Rosenthal On Garza, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has lots of great stuff in his latest edition of Full Count. Here's a look at the highlights..
- The Rangers' interest in Matt Garza is nothing new and two sources told Rosenthal that they nearly acquired Garza at last year's trade deadline with one source saying it was within minutes of happening and the other saying it was really close. The problem was that Garza was dealing with a triceps issue and it turned out that he didn't pitch after July 21st. The two sides were working on various contingencies right up until the last day but they eventually decided to just deal for Ryan Dempster instead.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro is reluctant to trade players who could be part of the team's future, specifically Jonathan Papelbon, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels. When asked specifically about the idea of creating another closer if they part with Papelbon, Amaro noted that the only time they have done that was with Ryan Madson and it took four years for him to develop into a closer. Amaro explained that he doesn't have that kind of time and none of their young pitchers are even remotely ready to close.
- The Brewers' Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse wouldn't figure to be in high demand, but their respective contracts make them attractive to contending clubs. The upcoming free agent market will be thin in starters and guys like Garza, Josh Johnson, and Ricky Nolasco will want at least three or four years. Gallardo and Lohse are under club control for two more years at below market salary – Lohse makes $11MM in 2014 and 2015 while Gallardo makes $11.25MM with a $13MM club option for 2015.
- The White Sox are a virtual lock to make deals before the deadline, but even then, their work might not be done. Even if Paul Konerko and Jake Peavy do not show that they are fully healthy by July 31st, they could get moved during the August waiver period. Both would figure to clear waivers and if Konerko wants to join a contender, he would waive his 10-and-5 rights and the White Sox would almost certainly try to accommodate him.
Minor Moves: Bueno, McClellan, Olivo, Wang
Here are today's minor moves…
- Royals lefty Francisley Bueno has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Bueno was designated last Tuesday.
- The Indians announced on Twitter that right-hander Chris Jakubauskas has been released from Triple-A Columbus. The 34-year-old appeared in 11 games for the Clippers, totaling 14 innings of 3.86 ERA ball with 8.4 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. He has also appeared in the Brewers organization this year.
- Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest tweets that Kyle McClellan, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday, will remain with in the Rangers organization after clearing waivers. McClellan will accept an outright assignment to Double-A Frisco. The 29-year-old allowed eight runs in 9 1/3 innings of work with the Rangers this season.
- Miguel Olivo has cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Miami Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). Olivo was designated for assignment earlier this week after hitting .203/.250/.392 and informing the Marlins that he was quitting due to a lack of playing time.
- The Blue Jays announced that Chien-Ming Wang has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Buffalo, the team announced (hat tip: Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet on Twitter). Wang's agent told Nicholson-Smith on Wednesday that he would accept an assignment to Triple-A rather than electing free agency if he cleared waivers. Wang was roughed up in his final two outings with the Jays to send his ERA soaring to 7.13.
- Seven players are currently in DFA limbo: Brandon Lyon (Mets), Hector Gimenez (White Sox), P.J. Walters (Twins), Shawn Camp (Cubs), Travis Ishikawa (Orioles), Alex Liddi (Mariners), and Eric Hinske (D-Backs).
Olney’s Latest: Biogenesis, Utley, Wilson, Garza
In his latest column (Insider subscription required and recommended), ESPN's Buster Olney writes that Nelson Cruz is among the players whose free agent stock could be severely impacted by the Biogenesis scandal. If Cruz is cleared of any wrongdoing by that time he will be fine, but if discipline has yet to be handed out, or he receives a suspension near the end of the season, teams will be wary. Cruz's case could be further complicated if the Rangers make him a qualifying offer. Here are a few of the highlights from Olney's excellent piece…
- The Blue Jays are looking for upgrades in their rotation and at second base, and they will be interested in Chase Utley should the Phillies make him available.
- Former Giants closer Brian Wilson is working out in Hawaii and could pitch for teams later this month or in early August.
- The Cubs are "making progress" in trade negotiations surrounding Matt Garza, and they're actively talking with the Rangers, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Indians and Dodgers. They may also still be involved in talks with the Orioles as well as other NL West teams.
- Olney also spoke with his colleague Jayson Stark on today's Baseball Tonight podcast, and they discussed the impact of Biogenesis on pennant races in addition to discussing the upcoming trade deadline (Biogenesis talk begins immediately; trade discussions begin shortly after the 11:00 mark).
- Olney said he'd be "shocked" if Garza was still on the Cubs by the All-Star break, but Stark hears that the Cubs may prefer to wait for a team to meet their price, even if it means waiting until the end of July. Stark and Olney agree that Garza will have the highest price tag of any player on the trade market.
- The Dodgers, Rangers and Rockies are the three teams that are still in the mix on Ricky Nolasco, while the other formerly interested parties are "on the periphery" according to Stark.
AL West Notes: Manny, Rangers, Gonzalez, Angels
It's the start of trade season with July underway, but the Rangers made the biggest splash of the day with a minor league signing. Fresh off of a very successful stint in Taiwan, Manny Ramirez will attempt to join the majors for the first time since his brief stint with the Rays in 2011. Whether Manny can bring his hot hitting from overseas to Arlington, Texas, however, remains to be seen. Here's more out of the AL West..
- Some many wonder if Ramirez is worth the gamble at age 41, but in the case of the Rangers, he absolutely is, opines Todd Wills of ESPNDallas.com. Texas needs a right-handed bat ever since Opening Day and Ramirez's minor league deal is a no-risk move.
- Before signing with the Rangers, Ramirez told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) that he also had conversations with the Nationals. The slugger believes that Washington had some interest in him as a pinch hitter.
- The Angels have scouted Cuban pitching prospect Miguel.Alfredo Gonzalez, but likely will not compete for him as hard as others, tweets Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. Gonzalez is being pursued by a number of clubs, but we've heard recently that the Yankees won't try to sign him and he's "not a fit" for the Nationals either.
Ricky Nolasco Rumors: Wednesday
Last night it was reported that the Rockies, Rangers and Dodgers were the three teams that are "in heavy pursuit" of Marlins right-hander Ricky Nolasco. The 30-year-old's name has been the most frequently mentioned trade candidate of the summer to date, and reports have said that today could be a "soft deadline" by which to trade him. Here's the latest on Nolasco…
- The Yankees are scouting the start as well, Knobler tweets.
- Knobler also tweets that the Rangers have a scout in attendance. The Dodgers don't have a scout there, though Knobler notes that may not be worth reading into.
- Nolasco is pitching for the Marlins right now, and Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweets that the Giants, Padres and Rockies all have scouts in attendance.
- While the Dodgers are still the frontrunners for Nolasco, about a half-dozen teams are showing interest in Nolasco, writes MLB.com's Joe Frisaso. Nolasco could still be moved before the first pitch tonight, he adds. Frisaro also spoke to an NL scout regarding Nolasco's recent pair of rough outings. The scout downplayed the struggles, telling Frisaro: "He did nothing to not get himself traded."
- All signs point to Nolasco making tonight's start for the Marlins, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. In a separate tweet, he notes that rain in the forecast could be an issue. A rainout would buy the Marlins some extra time, as the team has been said to prefer to move him prior to this start.
Rangers Sign Manny Ramirez
The Rangers have agreed to sign Manny Ramirez to a minor league deal, a major league source tells Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The 41-year-old recently left his Taiwanese club, the EDA Rhinos, to try to get back to the big leagues for the first time since 2011. The move has been confirmed by Texas via press release.
Ramirez, a Barry Praver client, will report to Triple-A Round Rock. Late last month, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe spoke with a scout who watched Ramirez and was told that he can "still hit with the best of them." The slugger told the Rhinos that he missed his family in New York, but in June, Praver told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that his client wanted to free himself in order to play in MLB once again.
Ramirez played in just five games for the Rays in 2011 before testing positive for elevated testosterone, which would have netted him a 100-game suspension. He agreed to retire instead and when he returned in 2012 in the A's system, he served a 50-game suspension in the minors. Unable to get into a groove, he eventually took his release from Oakland.
Texas needs a big right-handed bat given Lance Berkman's recent struggles and they're hoping that Ramirez, who comes with minimal risk, could be the answer.
Int’l Prospect Signings: A’s, Angels, Rangers
It's open season on this year's class of July 2nd international prospects and we'll be keeping track of all notable signings. You can get familiar with the top guys this year by checking out the rankings from Baseball America and MLB.com. Here are the latest deals..
- The A's inked Nicaraguan shortstop Jesus Lopez to a $950K contract, tweets John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group. BA has him ranked as the 14th best player in this class and speaks highly of his bat. Lopez has been switch-hitting for only a year or so and some scouts already like his left-handed swing better than his natural right-handed stroke.
- The Angels signed Venezuelan left-hander Ricardo Sanchez for $580K, according to Kiley McDaniel of FOX Sports (via Twitter). BA had him ranked as the No. 27 player in this year's class and says that the undersized Venezuelan lefty reminds scouts of Rays left-hander Alex Torres. Boston also had interest in signing Sanchez.
- The Rangers signed Dominican shortstop Michael de Leon for $550K. The 16-year-old switch-hitter,who is ranked as the No. 26 international prospect by BA, stands at 6'1", 160 pounds and boasts a strong line-drive swing. While he makes the routine plays at shortstop, some scouts think his future could be at second base.
Rangers, Dodgers, Rockies In “Heavy Pursuit” Of Nolasco
9:42pm: The Rangers, Dodgers and Rockies "are in heavy pursuit" of Nolasco, two executives tell ESPN's Jayson Stark. The Marlins are narrowing their focus to getting a deal done quickly, because the team would like to have the returning Henderson Alvarez make tomorrow's start instead of Nolasco. The Marlins are seeking a pair of prospects in return for Nolasco.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds that the Marlins are looking for prospects as opposed to a return like the Cubs received from the Orioles earlier today when they acquired Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop for Scott Feldman. Rosenthal opines that there is no sense in the Marlins' insistance that the acquiring team absorb the remaining $5.7MM on Nolasco's deal. The Marlins entered the season with a $36.3MM payroll — the second lowest in baseball — and will easily receive more than that figure in revenue sharing and national TV money.
7:10pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports spoke with a Marlins source who emphasized that Nolasco is "not a giveaway." According to Heyman, the Rockies have offered a pair of "pretty decent prospects" but don't want to absorb the remaining salary on Nolasco's deal. Heyman's source suggests that the Marlins also have an offer that is mostly salary relief without offering much in the way of prospects.
5:12pm: The Marlins are beginning to adjust their asking price on Ricky Nolasco, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). The change reflects their desire to move him as soon as possible, according to Olney, who notes that the Dodgers are still the frontrunners.
As recently as last Thursday, the Marlins were said to be looking for a "good" prospect for Nolasco, as well as a willingness to absorb the entirety of the roughly $6MM remaining on his contract for the 2013 season.
Nolasco has been connected to the Dodgers, Rockies, Padres, Giants, Orioles and Rangers, though the Orioles swung a deal for Scott Feldman earlier today, and it's unclear if their interest remains. The 30-year-old has a 3.93 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 105 1/3 innings this season, though he's struggled in his past two outings.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported last week that Wednesday could be a "soft deadline" to move Nolaco, as the Marlins are hoping to deal him before he makes his scheduled start that day.
Rangers Designate Kyle McClellan For Assignment
The Rangers have designated right-hander Kyle McClellan for assignment in order to clear a roster spot for Josh Lindblom, according to Anthony Andro of FOX Sports Southwest (on Twitter).
The 29-year-old McClellan allowed eight runs in 9 1/3 innings of work for the Rangers this season with three strikeouts, five walks and a pair of homers. He allowed runs in five of his seven appearances including each of his final four outings. His 32.3 percent ground-ball rate was a far cry from his career mark of 49.3 percent.
McClellan has a 3.79 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 387 1/3 career innings, all of which came with the Cardinals prior to this season.
Rangers Sign Marcos Diplan
The Rangers have signed pitcher Marcos Diplan for $1.3MM, according to Dionisio Soldevila of ESPN Deportes (via Twitter). The Dominican right-hander is a product of Luis Polonia's baseball academy.
Diplan is regarded as one of the top pitchers in the July 2nd class along with fellow DPL alum Mayky Perez. While Perez has a massive build, Diplan has a skinny at 6’0", 160 pound frame. However, he boasts a 90-94 mph fastball with an above average breaking ball that has wowed big league scouts. Diplan was ranked No. 8 by MLB.com and No.6 by Ben Badler of Baseball America.
Texas started out with a $1.94MM bonus pool, but they increased that figure by reaching an agreement with the Marlins. Earlier today, the Rangers inked shortstop Yeyson Yrizarri for $1.35MM and outfielder Jose Almonte for $1.8MM.