Cashman Doesn’t Foresee A Major Move
As MLB.com's Nathalie Alonso reports, Brian Cashman doesn't expect to make a major move before the trade deadline, since he likes the team he's assembled. He said he wants to see how the team looks once Jose Molina, Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte return from injuries.
"If we get everyone healthy and performing the way they are capable of here, there will be very little to do," Cashman said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try."
As Alonso points out, it's never safe to assume the Yankees won't make a big move. Not surprisingly, Cashman says the season will only be a success if the Yankees win.
Odds And Ends: Yankees, Cubs, Red Sox
More links for Thursday afternoon…
- Jorge Arangure of ESPN.com says the Yankees could make a "splash" on July 2nd, when the international signing period begins.
- Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe compares Brad Penny and A.J. Burnett. Kilgore says Burnett has an advantage, "but not an 82.5-to-5 edge." That's how much more Burnett signed for last offseason.
- A spokesman for Tom Ricketts says the family's deal to buy the Cubs is still on, according to the AP (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
- David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News has a gut feeling the Phillies will make a deal "in the very near future." He points out that Pat Gillick and scouting director Gordon Lakey are in Philadelphia.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers signed four more picks, including second rounder Cameron Garfield.
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Danny Knobler of CBS Sports heard that the Red Sox front office has wondered the same thing most of us have: how would this season look if Mark Teixeira had landed in Boston?
Jose Veras Designated For Assignment
Peter Abraham reports that the Yankees designated Jose Veras for assignment. The 28-year-old righty pitched to an ERA of 5.96 in in 25 games, allowing 37 baserunners and striking out 18 over the course of 25.2 innings.
Odds & Ends: Izzy, Baez, Nationals
Some links to peruse as you realize how lame it is when your favorite team has a scheduled off day…
- Joe Smith of The St. Petersburg Times spoke to agent Dan Horwits, who says his client Jason Isringhausen plans to come back and pitch in the big leagues again. Izzy will miss the rest of the year due to Tommy John surgery.
- The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec writes that the Orioles have a valuable trade chip in reliever Danys Baez.
- MLB.com's Bill Ladson reiterated that the Nationals are not going to bring Pedro Martinez or Tom Glavine aboard as players. The team would be interested in Glavine as a coach, though.
- Pete McElroy of of MASNsports.com lists the 16 draft picks the Nationals have signed.
- The Yankees signed catcher Buck Afenir as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas according to KUsports.com.
Cashman On Trade Market
Talking to Newsday's Arthur Staple, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discussed the team's approach toward the trade market. Cashman said that if the team fixes itself by getting Brian Bruney healthy and Chien-Ming Wang right, there may not be a need to make a deal. Bruney returns from the DL Tuesday, while Wang's last-chance start comes Wednesday against John Lannan and the Nationals. Seems odd to me to place so much emphasis on a single start.
Staple also learned that Cashman intends to talk to Hal Steinbrenner if he seeks approval to add to the payroll. I'd be surprised to see money become an impediment for a deadline acquisition.
What are the team's needs? The Yankees' rotation currently ranks 12th in the AL with a 4.98 ERA. The question is whether Cashman could come up with a starter who'd be definitively better than Phil Hughes. As for the pen, Ken Rosenthal wrote Friday that the Yanks have already expressed interest in Colorado closer Huston Street and "eventually will target the best available late-inning relievers." The Angels are also known to be eyeing Street, having lost Scot Shields for the season.
Odd & Ends: Penny, Reds, Nationals, Buchholz
The College World Series kicked off today, with Arkansas knocking off Cal State Fullerton in Game One of the double elimination event. Virginia is taking on LSU tonight. You can see the game on ESPN.
Anyway, here's some Saturday night linkage:
- The Angels have signed nine draft picks, including 48th overall pick Tyler Kehrer according to Mike DiGiovanna.
- Jon Heyman tweets that teams have called the Red Sox about Brad Penny, and even though the Dodgers are looking "they wouldn't take him back."
- John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer spoke to Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who said he's looked outside the organization for help, but "there’s not a lot going on right now." Jocketty also said that the team is not looking for a third baseman, despite reports.
- Chico Harlan of The Washington Post says that the Nationals signed righthander Trevor Holder, their third round pick, to a below slot bonus.
- Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz suffered a setback in his return from a right elbow injury according to Patrick Saunders, and could be out for the year. Could Buchholz's injury impact the Rockies' decision to move closer Huston Street if they maintain their current hot streak?
- The New York Times' Joe Brescia wrote about the Yankees and how they've used Mexico as a source of talent recently.
- Personal fave Chris Britton caught on with the independent York Revolution according to Jim Seip. The Padres released Britton last month after allowed 47 baserunners and had a 10.45 ERA in 20.2 IP between Double-A and Triple-A. (h/t Chad Jennings)
Yankees In On Sano?
You've heard the name plenty around these parts over the past few weeks. Miguel Angel Sano, a 16-year-old infield prospect from the Dominican Republic, has been linked to the Pirates, Indians, Orioles and Twins.
Now it appears the Yankees have jumped into the bidding. As ESPN The Magazine's Jorge Arangure reported through his Twitter account this afternoon, Brian Cashman and Co. believe they have a "50/50" chance of landing the phenom.
Odds & Ends: Sano, Jones, Draft, Fukumori
A bevy of links for your Saturday morning…
- Dennis Manoloff reports that the Indians intend to make an offer to uberprospect Miguel Angel Sano.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure tweets that the "Yankees have made it very clear that catcher Gary Sanchez is their top choice" on the international market. Last night we noted that the Yanks were going to work Sano out at their Dominican academy next week.
- Andruw Jones says he asked out of Dodger Blue because of the way owner Frank McCourt treated him, according to Dylan Hernandez.
- Frank Seravalli reports that Phillies are set to sign second round pick Kyle Dugan today. Dugan was Philadelphia's first selection in the draft after they forfeited their first rounder to sign Raul Ibanez.
- Kevin Goldstein wonders why Stephen Strasburg's impending megadeal is such a big deal. Meanwhile Michael Wilbon says "No way in the world I'd have taken Stephen Strasburg with the No. 1 pick in the draft," citing the risk. Show me a draft pick without risk, and I'll show you the three bridges in New York I have for sale.
- Patrick at NPB Tracker notes that the recently released Kazuo Fukumori is set to audition for his former team, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League.
Odds & Ends: Betemit, Greene, Sano, Draft
How do you guys feel about interleague play? I understand the problems in creates in terms of the unbalanced schedule, but the fan in me still loves it. Anyway, here's some evening links as rivalry weekend kicks off…
- Wilson Betemit has been outrighted to Triple-A according to Mark Gonzales of The Chicago Tribune. Betemit had been designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Gordon Beckham last week.
- Khalil Greene has returned to St. Louis not to play, but to "have his status re-evaluated" according to Derrick Goold. The Cards have been looking for middle infield help, and most recently have been connected to Miguel Tejada.
- Tyler Kepner notes that prospect Miguel Angel Sano will work out for the Yankees at their Dominican academy next Thursday. Here's the money quote from Sano's agent Rob Plummer: "I would say he has a Hanley Ramirez body and the possible upside of an Albert Pujols-type bat." Oh, is that all?
- Maury Brown notes that this week's amateur draft shattered MLB.com's traffic records.
- MLB.com's Todd Willis reports that the Rangers have signed six draft picks including Ruben Sierra Jr.
- The Blue Jays inked a nostalgic draft pick of their own, agreeing to terms with Tony Fernandez's son Jonathan according to Erika Gilbert.
Yankees Sell Linden To Japanese Team
Chad Jennings of The Scranton Times Tribune reports that the Yankees have sold outfielder Todd Linden to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League. Linden had been playing in Triple-A, where he hit .312-.381-.515 in 268 plate appearances. The Yanks agreed to the move after Linden had come to terms with his new Japanese club.
Linden is second player the Yankees have agreed to sell to the Golden Eagles within the last eight months. They received $1MM for the rights to RHP Darrell Rasner back in November,