Odds And Ends: Acta, Strasburg, Johnson
More links for the afternoon…
- Today's chat will begin in a little over an hour.
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says Manny Acta could become a bench coach for the Astros.
- Stephen Strasburg won the Golden Spikes Award as the nation's best amateur player, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.
- Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel says the Marlins should consider signing Josh Johnson to a four-year deal after the season.
- I'll be talking rumors at 6:15 CST tonight on 580 WCHS, so tune in then for some trade talk.
Astros Claim Chris Coste
The Astros claimed catcher Chris Coste off waivers after the Phillies released him, according to Scott Lauber of the Wilmington News Journal. Coste, 36, was hitting .245/.342/.382 in 45 games for the Phillies, with a pair of homers. The Phillies let the fan favorite go to make room for Raul Ibanez.
Indians Interested In Gobble, Not Ryan
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Indians are not interested in signing BJ Ryan even though they nearly signed him four years ago. Instead, Hoynes says the Indians are interested in Jimmy Gobble, who was just designated for assignment by the White Sox. If the Indians do acquire Gobble, Hoynes says the lefty would be assigned to AAA. Gobble allowed 14 hits and seven walks in 12 innings this season, striking out ten.
Alyson Footer of MLB.com also reports that Ed Wade said the Astros do not have any interest in signing Ryan, or Pedro Martinez for that matter.
Odds And Ends: Bedard, Astros, Marquis
Links for Tuesday morning…
- Be here at 2pm CST for this week's chat.
- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles controversial acquisition Lastings Milledge, who seems energized and motivated.
- It would be hard to argue with Amber Theoharis of MASN.com, who says the Orioles won the Erik Bedard deal since they acquired two All-Stars in George Sherrill and Adam Jones.
- As MLB.com's Christian Caple reports, Bedard will be on a 60 pitch limit as he returns to the hill tonight against his former team.
- Nomar Garciaparra told Mike McDermott of the Providence Journal that he didn't turn down $60MM from the Red Sox.
- Experts consider the Astros' system weak, but at least they have Bud Norris and Yorman Bazardo in Triple A, as Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- The Jason Marquis deal has worked out better-than-expected for the Rockies, but, as Dave Krieger of the Denver Post notes, the Rockies have made plenty of smart deals over the years.
Edes’ Latest: Giants, Teahen, Relievers
Currently standing atop the National League wildcard standings, the Giants are looking for a lefthanded bat to add to their lineup according to Gordon Edes of Yahoo Sports. He cites a major league executive who says that San Francisco has focused their efforts on three first baseman: Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche. Edes also says that the Giants have spoken to the Padres about a potential Jonathan Sanchez–Scott Hairston swap.
Let's round up the rest of Edes' rumors…
- Royals GM Dayton Moore has heard from multiple teams about Mark Teahen, including the Red Sox, Cubs, Angels and Giants.
- The Braves "might be inclined to take a look at" Jose Guillen. The Royals would love to discuss Yunel Escobar.
- We've heard this before, but if Boston moves a reliever, it will most likely be Takashi Saito.
- Padres' closer Heath Bell may command the most attention amongst relievers.
- The Astros are likely to hold on to LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde, barring a collapse before the trade deadline.
- The Blue Jays would love to move BJ Ryan, but are more likely to see interest in Jason Frasor and Scott Downs.
- Bronson Arroyo is back on the trade block.
Odds & Ends: Boras, Nationals, Bedard, White Sox, Giants, Astros
Some evening links for those of you who haven't checked out for the long holiday weekend yet.
- Billy Witz of the NY Times wrote about the relationship between the Dodgers and superagent Scott Boras.
- The Nationals have agreed to terms with five international players according to Bill Ladson. A formal announcement of the signings will come in a few days.
- Pete McElroy of MASNsports.com notes that the Nats have signed a pair of draft picks, including fourth rounder AJ Morris.
- Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times notes that Erik Bedard threw a 54-pitch simulated game today and will start on Tuesday. Teams will have just enough time to evaluate him before the trade deadline.
- Will Carroll tweets that the Giants and White Sox "want to make a deal quick." He later backs off a bit and says that the two teams won't necessarily made a trade with each other, but both are looking for good deals.
- Kiley McDaniel has a list of four international players the Astros have signed.
- Remember, you can get all your rumors instantly via MLBTR's Twitter feed.
International Free Agent Update: Friday
Some updates on teams' moves and strategies as the international signings continue:
- Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A's are focusing on Venezuela, rather than the Dominican Republic this year, since they believe prices are too high in the Dominican.
- In Derrick Goold's St. Louis Post Dispatch article, Cards GM John Mozeliak admits there's risk in signing a 16-year-old like Wagner Mateo to a bonus of $3.1MM, but says he's serious about being "more aggressive" in Latin America because the payoff can be huge.
- Kiley McDaniel of Baseball Prospectus says Yankees signee Gary Sanchez will start his pro career this year, unlike most international prospects.
- ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure Jr. reports that the Astros signed lefty Kirby Pena for $350k.
- Arangure Jr. reports that the Red Sox signed a second player named Alcantara, this time it's righty Mario Alcantara. He receives a $350k bonus.
Odds and Ends: Duran, Ichiro, Wright, Manny, Wilson
The Pirates are dominating the rumors lately, but there have been a few other noteworthy items:
- The Astros claimed infielder German Duran off unconditional waivers from the Rangers. Ken Rosenthal writes that Duran will be put on the DL and will end up in the minors.
- Though money is tight for many American franchises, SI reports that the earnings for the world's twenty richest non-American athletes are at an all-time high. Ichiro, with $22.5MM, is the only ballplayer on the list.
- David Wright shook off criticism from former Met John Franco, telling reporters that Franco "doesn't know what's going on" in the Mets clubhouse.
- Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the Dodgers prepared for the return of Manny Ramirez with a series of roster moves.
- And Colin Dunlap of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson apologized for remarks made yesterday that criticized the team's trading strategy.
Odds And Ends: Mariners, Webb, Donnelly
Some links for the afternoon…
- John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune says Greg Dobbs could be the answer for the Mariners at third base.
- Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times considers the possibility that the Mariners could deal Erik Bedard or Jarrod Washburn and still contend. He concludes that the team needs both pitchers to make the playoffs.
- Dayn Perry of FOX Sports looks at projected stats for a handful of trade candidates.
- Brandon Webb won't have to undergo shoulder surgery, according to MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Instead, he'll aim for a September return.
- Mike Aviles isn't so lucky. He'll miss the rest of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, according to MLB.com's Dick Kaegel
- Diamond Leung reports that Brendan Donnelly left the Astros organization to become a free agent.
- Tune in to 1570 WSCO in Green Bay at 5:05 CST as I'll be talking rumors.
Odds And Ends: Hinske, Pirates, Astros
Links for Tuesday…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post heard that Eric Hinske cleared waivers two weeks ago.This means the Mets, Yankees or any other team could have had him for the $800k remaining on his salary.
- Sherman believes the Pirates won the other trade they made today, acquiring Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan from the Nats.
- Tom Verducci of SI.com names his All-Star team and it's heavy on youth.
- Astros first rounder Jiovanni Mier told MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo that the pace of the game is noticeably faster in the pros.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz are making Ed Wade look smart.
- Just one month to go until the trade deadline, so be sure to follow MLBTR on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.