Quick Hits: Manny, Wolff, Marin, Rangers
It was on this day in 1966 that the Mets made one of the most infamous draft blunders in history, taking Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick of the June amateur draft. Chilcott became the first #1 pick to never play a game in the Major Leagues, while the A's fared a bit better with the #2 selection — Reggie Jackson.
Let's check out some news from around baseball as we prepare for some interleague action…
- Athletics GM Billy Beane said no decision has been made about releasing Manny Ramirez, reported Joe Stiglich of the San Jose Mercury News, though Beane also wasn't sure when or if Ramirez would be called up to Oakland. Ramirez has completed his 50-game suspension but has been hampered by a leg injury and isn't hitting well in Triple-A.
- In a radio appearance on 95.7 FM The Game, Athletics managing general partner Lew Wolff said that he wants to keep the team in the Bay Area and his ownership group has no plans to sell the A's. Wolff predicted that in five years, the A's would be playing in a new stadium in San Jose. (All links at to Twitter.)
- The Orioles have signed third-round pick Adrian Marin, as announced by Marin himself on his Twitter page. Marin is a high school shortstop who was originally committed to the University of Miami.
- The Rangers announced the signings of 18 draft picks, including all of their selections between the fourth and tenth rounds.
- The Tigers shouldn't trade top prospect Nick Castellanos in an effort to win this season at the sake of the minor league system, writes Jamie Samuelsen for the Detroit Free Press.
- ESPN's Keith Law examines how teams' first-round draft picks fit in among their organizations' other top prospects.
- The Twins have hurt themselves by not dealing veterans at the trade deadline in recent years and shouldn't make that same mistake again this season, opines Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Souhan does name a few players, however, he thinks the Twins shouldn't deal: Jared Burton, Glen Perkins, Jamey Carroll and Josh Willingham.
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes an early look at the trade deadline in his latest Hot Corner video, naming the Twins, A's, Padres and Cubs as the few clubs who are clear sellers, with the Cubs "probably the biggest seller out there." Rosenthal also thinks the Astros will likely join this group as they want to get rid of their high-priced veterans, though Houston is playing well right now.
- In terms of potential sellers, Rosenthal names the Brewers, as they could look to move Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and/or Francisco Rodriguez if they fall out of contention. The Phillies "are kind of hanging on a precipice" in the tough NL East and unless they get more concrete news about the health of Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Roy Halladay, Philadelphia could become sellers as well and look ahead to 2013.
- Fredric Horowitz has been hired as the arbitrator between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players' Association, reports the Associated Press. Horowitz replaces Shyam Das, who was fired in the wake of his decision to lift Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.
Rangers Designate John Gaub For Assignment
The Rangers designated left-hander John Gaub for assignment, Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com reports (on Twitter). The team is placing Derek Holland on the disabled list and calling up Tanner Scheppers in corresponding moves.
The Rangers recently claimed Gaub off of waivers from the Rays, who had claimed him from the Cubs earlier this year. Gaub, 27, has a 3.43 ERA with 10.7 K/9 and 6.0 BB/9 in 21 innings for the top affiliates of the Rays and Rangers in 2012. He appeared in four games for the Cubs last season and has a 3.69 ERA with 11.7 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9 across parts of four Triple-A seasons.
Heyman On Quentin, Hamilton
The latest from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com..
- The Padres haven't given up the idea of signing to Carlos Quentin to an extension even though he figures to be the star hitter of the trade market, Heyman writes. However, the club's unsettled ownership situation could hurt the team's chances to retain him if it remains in limbo. Heyman suggests that Michael Cuddyer, who got $31.5MM for three years from the Rockies, and Josh Willingham, who got $21MM for three years from the Twins could be solid comps. Recently, Ben Nicholson-Smith looked at the veteran's stock on the trade market.
- The Rangers expect Josh Hamilton to file for free agency at the end of the year but still may try to sign him before the season is through, according to Heyman. The Rangers are believed to be willing to offer him a big annual salary but do not want to give a long-term deal along the lines of the Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, and Joey Votto. The Rangers have assigned a life coach to chaperone and monitor Hamilton, but people who have spoken to them say it has proven to be a very demanding job.
Top Picks Brinson, Barnum Close To Deals
11:15pm: Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune adds White Sox supplemental round pick Keon Barnum (No. 48 overall) to the list of today's draft picks that are near a deal (Twitter link).
11:09pm: The Rangers selected Lewis Brinson, an outfielder out of Coral Springs High School in Florida, with the No. 29 overall pick in tonight's draft, and MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan writes that Brinson says he and the Rangers are already close to a deal.
Brinson has a full scholarship to the University of Florida, but it appears he will forego that commitment to join the Rangers organization, according to Sullivan.
The 6'4", 185 pound Brinson has an athletic frame that led Baseball America's Conor Glassey to note comparisons to Cameron Maybin in his write-up following Brinson's selection. Glassey writes that Brinson is still raw at the plate, but his long limbs allow him to cover ample ground in center field and give him "intriguing power potential."
BA's Jim Callis and Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus both had Brinson going 26th overall to the Diamondbacks in their final mock drafts, while MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo and ESPN's Keith Law had him slipping out of the first round.
Latest On Kevin Youkilis
The Dodgers, Phillies and Diamondbacks are among the teams showing early interest in Kevin Youkilis, people familiar with the situation tell Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. One Red Sox person termed talks as "very preliminary'' but others familiar with the club's thinking say that they feel the need to trade him, barring more injuries.
Red Sox people are telling others that they're looking for value in exchange for Youkilis, but it is said that they would ask for less if a team will pay the $9MM plus remaining on his contract ($12MM salary). That deal also has a $13MM option with a $1MM buyout for 2013.
Aside from the aforementioned clubs, Heyman writes that the White Sox, Angels, Brewers, Giants, Rangers, Indians, and Reds are also possible destinations for the 33-year-old. While Texas had a scout at a recent Red Sox game, Heyman notes that they are pretty set in the infield and the right-handed bat they seek is much more likely to be an outfielder.
West Notes: Dodgers, Dempster, Angels, Hamilton
After taking a look at the AL and NL East, it's only fair that we turn our attention to the Western divisions..
- The Dodgers are expected to pursue pitching and hitting and Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) wouldn't be surprised to see the club pursue Ryan Dempster of the Cubs. Knobler adds (Twitter link) that that the Dodgers wanted Dempster two summers ago but settled for Ted Lilly once he was taken off the market by the Cubs.
- Juan Rincon opted out of his contract with the Angels this morning but Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com (via Twitter) says that the Halos released him, making it a mutual decision in essence.
- Rangers president Nolan Ryan says that there's nothing new to report when it comes to contract talks with Josh Hamilton. Over the weekend, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opined that the slugger is unlikely to sign an extension with Texas.
Latest On Kevin Youkilis
1:07pm: Teams have checked in, but the Red Sox haven’t initiated any talks, GM Ben Cherington said, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). The Reds are happy with Todd Frazier at third, Knobler tweets.
12:30pm: The Dodgers have lukewarm interest in Youkilis, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (on Twitter). They don't want to pay his salary or surrender a top prospect for him.
12:13pm: The White Sox have watched Youkilis and the Rangers have checked in on him, Knobler reports. The Dodgers are stepping up their scouting of Youkilis, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
10:19am: The Red Sox are telling teams they definitely intend to trade Kevin Youkilis, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The emergence of Will Middlebrooks has made it more challenging than ever to work Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz into Boston's lineup.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe suggested yesterday that the Giants, Diamondbacks and Dodgers are among the teams with interest in Youkilis. The Phillies and Indians were linked to the corner infielder earlier this spring.
Youkilis has a .250/.318/.406 batting line with four home runs in 107 plate appearances this year. The 33-year-old spent three weeks on the disabled list with lower back soreness before returning to action late last month. Youkilis, a three-time All-Star, can play first or third base. He earns $12MM this year and his contract includes a $13MM club option for 2013 ($1MM buyout).
Lowe, Feldman Likely To Be Available In Trades
The Rangers are expected to make right-handers Scott Feldman and Mark Lowe available at the trade deadline, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. GM Jon Daniels will look for a right-handed hitting outfielder in return.
The Rangers have an abundance of right-handed pitching after signing Roy Oswalt. Relief prospect Tanner Scheppers continues to pitch effectively at Triple-A, and Neftali Feliz will re-join the pitching staff at some point.
Lowe, 28, has a 2.66 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9 in 20 1/3 innings two months into the season. He'll earn $1.7MM this year before hitting free agency. Feldman, 29, has a 4.50 ERA with 4.1 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 24 innings as a fill-in starter and reliever this year. The Rangers figure to decline their $9.25MM club option ($600K buyout) for Feldman if he's still on their roster after the season.
Rangers To Sign Roy Oswalt
The Rangers have agreed to sign Roy Oswalt, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. The right-hander will earn a guaranteed $5MM salary plus $1MM in incentives, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Rangers required ownership approval to sign Oswalt, a Bob Garber client.
The Rangers stayed in contact with Oswalt this past offseason, but didn't have an opening in their rotation at the time and none of his other suitors locked him up. Once Neftali Feliz hit the disabled list, an opening emerged in the rotation and GM Jon Daniels struck. Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan and pitching coach Mike Maddux appear to have helped convince Oswalt to pitch in Texas.
Oswalt made 23 starts and completed 139 innings for the Phillies last year, posting a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 45.1% ground ball rate. However, the 34-year-old's average fastball velocity dropped to 91.4 mph, and he had two back-related stints on the disabled list.
If the Rangers have five healthy starters when Feliz returns from the disabled list, they could use him out of the bullpen and rely on a rotation of Oswalt, Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.
Photo courtesy of US Presswire.
Roy Oswalt Rumors: Tuesday
There’s an expectation that Roy Oswalt will agree to sign with an MLB team this week, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Rangers, Orioles, Red Sox, Phillies and Dodgers have all been linked to the free agent right-hander in recent weeks. We'll keep track of today's Oswalt rumors right here with the most recent updates up top:
- The Rangers are actively engaged in negotiations with Oswalt, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. The Rangers definitely want to sign the right-hander, a team official told Nightengale. The Dodgers have renewed interest with Ted Lilly on the disabled list and plan to discuss a possible deal. Oswalt seeks $5-7.5MM.
- The Rangers would need approval from ownership to sign Oswalt since the team is over-budget, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). There are mixed opinions about Oswalt in the Texas front office. Ownership approval appears to be the lone roadblock preventing the Rangers from signing Oswalt, Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi write.
- Baseball officials are convinced Oswalt will sign with the Rangers, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick reports. The right-hander has given teams indications that he prefers the Rangers over other clubs. "I would be shocked if he doesn't go to Texas,'' one of Crasnick’s sources said. "A team is going to have to greatly outbid Texas to keep him from going there.''
- The Rangers could use Oswalt now that Neftali Feliz is on the disabled list. The Orioles are known to be seeking pitching and their division rivals, the Red Sox, have endured the struggles of Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard. Phillies starters are dealing with injuries and the Dodgers actually made Oswalt an offer earlier this year.