the Astros to Jim Crane, reports Bob Allen of ABC 13 out of Houston. Allen expects the sale price to be around $680MM.
- I covered the Astros' 2012 contract issues last week; it will be interesting to see how the new ownership approaches the offseason. If Hunter Pence reaches 100 RBIs for the first time in his career, will he set a new third-time arbitration record for position players going year by year? Will the Astros be willing to pay him eight figures?
- Astros fans can look forward to the June 6th draft, in which the team picks 11th overall. Three Baseball America experts did a mock draft as if they were in charge of the teams, and Conor Glassey took Oklahoma high school righty Dylan Bundy for Houston after considering George Springer and Taylor Jungmann. Prior to the season, prospect gurus such as Keith Law, Kevin Goldstein, and BA all ranked the Astros' farm system 26th or worse among the 30 teams.
- MLBTR has all kinds of Astros-centric pages to check out: Facebook, Twitter, RSS, and forums.
Quick Hits: Pirates, Atchison, Astros
The Pirates are over .500 at 18-17. Here are some links for Monday night, as we wonder how long they can maintain a winning record…
- Pirates starters have been pitching well and manager Clint Hurdle tells MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch that pitching can be contagious, just like hitting. GM Neal Huntington has acquired two of his starters in the last year: James McDonald (trade) and Kevin Correia (free agency).
- As Jonathan Mayo explains at MLB.com, potential changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement could make drafted players more eager to sign. One scouting director expects to see a few more signings than usual in 2011.
- Red Sox reliever Scott Atchison was added to Boston's Triple-A roster after being optioned to the minors, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com (on Twitter). The Red Sox designated Atchison for assignment Friday in what was "a purely procedural move," according to Speier.
- Houston attorney Kenny Friedman told Stephen Goff of the Houston Examiner that he maintains interest in buying the Astros. Though Jim Crane now has an exclusive negotiating window during which he can buy the team, Friedman, the father of Rays executive Andrew Friedman, is working on his bid.