Rangers Agree To Terms With Matthews, Cone
The Rangers agreed to terms with top draft picks Kevin Matthews and Zach Cone, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Matthews gets $936K, while Cone gets $873K. Both players signed for slot.
Matthews, a high school lefty, was the last pick in the first round, 33rd overall. The Rangers received the pick from the Phillies as part of the compensation for the loss of Cliff Lee. ESPN's Keith Law considers Matthews one of the biggest reaches of the first round. Baseball America says the consensus is that the southpaw will end up a reliever. Matthews is one of three first round picks to sign so far; check out our list here.
Cone, an outfielder from the University of Georgia, went four picks later in the supplemental round. He represents the other part of the Lee compensation. Baseball America says scouts question his pitch recognition, but he profiles as an above-average defensive center fielder with "solid raw power and strength" and good athleticism. Cone is represented by the Boras Corporation.
Rangers Hope To Improve Bullpen Soon
Rangers GM Jon Daniels is having "active discussions with other teams" with the aim of improving his bullpen via trade, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Said Daniels:
"It's something that we're open to, but it's easier said than done. There are not a lot of clubs eager to move quality arms right now. We've got to be able to address it right now."
Sullivan names Koji Uehara, Jim Johnson, Kevin Gregg, Joakim Soria, Kerry Wood, and Heath Bell as several relievers who could become available. He also notes that the Rangers have discussed Todd Coffey and Tyler Clippard with the Nationals. And the Giants are scouting Rangers catcher Taylor Teagarden, so there could be a match.
West Notes: Giants, Teagarden, Harden, Angels
Jhoulys Chacin lowered his ERA to 2.81 today after allowing just one run on three hits in six innings today against the Padres. Chacin picked up his eighth win of the season and improved his case for inclusion on the NL All-Star Team.
Some notes from both divisions out west….
- The Giants are looking to the Rangers as a potential source of catching help, reports CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler. Taylor Teagarden is cited as a possible candidate once Mike Napoli returns from injury and resumes backing up Yorvit Torrealba. Knobler says the Giants' catching search has extended to the minor leagues as the club has sent scouts to look at various Triple-A backstops.
- Rich Harden looked good in his most recent simulated game and the Athletics are looking to send Harden on a rehab assignment in Triple-A next week, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Angels have signed 30 of their 49 draft picks, tweets Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The highest pick to sign thus far is fifth-round outfielder Andrew Ray.
- The Angels and Rockies were the only MLB teams in the top 10 of ESPN The Magazine's annual list of the best franchises in sports, reports Chuck Schilken of the Los Angeles Times. The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers topped the list, while the Angels were fourth and the Rockies eighth. The lowest-ranked baseball team? The Mets, who ranked 117th out of 122 teams in MLB, the NFL, NHL and NBA.
Minor Moves: Wade, Thomas, Diamond
Minor moves for Wednesday…
- The Yankees have signed right-hander Cory Wade to a Major League contract and called him up to the Major League roster, reports MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Wade signed a minor league deal with New York on Monday. To make room, Hoch reports that Rafael Soriano was moved to the 60-day DL and Kevin Whelan was optioned to Triple-A.
- The Rangers have released catcher Michael Thomas, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Thomas was the player to be named later in the Jarrod Saltalamacchia trade last July. Eddy notes the Rangers considered converting Thomas to pitching.
- The Cubs released righty Thomas Diamond from their Triple-A club, tweets Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. He'd been outrighted in May to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Doug Davis.
- The Diamondbacks purchased the contract of righty reliever Jeff Bennett from the Lancaster Barnstormers. It appears that Bennett will join Arizona's Triple-A club. The 31-year-old last pitched in the Majors with the Rays in '09.
Draft Notes: Lamb, Bichette, Josh Bell, Beede
Two months away from the signing deadline, we won't be seeing over-slot signings anytime soon. Still, here's the latest.
- Clemson lefty Will Lamb, chosen 83rd overall in the second round by the Rangers, signed at slot for $430,200, tweets Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Dante Bichette Jr., drafted 51st overall by the Yankees in the supplemental round, tweeted that he'll "officially a Yankee very very soon." The Yanks received that pick as compensation for the loss of Javier Vazquez. Slot for that pick is around $695K. You can learn more about Bichette over at River Ave. Blues, where Mike Axisa profiled the slugger.
- ESPN's Keith Law tweets that he's told there is no dollar figure that would change Josh Bell's mind about going to college. Bell, drafted 61st overall by the Pirates, was one of the top draft talents but has made it clear he will honor his commitment to the University of Texas. Of course, he also hired Scott Boras as his advisor, so clearly the Pirates think there's a chance he can be signed.
- The Blue Jays' first pick (21st overall) was high school righty Tyler Beede; Baseball Prospectus' Kevin Goldstein tweets of rumors that the Jays had a pre-draft deal done with him. Law tweeted a few days ago that Beede is going to sign for about $3MM, which would be about $1.7MM over slot.
- The Rays exceeded slot on second round pick Granden Goetzman, signing the prep outfielder for $490K according to Baseball America's Jim Callis. The Rays went over slot by less than five grand, though, and Callis says teams can exceed slot by up to five percent without going through the commissioner's office. Goetzman went 75th overall but was actually the Rays' 11th pick.
- If you have ESPN Insider, Law has a post up with names to watch for the 2012 draft.
AL West Notes: Weaver, Davis, Anderson, Ellis
As the Angels and Mariners begin a three-game series at Safeco Field tonight, let's look at some items concerning those clubs and their other two division rivals….
- Could the Angels considering moving Jered Weaver this summer? FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal looks at what might happen if the Halos fall out of contention, with a Weaver deal being the biggest possible move the club could make to rebuild. I looked at Weaver as both a trade and an extension candidate last April.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan looks at some reader suggestions about what the Rangers might do before the trade deadline. Sullivan speculates that the Orioles could be a good trade partner for the Rangers — Texas wants right-handed relivers (like Jim Johnson or Koji Uehara) and Baltimore could use a first baseman for the future like Chris Davis.
- Athletics southpaw Brett Anderson will not need Tommy John surgery, reports ESPN's Buster Olney. (Twitter link) Dr. James Andrews instead recommended six weeks of rehabilition for Anderson, and the two will meet again in three weeks for a re-evaluation.
- Also from Buster Olney, (via Twitter), the Athletics could find a suitor for Mark Ellis without leaving the Bay Area. The Giants need second base help with Freddy Sanchez possibly out for the season, while the A's might prefer to give playing time at second base to Jemile Weeks or Scott Sizemore. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes listed Ellis as a possible trade candidate in his examination of what the A's might do if they become sellers. Of note: Ellis does have no-trade protection in his contract, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts.
- The three-team deal between the Mariners, Indians and Mets in December 2008 has proven to be a boon for the M's, writes Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.
Badler Examines July 2nd Class
Less than thrilled by your team's draft haul? Don't forget about the July 2nd class of international players. This year's group is an improvement on the 2011 class, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. He names the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rangers, Royals, Mariners, Pirates, Red Sox, and Reds as teams that could be active in the international market. Badler's info on a few of the top prospects:
- Outfielders Ronald Guzman, Elier Hernandez, and Nomar Mazara could challenge Miguel Sano's $3.15MM record for a Dominican hitter, writes Badler. The Rangers, Red Sox, and Blue Jays have been connected to Guzman and the Royals are the frontrunner for Hernandez.
- Speedy Venezuelan shortstop Wilmer Becerra has been linked to the Cardinals, Twins, and Athletics, says Badler. Becerra is projected by many to move to the outfield.
- Mexican righty Roberto Osuna, nephew of Antonio, is a top prospect who is currently pitching in the Mexican League. The 15-year-old is battling all kinds of former big leaguers. Venezuelan righty Victor Sanchez is another one to watch, according to Badler.
- Key MLBTR posts are translated into Spanish at our Rumores De Béisbol site, which has a unique Latin American focus with features such as Hits Latinos. Tell your Spanish-speaking friends!
2012 Vesting Options Update
Now that the calendar has flipped to June, let's check in on the status of the various vesting options around the league…
- Bobby Abreu, Angels: $9MM option vests with 433 plate appearances. Abreu has already come to the plate 276 times this year, so this one seems life a safe bet to vest, barring injury.
- Rafael Furcal, Dodgers: $12MM option vests with 600 plate appearances. Furcal is back on the disabled list with an oblique strain, and he's still a month away from returning. He has only 69 plate appearances this year, so this one won't vest.
- Jon Garland, Dodgers: $8MM option vests with 190 innings pitched. Garland has been on the disabled list twice this year (the first two times of his career), and he's currently out with a sore shoulder. He only has 54 innings to his credit and won't be back anytime soon, so this one won't vest.
- Francisco Rodriguez, Mets: $17.5MM option vests with 55 games finished and if doctors declare him healthy at the end of the year. K-Rod has already finished 25 games, putting him on pace for 65 at season's end. A trade to a team that would use him as a set-up man would change everything, but right now the option figures to vest.
- Koji Uehara, Orioles: $4MM option vests with either 55 appearances or 25 games finished. Uehara has appeared in 26 games and finished 11, putting him on pace for 69 and 29, respectively.
- Arthur Rhodes, Rangers: $4MM option vests with 62 appearances and if he's not on the disabled list at the end of the season. He's appeared in 20 games so far, putting him on pace for 50. Rhodes' workload could increase down the stretch.
- Joakim Soria, Royals: $6MM option vests with 55 appearances. He's already appeared in 28 games and is on pace for 71. It's worth noting that even if the option doesn't vest, the Royals would still control Soria as an arbitration-eligible player in 2012.
- Dan Wheeler, Red Sox: $3MM option vests with 65 games; increases to $3.25MM with 70 games. Wheeler has appeared in 17 games so far, so a stint on the disabled list did not help his cause.
Adam Wainwright's 2012 ($9MM) and 2013 ($12MM) options will not vest because he will finish the season on the disabled list after having Tommy John surgery. Aramis Ramirez's option depends on MVP Award finishes and whether or not he's traded, not plate appearances or another counting milestone.
Mark Buehrle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2011 season and although he doesn't have a traditional option in his contract, he gets an extra year at $15MM tacked onto his current deal if he's traded at some point this season.
Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.
Stark On Rollins, Fielder, Pujols, Olivo, Tigers
A number of iconic players are in contract years, so ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark looks ahead to their free agent stock and provides other rumors from around the league. Here are the details:
- No one Stark spoke with predicts David Ortiz will leave the Red Sox for another team.
- Jose Reyes will be the number two free agent on the market this winter behind only Albert Pujols, according to one executive.
- Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. acknowledges that it wouldn't be easy to replace Jimmy Rollins, even though the shortstop is no longer an MVP-caliber player. The Phillies ‘poked around’ for possible alternatives at short last offseason, according to Stark, who predicts a two-year deal for Rollins and the Phils this winter.
- Prince Fielder will no doubt sign a lucrative free agent deal, but one executive says the first baseman’s body will be an issue: "It has been since high school, and it always will be." Fielder is 27 now, so an eight-year deal would expire after his age-35 season.
- Pujols will test the market, but Stark and his sources find it hard to believe that he’d leave St. Louis for any old team. One executive predicts that the Cubs are the Cardinals’ main threat.
- The Cubs aren’t ready to start selling and haven’t started shopping Carlos Zambrano, despite his recent outburst.
- The Red Sox offered Miguel Olivo a one-year deal before re-signing Jason Varitek last offseason. Olivo eventually signed a two-year deal with the Mariners.
- The Rangers are ‘stepping up’ their search for a right-handed setup man and maintain interest in Nationals reliever Todd Coffey.
- Rival teams say the Tigers are looking for a left-handed reliever. Southpaws Daniel Schlereth, David Purcey, Charlie Furbush and Adam Wilk are currently in Detroit’s bullpen.
Olney On Padres, Wood, Pirates
Teams like the Yankees, Rangers and Cardinals may not have to wait much longer for bullpen help. There will probably be relievers available immediately, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney. Here’s the latest on the relief market and other notes from Olney:
- The industry-wide expectation is that the Padres will trade Heath Bell soon.
- Executives wonder if the Padres will decide to take advantage of Mike Adams' substantial trade value and trade him now. The setup man is under team control through 2012.
- Rival teams will presumably call the Cubs to see if Kerry Wood would accept a trade. The right-hander signed a discounted $1.5MM contract last offseason because he wanted to return to Chicago.
- Grant Balfour, Luke Gregerson and Michael Wuertz are other possible trade candidates, according to Olney.
- Though the Pirates have developed more top talent under Neal Huntington, it’s an important year for the GM, who doesn’t have a contract after 2011. The Pirates drafted aggressively once again this year, so Huntington and his scouting staff will have a number of tough signs this summer, such as high schooler Josh Bell.