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Cardinals Sign Michael Wacha

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The Cardinals officially signed first-round draft pick Michael Wacha to a contract today.  Terms weren't announced, but Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported (on Twitter) that Wacha received a $1.9MM bonus, which matches MLB's recommendation for the 19th overall draft selection.  Wacha himself tweeted that he was flying to St. Louis for his physical on Wednesday. 

The Texas A&M right-hander was touted by Baseball America as one of the year's top draft-eligible college pitchers. Wacha's repertoire includes the best changeup in the draft and a fastball that sits in the 90-93 mph range, according to the publication.

Cardinals Agree To Sign Carson Kelly

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The Cardinals have agreed to sign second-round pick Carson Kelly to a $1.6MM bonus, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (Twitter link).  Kelly's bonus is almost triple the recommended $574.3K bonus for the 86th overall pick and, as Callis notes, is the highest any team has gone over a slot price to sign a pick from this year's draft crop.  Kelly will take his physical in St. Louis tomorrow, tweets B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest.

Kelly, a high schooler who had committed to the University of Oregon, is regarded as both a third baseman and as a right-handed pitching prospect.  The Cardinals indicated they will develop Kelly as a third baseman, as noted by MLB.com's Mike Still in his profile of Kelly following the draft.

Quick Hits: Peter Bourjos, Cardinals Draft, Jim Crane

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The Nationals are 12 games over .500 for the first time since July 23, 2005 after sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway Park over the weekend. The 2005 Washington squad would go on to finish the season 81-81 with a starting lineup featuring the bats of Vinny Castilla and Brad Wilkerson. Here's the latest odds and ends from around the league…

  • The emergence of rookie Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo's increased presence in the outfield has cost Peter Bourjos significant playing time, but that doesn't mean the Angels center fielder is in danger of losing his spot on the roster or being traded, writes Trey Scott of MLB.com. Count manager Mike Scioscia among Bourjos' supporters as he believes the second-generation big leaguer can aid the team even while playing in a limited capacity. "It's difficult for a young player that has the ability to play every day but isn't in there," Scioscia said. "But Peter is going to help us win games."
  • The starting point for recently signed draft picks in the Cardinals organization is less about potential and more about current ability, says Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While not all of the 44 players drafted by the Cardinals will ultimately sign with the franchise, the ones who do will begin their careers across three Class-A short-season affiliates. It's not unheard of for a top pick to make it to a full-season club in his first year like Kolten Wong in 2011, but the likelihood of doing so stems from how quickly the player signs his contract after being drafted.
  • The subtle, confident nature of new Astros owner Jim Crane should prove to benefit both his franchise and the city of Houston, contends Chris Baldwin of CultureMap Houston. Crane's decision to hire Jeff Luhnow as the Astros' general manager has paid immediate dividends as the team signed first overall pick Carlos Correa for $2.4MM below slot value, giving them a stronger chance to sign Lance McCullers, selected 41st overall. The decision to draft Correa was a surprise to many and speaks to the organization's belief system in which the Astros will take calculated risks that are swiftly executed once a decision is reached. 

Draft Signings: Mathisen, Maxwell, Cardinals

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Here are Saturday's notable non-first round draft pick signings…

  • The Pirates have agreed to sign second rounder Wyatt Mathisen according to Rob Biertempfel of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Sulia). Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects first reported the agreement. The high school catcher from Texas was the 69th overall pick, which carries a slot value of $746K.
  • The Athletics have signed second rounder Bruce Maxwell for a below slot $770K, reports Jim Callis of Baseball America (on Twitter). The college bat was slotted for $831K.  Maxwell is represented by Matt Sosnick and Adam Karon of Sosnick Cobbe Sports.
  • In addition to first rounder Stryker Trahan, the Diamondbacks announced that they've agreed to terms with 30 other draft picks. Second rounder Jose Munoz and third rounder Jake Barrett highlight the crop. The Arizona Republic has the full list.
  • Ben Nicholson-Smith reports (on Twitter) that the D'Backs gave ninth rounder Jeff Gibbs a $90K bonus plus college tuition. Callis reports (on Twitter) that they gave fourth rounder Charles Taylor a $250K bonus. Slot money for those two picks is $125K and $286K, respectively.
  • The Cardinals have signed third rounder Tim Cooney for a straight slot $404K bonus, reports Callis (on Twitter). The left-hander hails from Wake Forest.
  • The Mariners have agreed to terms with fourth rounder Patrick Kivlehan, reports MLB.com's Josh Liebeskind. Slot money for the Rutgers third baseman is $353K. Seattle also signed 12th rounder Mike Faulkner for $100K according to Callis (on Twitter).
  • The Red Sox have signed their fifth through tenth round draft picks according to WEEI.com's Alex Speier. All six players are college seniors.
  • The Royals have signed sixth rounder Zach Lovvorn for $275K, reports Callis (on Twitter). Slot money for the pick was $194K.
  • The Astros announced the signing of eight more picks, including ninth rounder Daniel Minor. Houston has now signed 18 picks total according to the release.
  • The Phillies have signed tenth rounder Kevin Brady for a straight slot $125K bonus according to Callis (on Twitter). The right-hander is out of Clemson.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Saunders, Quentin, Cards, Pirates

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new Full Count video up. Let's recap…

  • Teams looking for rotation help should call the Diamondbacks about Joe Saunders. Arizona wants to get top prospect Trevor Bauer into their rotation, but right now there's just no room.
  • The identity of the Padres' new owner will not be known before August, leaving the front office to make its own call on Carlos Quentin prior to the trade deadline. They could keep him and make him a qualifying offer after the season (entitling them to draft pick compensation), though they'd be gambling on future payroll before knowing the new owner's plans. The safest move could be trading the outfielder.
  • The Cardinals will wait to hear more about Chris Carpenter's status before making a move for a veteran starting pitcher in the wake of Jaime Garcia's shoulder injury. St. Louis wanted Jeff Francis badly, but the timing wasn't right; Garcia appeared to be healthy when Francis hit the market.
  • The Pirates have inquired about a number of corner infield bats, including Kevin Youkilis, Chase Headley, and Bryan LaHair. Some of those targets are more realistic than others, plus the trade market has yet to really materialize. There are far more buyers than sellers, though Pittsburgh has the pitching depth to swing a deal.

NL Central Notes: Appel, Perez, Soriano

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Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia has tearing in his labrum and rotator cuff, reports Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Surgery is not recommended at this time but he will be shut down for a minimum of four weeks. Garcia signed a four-year, $27MM extension last July.

Here's the latest from the NL Central, which just lost one of its best young pitchers…

  • ESPN's Jayson Stark hears that the Pirates are expected to offer eighth overall pick and Stanford right-hander Mark Appel a slot $2.9MM signing bonus and hold the line until the July 13th deadline as they sign their other picks. "I don't see how," said one executive when asked if a deal will get done between the team and the Scott Boras client.
  • Indians closer Chris Perez told Andrew Wagaman of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he was excited when the Cardinals traded him "because I could go do my thing." Cleveland acquired Perez from the Cards for Mark DeRosa in June 2009.
  • We know the Cubs are willing to absorb most of the $54MM left on Alfonso Soriano's contract to trade him, and ESPN's Buster Olney wonders (on Twitter) if the outfielder's recent power surge will create some interest. Soriano hit two homers last night and has 11 in his last 23 games.

Cardinals Claim John Gaub Off Waivers

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The Cardinals have claimed left-hander John Gaub off of waivers from the Rangers, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).  Gaub was designated for assignment on Thursday to create room on the 40-man roster for Tanner Scheppers.

The 27-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA with 12.2 K/9 and 6.5 BB/9 in 50 Triple-A appearances for the Cubs last season.  Gaub pitched in 16 games for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate and 5 for the Rangers' Triple-A team this year.

Cardinals Release Scott Linebrink

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The Cardinals have released Scott Linebrink, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch (on Twitter). The move frees up a 40-man roster spot for Joe Kelly. 

Linebrink, 35, made the team out of Spring Training after signing a minor league contract this offseason, but he has not pitched at all due to shoulder inflammation and biceps tendinitis. Linebrink pitched to a 3.64 ERA in 54 1/3 innings for the Braves last season.

Stark On Hamels, Ruiz, Scutaro, Willingham, Pirates

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Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has plenty of news in his latest edition of Rumblings & Grumblings.  Let's dive in and take a look..

  • Phillies GM Ruben Amaro says that his value assessment on Cole Hamels hasn't changed but he will have to take his other free agents into account this winter.  "But the biggest thing is all the other decisions we have to make…at third base [Placido Polanco], in center field [Shane Victorino], and at right field [Hunter Pence] and catcher [Carlos Ruiz] in two years. And we haven't solved our left-field situation, either," Amaro said.
  • Amaro says that he is high on Ruiz but will consider the club's payroll as a whole before considering a long-term deal.  The GM also pointed out his age (33) and demanding position.  The Phillies hold a $5MM club option for next year on Ruiz, which would put him on the open market  on the verge of his age-35 season.
  • The Phillies GM also seems confident that the club won't be in a position to cave before the deadline and become sellers.  For the Phillies to pull the plug and sell, he says the club would have to "fall out of contention pretty significantly."  
  • The Tigers might want to consider waiting around for the Rockies' Marco Scutaro as a solution at second base.  Clubs that have checked in with the Rockies say they're still at least a month from selling but Scutaro, Rafael Betancourt, and Jeremy Guthrie are all likely to be available when they do.
  • There's been a surprising amount of trade talk surrounding Twins outfielder Josh Willingham but teams that have kicked the tires on him have been rebuffed. 
  • The Pirates are telling other teams that they're likely to approach this deadline like they did last year's, looking to add.  They've indicated that they're likely to trade arms for bats, especially hitters they can control beyond this year. 
  • Meanwhile, potential shoppers wonder if the Pirates are willing to move enough quality to make a splash.  Pittsburgh is hinting that they'll keep James McDonald, A.J. Burnett, and probably Erik Bedard if they have a shot to win.  If that's the case, they'll instead be shopping the likes of Charlie Morton, Kevin Correia, Jeff Karstens, and prospect Rudy Owens, which won't net them the same kind of return.
  • Despite reports to the contrary, Roy Oswalt never received offers from the Phillies or Cardinals according to Amaro and a source who spoke with the Cards' brass, respectively.  While there was other interest, it seems that this was a one-team negotiation with Oswalt and the Rangers.

Cafardo On Oswalt, Willingham, Figgins, Soriano

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The number of players on the disabled list is actually down overall this season, but you'd have a hard time getting the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankees to take solace in that, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  One theory on the prolonged absences is that players are waiting to make sure they’re 100 percent before they get back on the field at the advice of agents like Scott Boras.  "I’ve heard people say that about Boras clients, but I’ve also seen Boras clients who play through all sorts of pain and come back sooner than they’re supposed to," said Boston GM Ben Cherington. “Jason Varitek and Johnny Damon played through anything."  Here's more from Cafardo..

  • While Roy Oswalt was eager to work out for the Red Sox after turning them down before the season, he would still rather play for the Rangers or Cardinals, a major league source tells Cafardo.  As of last week, the Red Sox have not discussed money with him, even though they liked what they saw.
  • It's not yet known if Twins outfielder Josh Willingham will be available but he'll be in demand at the trading deadline or when the Twins feel they’re in a sell-off mode.  One GM said of Willingham, "Of all the guys out there, he’s one who can significantly impact your offense immediately."
  • The Mariners didn’t release Chone Figgins after Miguel Olivo came off the disabled list, but it doesn’t appear that he will be with the club much longer.  At some point, a team with a lot of injuries might be willing to take him on if the M's pick up some of the $15MM remaining on his contract.
  • The Cubs are willing to eat most of Alfonso Soriano’s $48MM if they can trade him. Unfortunately, Soriano isn't producing.  Epstein approached the Red Sox about Soriano before the season and while they were discussing Marlon Byrd, but not since.  Even with their outfield injuries, Boston hasn't come calling for the 36-year-old.
  • There’s a feeling that Royals outfielder Alex Gordon could be had in a deal, but it would take an overwhelming package involving a front-line starter.
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