Quick Hits: Mets, Indians, Cameron, Gregerson
Tuesday night linkage..
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that he isn't counseling manager Terry Collins on how to use Francisco Rodriguez, writes Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal. K-Rod is on pace to finish more than 55 games this year.
- Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan have encouraged GM Chris Antonetti to find ways to improve the club, but that doesn't mean he's operating with an open checkbook, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.
- The Mariners, Phillies, Nationals, Twins, and Rangers didn't inquire on Mike Cameron before he was dealt to the Marlins, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
- A major league executive told Tom Krasovic of InsideThePadres (via Twitter) that no team wants to take on money in a deal. The teams that can absorb salary, the exec says, have a big advantage.
- The Padres activated right-hander Luke Gregerson from the disabled list today and a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) that there's already trade interest in him.
- There's been a lot of interest in pitcher Scott Kazmir and he should have a team soon, tweets Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated. On Sunday, Buster Olney of ESPN estimated that Kazmir would find a club by early next week.
Quick Hits: Harper, Knapp, Wilson, Brewers
The Nationals are promoting Bryce Harper to Double-A in time for tonight’s game. The 18-year-old, who was the first overall selection in last year's draft, had a .318/.423/.554 line with 14 homers and 19 steals at Class A. Here are some fourth of July links in anticipation of Harper’s Double-A debut…
- Trade talk is picking up, but some teams believe there’s a lack of difference makers available on the trade market, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. The few trade candidates who could make a difference in the pennant race are going to be difficult to obtain, Olney writes.
- Former Tigers pitching coach Rick Knapp tells John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press that three general managers called him to discuss possible jobs. The Tigers fired Knapp yesterday.
- Jamey Newberg hopes C.J. Wilson feels like a winner in Texas so that he re-signs with the Rangers this offseason, when he becomes a free agent.
- Casey McGehee already has two hits today, but he has just a .226/.276/.313 line this season. Brewers GM Doug Melvin told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he doesn't plan to demote the third baseman to the minors (Twitter link).
Brewers Among Clubs With Interest In Padres’ Arms
The Brewers are among the teams that have contacted the Padres about their relievers, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Yankees, Rangers, Phillies and Cardinals have also contacted San Diego about possible trades for relievers.
Though the Padres haven’t begun exchanging offers for players like Heath Bell and Mike Adams, discussions will likely intensify at the All-Star Break. The Yankees will likely pursue relievers aggressively, but Adams will only be available for an “extraordinary” offer, according to Rosenthal and Morosi. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last week that the Yankees prefer Adams, who is a free agent after 2012, to Bell, who hits the open market this offseason.
Rangers Interested In Rotation Upgrades
Though the Rangers' pitching problems appear to stem from their weak bullpen, that's not the only area they're looking to improve. The Rangers would like to upgrade their rotation this summer, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
Rangers starters rank 12th in MLB with a 3.71 ERA (3.86 xFIP) and only seven clubs have counted on their starters for more innings than Texas (524 1/3). C.J. Wilson, Alexi Ogando, Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis have started all but three of the Rangers' games this year.
GM Jon Daniels has been open about his interest in relief pitching, but this is the first indication that he'll be searching for starters as well. Here's a list of potentially available starters for Texas.
Olney On Dodgers, Cardinals, Bell, Kazmir
The Dodgers are playing hard and preparing diligently for every game, but you'd have to be blind to not see the cloud that hangs over the team on a daily basis, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Because of the club's situation, the team knows that there probably won't be help coming in before the trade deadline. They've also seen their farm system dry up and their club is no longer a top destination for big-time free agents. Regardless of who the owner is of the team this time next year, they'll likely need years to repair the damage that has been done. Here's more from Olney..
- The Padres are scouting the farm systems of several clubs as the deadline approaches, and the Cardinals are among those clubs. All along, St. Louis has been a natural fit for Heath Bell or one of the other San Diego relievers. On Thursday, Olney reported that San Diego has told teams that they're ready to take offers on Bell and Mike Adams.
- Pitcher Scott Kazmir is expected to pick his next team sometime in the next ten days. The veteran has met with the Rangers and other clubs are in the mix, such as the Padres. Kazmir worked out for Texas last week and was healthy for the workout.
Quick Hits: Mariners, Rangers, Astros, Hendry
Some Quick Hits for Saturday night..
- The Mariners are looking for bullpen help in addition to bats and they've shown interest in what the Padres have, sources tell Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). However, the M's aren't likely to overpay for a rental and they'd much prefer players under who are under control for '12 (also via Twitter).
- The Rangers appear to be close to another international signing, writes Enrique Rojas for ESPNDallas.com. The club is nearing a deal with Dominican pitcher Pedro Payano for $500-600K.
- A few inexpensive international signings went down today. The Astros signed Venezuelan shortstop Arturo Michelena for $220K according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. The Braves signed Iosif Bernal, a Panamanian outfielder, for a $230K bonus and the Indians inked Dominican outfielder Francisco Miguel for $200K, writes Badler. The Cardinals signed Venezuelan catcher Jose Godoy for $200K, says Badler.
- Cubs GM Jim Hendry said that he's not concerned about what other people have to say about his job security in an interview on ESPN1000.
Rangers To Sign Nomar Mazara
The Rangers have reached agreement on a deal with Dominican outfielder Nomar Mazara for more than $5MM, a source told of Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com. The deal would top the previous watermark set by Athletics pitcher Michael Ynoa, who signed for $4.25MM in 2008.
Mazara, 16, stands at 6-foot-5 and hits for power from the left side. Rojas writes that he is considered to be the best power-hitting prospect out of Latin America since Wily Mo Pena and Miguel Cabrera.
The Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Athletics also showed interest in the 16-year-old, the source said. Yesterday, Ben Badler of Baseball America (via Twitter) said that it was difficult to gauge what kind of bonus the outfielder might command.
Brian Barden Opts Out Of Contract
Rangers minor leaguer Brian Barden, a third baseman, has opted out of his contract and become a free agent, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram (via Twitter).
Barden, whose most extensive time in the Majors came with the Cardinals in 2009, was hitting .357/.403/.556 with Triple-A Round Rock before opting out, although those robust numbers were posted in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Texas signed Barden in December.
Rangers Designate Dave Bush For Assignment
The Rangers have designated right-hander Dave Bush for assignment, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). The move will allow Texas to activate Tommy Hunter.
Bush, 31, made 14 relief appearances and three starts for the Rangers this season. In 2011, the right-hander posted a 5.79 ERA with 5.5 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
The Rangers signed Bush to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training in January. The veteran's deal ensured him a base of $1MM for making the team with up to $1MM in possible incentives.
Potential Suitors For Mike Cameron
The Red Sox cut ties with veteran outfielder Mike Cameron yesterday, designating him for assignment after he hit just .149/.212/.266 in 105 plate appearances this year. "Rest assured I'll play again," said Cameron to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). "I'm not going out that way."
Despite his poor season and last year's injury riddled campaign (just 48 games), Cameron figures to draw interest based on his track record. He hit .250/.342/.452 with 24 homers as a full-time player just two seasons ago, and he went deep at least 20 times every year from 2006 through 2009. That power might be gone at 38 years old, but his three homers this year suggest that he might still be able to provide double digit long balls given enough playing time.
With approximately $3.625MM left on his contract this year, it's very likely that Cameron will clear waivers and hit the open market. Any team would then be able to sign him for the pro-rated league minimum, which is attractive to clubs on a budget. Let's look at some teams that could be potential suitors for Cameron…
- Braves – Martin Prado is dealing with a staph infection and temporary fill-in Jordan Schafer is hitting just .222/.295/.310. Wilkin Ramirez, Atlanta's current righty outfield bat off the bench, has been unimpressive in limited playing time.
- Cardinals – There's no way to replace Albert Pujols, but St. Louis was able to slide Lance Berkman over to first and stick Jon Jay in right field. The lefty bat is hitting .289/.340/.356 against southpaws, but Cameron could replenish some outfield depth.
- Giants – This one is probably a long shot because their outfield is already crowded, but the game's worst offense (just 285 runs) is in desperate need of help, particularly in the power department.
- Indians – Shin-Soo Choo will miss a substantial amount of time after having thumb surgery, and the incumbent righty hitting outfielder (Austin Kearns) has been ineffective both overall (.194/.282/.265) and against lefties (.244/.292/.267).
- Mariners – Jeff Sullivan of Lookout Landing tackled this one.
- Nationals – They've been looking for a center fielder basically all season, and if nothing else, Cameron would give them a platoon partner for Roger Bernadina (.208/.255/.271 vs. LHP).
- Phillies – Ben Francisco has been disappointing against lefties (.200/.317/.314) this year, plus Cameron could give them platoon partners for both Domonic Brown and Raul Ibanez.
- Pirates – It's strange to think of the Pirates as buyers, but they're over .500 and just two games back in the NL Central. Jose Tabata is on the DL and Matt Diaz has been a disappointment (.268/.297/.331).
- Rangers – Julio Borbon is back in Triple-A and David Murphy can't hit lefties (.177/.235/.194), plus they could probably use the depth since Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz are known to visit the DL from time to time.
- Rays – Matt Joyce and Sam Fuld have cooled off considerably, though the righty hitting Justin Ruggiano has done a swell job in limited playing time (.300/.328/.500). That might not last though.
- Tigers – Ryan Raburn (.207/.244/.348) and Magglio Ordonez (.200/.268/.279) have been big disappointments, and Austin Jackson isn't tearing the cover off the ball either (.248/.312/.364). All three are right-handed and could be replaced, though Jackson figures to keep the center field job.
- Twins – Injuries have decimated the Twins outfield, though at 8.5 games back of a playoff spot, they might be looking to sell off veterans rather than add one.
Jack Curry of the YES Network heard that the Yankees "probably" won't have interest in Cameron (Twitter link), but several other teams figure to come calling once he clears waivers and is available on the cheap. It's easy to see Cameron fitting on the 25-man roster of nearly even team, though the amount of playing time he'll receive is sure to factor into his decision.
Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.