Quick Hits: Rhodes, Yankees, Villalona, Athletics
The A's announced that they have hired former MLB player and manager Phil Garner as a special advisor. The 62-year-old played for 16 seasons and managed for another 15. Here are the latest links from around MLB…
- Arthur Rhodes told B.J. Rains of FOXSportsMidwest.com that the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies all had interest in signing with him before he joined the Cardinals (Twitter link). The Phillies wanted the veteran lefty to pitch in the minors before adding him to the big league roster.
- "What you see is what you’re gonna get," said Yankees GM Brian Cashman to Dan Barbarisi of The Wall Street Journal (Twitter link). Cashman doesn't expect to make any waiver trades this month.
- The Associated Press (via ESPN Deportes) reports that former Giants prospect Angel Villalona is suing the team for $5MM, citing unlawful termination of his contract. Villalona, once ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the game by Baseball America, has not played since 2009 after being charged with murder in the Dominican Republic.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports argues that MLB needs a salary floor (a minimum payroll) because certain teams aren't going to spend any more than they have to. However, the players' union has traditionally opposed salary caps and floors.
- Ian Kennedy told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he would listen if the D’Backs approached him about a long-term deal.
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he didn't know Ron Roenicke before interviewing him for Milwaukee's managerial opening last fall. The new skipper has the Brewers in first place, four games ahead of the Cardinals.
- Joey Votto told Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer that superstars can be overrated in MLB, since they don't impact the game the way great players do in other sports. I highly recommend Daugherty's piece, in which Votto shows a strong understanding of the business of baseball.
- Tampa Bay, Arizona, Oakland, Miami and Washington are the five worst markets in MLB for Newsday's Ken Davidoff.
Draft Notes: Meo, Braves, Blue Jays
The latest draft signings, with the deadline for deals just four days away…
- Lou Nero of Octagon Sports reports that second rounder Anthony Meo has signed with the D'Backs (Twitter link). Meo obtained an above-slot bonus of $625K, according to Callis, who notes that MLB's recommended bonus was 580K (Twitter link).
- The Marlins have signed second rounder Adam Conley, a left-handed pitcher out of Washington State, for $625K, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (via Twitter).
- The Athletics have signed third rounder B.A. Vollmuth, a third baseman out of Southern Miss, for $304.2K, according to Callis (via Twitter).
- The Royals have signed fifth rounder Patrick Leonard, a high school outfielder from Texas, for $600K, writes Callis. It's the highest bonus awarded to a player outside the first four rounds this year, according to Callis. The MLB commissioner's office slot recommendation for that selection, No. 156 overall, is $161K.
- The Cubs have signed seventh-rounder Trevor Gretzky, a high school first baseman out of California, for $375K, according to Callis (on Twitter). Trevor is the son of hockey great Wayne Gretzky and was a San Diego State recruit.
- The Yankees have officially signed 25th round pick Adam Smith for $157.5K, according to Callis (on Twitter). The third baseman will be converted into a right-handed pitcher.
- The Braves signed 14th round pick Navery Moore for $400K, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The Vanderbilt right-hander can throw 92-96 mph and has now obtained the second-highest known bonus after the second round so far this year.
- The Blue Jays signed 17th rounder Brady Dragmire, according to Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter).
AL East Notes: Roberts, Lester, Nova
Curtis Granderson added to his MVP-caliber season with home run number 32 today and he now has a .276/.367/.584 line. He'll receive MVP consideration after the season, along with division rivals including Jose Bautista, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ben Zobrist. Here's the latest on the AL East…
- Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun asks a hypothetical question of Orioles fans: would you trade Brian Roberts for Adam Dunn? The deal, by the way, has not been been discussed by either side as far as Connolly has heard.
- Kirk Minihane of WEEI.com says Tim Lincecum and Clayton Kershaw are two of the only pitchers he'd trade straight up for Red Sox starter Jon Lester, considering the left-hander's age (27) and contract status (under team control through 2014).
- The Yankees thought about returning Ivan Nova to the minors last week, but GM Brian Cashman ultimately decided that the right-hander gives the Yankees a better chance to win than any alternative, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney.
Quick Hits: Tigers, Angels, Rhodes, Pirates
Ubaldo Jimenez makes his Cleveland debut tonight as the Indians look to gain more ground on the division leading Tigers. Here are today's links…
- Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello tell John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that they were pleased to see the Tigers extend the contracts of GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland.
- Former Angels scouting director Eddie Bane told Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that GM Tony Reagins fired him last winter because of a personality clash and because Reagins wasn't happy with the Angels' recent drafts. Bane, now a scout with the Tigers, drafted Garrett Richards, Mike Trout and Tyler Skaggs in 2009 and Tyler Chatwood in 2008.
- Aaron Rowand told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle that he has enjoyed his time in San Francisco, downplaying speculation that he would prefer to be in Chicago again.
- The Yankees have some interest in signing recently-released left-hander Arthur Rhodes to a minor league deal, according to George A. King III of the New York Post.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Pirates have improved this year, despite their recent skid. They aren't better than the Brewers or Cardinals, but they're better than they used to be.
Heyman On Reyes, Ortiz, Cole, Twins
The market for Jose Reyes should still be strong after the season, Jon Heyman writes at SI.com. MLB executives tell Heyman that the Giants, Cardinals, Tigers, Angels, Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees and Mets could be fits for the shortstop in terms of finances and positional need. Here are the rest of Heyman’s rumors…
- Yankees people suggest they’re unlikely to pursue Reyes and Red Sox people say they don’t expect to spend big on a position player this winter.
- The Red Sox haven’t discussed a new deal with David Ortiz, though they’re confident that they’ll be able to re-sign him after the season. Ortiz has expressed interest in a multiyear deal for a while, but the Red Sox don’t want to guarantee more than one year.
- First overall draft pick Gerrit Cole is looking to approach Stephen Strasburg’s $15.1MM bonus and top Mariners pick Danny Hultzen is looking for $13MM plus money for school, Heyman reports. Keep track of which top picks have signed here.
- The Twins appear to want to keep Joe Nathan when he hits free agency after the season, but they’ll probably let Matt Capps sign elsewhere.
Draft Notes: Mariners, D’Backs, Jays, Marlins, Tigers
We're less than a week away from the draft signing deadline, so here's the latest news on that front…
- The Mariners have signed third rounder Carter Capps according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). Capps, a right-hander from Mount Olive, was taken with the compensation pick the Mariners received for failing to sign 2010 third rounder Ryne Stanek, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 121st overall pick is $243K.
- The Mariners have also signed 19th rounder Luke Guarnaccia, reports Baker (Twitter links). Baker notes that Seattle has not yet signed their first, second, third, or fifth round picks.
- MLBTR's Tim Dierkes reports (on Twitter) that the Diamondbacks and seventh rounder Ben Roberts are currently "miles apart" in negotiations. Roberts is a high school outfielder from the baseball hotbed known as Missoula, Montana.
- The Blue Jays have signed fourth rounder Tom Robson for $325K accoridng to ESPN's Keith Law (on Twitter). Baseball America's Jim Callis says he received a $325K bonus (on Twitter). Robson is a high school right-hander from British Columbia, and MLB's slot recommendation for the 139th pick is $189K.
- Aaron Fitt and Jim Callis of Baseball America report that the Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh rounder Ryan Rieger on a $200K bonus (Twitter links). Rieger, a first baseman, was committed to Long Beach State after attending the Junior College of the Sequoias.
- The Tigers announced on their Twitter feed that they have agreed to terms with second round pick James McCann. The catcher from the University of Arkansas was Detroit's top selection after they surrendered their first rounder to sign Victor Martinez. MLB's slot recommendation for the 76th overall pick is about $478K, but Baseball America's Jim Callis says he signed for approximately $558K (Twitter link).
- The Yankees have agreed to terms on a $157K bonus with 25th rounder Adam Smith reports Kendall Rogers of Perfect Game USA (on Twitter). Smith played third base and pitched at Texas A&M, and Rogers describes him as "hard-throwing, but raw." He will sign tomorrow.
- The Indians have signed 41st rounder Brian Ruiz, they announced in a press release. Ruiz is a hometown kid, a high school outfielder from Cleveland.
- The Nationals are not expected to sign 15th round pick Zach Houchins according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. Houchins, a junior college shortstop from North Carolina, says the team has not contacted him since June, after he posted what were considered racist and homophobic remarks on Twitter.
Rosenthal On Tigers, Pirates, Kipnis, Mayberry
Arizona GM Kevin Towers tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that he believes a big part of the D’Backs’ turnaround comes from his team’s “will to win.” Here are more of Rosenthal’s notes from around MLB:
- Rosenthal says it’s doubtful that the Tigers would be better off without GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland.
- Will the Pirates extend GM Neal Huntington? Rival executives say the Pirates’ farm system isn’t as good as Pittsburgh executives think, but the club took a step forward under Huntington this year (especially before the Pirates’ recent losing streak).
- Indians officials have been impressed with Jason Kipnis’ versatility and athleticism, not just his recent power surge.
- Rosenthal suggests Eduardo Nunez has substantial trade value, since he can play premium positions and hit (.273/.325/.407 line this year).
- Scouts see John Mayberry of the Phillies as a late bloomer like Jayson Werth or Michael Morse, Rosenthal reports.
East Notes: Ortiz, McGowan, Rhodes, Uggla
As if Joe DiMaggio didn't have enough honors already, the U.S. Postal Service plans to sell a DiMaggio stamp in 2012, along with stamps bearing the likenesses of three other yet-to-be-announced baseball superstars. A fitting tribute to a legend of the game….or a subtle way of trying to jinx Dan Uggla? If it was the latter, the jinx didn't work, as Uggla extended his hitting streak to 29 games tonight.
Here's some more on Uggla, DiMaggio's old team and the other eastern franchises….
- David Ortiz has been upset about the lack of contract talks between he and the Red Sox, but Fangraphs' Steve Slowinski argues that if negotiations had begun, Ortiz might not liked what he would've heard. "Which would you prefer: a star player that’s mildly hurt you won’t talk about a new contract with him, or one that feels unappreciated and lowballed?" Slowinski asks.
- Dustin McGowan hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008, but the injury-plagued Blue Jays right-hander hopes to finally return this September, reports MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm.
- Speaking of Blue Jays pitchers, Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi reports that Toronto has called up right-hander Henderson Alvarez. The 21-year-old will make his first Major League start for the Jays sometime this week.
- Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer suggests the Phillies should consider acquiring Arthur Rhodes to provide some left-handed bullpen depth.
- Uggla's hot streak has finally made him look like the player the Braves expected when they acquired him from Florida last winter, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
- The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo touches on a number of Red Sox-related topics in a fan mailbag, such as the likelihood of Jacoby Ellsbury signing a contract extension, how Josh Reddick has improved his trade value and if the Red Sox would get involved in the bidding for Jose Reyes this winter.
- The Yankees won't call up Jesus Montero for Tuesday's game with the Angels, reports Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. There had been speculation that Montero would soon be in pinstripes given the team's announcement that Jorge Posada would be relegated to a bench role.
- Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Bill Madden of the New York Daily News that while fans focus on the payroll gap between big-market and small-market clubs, "the real disparity, the disparity that's hurting baseball, is the disparity that no one sees — the amount of money being spent on scouting and player development." In a follow-up piece for the Baltimore Sun, Robbie Levin looks at how the O's have fallen behind their AL East rivals in developing Latin American talent.
- The Marlins have agreed to terms with seventh-round draft pick Ryan Rieger, reports Baseball America's Aaron Fitt. (Twitter link) Rieger, a first baseman, had committed to play for Long Beach State University next year.
New York Notes: Reyes, Wade, Posada, Pelfrey
The Mets have placed Jose Reyes on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain after examining the results of an MRI, the team announced. This break in Reyes' season won't be filled by contract talks, however, as Newsday's David Lennon tweets that Reyes and his agents still plan to wait until after the season to begin negotiations. Reyes' latest health issue isn't helping his reputation as an injury-prone player; as one unnamed Mets player tells Lennon (Twitter link), Reyes "is probably losing $100K a day on the DL," in regards to his next contract.
Here's the latest on the Mets and Yankees…
- Right-hander Cory Wade has been the Yankees' "secret weapon" since joining the club on a minor league deal in June, writes Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog.
- Another low-profile Yankee acquisition, Eric Chavez, has also paid off for the Bombers, writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.
- Rival executives say the Yankees lead the league in waiver claims, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter).
- As ESPN.com’s Buster Olney points out (on Twitter), the Yankees could use a second left-hander out of the bullpen in October. It won’t be surprising if they consider Arthur Rhodes, who will officially hit free agency later this week.
- Jorge Posada will have to choose between a bench role and asking for his release, according to Olney, who says the Yankees won’t cut him (Twitter link).
- The Mets intend to tender Mike Pelfrey a contract this winter, according to Newsday’s David Lennon. The right-hander earns $3.925MM now and could earn over $6MM in 2012.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
Yankees Release J.C. Romero
The Yankees released J.C. Romero at his request, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The 35-year-old has a 2.21 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 17 minor league appearances this year.
It's been a busy year for the left-hander, who started the season in Philadelphia, where he posted a 3.86 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings. The Phillies released him in June and he signed with the Nationals within a week. The Yankees signed him in July, soon after the Nationals released him.