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New York Notes: Minaya, Montero, Alderson

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Here are a few items of note coming out of the Big Apple as the Mets face the Pirates in Pittsburgh:

  • The Mets were just one game under .500 entering Saturday night's game, and the team has played surprisingly well with an unheralded cast largely assembled by former GM Omar Minaya, writes Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
  • Jesus Montero, the Yankees' touted catching prospect, was out of the lineup for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tonight but not because he was called up to the big leagues, according to Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger (Twitter links).
  • In the wake of Phil Hughes' DL stint and Joba Chamberlain's season-ending injury, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes that the Yanks should handle top arms Manuel Banuelos and Dellin Betances differently.
  • Within the same piece, Madden writes that the Mets appear to be taking a long-term approach to restocking the organization under new GM Sandy Alderson, as evidenced by their selection of prep outfielder Brandon Nimmo with the No. 13 pick in the Draft.

Yankees Links: Joba, Prospects, Relievers

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The Yankees were just swept by the Red Sox at home for the second time this season, the first time that's happened since 1912. The Yankees were still the Highlanders back then. That qualifies as a crisis in the Big Apple, so let's round up the latest links…

  • Joba Chamberlain will undergo Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his right pitching elbow next week, according to Danny Knobler of CBS Sports (on Twitter).
  • Joel Sherman of The New York Post says the Yankees need to move their young prospects along more aggressively, particularly pitchers like Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, and Hector Noesi to help shore up an injury-depleted bullpen. GM Brian Cashman, however, said yesterday that the team will not rush their top arms no matter what.
  • Earlier today we heard that prospect Kevin Whelan could be an option for the bullpen. He's pitching well in Triple-A and was part of the trade that sent Gary Sheffield to the Tigers a few years ago.
  • In a separate column, Sherman explains that while there should be plenty of right-handed relievers available on the trade market, the history of those guys performing in new surroundings is not good.
  • We also heard that Cashman told SI.com's Jon Heyman that he doesn't see an ace-caliber starter on the trade market.

Olney On Yankees, A’s, Moustakas

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The Yankees have lost reliever after reliever to the disabled list this year, but that doesn’t mean they’re about to rush top pitching prospects like Manny Banuelos to the Bronx. GM Brian Cashman told ESPN.com’s Buster Olney that he’ll try to strengthen the team’s bullpen in other ways. Here are the rest of Olney's rumors:

  • Triple-A reliever Kevin Whelan could be an option for the Yankees, who have a depleted bullpen instead of the dominant one they expected after the offseason.
  • Olney says turnover was inevitable for the A’s “because the franchise continues to rot day by day.” Oakland’s ballpark situation remains unclear and Olney says the franchise will continue to “rot” until there’s resolution on that front.
  • Royals GM Dayton Moore told Olney that the time is right for top prospect Mike Moustakas to play in the big leagues. “Ned [Yost, the manager] wanted to get another bat in here, and our people feel like he's ready," Moore said. Moustakas has a .287/.347/.498 line with ten homers at Triple-A and he still has enough time to pick up a few hundred MLB plate appearances this year.

Heyman On Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, D’Backs

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In the aftermath of Bob Geren’s dismissal, Jon Heyman of SI.com lists a handful of managers with suspect job security. Though 2011 probably won’t be a big year for managerial firings, Jim Riggleman of the Nationals and Edwin Rodriguez of the Marlins are on Heyman’s list. Here are the rest of his rumors:

  • Geren had "lost" the Athletics' clubhouse, according to people with Oakland ties.
  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman doesn’t expect elite starting pitching to be available this summer. "I just don't see a No. 1 pitcher you can pinpoint,'' Cashman said. 
  • The Yankees will look for starting pitching and left-handed relief. 
  • The Red Sox will also be looking to add a southpaw to their ‘pen.
  • Boston people expect top prospect Jose Iglesias to prove himself as the shortstop of the future and people don’t expect the Red Sox to “make a play” for Jose Reyes.
  • Competing executives say the Twins will “do what’s right” for the organization this summer, even if that means trading Major Leaguers for prospects. Watch out for the last-place Twins, who have won seven of eight.
  • Executives say the D’Backs, Padres, Pirates, Rays and Red Sox had strong drafts.

Orioles, Nationals Interested In Bill Hall

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For a player that hit .224/.272/.340 before being released by the Astros, Bill Hall is drawing quite a bit of interest. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that both the Orioles and Nationals have interest in Hall, and he mentions that the Yankees could get in the mix as well.

Baltimore's interest stems from Brian Roberts' injury and uncertain status while Washington sees him as a super-utility player. It's unclear how that would work, since Jerry Hairston Jr. figures to return to that role once Ryan Zimmerman comes off the disabled list. Rosenthal says New York's level of interest is unclear, but they would presumably use him off the bench.

Hall, 31, will be collecting checks for the rest of his $3MM salary from Houston, less the pro-rated portion of the league minimum that his new team (whoever that ends up being) will pay him. Despite his ugly showing with the Astros, Hall did hit .247/.316/.456 with 18 homers for the Red Sox just last year, and he can play pretty much any position on the field.

Draft Notes: Appel, Brooks, Bichette

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On this date two years ago, the Nationals selected the most heavily-hyped amateur pitcher in history with the first pick of the amateur draft: San Diego State right-hander Stephen Strasburg. Since the '09 draft, Strasburg has signed a $15.1MM contract, posted a 2.91 ERA in an electrifying rookie season and had Tommy John surgery. Here are some draft-related links for Thursday…

  • The draft is officially over, so MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo is already looking ahead to 2012, when Stanford right-hander Mark Appel could be the first overall selection. 
  • The Royals agreed to terms with ninth round pick Aaron Brooks last night, MLBTR has learned. The right-handed pitcher led the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes in a number of categories and finished third in the NCAA in BB/9.
  • Conor Glassey and John Manuel analyze each team's picks and approach at Baseball America. 
  • Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said supplemental first rounder Dante Bichette Jr. isn't overly pampered, though he has family ties to the game, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News. "He is a worker," Oppenheimer said. "His regimen, his schedule, his routine, from the way he eats to the yoga to spending time at the gym to hitting. It’s second to none.” Bichette’s father made four All-Star teams with the Rockies.

Olney On Padres, Wood, Pirates

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Teams like the Yankees, Rangers and Cardinals may not have to wait much longer for bullpen help. There will probably be relievers available immediately, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest on the relief market and other notes from Olney:

  • The industry-wide expectation is that the Padres will trade Heath Bell soon.
  • Executives wonder if the Padres will decide to take advantage of Mike Adams' substantial trade value and trade him now. The setup man is under team control through 2012.
  • Rival teams will presumably call the Cubs to see if Kerry Wood would accept a trade. The right-hander signed a discounted $1.5MM contract last offseason because he wanted to return to Chicago.
  • Grant Balfour, Luke Gregerson and Michael Wuertz are other possible trade candidates, according to Olney.
  • Though the Pirates have developed more top talent under Neal Huntington, it’s an important year for the GM, who doesn’t have a contract after 2011. The Pirates drafted aggressively once again this year, so Huntington and his scouting staff will have a number of tough signs this summer, such as high schooler Josh Bell.

New York Notes: Posada, Reyes, Citi Field

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As Paul McCartney gets ready to make his debut at the new Yankee Stadium, here's the latest news from the Big Apple…

  • The Yankees "don't want to release [Jorge Posada] at all," but they may be forced into such a move if Posada's hitting doesn't pick up by the All-Star Break, writes ESPNNewYork.com's Ian O'Connor.  For now, there is no talk of a Posada release since the club wants to keep him on the roster until Derek Jeter reaches the 3000-hit plateau.  Of course, baseball is the last thing on Posada's mind today as his 11-year-old son underwent his latest surgery to attempt to correct a birth defect in his skull.  We at MLBTR send our best wishes to the entire Posada family.
  • Can the Mets afford the fan backlash that will come from trading Jose Reyes?  Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal asks the question, and also gets this interesting quote from author Vince Gennaro: "The odds that this is the new [Reyes] and that he's going to have a five-year run that even remotely resembles this are miniscule….But that's not where the fan base is going to come from. They're going to look at this as one more sign, if he gets dealt, of a lack of commitment by ownership."
  • The Mets may explore moving in the fences at Citi Field this winter, reports Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com.  “There’s always going to be a preferred class, whether it’s pitchers or hitters, in situations like this, but I want to make sure it’s a fair ballpark,” said GM Sandy Alderson.
  • Tyler Clippard and Mark Melancon are two of the ex-Yankee relievers who are having fine seasons in 2011, writes Mike Axisa of the River Ave Blues blog. 

Yankees Claim Jeff Marquez

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The Yankees claimed pitcher Jeff Marquez off waivers from the White Sox, MLBTR has learned.  The 26-year-old righty had been designated for assignment by Chicago on Sunday.  The move will require the Yankees to open up a spot on the 40-man roster; Marquez will be in uniform for tonight's game against the Red Sox.

Marquez was drafted 41st overall by the Yankees in 2004 and was later traded to the White Sox as part of the Nick Swisher deal in November of 2008.  This year in nine Triple-A starts he posted a 3.97 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 in 47 2/3 innings.

Stark On Montero, Athletics, Phillies

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Teams may be able to trade draft picks as soon as next year, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. It also appears that owners and players are leaning toward adding a second Wild Card team in each league and having a one-game playoff between each league's two Wild Card teams to open the playoffs, according to Stark. Here are the rest of his rumors:

  • Though the Yankees never officially offered Jesus Montero to the Royals for Joakim Soria last year, executives around baseball are convinced GM Brian Cashman would have parted with the top catching prospect to acquire the Royals’ reliever.
  • Athletics manager Bob Geren is at “the top of the ‘First Manager to Get Fired’ charts,” according to Stark. The 27-34 A’s have lost their last seven games.
  • One rival scout tells Stark that Josh Willingham is the only Oakland player he’d recommend to his team. Scouts are bearing down on the A’s as possible sellers.
  • It’s highly unlikely that the Phillies consider trading Roy Oswalt or prospect Jonathan Singleton for a bat.
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