Quick Hits: Hamels, Buchholz, Red Sox, Nationals
Earlier tonight, the Nationals' Bryce Harper became the first teenager to steal home since Ed Kirkpatrick did it for the Angels in 1964. Meanwhile, tonight's injury sustained by Jayson Werth could shift the youngster over to right field for the time being. Here are some links on this Sunday night..
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) believes that Cole Hamels can approach C.C. Sabathia's record $161MM deal if he reaches free agency. The Phillies haven't made much progress with Hamels on a new deal lately.
- If the Red Sox decide to send Clay Buchholz to the minors, the pitcher will first have to clear optional waivers, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. It's unlikely that Buchholz would be claimed, however, as optional waivers are revocable.
- The Nationals worked out pitcher David Ramos, the younger brother of catcher Wilson Ramos, earlier today, according to Mark Zuckerman of CSNwashington.com (via Twitter). Wilson caught for his brother as he threw 89-91 mph and GM Mike Rizzo was in attendance, tweets Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com.
Cafardo On Broxton, Phillies, Span, Orioles, White Sox
In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that Mariano Rivera is arguably the most important player in the American League East. The Yankees will look to in-house solutions in the back of their bullpen for now, but other teams in need of relievers will start combing the market for answers. The Cubs would obviously part with Carlos Marmol. The Pirates could move Joel Hanrahan, but the price would be steep. The White Sox might trade left-hander Matt Thornton and the Astros could be willing to deal Brett Myers.
Teams are looking to see whether the Mets would deal Bobby Parnell and whether the Royals move Jonathan Broxton. Kansas City, however, would need to receive his permission since he was signed as a free agent and otherwise couldn’t be moved until after June 15th. Here's more from Cafardo..
- Phillies people insist that they are not on the lookout for a third baseman/left fielder with Placido Polanco struggling. "We’re just trying to hold our heads above water until we get our guys back," a Phillies official told Cafardo.
- Twins center fielder Denard Span remains on the Nationals' radar, but with closer Drew Storen sidelined, a deal is on hold for a while.
- According to an Orioles source, they have received calls on Kevin Gregg and Matt Lindstrom. The O's would love to move part of Gregg's $5.8MM deal for 2012. Lindstrom, meanwhile, will earn $3.6MM with a $4MM option for 2013.
- The Astros will hang on to Wandy Rodriguez until late July when they can get the best possible deal for him.
- Even though White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is reaching the end of his contract and is 35, don’t be surprised if the club talks about keeping him for another year or two. Many in Chicago feel the mantle will be passed to Tyler Flowers, but Jerry Reinsdorf is very loyal to his veteran players.
- First baseman Derrek Lee is definitely on the Brewers’ radar with Mat Gamel out for the season. They’re thinking about moving Corey Hart from right field to first, but there may be outside options. The Red Sox’s Lars Anderson and the Orioles’ Mark Reynolds could be two names to consider.
- The Red Sox expect to have Andrew Bailey, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis, and Daisuke Matsuzaka back at some point this summer. General Manager Ben Cherington believes, "that would be better than anything we could do in a trade deadline deal."
Minors Moves: Montanez, Van Mil, Layne
Today's minor moves..
- The Phillies have released outfielder Luis Montanez from their Triple-A affiliate, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Montanez, 30, signed a minor league deal with the club in December after appearing in 36 games for the Cubs in 2011. The outfielder has struggled in 17 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, hitting just .136/.264/.159 in 53 plate appearances.
- The Indians have acquired minor league reliever Loek Van Mil from the Angels for future considerations, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter). Van Mil, best known for his 7-foot-1 stature, also played previously in the Twins organization, by whom he was originally signed.
- The Padres have acquired minor league left-hander Tom Layne from the Diamondbacks and assigned him to Triple-A Tucson, according to MiLB.com's transactions page. Arizona drafted the 27-year-old left-hander in 2007, but he has not appeared in the Majors to date.
Stark On Rays, Giants, Phillies, Ethier, Nationals
In today's column, Jayson Stark of ESPN.com put together his "All-Most-Immovable team" with help from front office executives from around the league. Predictable names such as Carl Crawford, Alfonso Soriano, and Barry Zito are on the list, but Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder also made the cut. Pujols wouldn't be a tough sell because of his slow start, according to one AL exec, but rather because of the money due to the slugger on the back end of the deal. Here's more from Stark..
- If the Rays and Giants shop for third basemen to replace Evan Longoria and Pablo Sandoval, they might not find many viable options. The only potentially available names Stark has heard are the Orioles' Mark Reynolds and the Twins' Danny Valencia. One exec said that the Rays are more likely to go after someone with versatility that they can slide into a different spot upon Longoria's return.
- The Phillies are also looking for a young third baseman and the club is working to put together a list of potential replacements for impending free agent Placido Polanco.
- While some execs say that they would be wary of giving Andre Ethier a sizable deal for fear that he is in salary-drive mode, others think that the Dodgers have no other choice. The cost of finding another right field, middle of the order bat will likely be just as high and alternatives such as Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher or Torii Hunter don't appear to be more trustworthy.
- A number of clubs are bearing down on the Astros, but reviews are mixed on Wandy Rodriguez thanks in large part to his contract. The pitcher will earn $10MM this year, $13MM in 2013, and can be bought out of his $13MM club option for 2014 with a $2.5MM payment.
- If Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore continue to look sharp, the Nationals might not be in the market for a center fielder.
- Stark asked a few executives if they'd roll the dice on Delmon Young as a relative free agent bargain next winter and the typical response was that they would not. Young avoided arbitration with the Tigers this winter by agreeing to a one-year, $6.75MM deal.
Olney On Dodgers, Hamels
The Dodgers should have the financial flexibility to pursue trades aggressively this summer, and there’s an expectation that the team’s payroll will rise next offseason, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney writes. The Dodgers’ new owners could pursue free agents such as Josh Hamilton, Miguel Montero and Mike Napoli next winter, assuming they’re willing to spend more than $90MM on payroll. Here’s more from Olney:
- The Dodgers’ front office will likely renew its interest in the market for Latin American players, Olney reports. The team was relatively inactive in Latin America under former owner Frank McCourt, but has a history of star-caliber Latin American players.
- The Phillies haven’t made recent progress with the representatives for Cole Hamels regarding a possible extension, Olney writes. The left-hander’s asking price won’t dip below five years and $112.5MM (Matt Cain’s contract) and seems to rise every day. Sources connected to the MLBPA believe Hamels will get six-year offers as a free agent.
Quick Hits: Abreu, Cespedes, Young, Phillies, Cook
Former first overall draft pick Tim Beckham has been suspended for 50 games, MLB announced. The shortstop, who had reached Triple-A in the Rays' system, is in violation of MLB's drug policy for the second time. "I take full responsibility for my actions and I will use this experience to refocus my commitment to baseball," he said in a statement released by the team. Here are more links from around the league…
- Bobby Abreu could make sense for the Orioles, opines Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Nick Johnson remains hitless on the season and Nolan Reimold recently left the team to have numbness and tingling in his fingers examined.
- An arbitration claim for breach of contract has been filed against Yoenis Cespedes of the Athletics reports Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes. Edgar Mercedes, who helped represent Cespedes during his free agency, is owed 17% of the outfielder's earnings but has not yet been paid.
- It's encouraging that MLB suspended Tigers outfielder Delmon Young following last week's incident in New York City, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports writes. Young's actions will cost him millions, Morosi explains. Before the incident I suggested a multiyear deal was within reach for Young if he had a strong season. It's definitely harder to imagine any team making a multiyear commitment today.
- The Phillies announced that they selected the contract of right-hander Brian Sanches from Lehigh Valley. Sanches takes the place of David Herndon on the team’s active roster.
- One agent suggested to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com that the Yankees might have interest in Aaron Cook if the Red Sox don’t make room for the right-hander on their roster by today (Twitter link). Cook can opt out of his deal with Boston if he’s not added to the roster today.
- There haven’t been recent talks between Mike Napoli and the Rangers or Miguel Montero and the Diamondbacks, Heyman tweets. Montero is looking for a four-year deal in the $52MM range and Napoli seeks more than that. Heyman suggests Napoli is more likely than Montero to sign an extension.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Quick Hits: Phillies, Inge, Yankees, Red Sox
The final game on tonight's docket is in progress as the Nationals face the Padres at Petco Park. Links for this evening..
- The Phillies had trade interest in Brandon Inge during spring training, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, it's not clear if the club still has an eye on Inge. The Orioles are also said to have some interest in the third baseman.
- Yankees GM Brian Cashman understands that he will have to take responsibility if the team's trade for Michael Pineda does not work out in the long term, tweets Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger. Pineda will miss the rest of the season as he recovers from arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
- Right now, the Red Sox's deal with Carl Crawford looks to be a disaster, writes Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. The outfielder is set to earn $142MM over the course of his seven-year pact.
NL East Notes: Jurrjens, Utley, Tejada, Wright
Here are some links from the NL East on the day Chipper Jones turns 40 and Jose Reyes returns to Citi Field…
- The Braves optioned right-hander Jair Jurrjens to Triple-A Gwinnett following a disappointing start against the Dodgers yesterday. The right-hander has a 9.37 ERA through four starts, so he's returning to the minors, where he last spent considerable time in 2007. Jurrjens' path to free agency could be affected if he spends two months or more in the minor leagues.
- Phillies manager Charlie Manuel hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing Chase Utley at first base when he's activated from the disabled list, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. If Utley returns before Ryan Howard, the Phillies could mix things up defensively. "We'll figure that out when we get there," Manuel said.
- Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada has the unenviable task of replacing Reyes, but as Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com shows, the 22-year-old has already earned the confidence of his team. Meanwhile, Tejada says Reyes was a "great teammate" in New York before signing a $106MM free agent contract with the Marlins this past offseason.
- Ken Davidoff of the New York Post suggests there's no rush to lock David Wright up long-term despite the third baseman's hot start. Davidoff points out that it's April and that Wright is under team control through 2013. If he's still hitting this well when summer trade talks begin in earnest, the Mets will face a major decision, but we aren't there yet.
Minor Moves: Rivera, Miller, Wolf, Thurston
Keeping track of the day's minor moves…
- The Red Sox signed catcher Mike Rivera, according to the Long Island Ducks' official website. Rivera had been playing with the independent team after being released by the Brewers during Spring Training. The 35-year-old catcher has 605 plate appearances over nine Major League seasons, mostly with Milwaukee.
- The Rangers released Justin Miller, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest tweets. The right-hander has a partial tear of his right UCL.
- The Orioles released right-hander Ross Wolf, MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli tweets. Wolf, 29, posted a 4.76 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 73 2/3 innings of relief for Houston's top affiliate last year.
- The Phillies released Joe Thurston, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Thurston signed with the Phillies last month after the Astros released him late in Spring Training. The 32-year-old has a .226/.305/.323 line in 384 MLB plate appearances with the Dodgers, Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals and Marlins. He has appeared in one MLB game since 2009.
Rosenthal On Halladay, Royals, Wandy
Roy Halladay is pitching differently this year, according to pitch f/x data and team officials who spoke to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Though Halladay remains effective, he’s relying on different weapons than the ones he used in the past. Here are Rosenthal’s latest rumors:
- The Royals have lost ten consecutive games, but GM Dayton Moore says it’s not always bad to scuffle. “I’m not shocked that we’re struggling out of the gate,” Moore told Rosenthal. “Although you expect good things to happen, we’re very young.” Rosenthal cites a scout who was “decidedly unimpressed” by the Royals’ play this weekend.
- Rosenthal suggests the Padres might be inclined to trade Carlos Quentin if he hits well once he returns from knee surgery in May. Rosenthal wonders if the Padres might look to sign Quentin to a two-year deal in the $18-20MM range if he has a decent season.
- Many teams are intimidated by Wandy Rodriguez’s contract, Rosenthal reports. The left-hander earns $10MM in 2012 and $13MM in 2013. The Astros hold a $13MM club option for 2014, but it becomes a player option if they trade him.
- Some executives were surprised the Reds committed $72.5MM to Brandon Phillips when some of their best prospects (Billy Hamilton and Didi Gregorius) are middle infielders.
- Adam Dunn looks more comfortable at the plate this year, one scout says.