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Cafardo On Red Sox, Cabrera, Okajima, Quentin

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Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington will focus on trying to fix his team’s pitching from top to bottom this offseason, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  Since drafting Jon Lester in 2002, the only major league starting pitchers the Red Sox have developed are Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, and Justin Masterson.  And while they had good luck with relievers Jonathan Papelbon and Daniel Bard, Craig Hansen and Michael Bowden didn't work out as well.  When it comes to grooming their pitchers of the future, Cafardo suggests that the Red Sox should reach out to Rick Peterson to help steer the ship.  Here's more from today's column..

  • If Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera doesn't have any additional fallout relating to his 50-game suspension, GMs that were asked said they would look at him as a one-year contract possibility.  However, one GM noted that “If there’s competition for him, someone will go multiyear.”
  • Former Red Sox left-hander Hideki Okajima is in Japan and trying to work his way back to the majors.  Okajima is pitching extremely well in Japan, where many thought he wanted to stay, but  he wants another shot at the majors and may get it.
  • Carlos Quentin's contract is very reasonable for the small-market Padres, but they could still be open to moving him this offseason.  Quentin inked a three-year, $27MM extension with the club in July that includes a $10MM mutual option for 2016.
  • One veteran talent evaluator thinks many teams missed the boat on acquiring Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano.  While he’s not the centerpiece of any lineup he would be a good left field option for a team seeking a righthanded middle-of-the-order bat.
  • The Cubs will likely make a push for Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan, bullpen coach Gary Tuck, and possibly even bench coach Tim Bogar.  However, Bogar might prefer to stay in Boston.

Cubs Claim Jason Berken

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The Cubs have claimed Jason Berken off of waivers from the Orioles, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). Baltimore had designated the right-hander for assignment four days ago in order to free up roster space for Zach Phillips.

Berken spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 starts. The 28-year-old appeared in just one game with Baltimore this year, but he was a fixture in the Orioles' rotation in 2009 and in their bullpen from 2010-11. The Cubs claimed right-hander Miguel Socolovich off of waivers from Baltimore less than a month ago.

Quick Hits: Cubs, Miller, Felix, Joseph

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In the same game that Jamey Carroll hit his first home run since August 2009, Adam Dunn struck out tonight to become the sixth player in MLB history with 2,000 punchouts. Dunn joins Reggie Jackson, Jim Thome, Sammy Sosa, Andres Galarraga and Alex Rodriguez as members of the 2,000K club. Here are tonight's links:

  • Cubs manager Dale Sveum is pleased with the job that interim hitting coach James Rowson has done since taking over for Rudy Jaramillo in June, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Rowson could figure into next season's plans, as Sveum plans to address the 2013 coaching staff in the season's final weeks.
  • MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch has quotes from Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny about the club's decision to promote Shelby Miller. A start is possible down the stretch for Miller, according to Mozeliak.
  • Many wonder when Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik will change his stance on listening to offers for Felix Hernandez, but that day doesn't appear to be here. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe asked the Seattle GM if it was a possibility and received a simple "No," as an answer (Twitter link).
  • While he's struggled at the plate, Tommy Joseph has still impressed the Phillies since being acquired in the Hunter Pence trade, writes Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joseph's defense has impressed the Phils, and they still project plus power from the promising catcher.

Outrighted to Triple-A: Hinshaw

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Today's outright assignments:

  • The Cubs have outrighted left-hander Alex Hinshaw to Triple-A Iowa, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page.  Hinshaw had been designated for assignment last Tuesday, after surrendering back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game against the Brewers the night before. Hinshaw has a 6.04 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 6.7 BB/9, and 2.5 HR/9 in 33 games between the Padres and Cubs this season.

Quick Hits: Astros, Putz, Soriano, Giants

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A hearty congratulations goes out to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus who bid farewell to the internet today as he will be joining the Astros as a Pro Scouting Coordinator.  Houston also announced that they will be bringing Oz Ocampo on board as Director of International Scouting.  More from around baseball..

  • Diamondbacks General Manager Kevin Towers spoke very highly of closer J.J. Putz, tweets Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.  Arizona holds a $6MM option on Putz for 2013, but Towers (Twitter link) made it sound as though it's a price he's ready to pay.  "$6MM for an experienced closer is probably not a bad number," said the GM.
  • Alfonso Soriano made it clear this summer that he would not accept a trade to the Giants due to the climate there, but the outfielder brought some clarity to the situation this evening.   Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com tweets that the outfielder explained that the weather in San Francisco would be detrimental to his knee.  Earlier reports suggested that Soriano did not like the idea of hitting in colder weather.
  • Scott Miller of CBSSports.com looks back at the dismissal of Angels scout Eddie Bane, the man responsible for landing Mike Trout, Jered Weaver, Mark Trumbo, and many other key Halos pieces.  Bane admitted that he and then-General Manager Tony Reagins did not get along overall.

Soriano, Ellsbury, Ross, Marcum Likely Staying Put

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There’s generally a fair amount of activity on August 31st, the last day for teams to trade for players who are eligible for postseason rosters. We’ll be sure to pass along news of any trades but in the meantime let’s check in on some players who aren’t getting dealt:

  • There are no trades on the horizon for the Marlins, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter).
  • No deal involving Alfonso Soriano seems likely, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Cubs could wait until the winter to trade Soriano, who has cleared waivers.
  • The Red Sox won’t trade Jacoby Ellsbury or Cody Ross today, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears the Brewers aren't likely to trade Shaun Marcum or Francisco Rodriguez (Twitter link).
  • The Cardinals don’t plan to pursue a shortstop from outside of the organization to replace Rafael Furcal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Furcal is likely headed for the disabled list with an elbow injury, but St. Louis can rely on internal options such as Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso.
  • It looks as though it'll be a quiet day for the Rangers, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports (on Twitter).

Quick Hits: Hardy, Soriano, Rangers, Clemens

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Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy admitted that Manny Machado's presence makes him wonder about his own future with the club, tweets Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.  The veteran, who is under contract through 2014 for $7MM per season, says that he is focused on playing his best at shortstop and won't let the uncertainty hinder him. "Does it cross my mind? Yeah. I’m not going to lie. I was in the same situation in Milwaukee with Alcides Escobar coming up. I don’t know what’s going to happen," said Hardy.  More Thursday night linkage..

  • Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has gone from one of baseball's most overpaid players to one of its most underrated, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The Cubs have one day to find a deal for Soriano if they hope to move him this season.  Last week it was reported that Theo Epstein & Co. are unlikely to deal him this month.
  • In his latest mailbag, a reader asked MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan if the Rangers made a mistake in extending Derek Holland before working out a deal with Matt Harrison.  He writes that the club should have the financial flexibility to get both extensions done and can be expected to hammer something out with Harrison this winter.  The left-hander will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.
  • It's becoming more and more obvious by the day that the Astros and Roger Clemens are set for a reunion, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link).  Rosenthal opines that the idea is embarrassing for both parties, but possibly worse on the team's end.  Despite Clemens' tarnished reputation, he is still a well-liked figure in Houston who should serve as a strong gate attraction if he makes a return.
  • After being cut loose by the Brewers just over a week ago, veteran Randy Wolf says that he is excited to hook on with a young Orioles squad, writes Kevin Cowherd of the Baltimore Sun.  The Brewers are on the hook for most of his $9.5MM salary, with the O's covering the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.

Indians Claim Scott Maine

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The Indians announced that they claimed left-hander Scott Maine off of waivers from the Cubs. The Cubs designated Maine for assignment two days ago to create 40-man roster space for catcher Anthony Recker.

Maine, a sixth round selection in 2007, appeared in 21 games for the Cubs this year, posting a 4.79 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 20 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old has had high strikeout and walk rates throughout his professional career. In parts of six minor league seasons, Maine has a 3.28 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.

The Indians note that Maine and Cleveland closer Chris Perez played together in college at the University of Miami.

Cubs Designate Alex Hinshaw For Assignment

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The Cubs designated left-hander Alex Hinshaw for assignment just nine days after claiming him from the Padres, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). The Cubs called up right-handed reliever Blake Parker in a related move.

Hinshaw posted a 4.50 ERA with 11.6 K/9 and 6.4 BB/9 in 28 innings with the Padres before being claimed off of waivers by Chicago on August 19th. He appeared in two games for the Cubs, recording just one out. The 29-year-old allowed three home runs to the Brewers last night and didn't record an out.

Cubs Extend Starlin Castro

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The Cubs have signed Starlin Castro to a contract extension that will keep the 22-year-old shortstop under contract for the remainder of his 20s. The team officially announced a seven-year extension that covers Castro's four arbitration seasons and at least three seasons of free agent eligibility. Paul Kinzer of Wasserman Media Group represents Castro, whose seven-year deal includes $60MM in guaranteed money.

Starlin Castro - Cubs (PW)

Castro has posted a .276/.311/.418 batting line with 12 homers in 540 plate appearances this season. Despite his youth, he already has three full seasons of MLB experience and was on track to go to arbitration for the first time this offseason. As a super two player, he has four seasons of arbitration eligibility.

The deal locks Castro up through 2019, which means he and prospects Jorge Soler and Gerardo Concepcion are the only Cubs players under contract beyond 2014. Soler's nine-year, $30MM contract extends through 2020 and Concepcion's five-year, $6MM contract extends through 2016.

Castro will receive a $6MM signing bonus before earning $5MM in 2013 and 2014, $6MM in 2015, $7MM in 2016, $9MM in 2017, $10MM in 2018 and $11MM in 2019, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (Twitter links). If Castro finishes in the top five of the MVP voting twice over the life of his contract, his 2019 salary and the value of his $16MM option will each increase by $2MM. All told, the maximum value of his contract including escalators would be $79MM over eight years. 

The eighth-year option includes a $1MM buyout that is part of the $60MM guarantee, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The deal doesn't include a no-trade clause, Heyman reports (on Twitter).

 Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com first reported that the sides reached an agreement after David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com first reported that the two sides were working on a long-term deal. Post by Ben Nicholson-Smith with Zach Links and Steve Adams. Photo courtesy of US Presswire.

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