Cubs Claim Julio Borbon
The Cubs have claimed Julio Borbon off waivers from the Rangers, according to Borbon himself (on Twitter). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports confirmed the move (also on Twitter).
Borbon was designated for assignment by the Rangers last week and placed on waivers Wednesday after the Rangers were unable to work out a trade. The 27-year-old is a career .283/.324/.358 hitter with 40 stolen bases in 53 career attempts.
The outfielder drew interest from a few clubs including the Twins, who were said to be kicking the tires on him. Ultimately, however, the Rangers were unable to find a worthwhile deal for him. Texas ideally wanted a "pitcher with options" in exchange for Borbon.
Because waiver priority is determined by the previous year's standings for the first month of the season, the Cubs had second priority to claim Borbon. He did not pass through the entire American League unclaimed.
Cubs Outright Takahashi To Minors
We'll track today's minor moves here:
- The Cubs have outrighted reliever Hisanori Takahashi to Triple-A Iowa, the Chicago Sun-Times' Gordon Wittenmyer reports (on Twitter). The Cubs designated Takahashi for assignment in a series of moves earlier this week. Takahashi, 38, has a career 3.99 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in parts of four Major League seasons with the Mets, Angels, Pirates and Cubs.
Draft Notes: Gray, Appel
The 2013 Rule 4 draft takes place on June 6th, with the Astros, Cubs, Rockies, Twins, and Indians taking the first five picks. You can check out the full draft order here. The latest draft info:
- 6-foot-4, 240 pound Oklahoma righty Jonathan Gray is shooting up draft boards. ESPN's Keith Law had him eighth on March 14th, but now has him as the clear number two player behind another college righty, Stanford's Mark Appel. Gray, who hit 101 in several recent games according to scouts who talked to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, was drafted by the Royals in the 13th round in 2010 and the Yankees in the 10th round in 2011, and now projects to go very early in the 2013 draft. Oklahoma head baseball coach Sunny Golloway told ESPN's Teddy Mitrosilis, "He's going to Houston or the Cubs, No. 1 or No. 2."
- Appel is "still clearly the best player in this draft," in the eyes of Law. Law wonders if the Astros or Cubs can "try to work out a deal less than the recommended bonus number but more than the figure Appel turned down from the Pirates last year ($3.8 million), with the carrot of a big league callup in September if he throws well after signing." Appel is an advisee of the Boras Corporation.
- Prep outfielder Austin Meadows, college lefty Sean Manaea, and prep righty Kohl Stewart are the next three players on Law's draft board, which is ranks players by talent and upside and is not a mock draft.
NL Central Notes: Brewers, Price, Cubs, Cardinals
Earlier tonight, the Brewers picked up Francisco Rodriguez up on a minor league deal. Here's more on K-Rod and other notes out of the National League Central..
- Brewers GM Doug Melvin says that Rodriguez represents another option that they can go to if necessary and is a low-risk signing, writes MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Melvin also said that he spoke to a prosecutor before re-signing Rodriguez to ensure that Rodriguez’s legal troubles were closed. The reliever was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery in September, but those charges were dropped.
- In an interview with Mut & Merloni of WEEI, ESPN.com's Buster Olney said that he sees the Cubs as the most likely team to trade for the Rays' David Price with the Cardinals also in the mix. In Olney's estimation, the Cards can blow everyone else out of the water if they decide to dip into their farm system to pull off a trade.
- Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) credited Melvin for picking up Yuniesky Betancourt late in the spring after he didn't hook on with the Phillies. The signing looks particularly good at the moment after Betancourt's grand slam last night and third inning home run earlier this evening.
Quick Hits: Cubs, Red Sox, Hanley, Trades
A year ago today, the Indians signed Johnny Damon to a one-year contract with the hope that clean-shaven caveman could bolster their lineup. Damon hit just .222/.281/.329 in 224 plate appearances for the Tribe. This offseason, there was no penny-pinching by the Indians, as they signed Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, Brett Myers and Mark Reynolds to bolster the club. Here are some links from around the league…
- Carlos Zambrano is at Wrigley Field today, which sparked a great deal of speculation, but Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Zambrano is merely visiting. The Cubs aren't interested in a reunion.
- Red Sox minor league left-hander Miguel Pena and right-hander Gerson Bautista have both been suspended 50 games for violation of Major League Baseball's drug policy, tweets Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Pena ranked 30th among Red Sox prospects, according to BA, who noted that his clean delivery and plus changeup gave him the ceiling of a No. 4 starter in the big leagues.
- Hanley Ramirez is anticipating a return to the Dodgers "way sooner" than his initially projected return of mid-May, writes Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles. The Dodgers have gotten next to no production from Luis Cruz and Justin Sellers in his absence.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post gives the "small sample size" caveat in noting that traded players such as John Buck, Michael Morse and Justin Upton are excelling. Vernon Wells and Michael Young have looked better than salary dumps thus far as well, Sherman continues.
- ESPN's Jim Bowden lists five impulsive moves that the GMs of contenders such as the Rays, Tigers, Angels, Cardinals and Giants should make to immediately improve their clubs' biggest weaknesses (ESPN Insider required).
Quick Hits: Borbon, Cubs, Rendon, Profar
Here are a few notes from around baseball:
- The Orioles have had ongoing discussions with the Rangers about trading for outfielder Julio Borbon, writes MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli. Borbon will need to be placed on outright waivers by 2pm ET tomorrow if he is not traded beforehand, but the Rangers appear confident that they will strike a deal. While Texas is interested in a major league capable pitcher with options, the Orioles are reluctant to give up arms and are waiting for the asking price to drop. For the O's, Borbon would bring depth, speed, and another lefty bat in the outfield mix.
- The Mets and Astros have also expressed interest in Borbon, Ghiroli further reports. Both clubs entered the season with among the least-entrenched outfield mixes in baseball.
- Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein spoke about what the club's Wrigley Field renovation deal could mean for the quality of the squad that takes the field at the friendly confines, as reported by Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. According to Epstein, the club "need[s] revenues to increase in order for us to execute our baseball plan. We expect them to [increase]." Epstein added: "We are not where we want to be right now from a revenue standpoint and therefore we are not where we want to be from a payroll standpoint." While Epstein said that revenue was not the sole "determining factor in our success," he needs it to allow the front office to supplement homegrown talent with "some aggression in free agency."
- For his part, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts says that, "if [the deal] is approved, we will win the World Series." As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times explains, however, there is some cause for skepticism. The Cubs' ownership has continued to push out its promised timeline for a championship. And with the Cubs topping Forbes' list of most profitable franchises in 2012, Wittenmyer questions Ricketts' continued unwillingness to be more specific about when and to what extent the budget will expand.
- Most big league second baggers do not start out at the position. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that several teams are considering moving big-name young players to second base, with major potential hot stove implications. ESPN's Keith Law (on ESPN Insider) broke down the possible in-season transition of the Blue Jays' Brett Lawrie, as well as two prospects who are keystone candidates: Anthony Rendon of the Nationals and Jurickson Profar of the Rangers. A Lawrie move would be motivated by gaps elsewhere in the Jays' lineup, with the primary impact being on Toronto's affirmative trade plans. The two highly-rated prospects, on the other hand, find themselves blocked at their natural positions. For Rendon and Profar, then, a move to second could be the only viable alternative to an eventual trade.
- With Rendon presumably blocked by Ryan Zimmerman at his natural third base, and with a Zimmerman move to first blocked for at least two seasons by Adam LaRoche, a switch to second seems attractive at first blush. Rendon is known as a very good fielder, and may soon be knocking on the door after starting the year destroying Double-A pitching. But even putting aside the presence of young incumbent Danny Espinosa, Law says that Rendon's lack of agility and suspect ankles should preclude such a move. Unless some drastic change intervenes — Zimmerman's throwing woes worsen; the NL adopts the DH; unforeseen injury — the Nationals could be forced to consider dealing Rendon after this season.
- On the other hand, Law explains that the shortstop Profar, blocked by Elvis Andrus, can certainly handle second. But he would be less valuable there, and the Rangers would need to convince Ian Kinsler to become a first baseman or outfielder. Law goes so far as to suggest that Profar has the capacity to be shifted to centerfield, despite having never seen time in the outfield as a professional. Of course, Profar has already established his value at a premium defensive position. Such a move would not only be risky, but would keep Profar out of the big league lineup for longer while he adapted to a totally new position. Law says that bringing Profar up to man second would add value to the Rangers right now. Certainly, if the club is unwilling to make such a move this season, it is reasonable to wonder (as many have) whether Texas might instead dangle Profar as the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal to acquire a top-flight starter or outfielder.
Cubs Claim Ransom; Designate Takahashi, Lillibridge
The Cubs claimed infielder Cody Ransom off waivers from the Padres, GM Jed Hoyer told reporters including MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. The team also purchased the contract of Kevin Gregg. Sunday's waiver claim, Kameron Loe, is also joining the Cubs' bullpen, while reliever Hisanori Takahashi and infielder Brent Lillibridge were designated for assignment. Second baseman Darwin Barney has been reinstated from the DL, as expected.
Ransom had been designated for assignment by the Padres on Friday. The 37-year-old had the most exposure of his big league career last year, racking up a .220/.312/.411 line in 282 plate appearances for the Brewers and Diamondbacks. If Ransom somehow sticks on the Cubs' roster, he'll be arbitration eligible after the season.
Takahashi, 38, was scored upon in two of his three appearances for the Cubs this year. The lefty posted a 5.54 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 1.43 HR/9, and 37.1% groundball rate in 50 1/3 innings for the Angels and Pirates in 2012. The Cubs' bullpen is already being retooled, with a 5.82 ERA in the early going.
Lillibridge, 29, had one hit in 24 plate appearances for the Cubs this year. He played second and third base. Lillibridge hit .195/.250/.274 in 209 plate appearances for the White Sox, Red Sox, and Indians last year. He was part of a "numbers crunch," Hoyer told reporters including Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. With the recent additions of Ransom, Gregg, and Loe, the Cubs' 40-man roster remains full.
Central Notes: Cubs, Twins, Reds
The Cubs held a press conference today to discuss their $500MM plan to "save Wrigley Field and invest in the city." The deal has not been finalized, but an agreement has been reached with the city of Chicago. "If this plan is approved, we will win the World Series for our fans and our city," said owner Tom Ricketts. Elsewhere in baseball's central divisions:
- The Twins recalled one of their best prospects today from Triple-A, promoting outfielder Oswaldo Arcia and placing Wilkin Ramirez on paternity leave. Arcia, a 21-year-old from Venezuela, was ranked the 41st best prospect in the game by Baseball America and placed 59th on Keith Law's list for ESPN. Arcia seems unlikely to stick, with Ramirez due back in three days.
- Another top central division prospect may have his service clock started soon, as John Fay of Cincinnati Enquirer says the Reds "will likely call up left-hander Tony Cingrani from Triple-A to make [Johnny] Cueto's next scheduled start." Cueto is on the DL with a strained right lat muscle, and the Reds limited to Cingrani to two innings in his Sunday Triple-A start. Cueto will miss three or four starts, Reds manager Dusty Baker told reporters today.
- "I think he has a chance to be a true No. 1," a scout tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports regarding Twins prospect Alex Meyer. The Twins acquired Meyer from the Nationals straight up for Denard Span in November.
- Though Cardinals GM John Mozeliak and Rangers GM Jon Daniels have not discussed swapping Oscar Taveras and Jurickson Profar, ESPN's Jim Bowden continues to advocate this potential "challenge" trade. Bowden admits that his first trade as Reds GM was a challenge trade in its own right, as he dealt Paul O'Neill and a minor leaguer to the Yankees for Roberto Kelly. Concludes Bowden, "True, that O’Neill-for-Kelly deal will haunt me to my grave, but it was the gutsiest trade I’ve ever made."
Quick Hits: 42, Ortiz, Quentin, Cubs
Tomorrow is the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. Every player, coach, and umpire will honor Robinson by wearing his iconic jersey number 42 and it is a significant ritual appreciated by today's generation of players. "It's definitely one of those things you take a lot of pride in, putting on that jersey," said Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (as quoted by MLB.com's Tom Singer). "What (Robinson) went through, stepping up and being that guy to take that important step…it's something we need to always remember." This weekend, the nation remembered the Hall of Famer by making the biopic 42 the domestic box office champion with $27.3MM in ticket sales. This is the first time a baseball movie has ever grossed more than $20MM in its opening weekend and is also an opening weekend record for any baseball-themed movie when adjusted for inflation, according to Forbes. Here's the latest news and notes from America's Pastime:
- David Ortiz was scratched from his Triple-A rehab start today due to illness and it could become a very expensive setback, reports Tim Britton of the Providence Journal. Ortiz's 2014 salary will be cut by $2MM (from $15MM to $13MM), if he spends more than 20 days on the disabled list and day 20 is next Sunday. His next rehab start could come tomorrow.
- Carlos Quentin announced he has withdrawn his appeal and will start serving his eight-game suspension today (first reported by the USA Today's Bob Nightengale on Twitter). "I’ve had time to have dialogue with Major League Baseball and a chance for the players association to protect me and my rights as a player,” Quentin told reporters including Chris Jenkins of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “When that time passed, I’ve prepared to serve my suspension." Quentin will miss the Padres' three-game series against the Dodgers, which begins tomorrow in Los Angeles.
- The Cubs could designate Brent Lillibridge or Alberto Gonzalez for assignment when Darwin Barney is activated from the disabled list on Tuesday, speculates the Daily Herald's Bruce Miles.
Cubs Claim Kameron Loe
The Cubs announced that they have claimed right-hander Kameron Loe off of waivers from the Mariners. Seattle designated Loe for assignment after acquiring Aaron Harang from the Rockies on Thursday. The Cubs made room for Loe on the 40-man roster by placing Steve Clevenger on the 60-day disabled list with a strained left oblique suffered yesterday.
Loe signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in February but the 31-year-old allowed six home runs in 6 2/3 innings of work (four games) this season. The 27-year-old Clevenger meanwhile has appeared in eight games for the Cubs, primarily as a pinch-hitter, with one hit in eight at-bats.